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Equine Intuitive Awareness Retreats

Healing Journeys
with NIHI’s Horse Whisperer

As part of our evolving equine offering, NIHI Sumba now presents private healing journeys with our horse whisperer, Carol.

Inspired by ancient wisdom and sacred practices, these immersive retreats include one to one equine healing sessions, cultural immersion, and time with our majestic Sandalwood horses, revered for their intuitive guidance and powerful healing presence. Each retreat is designed as a private experience, shaped around individual intention. Through one to one equine sessions, time in nature, and moments of cultural connection, no two journeys are the same. The rhythm is yours. The path unfolds as it needs to.

Nihi Sumba Equine Retreats Carol 1
Nihi Sumba Equine Retreats Carol 2
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Overview

Growing up on a horse property in South Australia, Carol has always felt an intrinsic bond with horses. Embracing the challenge of working with Sumba’s beautiful yet untamed Sandalwood horses, Carol established our Sandalwood Stables over a decade ago. During this journey, Carol honed her skills in nonverbal communication, energy reading and healing, forming deep connections with the horses and the community. Her equine healing sessions have had a profound impact on guests, helping them to grow, heal and connect.

The Intuitive Awareness Retreats perfectly synergize with the spirit of NIHI and the animist beliefs of the island. Sumba’s ancient but living religion, Marapu, centres on the balance between the spirit world, humans and nature – including the island’s unique Sandalwood horses. As well as healing sessions, NIHI’s equine wellness experiences include reiki, yoga and massage, all harnessing the powerful healing presence of horses. Each experience offers a path to the transformative, healing power that flows from these majestic animals.

  • One-to-one equine-guided healing session with Carol, NIHI’s horse whisperer.
  • Energetic awareness and somatic practices inspired by Sumba’s natural elements.
  • Cultural immersion rooted in the island’s ancestral horse traditions.
  • Grounding rituals, yoga, oceanfront rides and NIHI’s signature Spa Safari.

A deeply personal journey, designed around individual intention.

Private equine retreats with Carol are open to all, regardless of age or riding experience. Both educational and spiritual in nature, each experience is centered on healing, growth, and a meaningful connection with both horses and self.

Private retreats are priced from USD 2,835++ per person for a minimum of three days, with additional nights available at USD 895++ per person, per day.

Retreat pricing excludes accommodation at NIHI Sumba.

** Prices are in USD and subject to a 21% tax and service charge.

Retreats are available year round with flexible timing and duration, beginning from a minimum of three days. We invite you to connect with our team to begin shaping your time, with scheduling guided by Carol’s availability.

SECURE YOUR PLACE

“I was looking to connect with animals, and specifically horses, as they had always held intrigue for me. When I discovered NIHI’s equine therapy retreat I was both curious and a little apprehensive as I’ve always been slightly scared of horses, but Carol made me feel instantly safe. We were invited to simply be with the herd, to observe, to listen, and to understand. I learned how horses mirror us, how they honour boundaries, and how powerful it is to build a connection before asking anything of them. It was deeply moving. What made this even more special was working with Carol, who knows each horse by name, by story, by spirit – many from birth. You don’t return from NIHI the same. You return with a deeper understanding of yourself, of nature, and of the quiet strength in just being. This is not something I have found in any other place in the world.”

– Baroness Rebecca Wedellsborg –
MAY 2025

Get in touch

For reservations or more information, please contact our

Travel Designers

E. [email protected]
W. +62 811 3821 2910

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Nihigram

The sheer magic of @nihi. Watch as a herd of horses wanders past the main pool and into the ocean, creating one of those beautiful NIHI Sumba moments you can completely lose yourself in. Be immersed in days like no other, and spellbound as the evening sun begins to descend.
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#nihigram by @catalinavonbonin @jonaways

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Open post by nihi with ID 18175915267419771
The sheer magic of @nihi. Watch as a herd of horses wanders past the main pool and into the ocean, creating one of those beautiful NIHI Sumba moments you can completely lose yourself in. Be immersed in days like no other, and spellbound as the evening sun begins to descend..#nihigram by @catalinavonbonin @jonaways

A glimpse of a typical day at @nihi.

Imagine starting the morning with breakfast and a horizon view, before watching the horses meander down the white sands of Nihiwatu Beach.

A slow morning that sets the tone for an afternoon spent relaxing in your own private villa, before the sun begins to set and casts its evening magic across the island of Sumba.

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Open post by nihi with ID 18320471155273467
A glimpse of a typical day at @nihi.Imagine starting the morning with breakfast and a horizon view, before watching the horses meander down the white sands of Nihiwatu Beach.A slow morning that sets the tone for an afternoon spent relaxing in your own private villa, before the sun begins to set and casts its evening magic across the island of Sumba.

At NIHI, horses roam freely along untouched shores, wellness is found in the serenity of the spa, and romance flourishes amidst the island’s untamed beauty. Here, ancient traditions, extraordinary landscapes, and meaningful connections create experiences that linger long after you leave.

From the Edge of Wildness to moments of complete tranquility, every corner of NIHI celebrates the unmatched beauty, rich culture, and timeless spirit of Sumba.

