Rote Island

Tucked away at the edge of the Timor Sea, at the southernmost point of Indonesia, Rote Island is a remote sliver of sun-bleached beauty. Time here ambles, unhurried and soft-footed, to the rhythm of the waves, the rustle of palms and the soft hiss of surf rolling onto bone-white sands.

Long overshadowed by its louder neighbours, Bali, Lombok, even Sumba, Rote has remained beautifully off-radar. But not for much longer, in April 2026, the visionary team behind the iconic NIHI Sumba will unveil NIHI Rote, a wild-luxury retreat poised to reimagine barefoot escape in this still-sleepy corner of the world. Set along the island’s pristine southern shore, NIHI Rote promises the same alchemy of raw nature and refined soul that made its sister property a legend.

To reach Rote, is a short hop from Kupang on Timor Island, which itself just over an hour from Bali. Those who come to Rote do so for its stillness and its simplicity. Mornings begin barefoot on the sand, coffee in hand, watching the sun climb through mist. Days stretch out, snorkelling over untouched reefs, paddle-boarding through mangrove-fringed lagoons and exploring unmarked trails that lead to hidden coves. Lunch might be grilled fish caught hours earlier served beneath the shade of a thatched roof.

The pale-gold beaches stretch for miles, mostly empty save for the occasional fisherman or a lone surfer. The water is impossibly clear, shifting from turquoise shallows to sapphire depths, and the surf is legendary. Especially the long, mechanical lefts at Nemberala, one of Indonesia’s most coveted (and still gloriously uncrowded) breaks.

But Rote is not just for surfers. It’s for the curious, quiet-seeking and culturally attuned. In small villages, ikat weavers sit on low stools, dye-stained hands pulling intricate patterns from memory, while the gentle tones of the sasando, a traditional harp made from palm leaves, drift softly through the air. Markets are small, friendly and local, not a boutique shop or sunset bar to be found, and all the better for it.

Evenings here are cinematic with sunsets that burst across the sky in wild reds and golds, washing the ocean in flame before slipping quietly into twilight. At night, a full orchestra of stars are flung across the dark sky.

For now, accommodation remains charmingly low-key, with wooden bungalows, linen-draped beds and hammocks strung between trees. But with NIHI Rote on the horizon, the island is poised for a new chapter. The kind that redefines luxury not by excess, but by experience.

So come before the rest of the world does. While the roads are still quiet, the reefs still thriving and the stars still close enough to touch.

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson