The Sanubari - Indonesia
Updated: 5 days ago
First Impressions & Arrival — 10/10
Some hotels are beautiful. Some have incredible rooms, impressive facilities or amazing restaurants. And then there are places where you arrive and immediately think: I don't want to leave.
For me, The Sanubari was one of those places. In fact, it might just be one of my favourite places we've ever stayed.
Located on the remote southwest coast of Sumba, getting to The Sanubari takes some time. From the airport, it's around a two-hour drive, but honestly, I didn't mind the journey at all. The moment we turned onto the long private road leading to the resort, I already knew we were going somewhere special.
The road takes you through The Sanubari's enormous estate, surrounded by rice fields, palm trees, tropical greenery and glimpses of the ocean. The further we drove, the more remote it felt — and I absolutely loved that.
When we finally arrived, my first thought was simply: “This is paradise.”
The property was much bigger than I expected and didn't feel like a traditional hotel at all. It felt like we had arrived on our own little island.
We were warmly welcomed with a refreshing drink while checking in, but what stood out most to me was the serenity. Everything felt calm and unhurried. No noise, no rushing — just nature, the ocean and this immediate feeling that we had left normal life behind.
And that feeling stayed with us throughout our entire stay.
Accommodation — 8.5/10
We stayed in a Beachfront One-Bedroom Villa, and honestly, I could have stayed there much longer.
The villa had a spacious bedroom, a separate living area and a large bathroom. I really liked the design: minimalist but warm, without anything feeling unnecessarily flashy.
And then you walk outside...
The ocean. Right in front of you.
Our villa had its own private pool and two sun loungers, as well as direct access to the beach. When you have that kind of view right outside your door, you really don't need much more.
One of my favourite details was that we also had our own bicycles. Because The Sanubari is such a large property, they were the perfect way to explore. We could simply jump on our bikes and cycle past the palm trees, rice fields and tropical surroundings whenever we felt like it.
The bed itself was comfortable, but honestly, it was the sound of the ocean that made the villa so special. Going to sleep listening to the waves and waking up to them again the next morning was one of my favourite parts of the stay.
The bathroom was spacious and had both a large shower and a bathtub overlooking the ocean. That bathtub was definitely one of those “okay, this is pretty special” moments.
The bathroom was beautiful and practical rather than overly luxurious. There weren't endless fancy toiletries, but I didn't really miss them.
One practical detail worth knowing: you cannot flush toilet paper down the toilet at The Sanubari. Instead, it goes into a small bin next to the toilet. Coming from Europe, it definitely took some getting used to, but after a day or two it simply became part of the routine.
Facilities & Activities — 9/10
The Sanubari isn't the kind of resort where you need a packed schedule of activities to keep yourself busy. And I think that's exactly what makes it so special.
The estate is enormous, so simply cycling around and exploring the property became one of our favourite things to do. Sometimes we didn't even have a specific destination — we'd just get on the bikes and see where we'd end up.
The beach is probably the biggest attraction of all.
It's huge, wild and incredibly peaceful, with almost nobody around. The beach isn't technically private and locals can access it too, but during our stay we barely saw anyone.
And I actually loved seeing local people when we did. It made the experience feel authentic rather than like a completely isolated luxury bubble created just for tourists.
The ocean can be quite wild, but you can swim in it. There are no rows of beach beds, no loud music and no beach club atmosphere. Just sand, palm trees and an enormous blue ocean.
There is also a spa where you can book massages. Nick had a massage during our stay and enjoyed it, although it wasn't one of those massages we were still talking about afterwards.
There wasn't a gym when we stayed, which is probably the one facility I would have liked to see. A larger main pool was also being built during our stay, so unfortunately we didn't get to experience it.
But honestly, when you're surrounded by this much nature, you don't really feel like you need a gym.
The horses are another lovely part of the experience. Sumbanese horses are an important part of the local culture, and during our stay we were lucky enough to have horses come right to our villa. It was such a fun and memorable experience.
You can also book experiences where you swim with the horses, although we didn't do this at The Sanubari as we'd already experienced it elsewhere during our trip.
Dining Experience — 8/10
Breakfast at The Sanubari was one of those experiences that proves that sometimes where you eat is just as important as what you're eating.
Breakfast was served with your feet literally in the sand, surrounded by tropical greenery and that incredible island atmosphere.
We had smoothies, yoghurt with granola, eggs, fresh fruit, ginger shots and freshly opened coconuts. Everything was fresh and simple.
It wasn't the most elaborate breakfast we've ever had, but it didn't need to be. The setting made the whole experience feel special.
When we stayed, there was one restaurant and it was still fairly small. The food was good, but I would describe it as simple rather than fine dining.