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Open post by nihi with ID 18403384816154343
At NIHI, horses roam freely along untouched shores, wellness is found in the serenity of the spa, and romance flourishes amidst the island’s untamed beauty. Here, ancient traditions, extraordinary landscapes, and meaningful connections create experiences that linger long after you leave.From the Edge of Wildness to moments of complete tranquility, every corner of NIHI celebrates the unmatched beauty, rich culture, and timeless spirit of Sumba.

A truly unique wellness experience awaits at NIHI’s Equine Sanctuary.

Beneath swaying palms and beside the sound of the ocean, retired sea horses become gentle partners in relaxation and healing. This deeply calming equine massage invites guests to slow down, reconnect, and experience the quiet presence of these remarkable horses.

Part of NIHI Spa’s Equine Wellness offering, alongside equine reiki and yoga, this experience can be included as part of your half or full day at NIHI Spa.

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Open post by nihi with ID 17895985644471275
A truly unique wellness experience awaits at NIHI’s Equine Sanctuary.Beneath swaying palms and beside the sound of the ocean, retired sea horses become gentle partners in relaxation and healing. This deeply calming equine massage invites guests to slow down, reconnect, and experience the quiet presence of these remarkable horses.Part of NIHI Spa’s Equine Wellness offering, alongside equine reiki and yoga, this experience can be included as part of your half or full day at NIHI Spa.

Raw, simple moments.

Two horses lingering at the water’s edge, their wet hooves sinking into the sand as waves roll in and out around them. No saddles, no riders, no destination. Just the quiet rhythm of the ocean and the freedom to simply be.

These are the moments that stay with you long after Sumba.
.
#nihigram @lina_jyoga

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Open post by nihi with ID 18136243891577015
Raw, simple moments.Two horses lingering at the water’s edge, their wet hooves sinking into the sand as waves roll in and out around them. No saddles, no riders, no destination. Just the quiet rhythm of the ocean and the freedom to simply be.These are the moments that stay with you long after Sumba..#nihigram @lina_jyoga

When the early morning mist still sits over Nihiwatu Beach and you wake up to breakfast overlooking wild horses living free along the shore. There’s nowhere else on earth quite like this. @nihi is less a destination and more a dream you never want to leave.

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Open post by nihi with ID 18094518131595432
When the early morning mist still sits over Nihiwatu Beach and you wake up to breakfast overlooking wild horses living free along the shore. There’s nowhere else on earth quite like this. @nihi is less a destination and more a dream you never want to leave.

As the sun rises, Sumba and a daily life that harks back to a bygone era awakens. The island of Sumba is one that is raw in its beauty and rich with culture. @nihi takes you beyond the resort and into the culture of Sumba where you can feel the true soul of the island.
.
#nihigram by @gedewahyuu_

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Open post by nihi with ID 18010047350723561
As the sun rises, Sumba and a daily life that harks back to a bygone era awakens. The island of Sumba is one that is raw in its beauty and rich with culture. @nihi takes you beyond the resort and into the culture of Sumba where you can feel the true soul of the island..#nihigram by @gedewahyuu_

Morning begins with the ocean stretched out before you. Set in an elevated position within the heart of @nihi, Wulla Marapu offers an expansive view of the full curve of Nihiwatu Beach. Designed for relaxed family living, Wulla Marapu is a three-bedroom villa that brings together Sumbanese heritage, tranquil open-air spaces, and the natural beauty of Sumba.

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Open post by nihi with ID 18554650756069528
Morning begins with the ocean stretched out before you. Set in an elevated position within the heart of @nihi, Wulla Marapu offers an expansive view of the full curve of Nihiwatu Beach. Designed for relaxed family living, Wulla Marapu is a three-bedroom villa that brings together Sumbanese heritage, tranquil open-air spaces, and the natural beauty of Sumba.

From 1–14 June, we welcome visiting practitioner Carol, NIHI’s renowned Horse Whisperer.

Lie in the quiet presence of our horses as Carol guides a deeply restorative Reiki experience. Through gentle energy work and the horses’ calm, heart-centred presence, stress softens and you are gently returned to the present moment, where healing begins.

Set beneath swaying palms at NIHI Spa, and accompanied by the soothing rhythm of the ocean, this unique Equine Wellness experience invites guests to slow down, reconnect, and experience the profound sense of peace that can arise in the presence of horses.

104330
Open post by nihi with ID 18119630620814056
From 1–14 June, we welcome visiting practitioner Carol, NIHI’s renowned Horse Whisperer.Lie in the quiet presence of our horses as Carol guides a deeply restorative Reiki experience. Through gentle energy work and the horses’ calm, heart-centred presence, stress softens and you are gently returned to the present moment, where healing begins.Set beneath swaying palms at NIHI Spa, and accompanied by the soothing rhythm of the ocean, this unique Equine Wellness experience invites guests to slow down, reconnect, and experience the profound sense of peace that can arise in the presence of horses.

Raw beauty, untamed adventure, and moments that stay with you forever. Welcome to @nihi. A place that stays with you long after you’ve left. Experience the magic in the spaces between nature and luxury. A retreat from the modern world out on the Edge of Wildness. Remote by nature, refined by design.

8507141
Open post by nihi with ID 18456666946119636
Raw beauty, untamed adventure, and moments that stay with you forever. Welcome to @nihi. A place that stays with you long after you’ve left. Experience the magic in the spaces between nature and luxury. A retreat from the modern world out on the Edge of Wildness. Remote by nature, refined by design.

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