Brilio.net/en - After winning the 2015 Cond Nast Travelers Worlds Best Hotels Gold List as Design of the Year, Nihiwatu in western Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, followed up with the US tourism magazine Travel+Leisures Worlds Best Travel Awards 2016, beating out competition from the States, New Zealand, Australia, Ecuador and Chile. So what makes it stand out?
Nihiwatu managing partner James McBride told Kompas.com that the hotel tries to expand the idea of a paradise resort by creating a destination that allows guests to immerse themselves in the wilds of Sumba. Rather than shutting itself off from the outside world, the Nihiwatu incorporates the local culture of its location at Hobawawi village in Wanukaka. The resort occupies 567 acres including a 2.5-kilometer stretch of private beach.
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The hotel offers a special treehouse villa called Puncak with three bedrooms set into a cliffside overlooking the Indian Ocean. Other villas in come with a private pool and unspoilt view of the Nihi Beach. Theres 28 in all, with 33 rooms that can accommodate up to 80 guests.
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Guests have plenty of experiences to keep them occupied, including a spa safari - which sounds amazing - and island exploration, from trekking to hidden waterfalls and through rice fields to visiting local villages and craftsmen. Cultural experiences let guests delve into the Sumbanese way of life. A closeby private beach, Occys Left, is a famous haunt of pro surfers. After catching the waves, guests can enjoy a sunset ride on horseback. Theres no local commercial fishing and the hotel offers sport fishing trips off the coast.
What really separates Nihiwatu from other five-star resorts is the CSR initiatives. The hotel invites guests to donate to or volunteer for activities run by the Sumba Foundation, established in 2001 by hotel founders Claude Graves and Sean Downs. A portion of the resorts profits and other individual donations goes to the foundation.
The money is used to fund local medical clinics, schools and communal farms. Nihiwatu also provides local employment opportunities. Ninety percent of the staff is Sumbanese, and able to speak languages including English, German, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
The hotel includes all the normal five-star services, as well as babysitting and butler service on request. Rates start at USD 650 for a one-bedroom villa and go all the way up to USD 12,000 for the 5-bedroom estate. The cost of some villas doubles at peak seasons. Probably worth it.
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