A white sand beach, crystal waters, and a herd of horses galloping across the beach; it might sound like the opening scene for a Hollywood film, but it’s actually a daily occurrence at NIHI Sumba in Indonesia. Named the world’s best hotel by Travel + Leisure, NIHI Sumba is an idyllic haven for equine enthusiasts and luxury travellers alike who are on the quest for a retreat like no other. The team describes their offering as “not an escape from everyday life. It is the return to a life well lived” – whether it’s catching a wave, releasing sea turtles into the wild, or paddling through shallow waters on horseback, all within the most lavish surroundings.
Horses are part of the soul of NIHI Sumba and every day their herd of 22 horses can be seen on the beach, much to the delight of guests. Whilst sunset swims are the perfect way to let loose and unwind, there’s another secret that the team has up their sleeves: NIHI Sumba has become the first hotel on the planet to have their horses available at any time of the day to offer therapy and wellness services for their guests.
In addition to this, Dr Andreas Liefooghe has been brought in to conduct equine therapy retreats as part of his Retreat and Conquer program. He said: “Retreat and Conquer is a life-changing retreat that spans five days and four nights of exploration. Horses are the centre of our work, but there is no requirement to ride, nor to have any horse knowledge. We follow our evidence-based proprietary model of change which includes working with horses in nature and processing time with our therapists. Horses are great agents of change.”
Aside from Sumba, Dr Lieefooghe has hosted retreats in other breath-taking locations in Mustique, South Africa, Thailand, London, and Dubai. At the Ant’s Nest safari lodge in Limpopo for example, guests enjoy their treatment in a nature reserve within close proximity of the Big Five.
In October, he’ll be hosting a couples’ retreat in Barbados in partnership with Bespoke Treatment Barbados where he will deliver a therapy programme leveraging equine and traditional couples’ therapy techniques such as sleep hypnotherapy and nature-based therapies – forest breathing, mindfulness, and swimming with turtles – to give couples a chance to strengthen their bonds. Looking further afield, Dr Liefooghe is partnering up with the unrivalled Selman Marrakech, which lies at the bottom of the Atlas Mountains, for a 2025 retreat centred around the property owner’s own love of Arabian horses.
Here, LLM writer Ina Yulo Stuve speaks with Dr Liefooghe about why luxury travellers are head over heels for his retreats and about the special part horses play in their transformation.
Have horses always been a constant in your life?
My first memories are all about horses. Apparently the first word I said was ‘horse’, much to the disappointment of my parents, for sure. I had breaks from horses, like when I was at university, but they have a knack of getting back into your life. Once horses are in your blood, it’s very hard to outrun them.
Tell me more about the benefits of Retreat and Conquer.
Participants describe our events as ‘therapy on steroids’, claiming they have achieved more in five days than in several years of weekly therapy. In this work, horses do what they have always done for us- they speed things up. Long regarded as the most noble and empathic of creatures, they are our secret weapon to get things unstuck, fast. Our experiences beguile you to live life to the full.
Why do you think luxury travellers have connected so much to your retreat offering?
We understand what people want. When you come on a retreat you come to work on yourself. That means you need focus and comfort. The transfers and the hotel services, which we refer to as The Frame, is the holding container for the work to happen. So everything has to be perfect: The greeting on arrival, the room, the F&B. Things going wrong here makes people less secure about the emotional work: If they can’t make sure the hotel is OK, how can I trust them with my emotions? We therefore choose partners whose credentials are impeccable.
Secondly, we deliver. ‘Life-changing’ is a term over used, yet we do truly change lives. Everyone who has attended our retreats rave about the long-term change they have been able to make. We are not about the quick fix, we help people deeply understand the patterns of their life, and bring them to a place where they can understand themselves properly. Thirdly, our staff are some of the most qualified and experienced in the business. Whether we like it or not, proper qualifications are important in a field where almost anyone can call themselves a therapist. Everyone on our retreats are psychologists and psychotherapists, most of them at doctoral level. All are passionate about facilitating a transformative process. And all love horses!
How do you choose the destinations and luxury properties that you partner with for the retreats?
We choose places first and foremost for the horses. We want to ensure that the standards of horse care and animal welfare are beyond reproach. Ideally, we want the horses to live in as natural a state as possible, which usually means in a herd environment. Next, we look for people who share our vision of health and wellbeing. It is so important that all parties are clear on this. You can’t just take a luxury hotel, add some horses and run a retreat. There has to be a synergy, a true understanding of the mission. And lastly, it has to be awesome. For over 20 years, our ground-breaking equine work has helped thousands of people to lead more fulfilling lives. In some of the world’s most awesome places, our horses help you figure it out – fast.
What is one of your most memorable experiences from NIHI Sumba?
The big moment at NIHI is always the hike up the hillside overlooking Nihiwatu beach, waiting for the herd to run along the beach to the grazing site on the slope of the hill. We ask our guests to choose a horse they want to work with. Usually, the choice they make holds the key for their transformation on the retreat.
Which hotel have you partnered with for your new Raha retreat in Morocco?
For Raha, we wanted to go off the beaten track, and it was meeting with local horse expert Yassine Cavalier that brought us to the beautiful Babberih Hotel in Essaouira. The hotel is owned by Salah Eddine, a young entrepreneur who really gets wellness retreats – he purpose-built a yoga sala, and all the vegetables are produced on his own eco farm.
The farm also provides eggs, honey, dates, and goats’ cheese made on site. Essaouira has a unique energy that has drawn people to its shores for centuries. From the Phoenicians thousands of years ago, to rock stars and hippies in the sixties, its pull is undeniable. The rustic yet luxurious base is just outside the small town, offering sweeping views of the Atlantic, and bracing sea winds.
Raha is designed to help you answer difficult questions. How to heal after upsetting events. How to care for yourself and become more resilient. How to relate more productively to others. How to make decisions when you feel overwhelmed. In Arabic, Raha means comfort or rest. In Hindi, it means a route or a course. In its purest form, Raha means divine path. It is your path to peace of mind.
Factbox
Operation Centaur
Address: Holly Lodge, Richmond TW10 5HS
Website: operationcentaur.com
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