7 Incredible Surf Resorts in Indonesia for 2024
Check out these truly incredible surf resorts in Indonesia. They offer something a little different in what’s almost certainly the most wave-rich country on the planet.
Surf resorts in Indonesia run the gamut from uber-exclusive luxury palaces in private coves with private waves (yes, private waves) to more flashpacker-friendly poshtels with frills like swimming pools and in-house spas.
The reason the country can offer such a crazy array of surf stays is simple: It’s got one of the most varied and ridiculous arrays of surf breaks.
Mhmm…from the freight-train barrels of the Ments to the consistent bays of south Lombok to the upcoming isles of Sumba and Sumbawa, there’s loads to get through there.
What’s more, surfing has been a mainstay of Indonesian tourism since the first pioneers departed Bali and went wave hunting in G-Land et al in the 60s. That means there are surf resorts wherever you look, sat facing breaks that might otherwise take you days and days to get to.
This guide aims to offer a good cross section of top-quality surf resorts in Indonesia. It features ones that members of the team here at The Surf Atlas can personally recommend, and others that surfer friends have told us about and are right there at the top of our bucket list.
We’ve also tried to offer different stays for different levels of surfer and budget.
Enjoy…
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This is just one part of our complete overall guide to surfing in Indonesia
Quick-click links to book our top surf resorts in Indonesia
- NIHI Sumba [Sumba] – The most luxurious surf resort in Indonesia
- The Shadow Mentawai [Ments] – Resort with the best full-package surf offering
- Porter Jungle Hotel [Lombok] – Midrange option for all levels of surfer
- RNV Eco Resort Bungalows [Batu Karas] – Come here for real relaxation
- Innit Lombok [Lombok] – Super stylish. For refined travelers and appreciators of great architecture
- HIMA Bungalows [Nias] – Midrange option that’s perfect for improving intermediate surfers
- Awera Resort [Ments] – Amazing for surf honeymoons
We also have a complete guide to the best surf camps in Indonesia. Oh, and if you’re after surf resorts in Bali, check out that guide instead!
NIHI Sumba, Sumba
For us, the NIHI Sumba has to have a place at the top of this list of the finest surf resorts in Indonesia.
Let’s start with the main USP for us surfers: A 100% private – yes, totally private – surf break right out front of the hotel.
And we’re not talking about any old Indo dribbler. We’re talking arguably the finest left outside of Ulus; a break that’s even commanded the moniker God’s Left for the perfect almond-shaped barrels that it marches across the crystal-clear bay and reef beside the villas and pools.
Of course, you’ll also have access to all the other ridiculously high-quality breaks of Sumba island. The hotel even have team of surf instructors that run lessons for beginners and improvers on nearby Nihiwatu Beach and Coconut Cove.
So, that’s the surfing. What about the hotel?
Ready?
It’s something else. Clinging the rocks above a white-sand beach, it’s made up of a series of 27 thatch-roof villas that range from one bedroom to four bedrooms. They all come with their own private infinity pool, while spectacular views of the Indian Ocean swirl all around and you get extras like al fresco hot tubs, bespoke bathrobes, private yoga areas – the list goes on.
Basically, NIHI Sumba is a lesson in how to fuse together two markets: The luxury and the surf. Yes, it’s not the cheapest out there but it’s perfect if you have cash to splash, want an epic time, or are planning a surf honeymoon.
The Shadow Mentawai, The Mentawais
It’s hard to narrow down the gazillion options in the Ments these days, but The Shadow Mentawai trumps the bunch for us year after year. The 2024/25 season is no different. For us, this is the best surf resort in the island region.
We’ll get to the amazing location, the top-quality facilities, and the rest a little later. For now, suffice to say that it’s the laser-focus on surfing that does it for us.
These guys only run dedicated surf-travel packages. They have options for beginners (which we think are better done in the Mentawai low season of November-March when the waves are smaller) and options for advanced surfers (come dry season).
The aim is to iron out all the stresses of travel in the Ments. Your ferry and transfer to the resort is included, as is accommodation and all food (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
So, too, is daily surf guiding with the expert local guides. That’s key since many of the breaks here are only reachable by boat – of which this resort has two, and they’re speedboats!
You’ll stay in sandy beach huts that are part rustic, part luxury; a true tropical island escape. They have palm-frond roofs and creaking decks, but also mod cons like air conditioning. Oh yea, and there’s an enticing swimming pool wedged into the middle of the private island, where you’ll be staying!
Porter Jungle Hotel, Lombok
At around the $70/night mark, the Porter Jungle Hotel in Lombok promises something a little easier on the wallet than some of the other surf resorts in Indonesia listed here.
