The Edge of Wildness

(Paul) Navyn had to head back to the states for her annual Aspen Institute meeting. That leaves me with the four girls and a chance to pick where we should go. We could stay in Singapore and live the big city life or go to a remote part of Indonesia, to a place called Nitiwatu, on the island of Sumba. While Navyn “goes to class” in Baltimore of all places, we head to one of the more beautiful, unspoiled parts of the world.

Why wildness and not wilderness? First, very few people know about Sumba and secondly, it is very hard to get to. A one hour flight from Bali and then drive in an open top Land Rover for 1.5 hours through deep valleys which are covered in terraced rice fields, palm trees, and Sumba style houses that dot the landscape.  Every time you drive by a village, the kids come running out to the road with big smiles of their face, happy as could be. After a long drive, we arrive at Nitiwatu resort, where the sign reads, welcome to the edge of wildness. Hard to imagine, but this place is more beautiful than Hawaii.

Nitiwatu is one of a kind. Started many years ago by a guy from New Jersey who loved to surf and discovered a unique left hand break that avid surfers travel around the world to conquer. Now owned by Chris Burch (Tory Burch’s ex), it is being developed into a 5 star resort. The resort is a surfer’s paradise. From our villa, the waves sound like thunder as they crash on the reef a 100 yards from the shore. In fact the waves are so big, 9 feet high, we really can’t swim in the ocean due to the undertow and size of the monster waves.

On one of our daily adventures, we did stand up paddle boarding down a river that wound its way thru local villages. The small rapids made for fun paddling but what really was exciting was when the local village boys would swim out naked to our paddleboards and try to push us off the boards. The whole village would be looking on, laughing in delight as my board was swamped by the “Penis Pirates” as they are affectionately known. At the end of our 2-hour journey, we finish at the most pristine beach and jump in the roaring waves and body surf until dark.

On our final day, we do a spa safari. The hotel has in a separate area, 100 acres of land over looking the ocean where you get an amazing Spa treatment. First breakfast is served, then a swim in the ocean, followed by a 90-minute deep tissue massage. After that, your body is scrubbed in salt. Finally, we then get a coconut, avocado and yoghurt mix rubbed all over and then wrapped in a blanket. I start thinking that I am becoming Bruce Jenner, I am now a woman!

After the spa, we head into a local village that time has forgotten. There is no electricity or running water and 250 people are living the same way as they lived 500 years ago. The typical Sumba house is unlike any other house we have seen with a high pointed thatched roof. On the ground floor is where they keep their animals, cows, water buffalo, and pigs. The second floor is where they sleep, and the food is stored in the point of the roof. The Sumba houses remind me of the old Howard Johnsons.

On the way back to the hotel, we pass the local school and ask why the kids are sitting under the shade, our guide answers, the teacher probably did not show up today. It is hard to get teachers to come on a regular basis to this remote part of the island.

If you are ever in Singapore or Jakarta, and you want to see a beautiful part of the world, head to Sumba and Nitiwatu, you will not be disappointed.