The Sanubari

Character and identity

Set on a 1.5-mile arc of blinding white sand on Sumba's southwest coast, The Sanubari is a barefoot beach hideaway carved out of a 100-hectare palm reserve, with rice paddies and rocky cliffs as the only backdrop. Six all-white beachfront villas channel Sumbanese vernacular: gabled bamboo-and-alang-grass roofs, marble floors, ikat tapestries, teak and wicker, plus terrazzo infinity pools that bleed into the sand. A single beachfront restaurant turns out tight Indonesian classics alongside line-caught fish, and the surfers-and-Bintang sunset bar sets the register. Service is warm, casual, and unhurried, delivered by young local staff in batik.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're buying here is the beach itself: 1.5 miles of empty white sand with no other building in sight, paired with a six-villa property still finding its rhythm. Book it if seclusion and surf trump polish, choose a pool villa over the Studio, and come now while the southeast coast is still essentially undeveloped. Pack patience for the Wi-Fi.