Like something out of a dream, Cap Karoso appears rather suddenly as you turn a corner and pull up to its Brutalist reception area. A setting sun glimmered just beyond the open-air space when we arrived, directing our gaze towards a pool of proportions that left no doubt in our minds that this far-flung escape doesn’t do things by halves. Given the resort’s location of palpable force and spirit, it’s only fitting.
It took us a moment or two (and as many drinks) to wrap our heads around the fact that where there is now a resort as ambitious in scale and uncompromising in design as Cap Karoso, there would’ve been nothing but wilderness just a few years ago. The never-ending beach and a magnetic sea haven’t gone anywhere, of course, but much like the megalithic tombs dotted all across Sumba, the hotel feels as though it had sat in this very spot forever, presumably to mark something special, and something real.
That Cap Karoso doesn’t try to be gimmicky or cute is a relief – you won’t find any manta-shaped rooftops or poolside dreamcatchers here (such tokens of in-vitro spirituality and pretend biophilia are as of yet reserved for Bali). Instead, the resort feels substantial and powerful, not unlike the Kodi region of West Sumba it calls home. This particular part of the island was in fact the inspiration for Cap Karoso’s owners, French couple Evguenia and Fabrice, who infused the property with its distinctly no-nonsense, Parisian pizzaz. Since opening in 2023, their dream of a riviera isolée has drawn a crowd of DJs, designers and doyennes to these far-flung shores, making the hotel a melting pot for creatives and those who appreciate their work.
And the setting is appropriately reflective of the zeitgeist, with design courtesy of Gary Fell Architects and Jakarta’s Bitte Design Studio. A total of 44 suites and 20 villas (including the 270 sqm/2,910 sqft Three-Bedroom Beachfront Ghan’nu Villa at the top end of the accommodation spectrum) tumble down to the beach in meandering rows along which a number of dining outlets and a show-stopping spa each feel like destinations in their own right. Meanwhile, the grounds on the whole are consistently wide and open: clean lines and architectural restraint drew our gaze out to sea and towards the sky wherever we set foot, and with each day we spent at Cap Karoso, we appreciated this sensation of space – and the serenity and luxury that come with it – a little more.
Our 100 sqm/1,076 sqft Beach Suite, too, was generous without being extravagant. Discreetly hidden behind a private garden of ‘beach cabbage’ plants, the standalone bungalow came with its very own outdoor dining setup and loungers in the green (although direct beach access meant we were never more than a few steps from a seaside lounger, either), while the interiors were split across a bedroom and separate living space with a minimalist nook guaranteed to elicit an ‘ommm’ or two out of guests who practise meditation. Discerning travellers will find all the usual mod-cons, from kingsize beds to twin vanities and a gourmet minibar, but to us, our suite was really all about the small things…
Such attention to detail has gone into features like carved, wooden ’Do not disturb’ signs and amenity cases or eye-catching, thin switches for bedside reading lights, water tap handles cleverly positioned on the side of vanities, and dressing gowns embroidered with motifs of traditional Sumbanese houses, that the accommodations effectively double as spaces of discovery and cultural immersion. Rugs, throws, cushions, books and a sample of locally made ikat textiles that had been placed on our bed during turndown service – for us to discover just as we went to sleep – invited us to feel ‘at home’ in a space that adhered to principles of minimalism without feeling sterile. Meanwhile, our open-to-the-elements bathroom equipped with a rainfall shower, a huge mirror and a bathtub beneath the stars (or in our case, tropical rain) hinted at how we were to use the space: to unwind and take our time, rather than simply to ‘get ready’.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Escapist | TMC | GMT +8 |
| While you’re Out There |
| Sumba is different from any other Indonesian island, and a guided visit to one of its villages comes highly recommended: Buku Bani, home to just eleven traditional ‘uma mbatangu’ houses, serves as a gateway to several local communities, making it a good starting point. Our guide Elda from Cap Karoso gave us a fantastic introduction to Sumba’s culture and we felt privileged to be able to meet the villagers and get a glimpse into their lives. Before heading back to the resort, make sure to go for a dip (and a lazy lunch) at the famous Weekuri Lagoon. |
The hotel’s dining outlets are equally easy on the eyes. There’s poolside Apicine, where guests clad in kaftans and Orlebar Brown resort wear imbibe small plates and sophisticated cocktails in the afternoon, the Beach Club, a casual all-day restaurant mere steps from the sea, and Julang, Cap Karoso’s ‘community table’ hosting chef residencies for up to 20 diners. We had most of our meals at the Beach Club, and found dining here trickier than we’d anticipated. From breakfast to dinner, a lack of vegan options (or dietary markers on the menus) made ordering a guessing game, and intensely laborious: throughout our stay, we had not one meal that didn’t require lengthy discussions and double-checking with the kitchen, only to be told on two occasions that plant-based options were ‘not a priority’.
