NIHIWATU RESORT, INDONESIA

Winner Community Benefit Award 2007

On every count, Nihiwatu stands out as a truly exceptional island resort; it is wild, remote and makes for an amazing destination for the adventurous. There is world class fishing, diving and surfing right in front, and nearby are Stone Age sites and local villages, waterfalls and fabulous secluded beaches to explore.

Exotic villas and bungalows are sculpted onto the cliffs and the forest's edge, all using thatch, bamboo and recycled wood. Large rooms display tribal artefacts and intricate Ikat weavings with comfortable day beds and rattan chairs outside on the balconies with sea views to die for. The setting is pristine and endlessly peaceful.

Luxury, romance and adventure are the lure at Nihiwatu, but more importantly there's a truly remarkable humanitarian story at work here. The owners camped on Sumba's isolated Nihiwatu beach for years with no electricity or running water while developing friendships with the local people and gradually building a luxury resort and a nonprofit foundation that has done wonders for the health and education of the island's local communities. Now the resort has become a model of responsible tourism. Its guests are involved in supporting the many Sumba Foundation initiatives that benefit thousands of villagers through the construction of water wells, health clinics, schools and much more.
The amount of good resulting from this small tourism venture is remarkable.

Nihiwatu is a 2007 World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Tourism for Tomorrow Awards' winner, a 2007 British Travel Awards winner, a 2007 Islands Blue Award winner, receiver of the 2006 Condé Nast Traveller's Green List, a 2005 Responsible Tourism Awards' winner and a Tatler Travel Guide "101 Best Hotels in the World".