Back when the pandemic was but a whisper we had a trip to Nikoi Island Resort booked with some dear friends. We’d talked their ears off about how amazing it was and they had finally agreed to go there with us. It was also my friend’s birthday around the time of our trip, so we also had a reason to celebrate.

But alas excitement aside this trip was not meant to be as covid swept in and cancelled our plans. Nikoi Island Resort doesn’t offer a refund on bookings, so our booking sat in limbo for years. Sadly during this time our friends also relocated to Panama so they couldn’t join us. But we finally got to go to Nikoi, in the end, three years later than planned.

So a little rewind back to March when it was the end of the rainy season and we were hopeful for some sunshine, rest and relaxation. We had after all been looking forward to this for a very long time. Maybe we didn’t do enough sunshine dances or put enough eggs in trees (I’ll explain that part later) but our week was a bit of a wash out apart from two sunny half days.

So I thought it would be fun to show you what Nikoi looks like in the rain and share if we would still go again.

It’s a Small World

They say the world is 5 degrees of separation, well in Singapore I believe this shortens significantly. So many times you meet a friend of a friend, it’s a very small world. So when we went to Nikoi Island Resort the chances were high of the kids meeting friends from school (happened to us again this time), or getting to know someone who knows a friend of yours. Has this happened to you?

The Journey to Nikoi Island

You can get a full breakdown of the journey to Nikoi Island from Singapore in my previous post. This time it was a little bit of an ahh-oops journey for us. I had read online at the start of the year that Indonesia was scrapping all its covid regulations and didn’t think anything else of it other than yey it’s finally time for Nikoi Island. It wasn’t until we were on the ferry over to Indonesia that we realised that they still had restrictions in place and you couldn’t visit without being vaccinated. Yikes, I really should learn to read the small-print. 

As I’m not vaccinated (medical reasons), we suddenly had an ‘OH CR*P’ moment and started preparing a Plan B in case they turned me away Having already been sent home from a staycation the year previous, where I had to leave whilst my husband and kids enjoyed their weekend away, I wasn’t much looking forward to the possibility of missing another holiday. 

Thankfully I still had a letter from my doctor which was accepted at immigration, and we were clear to proceed to Nikoi. Time to wipe my sweaty away, relax my shoulders and go back to holiday mode. 

The Rooms at Nikoi Island

I’ve shared the rooms before here and they were exactly the same as before, but this time they had opened up some extra villas next to the pool with more rooms. 

With the wind and rain, it was a bit harder this time, everything ended up feeling damp and nothing was drying. It was also a bit chilly in the air due to the wet air penetrating everything. There was nowhere to escape the noise of the rain, the wind or the ocean waves as the buildings aren’t water or noise tight. We found this hard going.

We would put the blinds down this time, and that stopped the lights from the night fishing boat’s lights from disturbing us, and we slept much better. 

I had thankfully at the last minute popped in jumpers for each of us for the ferry ride over. Little did I know we’d be wearing them all week and some of my new beach dresses wouldn’t get to make an appearance. I really don’t know what we’d have done without the jumpers.  

The Food at Nikoi Island

The food was as delicious as last time, alas no birthday celebration cake this time. But the chef looked after us well. 

One rainy day some of the other guests talked us into joining them on a cooking course. So the chef taught us satay, yellow paste and other delights and cheeky bottle of wine helped the afternoon pass away quite nicely. The food was then whipped away to the kitchen and brought back out for our evening meal. 

As the weather was a bit cooler we became obsessed with the Nikoi Island ginger tea. I can’t actually tell you how many cups I drank as it just kept coming. It was the perfect antidote to the rain and cold air. I have heard they are making a cook book and I hope this is in there!

What to do on Nikoi Island

The best of Nikoi Island Resort is in the adventures you can have there. First order of business was booking myself into a couple of spa sessions. This time round there were a couple of resident cheeky otters on the island and I was lucky to spot them just before one of my massages. There is nothing better than a relaxing massage to the sound of the waves lapping just outside the door and the sea breeze.

This time we took part in a sustainability tour, which shows you behind the scenes on how the island runs. Holding the worms that eat the organic food waste was a step too far for me. But it’s lovely to hear about the energy sources, the farm and everything Nikoi Island Resort  is doing to help the local economy. 

As usual the kids club was the best our kids have ever attended. My daughter was 12 at the time still loved it. Tom Tom the camp leader is a big hit, and the kids cried again when they had to say goodbye. My son was sad for actual days as he was desperate to go back to Nikoi Island. Tom Tom is a gentle soul and with the rest of the team the kids fish (catch ten and you get a free sky juice at the bar), do wood work, climb trees and all sorts of adventures. There was also plenty of jetty jumping, and this time the kids played on the kayaks, SUP’s and the water trampoline. 

The kids club is what I would call very much free-rein, the kids come and go as they please. Hopping in and out as they see something they fancy. There is the nightly movie night in the barn, whilst the parents eat dinner or enjoy a drink in the bar. Sadly it was too soggy for the bonfire and roasting marshmallows but come rain or shine the 5pm treasure hunt for candy went ahead. 

Top Tip:

Take walkie talkies if you want to keep in touch with your kids and call them to lunch.

Now due to the rain and the tides, snorkelling was off the agenda. I’m stubborn and optimistic so I tried a couple of times, but alas not even one Nemo fish was spotted. I still live in hope of returning and seeing the ocean crystal clear there. I’ve heard stories of how amazing it can be come April. 

I dipped into their community book library in the bar area, as I went through all my books, and found a few gems to read. I may have  also tidied up said book area as I spent a long time sitting in the bar this time.

We also worked our way through their refreshing daily cocktails (when we weren’t drinking ginger tea). The bar team are still as delightful as ever, taking time to teach our son how to play his ukulele, singing in the evenings before dinner and always with the biggest of smiles. The bar was a welcome escape from the rain and a lovely place to cocoon oneself reading a book for a few hours at a time. 

Putting Eggs in the Trees

All the rain prompted me to catch up with my friend in Panama, she’s orignially from Brazil and told me of a Brazilian tradition of putting an egg in the tree when it rains and tell the rain you’ve had enough. I think the restaurant staff thought I was nuts when I asked for an egg but at this point I was willing to try anything. Sad to share it didn’t work for us this time but it was fun to try.

Summary of Nikoi Island

We stayed for five days, now had the weather been good this would’ve been a perfect amount of time, alas with the rain we were quite fatigued by the end, in need of a hot bath and a warm, dry bed. In hindsight we could’ve just booked a few nights and just extended it as it was off season. 

But despite the rain, Nikoi Island still holds a special place in our hearts and we can’t wait for a time when we can go back again. It truly is my kid’s most favourite place on earth and they even talk of taking their kids there when they grow up. It’s a magical little island that makes special family memories.