And honestly, I didn't expect fine dining here — nor did I think The Sanubari needed it.
One thing we really loved was being able to order lunch directly to our villa. You could have pretty much everything delivered, including drinks, which is incredibly convenient when your villa looks like this.
Since our stay, the restaurant has been expanded, and I've seen some of the newer dishes online. It looks incredible, and I would genuinely love to return to experience the new dining concept.
So if you're reading this after the restaurant expansion, keep in mind that our food experience reflects our stay before these changes.
One of my favourite little details was the beach bar.
It's tiny, simple and incredibly idyllic. During the day, it's the perfect place to grab a drink with your feet almost in the sand.
But in the evening, it becomes even more magical. A fire is lit at the beach bar, and guests naturally gather around with a drink while listening to the ocean.
No loud music. No elaborate setup.
Just a little beach bar, a crackling fire, a few drinks and the ocean in the background.
Honestly, it doesn't get much more idyllic than that.
The cocktails were also really good — definitely the kind of drinks that make you say you'll have just one and somehow you're still sitting there much later.
Service & Hospitality — 10/10
The people at The Sanubari were one of the biggest highlights of our stay.
The staff were incredibly warm and friendly. Not just polite — actually warm.
I even received compliments on my outfits from some of the staff, which obviously made me smile.
And when we left, some of them actually gave us hugs.
That really says something.
We were addressed by name, and the service always felt attentive without ever becoming stiff or overly formal.
For me, this was one of the strongest aspects of The Sanubari. There was a genuine friendliness that made the resort feel personal.
It didn't feel like we were simply guests staying at a luxury property.
It felt like we were genuinely welcomed. Overall Value — 9.5/10
The Sanubari isn't about flashy luxury, marble everywhere or endless facilities.
It's island luxury.
It's waking up with the ocean in front of you. Walking barefoot along an almost empty beach at sunrise. Having breakfast with your feet in the sand. Cycling through a huge tropical estate. Hearing the waves from your bed.
It's the feeling that you've temporarily disappeared from the world.
And for me, that's what makes The Sanubari so special.
It's not necessarily the most luxurious hotel we've ever stayed at, but it might be one of the places that gave me the strongest feeling of “I don't want to leave.”
The value comes from the entire experience: the incredible location, the beachfront villa, the warm service, the space, the privacy and the feeling of being completely disconnected from everyday life.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Stunning & Remote Location: The Sanubari is located on the remote southwest coast of Sumba, surrounded by tropical nature, rice fields and an enormous private estate.
Incredible Beach: A huge, wild and peaceful beach with almost nobody around. It genuinely felt like paradise.
Beachfront Villas: Private pools, direct beach access and incredible ocean views make the villas a highlight.
Exceptional Service: The staff were some of the warmest and most genuinely friendly we've experienced.
Beautiful Natural Surroundings: The enormous estate makes the resort feel more like a destination in itself than a traditional hotel.
Bicycles: Perfect for exploring the property and one of my favourite little details of the stay.
Breakfast Setting: Having breakfast barefoot in the sand surrounded by tropical nature is hard to beat.
Beach Bar: The little beach bar is incredibly charming, especially in the evening when the fire is lit.
Horses: Having Sumbanese horses visit our villa was such a memorable experience.
Peace & Privacy: You never get that crowded resort feeling. There is so much space that it feels incredibly peaceful.
Cons:
No Gym: There wasn't a gym during our stay, which may be important for guests who like to work out every day.
Toilet Paper Situation: You cannot flush toilet paper, so it needs to go into the bin next to the toilet. Not a major issue, but something European travellers may need to get used to.
Light Curtains: The curtains weren't completely blackout. Personally, I didn't mind because we were waking up early anyway and naturally waking up with the sunrise actually felt like part of the experience.
Remote Location: It's around two hours from the airport. For us, this was part of the charm, but it is something to keep in mind when planning your stay.
Limited Evening Entertainment: If you're looking for nightlife, lots of entertainment or a lively resort atmosphere, The Sanubari probably isn't what you're looking for.
Would We Go Back?
Absolutely.
Actually, I think The Sanubari is one of those rare hotels where I could return and not feel the need to do anything differently.
I'd happily spend my days cycling around the estate, swimming in the ocean, walking along the beach at sunrise and having breakfast barefoot in the sand.
And I'd especially love to return now that the restaurant has been expanded and the new pool has been added.
But more than anything, I'd go back for that feeling.
The feeling of waking up and thinking:
“For a few days, the rest of the world doesn't exist.”
Because if I had to describe The Sanubari in one sentence, this would be it:
This is one of those places where you genuinely feel like you've escaped the world.
And honestly?
It might just be one of my favourite places in the world.
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