Resort
Sumba, Sumba
The Sanubari
On the ancestral lands of the Marapu people in West Sumba, four villa categories sit along two kilometres of white sand beach above a 100-hectare reserve.
Price on request
Resort · Sumba, Indonesia
Cap Karoso
On Sumba's west coast, Cap Karoso pairs a working three-hectare farm with 40 rooms and 20 villas built around Sumbanese craft and the Marapu tradition.
Overview
Cap Karoso sits on the shores of a coral reef on Sumba, surrounded by turquoise lagoons and traditional villages. The island is reached from Bali: NAM Air and Batik Air both run daily flights from Denpasar to Tambolaka airport, a journey of about an hour. From Tambolaka it is a 50-minute drive to the resort, or a 15-minute helicopter flight. There is also a direct Wings Air flight from Labuan Bajo three times a week, and a NAM Air flight from Jakarta via a short layover in Denpasar.
The resort has 40 rooms and 20 villas, ranging from Studios on the upper floor of the main building to Beachfront, Duplex, Two-Bedroom and Three-Bedroom villas. Design throughout draws on Sumbanese heritage, with hand-carved wood panels inspired by Sumba ikat, bespoke ceramics and local artifacts appearing across the rooms. At the centre of the property is a three-hectare biological farm, built on rehabilitated land, which grows cabbages, tomatoes and mangos for the kitchens and also runs a farming school open to local farmers and guests who want to learn about composting and natural fertiliser production. The farm grounds also house artist residencies, craft ateliers and the activities of the kids' club.
Three restaurants cover different registers of eating. The Beach Club serves French-Indonesian, farm-to-table cooking, with fish delivered daily by local fishermen who arrive by boat at Karoso Beach. Julang is a dinner-only restaurant that hosts visiting chefs, including Michelin-starred names, for short residencies, with each dinner limited to a maximum of twenty guests seated around the chef's table. Apicine, by the pool with views over the ocean, focuses on the cuisine of eastern Indonesia. Beyond the table, Sumba's Marapu religion, which dates to the Bronze Age, along with its megalithic tombs and traditional houses with roofs up to twenty-five metres high, forms the basis of the resort's cultural programming, including a Shamanic Healing Journey experience.
- Rooms
- On request
- Minimum stay
- 1 night
- Check in
- 15:00
- Check out
- 12:00
Why we like it
- 40 rooms and 20 villas built around Sumbanese craft and design
- Three-hectare biological farm supplies cabbages, tomatoes and mangos to the kitchens
- Julang restaurant seats a maximum of 20 guests and hosts visiting chefs for short residencies
- Local fishermen deliver the day's catch directly to Karoso Beach for the Beach Club
- Farming school teaches composting and natural fertiliser production to local farmers and guests
- Tambolaka airport is a 50-minute drive or 15-minute helicopter flight from the resort
Gallery
Rooms & suites
Categories shown for orientation. Your travel advisor will confirm which are available for your dates and recommend the one that suits the trip.
Studio
On the upper floor of the main building, this 42-square-metre room has a private balcony with ocean views, a super king-size bed and a bathroom with an Italian shower and double vanity.
42 m²Up to 2 guestsSuper king-sizeOcean viewTerrace Studio
Set in low-rise units close to the beach, this 52-square-metre room has a super king-size bed, a sitting area, a terrace with a daybed and a bathroom with an Italian shower and double vanity.
52 m²Up to 2 guestsSuper king-sizeTwo-Bedroom Garden Suite
Two connected Terrace Studios joined by a shared semi-outdoor living room and terrace, with a dining table for four set in the sand. The suite covers 130 square metres and suits families or groups of friends.
130 m²Up to 2 guestsBeach Suite
A 100-square-metre suite with a living room, a bedroom with a king-size bed, a semi-outdoor bathroom with a bathtub, and a private garden with a sand path to the beach. Artwork by Ines Katamso features throughout.
100 m²Up to 2 guestsKing-size
Amenities
- Beach Club
- Julang restaurant
- Apicine restaurant
- Biological farm
- Farming school
- Kids' club
- Craft ateliers
- Artist residencies
Reserving through us
Included when your travel advisor confirms this stay
- Daily breakfast for two
- Room upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Property credit or equivalent where the house offers one
- Early check in and late check out on request
- Welcome amenity and your travel agent known to the general manager
Eligible preferred amenities are applied wherever available, subject to the property at the time of stay, and are confirmed in your proposal.
Location
Sumba, Indonesia
An hour's flight east of Bali, with surf breaks, limestone cliffs and almost no development.
Questions
- How do I get to Cap Karoso?
- Fly from Bali's Denpasar airport to Tambolaka on Sumba, a flight of about an hour on NAM Air or Batik Air. Cap Karoso is a 50-minute drive from the airport, or a 15-minute helicopter flight. Wings Air also runs a direct flight from Labuan Bajo three times a week, and NAM Air flies from Jakarta with a short layover in Denpasar.
- What is Julang and how many people can dine there?
- Julang is a dinner-only restaurant at Cap Karoso where visiting chefs, including Michelin-starred names, take up short residencies. Each dinner is limited to a maximum of 20 guests around the chef's table.
- Can people who are not staying at the resort visit the Beach Club?
- Yes, subject to availability. Breakfast runs from 7:30am to 10:30am and lunch and dinner are served from midday to 9pm. Advance booking is recommended: groups of up to 12 can be accommodated with a reservation, while walk-ins are limited to four people and are not guaranteed a table.
- Where do the fruit and vegetables served at Cap Karoso come from?
- Most of the produce used in the restaurants comes from the resort's own three-hectare biological farm, built on rehabilitated land, which grows items including cabbages, tomatoes and mangos.
- Can you buy a villa at Cap Karoso?
- A three-bedroom beachfront villa and a Duplex villa are currently available for sale as part of Cap Karoso Village, a development of 20 villas in which every villa has an ocean view.
You might also consider
Hotels and resorts in Sumba
Resort
Sumba, Sumba
Alamayah
A six-suite retreat in the fishing village of Patiala Bawa, Lamboya, on Sumba's southwest coast, close to unspoiled surf breaks.
Price on request
Resort
Sumba, Sumba
Lelewatu Resort Sumba
Lelewatu Resort sits on a clifftop islet in Wanokaka, on Sumba's west coast, within ten hectares of rainforest above the Indian Ocean, with six villa and suite categories built around Sumbanese craft.
Price on request