Not only would this imply to veggie guests that by extension they are not a priority, but it also fails to recognise that to guests who have a dietary requirement, seeing it catered to isn’t a matter of preference, but a necessity – especially so in a destination this remote, where there are no local restaurants to escape to. Don’t get us wrong; we ended up having some lovely meals (and could tell that the Beach Club’s kind chef himself tried hard to turn things around), but more often than not we found ourselves compromising, and with all the faff embarrassingly made around us, staff was noticeably stressed, forgetting parts of our orders or accidentally serving us animal-based foods out of confusion. All this meant that we had to spend about twice as much time on meals as our fellow guests – time we would’ve rather spent simply enjoying our stay.
Julang, which is only open some nights, proved that things can be different. Chefs Oliver McGeorge and Camille Renouard were at the helm of the experiential eatery when we visited, having crafted a balanced, all-vegan fine dining menu for us that beautifully showcased produce from Cap Karoso’s private, three-hectare organic farm. Ten small courses, each a melange of complementary flavours and textures, demonstrated a commitment to culinary finesse and gastronomy that celebrates diversity in dietaries. We appreciated how much of an effort had been made to make us feel included and like we were not missing out compared to those dining alongside us. What’s more, the original layout of Julang – a refectory-style table that extends all the way into an open kitchen, with its far end serving as a kitchen counter – paired with a handwritten note by the chefs to thank us for attending, made this a particularly memorable dining experience.
Its program of residencies, to some, will be the resort’s biggest forte, and it extends to visual artists like French painter Claire Prouvost, who collaborated with both guests and villagers from the nearby community of Waikaroko on a vibrant mural in 2023 (the artwork was still on display in the village when we visited). Also benefiting from the residencies scheme is the MALALA Spa at Cap Karoso, which hosts varying wellness practitioners throughout the year. The spa itself is a sight for sore eyes and a love letter to the island: five treatment rooms constructed in the style of traditional, Sumbanese houses, including stilted floors and thatched roofs, are dotted around illuminated pools, trees and patches of pampas grass. We found treatments to be as heavenly – book yourself in for the Signature Moro Ndahaka massage, which uses an oil derived from fermented bark and roots of a Sumbanese tree found in just one forest on the entire island. As far as localised wellness goes, things hardly get more unique, and daily beachside yoga classes are no less immersive.
It’d be hard not to automatically slow down during a stay at Cap Karoso, of course. The resort is just an hour’s flight and an airport transfer from bustling Bali, yet you might find yourself feeling as though you’d washed up on the shores of an altogether different planet. This sense of seclusion is partly owing to Sumba’s primal architecture and the island’s ancient and lesser-known Marapu belief system. But this isn’t just a place to relax… Instead, there’s a tangible sense of a passion project come to life in a unique locale where with every wave that crawls to the shore and every last detail that carries the handwriting of the resort’s owners – très cool indeed – a commitment to not being lukewarm is omnipresent. It’s a story in the shape of a hotel, and a place to connect guests with something of substance.
Photography by Ben Richards and courtesy of Cap Karoso
