The OG: NIHI Sumba

Opened as a simple surf shack in 2001, NIHI Sumba now ranks at number 10 on The World’s 50 Best Hotels list. Yet despite the transformation, there retains a barefoot spirit – outdoor showers; staunch sustainability; activities from hiking and horse riding to, yes, surfing – infusing its tropical luxury.

Scattered around a jungly, beachside expanse on the easterly island of Sumba, the resort’s 27 teak-accented villas all come with infinity pools and dedicated butlers. Once installed in one, you might visit the cliff-top spa, devour some glorious Indonesian barbecue, or sign up for yoga or chocolate-making classes.

The newbie: Ta'aktana

Inspired by the spider web-shaped rice fields found locally, Ta’aktana’s lush, sprawling site is anchored on an intricate network of palm-shaded pathways. Those connect its 45 suites and 25 villas – including some Maldivian-style overwater properties – with five dining options, a spa, a private beach, and an Olympic-sized pool.

Opened in May 2024 as part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, Ta’aktana sits just outside Labuan Bajo, a sleepy fishing town on the island of Flores. That puts it very close to the Komodo National Park, so you can take an island-hopping yacht adventure to go and see Komodo dragon lizards.

The ultimate: Bawah Reserve

Is this the world’s most escapist hotel? Amid an enormous marine conservation area, the fiercely eco-conscious Bawah Reserve is a private resort comprising six leafy islands fringed by transparent turquoise lagoons, flourishing coral reefs, and pristine, powdery beaches. It’s a daydream of a place that feels thrillingly far from anywhere.

On the largest isle, Bawah itself, 36 accommodations – overwater bungalows, villas, and tented forest or beachside suites – accompany the main facilities, while a separate speck, Elang, has half a dozen bamboo-and-stone lodges. The vibe is uncomplicatedly relaxed, the sort of place that induces meditative gazes over those mesmerising views.

A little or a lot

Yet there’s plenty of distraction at Bawah if you want it. Walking trails through primary forest, kayaking, or paddle boarding. A lawn tennis court and movie screenings under the stars. Elevated pan-Asian dining in the canopy, beachside, or wherever you want. Three nature-focused spas, offering open-air massages using local ingredients like cocoa and raw honey. Cocktail bars. Even whisky and chocolate-pairing workshops.

The best part is that Bawah is the only Asian retreat that includes all of its experiences, treatments and even transfers (in amphibious seaplanes) within the board. Now, that truly is all-inclusive luxury.

The starter: Singapore

Easily combined with Bawah, to where most guests head via seaplane, Singapore merits far more time than a few hours’ stopover. Pairing you with a host whose interests match your own, we can arrange a private walking tour taking in landmarks such as Chinatown, spice-scented Fort Canning, or the futuristic Gardens by the Bay.

After that, how about riding a low-slung bumboat along the Singapore River – smiling at the contrast between glassy skyscrapers and pastel-hued shophouses – before rising 165 metres into the sky for a bird’s-eye city view courtesy of the Singapore Flyer observation wheel?

Suggested itinerary

This 11-night adventure includes stays at Capella Singapore and Bawah Reserve, two of the world’s best hotels. In Singapore, we’ve arranged for a guide to take you on a private walking tour, exploring Gardens by the Bay and trying culinary delights in Chinatown. A second private tour will take you to the Botanic Gardens, Clarke Quay, and a meander down the Singapore River on a bumboat. You’ll also get to board the Singapore Flyer for a bird’s eye view of the city. When you reach Bawah Reserve, it’s all about relaxation. Your stay includes a spa treatment each day, so enjoy!

Travel style

Part of Bawah’s wonderment is the memorable journey to it. To reach this remote enclave in the wider Anambas archipelago – closer to Malaysia than most of Indonesia – you’ll ride in the resort’s private seaplane, gliding over aquamarine seas and swooping down into a castaway paradise. Services take roughly 75 minutes from the island of Batam, which isn’t far from Singapore Changi Airport, and you’ll be escorted all the way.