Need to know

Rooms

10, including seven bungalows, two two-bedroom villas and one private villa compound consisting of a two-bed villa and a bungalow.

Rates

$440–$1,350, including a full body massage, all meals and non-alcoholic drinks; excludes 21 per cent tax and service charge. There’s a $40–$80 surcharge between July and September.

Check-out

Flexible, depending on the day’s flight schedules.

Facilities

Jungle spa, gym, yoga, stables, Pilates pavilion, library. In rooms: minibar, WiFi ($30 a day).

Poolside

Carved into a hilltop terrace a short distance from the villas and bungalows, Nihiwatu’s swimming and plunge pools offer fantastic coastline views from the spacious, lounger-lined terrace.

Children

Under-12s stay free; 13- to 16-year-olds sharing a room cost £95 a night. Babysitting can be arranged in advance for $30 a day. Plenty of Nihiwatu’s activities, such as horse riding, diving and snorkeling, can be tailored to children.

Eco-friendly

A staunch advocate of responsible tourism since its creation, Nihiwatu plants trees, makes and uses bio-diesel, and recycles extensively. Its owners have created the Sumba Foundation to preserve the area and alleviate the poverty of the people,

Hotel closed

10 January to 28 February.

Also

Because transport to and from Nihiwatu depends on a weekly charter flight from Bali, there’s a minimum stay of seven nights. Smoking is not allowed in rooms.

In the know

Our favourite rooms

Rooms 1 and 4 are closest to the surf, but each hand-built, thatch-roofed bungalow faces the ocean and offers a refreshingly natural outdoor shower. Villa Haweri – the owners’ spectacular secluded villa is available to stay in when they are away and features a full kitchen and a waterfront pool.

Packing tips

Apart from the voluminous quantity of sun screen that fair-skinned beach bunnies would be advised to take, serious surfers should bring their own boards – the breaks in Nihiwatu have a worldwide reputation.

Food & drink

Hotel restaurant

Nihiwatu’s main dining area is a sand-floored open-air pavilion where pan-Asian cuisine is served on two long communal tables, a few feet from the sea. The intricately carved wooden beams that support the roof have been salvaged from a Sumbanese village.

Dress code

Quite literally, anything goes.

Top table

For thee ultimate in starlit beachfront romance, ask to be served a private dinner in one of Nihiwatu’s many atmospheric nooks – or enjoy the full-on Blue Lagoon experience with a lingering picnic lunch in a secluded beach cove.

Last orders

10pm. The bar by the restaurant stays open for the last man standing.

Hotel bar

During the day, the Seventies-style Californian beach bar slakes the thirsts of bathers and wave-riders, but after dark it’s the cliff top bar by the restaurant that muddles up the aperitifs and post-prandial caprioskas.

Smith card offer A choice of an extra full-body massage each or an in-shore fishing trip

If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).

Not a member? Join now

Smith concierge

If you'd prefer to talk to someone, or don't want to book online, call our travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.

Nihiwatu

Kuta PoLeng Complex Block C/2, Kuta, Bali,