Cap Karoso — Hotel in Sumba

Cap Karoso - Hidden Paradise

This freshly opened hotel on the relatively unknown island of Sumba, Indonesia is every adventurous travelers dream. A smaller, more intimate luxurious resort right on the westernmost tip of the island where nature blends seamlessly with absolutely stunning architectural and decorative design.

With everything from cozy studios, tucked in terraces to ultra luxurious villas, 2 amazing pools, 3 restaurants and a calming spa, Cap Karoso is home away from home where the pinnacle of serenity is reached. During my entire stay I truly felt like I was exploring and experiencing things that no one else has, and taking steps where no one has been before.

All food and drinks served at Cap Karoso is made with utmost care and attention to detail, with an amazing kitchen and bar team led by chefs Antoine & Robin together with a revolving door of esteemed, well-known guest chefs from around the world who cook extraordinary, michelin level meals at the exclusive Julang restaurant.

Down at the Beach Club is where you’ll most likely spend most of your time. From the delicious a la carte selection of breakfast items + true french pastries made daily by chef Giovanni, combined with specialty coffee shop level coffee spearheaded by the excellent barista Alvin, to lounging in the pool or taking 10 steps before you’re met by kilometres of uninterrupted, unexplored sandy beaches facing crystal clear water.

Later you’ll no doubt sip on amazing craft cocktails such as the iconic sandalwood negroni to the refreshing papaya spritz as you watch the sun go down over the horizon in a way you’ve never seen before, reflecting staggering colors in the calm waters before turning deep red and finishing with cascading shades of purple in the sky.

This place is truly one of a kind, and im barely scratching the surface of everything this place has to offer, from the surfing & water activities, to the excursions, traditional village visits, cooking & mixology classes to the admirable focus on sustainability, cultural exchange, zero waste policy, locally farmed ingredients and seamless blend of nature and comfort.

I want to thank the entire amazing team for making my stay memorable, every day spent here will be remembered fondly. I want to make a special mention to the local team, Alvin, Petrus, Timothy, Elda, Caroline, Maya, Indo, Amrul, Jovan and many many more who Im proud to call friends, you made this stay truly extraordinary

DO NOT miss out on this once in a lifetime experience, you will...

Hats off to the owners and management for what they’ve managed to pull off in a remote location!||The entire hotel, pools, rooms are beautifully designed with tastefully chosen paintings, books, locally flavoured gin with tonic and mixers, an in-house newspaper digest of things to do - really lovely. We also received an upgrade which we sincerely appreciated. ||Staff is warm and friendly - service was extremely prompt and complements to the person managing the WhatsApp channel. Kids club was nice with lovely staff - although a larger selection of books for kids may be welcome! ||Food and drinks are fantastic - we appreciated the opportunity to dine with a Michelin starred chef and the ability of the owners to bring in this type of talent says a lot. ||There are a few reasons for 4 stars:|1) Beach and sea - this was a big reason for us to visit and unfortunately the beach had a lot of seaweed which constantly tangled around you, plus a lot of coral debris, which made it rocky and especially during high tide felt like rocks being thrown at us which led to a few bruises and scratches.|We were looking forward to surfing, body boarding (not available) and snorkeling in the hotel beach but none of this was possible. Indeed we saw nobody use the sea during the 5 nights we were there, the beach “activity centre” which should be buzzing in such a place was quiet and off to the side of the restaurant. Moreover the sea is rough, there is no supervision or lifeguard, nobody in the water- overall it was a beautiful and inviting beach but sadly not useable. In this situation, it would be nice if there was a shuttle to another nearby beach - we tried going to mandorak but were turned back as we didn’t have cash for “parking fees” which is common for locals to ask!||Snorkeling excursion had very little marine life. ||2) food and drink were at Singapore pricing - understandable. However there is not a single bottle of wine for less than USD 130 including taxes and fees - this felt a bit extortionate. Indonesian food lacks variety and can be more authentic in flavour. ||3) excursions and transfers are also highly priced. Given that people trek to make their way to Sumba and the price of the hotel, I think these elements could be more reasonably priced to at least let people enjoy the culture of Sumba more freely. ||By themselves, these may not have been big drawbacks however when combined, it does detract from the ability to maximise the experience - especially given you are totally reliance...

Paradise escape in a remote destination

When you hear of Indonesia you think of overcrowded Bali and traffic of Jakarta, but Sumba is nothing like that — serene, peaceful and incredibly picturesque. Here, on the Western tip lies Cap Karoso, the newest (opened just earlier this year) luxury launchpad for modern explorers. Think tropical mid century modern with hints of brutalism and utmost attention to details, inspired by a very unique culture of the island. It is absolutely stunning and makes many luxury hotels fade in comparison. Nothing is gimmicky so it doesn’t feel like a cultural Disneyland, rather a sophisticated home away from home. All the staff is making you feel this warmth and care to the extent where it becomes so incredibly easy to befriend everyone at the resort! Food and mixology deserve an exceptional highlight as it takes the best from both Western and Asian cuisines and elevates it. And — for all the French pastry lovers — you can transport yourself to a Parisian patisserie by just going to breakfast, the croissants and bread by their French pastry chef on site are simply mouthwatering!

Cap Karoso location is perfect, it lays near a peaceful lagoon with several kilometers of spotless white sand beach, and if you want to explore more of Sumba (which is a must especially with a team of guides at the hotel!), there are several traditional villages and stunning tourist-free locations to visit just within 30-minute on a bike radius. There’s nothing quite like Sumba, so take some time to discover its beautiful culture and people.

It’s been more than a week since my visit to Cap Karoso, but I keep thinking about this place with great fondness and feeling that I cannot wait to return back — at least to see those gorgeous sunsets and the lovely team of the hotel again. Extra shout out to Eve and Fabrice, the founders, Alvin with top-notch coffee (better than most specialty coffee shops), Jovan, Timothy, Petrus, Indo with their amazing drinks (ask for Sandalwood negroni, don’t miss out!), Elda and Carline with great experiences outside of Cap Karoso, Teena with Spa treatments like no other; and French & Indonesian F&B team of Antoine, Zoe, Robin, Reinaldo, Giovanni, Mei, Vebi, Amrul, Sri, Erlin and Sabrina with delicious meals and exceptional service althroughout my...