Having lived on and off in Nias since the early 80’s, Mark and Debi Flint, owners of KabuNohi Sorake Resort are well and truly entrenched in the local community.

Debi is Indonesian and Mark is originally from Newcastle, NSW.  Mark speaks Bahasa Indonesia as well as the locals and he gets a lot of respect for this.  Mark and Debi believe in empowering the local people and teaching them new skills that will assist them in the future.

As part of the KabuNohi Community Development program; on 1 March, 10 Students from Nias Tourisme School commenced their on the job training at the resort and will be there until the end of April. During this time, Deb and Mark will teach them the finer points of housekeeping, food and beverage catering and general resort management skills.  Mark was the general manager of the old Sorake Beach Resort in the 90’s and Deb worked in a marketing role too.  Together they have vast hospitality experience and are looking forward to passing on their skills to this keen group of students.  This is a first for Nias as there really are no other resorts of KabuNohi Sorake standard in Nias that offer ‘all inclusive’ packages with an emphasis on high standards of customer service, excellent cuisine and luxury accommodation.

Mark and Debi also pride themselves on sourcing fresh local produce if they haven’t grown it themselves in their garden.  Mark loves to dabble in the kitchen so he’s constantly seeking out unusual ingredients for his tasty array of dishes.

Mark’s lifelong friend from Newcastle, affectionately known as Papa Shane, has also relocated to Nias full time and has recently purchased a beachfront block further down the bay.  Shane is a great old school surfer and an old board shaper and jack of all trade who loves helping.  His new property will be used to house the KabuNohi Sorake boats as it’s got a safe anchorage and good slipway.  Shane is very handy at ding repairs and having been visiting Nias on and off for the past couple of decades, he’s well known amongst the locals as the ‘ding doctor’. Papa Shane is always given VIP treatment in the line-up due to his generosity in helping the locals with their board repairs.  There is no surfboard/surf industry in Nias, so Shane keeps their boards going and going.

During a visit to KabuNohi Sorake resort, Mark and Deb and local staff will ensure that you are immersed in the local community and we can assure you that the locals will treat you very well, when you say you are staying at Mark and Debi’s, KabuNohi Sorake Resort.

Debi is a religious lady and her and Mark live by the old bible quote “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

Some may call it good karma, but their philosophy of empowering the community and helping those less fortunate, will hold them in good stead for many years to come.

Come to Nias, not just for the amazing waves and the fabulous resort, come and experience a wonderful rich culture and the warm friendly hospitality of South Nias.