Inside Cap Karoso, Indonesia’s best kept secret
On the remote island of Sumba, a design and wellness-led resort is making waves. And it won’t remain under the radar for long
THERE ARE FEW places you can travel to today that feel genuinely untouched. But Sumba, in the East Nusa Tenggara province of Southern Indonesia, has that feeling about it. Perhaps this is because of its off-the-beaten track location – something I discovered firsthand, after confusing Sumba with Sumbawa, and putting my entire family on a flight to the incorrect island. Regardless, you get the feeling this piece of paradise won’t remain a secret for long. Especially as word of Cap Karoso spreads.
After arriving at Lede Kalumbang Airport, which is a short flight from Denpasar, Bali, we begin the drive to Cap Karoso resort. Along the way, we see buffalo, chickens, dogs, and horses freely strolling the roads; locals are playing football, while men and women emerge from the long seaside grass carrying fishing gear. Our driver, a Sumba local, tells us the straw-roofed houses we pass are divided into three sections: the lower section for the animals, the middle section for living and sleeping, and the top section for storing food.
The sun is setting when we pull up to a large concrete building, which looks a bit like an architecturally-designed compound you might find in a James Bond film. A design lover’s dream, its cool concrete exterior is offset by splashes of texture, from bamboo to warm timbers. We settle into our villa, and then walk the sandy path to the Beach Club restaurant for dinner. In the distance, I spot hundreds of little lights dotting the horizon. “They’re the local fisherman,” explains our waiter. “They head out at night when the tide is low, catching fish in the reef and collecting seaweed to eat and sell.”
Cap Karoso comprises 40 rooms and villas, all set among organic tropical landscaping, looking out towards the sea. The villas, which have up to three bedrooms, feel straight out of a Slim Aarons photograph with their flat modern roofs surrounded by open grass areas and private pools.
The resort, which is owned and run by French couple Fabrice and Evguenia Ivara, also places a big emphasis on sustainability, with its own working farm located a short drive from the resort. The produce grown here services the resort’s restaurants, while a farming school teaches plant propagation, nursery skills, organic farming and permaculture to budding green thumbs, as a way to give back to the local community. There’s also an artist-in-residence program at the resort, whereby contemporary artists from all over the world stay and share their practice with local artisans while learning ancestral traditions.
There are two pools and an abundance of ocean-side deck chairs, from which you can watch the famous Sumba ponies roam the beach. The resort is also home to two restaurants; Beach Club and Julang, where a rotating roster of star chefs from France are flown in to transform produce from the farm into seasonally-led dishes. Recently, a top pastry chef from Paris was in residence at the resort; he spent nine months perfecting a pastry suitable for baking in the tropical Indonesian climate, resulting in croissants and danishes that taste just as good as they do in the French capital.
Wellness also plays a big part in the Cap Karoso offering, with yoga classes held by the beach while at the Malala Spa, local shamanic healing techniques inspire the treatments on offer. But ultimately, it’s the small details that make the largest impression: the curated music playlists, the thoughtful assortment of books placed in each villa, and, of course, the attentive service. If you desire a fresh coconut on the beach, it will arrive before you know it.
Cap Karoso employs 220 locals, a workforce that is only expanding, and the resort’s connection to the local community runs deep. During our stay, we’re invited to the nearby Waikaroko village with artist-in-residence Ophelia Jacarini. She captures movement and turns the data into art, something she was able to put into practice at a dance held in the village. The children are especially excited to see us, inviting us to join in on their games, as the village buffalo keeps watch.
As the days passed, we found ourselves more and more immersed in the uniquely slow rhythm of Sumba. Each morning, we were greeted by the most vivid sunrises, vibrant colours painting the sky in hues I’ve never seen before. The days were filled with exploration and relaxation in equal measure, whether we were lounging by the pool, indulging in the exquisite culinary creations of the rotating Michelin-star chefs, or venturing out to discover more of the island’s hidden treasures. The cyan blue water of Weekuri Lagoon is well worth a visit.
By the time we must depart, it’s not difficult to see why Cap Karoso is the talk of creative circles, though most people who visit will want to keep it – and Sumba – to themselves. We’ll be visiting again as soon as we can. Just next time, I’ll get the flight destination right.
How to get to Cap Karoso
Sumba is reachable from Bali with daily flights to Lede Kalumbang Airport (formerly Tambolaka Airport) from Denpasar. Currently, there are three daily flights available with NAM, Citilink and Wings airlines.
The flight from Denpasar to Lede Kalumbang is approximately one hour. Cap Karoso is a 50-minute drive away from Lede Kalumbang. The resort can assist with arranging transfers.
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