Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine September 2016 | Page 78

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Explore | Flavours

Stories of the heart, character and
soul of Nihiwatu reached American
brand-building entrepreneur Chris
Burch and prolific South African-born
hotelier James McBride in 2011, who
together acquired the resort in 2012.
Since then it has been reborn as
something more than a surfer’s retreat
– a world-class beach resort with an
unmistakeably local soul. Beyond the
resort grounds, you can join scheduled
excursions and activities on land
such as trips to the local Sumbanese
villages in Rua/Lamboya and Sumba
Foundation Projects; trek to nearby
Weihola, Lamboya; or go mountain
biking or horse riding across the
ruggedly beautiful terrain. If you’re
looking for water sports less intense
than surfing, stand-up paddle
boarding and snorkelling around the
private Nihiwatu beach are highly
recommended. www.nihiwatu.com

Sumba’s appeal for me lies in this contrasting combination of
raw, untouched nature and access to incredible fishing, surfing,
trekking, equestrian and cultural adventures.
only minimal seasoning, local pepper,
lemongrass and galangal. Unlike other islands
Sumba has no spices to export, but you
will find edible blossoms here, something
the Balinese don’t eat.
Papaya flowers and banana blossoms are served,
with cassava and corn, taking the place of rice
as the main staple. However, nasi jagung, rice
mixed with the older maize corn, is also found
in most areas across the island. These simple
staples are supplemented by kampung chicken
or catch from the sea including octopus, sea
urchin and mackerel, which are then prepared
as inviting curries and soups as the main dish
of the day. I couldn’t resist slicing up some
sashimi from my impressive catch from my
own day out on the open ocean – the seas
around Sumba are deep and generous.
Sumba’s appeal for me lies in this contrasting
combination of raw, untouched nature and
access to incredible fishing, surfing, trekking,
equestrian, and cultural adventures.

If you’re keen to explore more of the local
flavours in a modern context, Nihiwatu offers
refined, relaxed dining experiences that use
the best homegrown ingredients, whether
it is a fish just caught from the sea, delicious
vegetables and legumes from the property’s
three bountiful organic gardens, items from
the grill and daily rotisserie from the on-site
animal farm, or even freshly made wood-fired
clay-oven pizzas and organic chocolate from
a quaint chocolate factory actually owned
by someone named Charly.
During our stay at Nihiwatu, the headquarters
of the Sumba Foundation, we found a shared
admiration of Sumba, the island and its
people, and I saw how Nihiwatu, rather than
changing Sumba to suit mass tourism, supports
it to retain its heritage and culture through
programmes aimed at addressing education,
disease and poverty. There is a recognition
that Sumba needs to have strong leaders
who can preserve what is unique about
this island long into the future with the
spirit of Sumbanese pride.

Kisah seputar hati, karakter dan
jiwa Nihiwatu sampai ke telinga
pengusaha brand building
berkebangsaan Amerika, Chris Burch
dan pengusaha hotel kelahiran Afrika
Selatan James McBride di tahun 2011.
Mereka pun lalu membeli resor ini di
tahun 2012. Sejak saat itu, tempat ini
terlahir kembali sebagai resor pantai
kelas dunia dengan jiwa lokal yang tak
terpisahkan—bukan sekadar tempat
para peselancar saja. Di luar resor,
Anda bisa mengikuti berbagai
aktivitas dan kunjungan, seperti
perjalanan ke desa lokal Sumba di
Rua/Lamboya dan proyek Yayasan
Sumba; bertualang ke Weihola,
Lamboya; naik sepeda gunung atau
berkuda menjelajahi daerah sekitar.
Jika Anda ingin menjajal olahraga air
yang tidak seintens berselancar, kami
merekomendasikan Anda mencoba
paddle boarding atau snorkelling di
pantai Nihiwatu.

© Will Meyrick and Herlia Adisasmita; © Credit to Nihiwatu - Mamole Tree House

Where to Stay: Nihiwatu