But it’s still reallllllly lovely.
An artsy building that’s been elegantly arranged around a central garden and swimming pool, it has the air of a tropical Le Corbusier, only the whitewashed concrete walls are hidden beneath blooms of lush silver porthos and hibiscus.
The pool we mentioned has to be one of the most interesting we’ve ever come across on our travels. It’s not massive but it’s cleverly designed. One half comes with a classic lining of sunbeds, but there’s another infinity section that you can swim to through a small channel, where you’ll get views over the rooftops of Kuta Lombok below.
They’ve recently started running surf camp packages at Porter, though it’s done on a pay-as-you-go basis so be sure to contact them when you check in or book to get enrolled on that. It’s great, too, including 2x daily surf guiding (one at 6am to beat the crowds), pilates sessions, and evening yoga.
One mention of the food, too: It’s cracking. Our mouths still water for the hand cut fries with aioli.
RNV Eco Resort Bungalows, Batu Karas
Beginner surfers and longboarders are now, finally, looking elsewhere in Indo than just Kuta Bali and the Bukit Peninsula. That’s why the long, cruisy point breaks and fun beach breaks of Bati Karas have been such a hit in the early 2020s.
They’re getting more popular each year but are still comparatively quiet and the vibes good.
The best hotel on offer in little Batu? That has to be the RNV Eco Resort Bungalows.
As the name implies, it’s a low-impact eco lodge that you’ll find tucked into the wild Javanese jungles about 500m back from the main point through charming backstreets lined with shacks and stopping coconut palms.
For UNDER $300/week, you can score a lovely double bungalow with its own terrace and view of the pool, including a healthy local breakfast.
Relaxation is the keyword here. RNV is the place to go if you’re on a bit of a budget, want mellow-ish waves, and enjoy kicking back in a hammock for 5 hours between morning and evening surf sessions. For that, it cannot be beaten.
Innit Lombok, Lombok
Our second pick from the lovely island of Lombok comes in the form of the exquisite Innit Lombok. This one takes the art of modernized vernacular design to the next level. It’s at once new and authentic, combing the age-old traditions of Indonesian island design with modern twists and eco materials.
The result? A remarkably unoffensive luxury hotel that emerges elegantly from the rows of palm trees and craggy cliffs of Ekas Bay. The suites are toned-down refuges filled with natural woods, rich teak grains, and thatched rattan. The inky infinity pool constrasts wonderfully with the ivory-hued sands that run just outside.
As you can gather, this is a hotel designed for designers. It’s perfect if you’re a discerning traveler with an eye for design and a desire to stay in one of Indo’s more cutting-edge surf resorts.
Talking of surf…the hotel sits on the eastern edge of Ekas Bay. That’s home to what we’d say are two of the best left handers in south Lombok: Ekas Inside (a cruisy, fatter reef break that’s about 200m from the hotel itself) and Ekas Outside (a heavier, lippier wave that can barrel).
HIMA Bungalows, Nias
HIMA Bungalows are plonked right on the edge (and the right edge, too) of Lagudri Bay in Nias. In fact, you can literally see the world-famous point break right hander working as you laze beside the pool on the salt-washed deck. It’s a great location and a fantastic break to be near if you’re an improving intermediate and up looking to nail those Indo reefs.
A couple of things really stand out at this hotel.
First, the rooms. They’re classic Sumatran cabins with a Scandi edge, built with a pointed, vaulted roof that mimics the shape of fishing boats. That gives you loads of space inside, coupled with a rich-wood finish that’s simply lovely to look at.
Each comes with a workstation for digital nomads plus a unique outdoor shower.
Second, the pool. It’s not huge by any stretch. But we could – and would – sit for hours on end sipping a mango juice watching the surfers rip up the rights just down the line.
Awera Resort, Mentawais
A clutch of stunning private villas spread out along the sugar-white sands of Pulau Pototoga in the heart of the Mentawais, each with private infinity pools and plunge pools, gardens that sprout coconut trees and tropical flowers, and sumptuous interiors made with local materials – that’s what awaits at the 10/10-rated Awera Resort.
It’s hard to beat the location to be frank. The resort faces a gap in the reefs that leads to the Awera Right and the Awera Left, with a wedgy little beginner beach break rammed into the middle. They do have a boat to help you explore the rest of the central Ments but you might not need it – perfect, peeling walls are right on the doorstep.
An extra $90/day gets you onto their bespoke surf package, which includes 2x outings by boat to breaks in the region, plus a surf on both your arrival day and day of departure.
Given just how luxurious this one is, plus the nature of the waves right beside the resort, we’d probably say it’s perfect for traveling couples or those on a surf honeymoon.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
