New Owners Take Over Nihiwatu Resort on Sumba Island, Indonesia

J. Christopher Burch, founder and CEO of Burch Creative Capital, an entrepreneur and active investor across a wide range of industries for nearly thirty years, recently acquired Nihiwatu on the Indonesian island of Sumba, in partnership with acclaimed hotelier James McBride.

Nihiwatu, a 27-villa estate, is located on Sumba Island, a 55-minute flight east of Bali.

“Nihiwatu is a rarity today. The opportunity we have been given to continue the work of its creators Claude and Petra Graves is tremendous. We want to spread the word about this extraordinary place, the island of Sumba and its people for generations to come. Our aim is to evolve into one of the best resorts in world, whilst demonstrating a successful and sustainable operation with the environment and the Sumbanese people,” said Chris Burch.

The thatched private villas at Nihiwatu are set within a 580 acre estate comprising forested areas, open savannah and expanses of rice terraces, of which only 65 acres are developed.

The pristine, fine-grained pink and beige hues of Nihiwatu’s adjacent sandy beach extends to two and a half kilometers (1.6 miles) in length with cliff headlands at each end.

Nihiwatu is recognised as one of the best left-hand surf breaks in the world. The founders of Nihiwatu, Claude and Petra Graves who arrived on Sumba in 1988 wished to protect it from becoming overpopulated and set about to carefully manage access to a maximum of ten surfers at any given time. As a result of protecting land and sea, Sumba has gained a cult status in the international surfing community.

Nihiwatu is also committed to being a carbon neutral resort and is one of the only hotels in the world powered by bio-fuel which is produced from coconuts at its own bio-diesel factory. Over 110,000 trees have been planted in deforested areas of Sumba since 2004 with an additional 20,000 trees planted each year.

Nihiwatu has also captured the hearts and minds of its new owners who are entirely committed to continuing the work of the charitable trust, The Sumba Foundation. Established in 2001, the Foundation extends support to 20,000 islanders and provides clean water supply to villages whilst addressing malnutrition and education needs on Sumba. 90% of the foundation’s donations come from hotel guests and all of the distributions are made directly to the local Sumbanese community.

From a historical and cultural perspective, Sumba is the home of one of the world’s last intact Animist cultures: to witness Sumbanese culture is like looking through a window to the past.

Nihiwatu is easily accessed through the many international flights into Bali’s Denpasar International Airport with a weekly charter to Tambolaka Airport in West Sumba via Nihiwatu’s private charter or through local flight connections via Lion Air, Merpati Airlines and Aviastar Airlines.

Room rates at Nihiwatu start at US$595 per person (all-inclusive meals, drinks and selected activities) for double occupancy in a luxury villa or suite over a one week minimum stay valid until 31 October 2013. Rates are subject to a 21% tax and service charge. Terms and conditions apply.