The Sanubari

The heavenly view from inside my villa. A perfect, private spot for any time of day. The villas are very comfortable and are tastefully decorated with local Ikat weavings and luxury finishings

Swimming bareback with Odessa, The Sanubari's horse, was a dream

Surf’s up! The tide is usually perfect first thing in the morning or in the late afternoon. A perfect way to start or finish the day

The Sanubari’s beautiful wild beach is dotted with tropical vegetation such as mangroves and palm trees

All the villas have traditional alang-alang roofs, pools with sun loungers, and grass on either side. Comfort seamlessly meeting the virgin beach. This is the one-bedroom villa, equipped with a living room, tea and coffee station, and a king-sized bedroom with an ensuite bathroom

The rooms are enveloped in nature, and inside everything is made of natural materials

My favorite reading spot, under the shadows of the trees

Originally from Central America, the gorgeous looking local dragon fruit, full of vitamin C, carotenoids, and natural sugars, was my go-to pick-me-up, any time of the day

Every evening the buffalos come down for their beach walk. I particularly loved watching this mother and daughter

Every day, I’d walk into the reef at low tide to dig up different types of seaweed with the local kids. It was such a beautiful daily ritual. I was happy to learn about this important part of their diet and experience a little bit of the traditional community lifestyle

As the sun goes down, the hues of blue take my breath away

A dreamlike sunset from the villa. The silence, alongside the clear skies and amazing starscapes, felt unreal

My lovely new Aussie friends, Karina and Eliza, enjoying one of The Sanubari’s delicious signature cocktails at the beach bar

Sunset on the meadow above Watu Bella beach

Meeting Rio, a beautiful Sumba foul

One last ride before I leave this magical island