The hotel exceeded all my expectations — and I had no idea the staff would dress me up as a traditional Sumbanese warrior for the New Year's celebrations. While some people may prefer the crowded beaches of Rio or Times Square, I actually loved having a low-key New Year's celebration with lackluster, yet still festive fireworks — spending time with a unique group of people from all around the world and basking in the simple of beauty of Sumba, Indonesia.
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Our butlers dressed us up like it was our wedding day and yes, the sword was real. (And no, I didn't lose any limbs, but I did gain a ton of amazing memories.)
I ended the night with maybe one too many tequilas at owner Chris Burch's private villa, which is at the center of Nihi Sumba Island. Meeting a ton of new friends in the process, the only problem was that it set 2017 up to be an epic year.
Now that we are six months into 2017, I can say that this year has already been pretty epic. I've seen the Northern Lights in Norway and relaxed on the beach in Koh Samui, just to name a few things. 2016 was an incredible year, but I have no doubts that the rest of 2017 will one-up what I've already experienced — this summer alone is bringing me to Guatemala, Ghana, Mexico, Greece and Botswana, among other places. Follow along with all my travel adventures on Instagram and Facebook.
