Dormitory Tourism Mirah Banyuwangi

This is the only place in Banyuwangi where you can choose either a shared bed or a private room. The price is very cheap and pleasant, and all the facilities are well maintained. Thanks to Mr Gede Agus for being kind to us while we were here.

The room was clean, and having a pool is a plus for a dormitory with such a cheap bed or room price per night. An 18-bed dorm could suit a big group, though I don’t think Indonesian people are comfortable sharing with others when travelling in a small group. There were lots of mosquitoes, and the lockers didn’t have keys, which felt less safe when sharing the dorm.

The hostel is new and pleasant. I stayed three nights in the 18 bedroom dorm, with nobody else in the room. It was extremely spacious, the mattress was very comfortable, and every bed had an outlet. The air conditioning worked well, which was welcome in the extreme heat outside. The front desk was staffed around the clock, handy when I arrived by bus at 1:30 am. Wi-Fi signal was strong everywhere I went on the property, across several networks, though the internet itself seemed slow at times. For the most expensive hostel I stayed at in Indonesia, I expected more basic things to be in place, especially since the building seemed finished. The under-bed lockers had no latch, so there was nowhere to lock valuables in an 18-bed dorm. The bathrooms had paper holders but no toilet paper. Breakfast was the worst I had at a hostel in Indonesia, just bread with honey, butter and marmalade, plus coffee or tea. They were also strict about checkout. I asked to leave an hour later because the room was the only place with air conditioning, but I was told to be out by 12:00. An hour later, when I left, nobody had even gone in to clean the room.

The room was clean and comfortable, but breakfast was very basic. If you’re lucky, you’ll get some rice. Otherwise it’s just bread and coffee.