Gili Khayangan Villas

The scorpion sting was the part that really upset me. It got me while I was sleeping. I told the staff, and they killed it. I didn’t know what to do, though it didn’t seem poisonous, and the sting felt like a spicy bee sting. Horrifying. Someone checked the room, we set up our insect-net tent, and then went back to sleep. They probably can’t prevent every insect, but maybe the rooms and property should be checked every few days. We were there with friends about eight months ago. Gili was amazing, and the accommodation was okay. The rooms were dated, but looked like the pictures. The outdoor “lobby” wasn’t comfortable, though it didn’t matter much because we had an enclosed area with a pool and a painting. I’m pretty sure someone tried looking through some peepholes. I can’t say it was staff, but I’d hoped for complete privacy.

We stayed in Neptune, which had loads of space for the four of us. The pool and sunbeds get a nice stretch of sunshine from late morning in August, and the property is beautiful. It’s in the island’s north-west, away from the eastern strip and harbour, with plenty nearby, including bike hire, an M Mart, and laundry. A bike makes it easy to explore the island, and hire costs about £2.50 a day. We’d suggest getting a horse and cart from the port when you first arrive. The staff couldn’t do enough for us. We can’t speak highly enough of this place.

The pool is great, the rooms are very clean, breakfast is good, and the hosts are friendly. It’s also very private. The outside doesn’t do justice to what’s inside. There’s a great restaurant about 100 to the right on the main drag, though it’s easy to miss, and a mini supermarket about 100 to the left. It is a bit out of the way, which can be a plus, but it’s about eight minutes to the fun on the western side of the island. I’d recommend it.

After checking in at Gili Khayangan Hotel, we spent just three hours there before looking for somewhere else. Both rooms had large, visible mold patches on the walls and an unbearable musty smell. The hotel tried to cover it with strong air fresheners, which made it worse. We’re still here trying to find a way out, and no one is helping. There were cracked, dirty walls, stained curtains that might have mold, mirrors with black spots, loose or broken door locks, and Wi-Fi that didn’t work. We spoke to the manager straight away, but he refused to help, made one absurd excuse after another, saying “It’s just salt”, “That’s normal on the island”, and “The room was just cleaned”, and wouldn’t let us talk to anyone else. This feels like a serious health risk, not a minor issue. We’re shocked that these rooms are being rented at all. The rooms also looked nothing like the photos on Booking.com. Those pictures suggested clean, fresh, well-kept rooms, but what we got was the opposite. We don’t understand the high ratings at all. They don’t match reality, and something feels very off. This hotel feels unhealthy, unsafe, and untrustworthy. If you care about cleanliness, honest advertising, or your health, stay far away.