Villa Panderman Indah

The pool was clean, though the water is seriously chilly, brrrr. Rooms were clean too, but they’re only cleaned every two days, so guests may need to tidy up themselves on the first day. The staff were kind and always greeted us with smiles. The hillside setting gives the place great views, and it’s close to amusement parks and other attractions around Batu, the tourism city near Malang. Food vendors came by in turns, with prices around 15k-25k each. The taste was just okay, enough to tide you over until you find a more decent meal.

Good and cheap, with a dormitory available at a very low price. The view takes in the mountains and the city below. It’s very cold at night, and about 22 degrees Celsius in the daytime. Lots of must-visit places are within walking distance.

We could sleep here, but we won’t be coming back. It may be cheap, but maybe we just weren’t lucky with our room. My husband paid around 350k. The fresh air and scenery outside were great, and it was very cold. We had bottled water and a dispenser, plus coffee and tea. For toiletries, though, there was only soap and no toothbrush. In Malang, you can get a full set for the price I mentioned. The room did look out onto the pool, but the big window also faced a wall, which was disappointing. The bathroom was worse. The toilet seemed broken because neither the flush nor bidet worked, but then we realized we had to turn on the water using the knob under the bidet. It seems they leave it off because the bidet leaks badly, and using it left you wet. The shower knob was hard to turn too. There was Wi-Fi, but it was useless, with a signal that kept disappearing and wasn’t stable.

The view really took my breath away, and the surroundings were lovely. As a first-time visitor to Indonesia, I had a good experience, and the bed was nice. They leave two packets of coffee and tea each day. If you don’t feel like going out to find food, vendors are available in the car park. I’ll book again soon.