The Mel Homestay

I had a really unpleasant stay. The cottage felt more like a slum, and it was extremely dirty and poorly maintained. There were spider webs on the furniture, and the washroom was in awful shape: the bidet had almost no pressure, the door was broken, and the old hut-style roof seemed like it would let insects in. Thankfully, I didn’t see any rats. The tiny, bowl-like wash basin also made it hard to wash properly. Nothing was fixed when I raised problems, and the owner seemed annoyed even when I politely asked for more water. The worst thing was finding a worm in my pancake. When I complained, the owner acted as if that was normal and reluctantly gave me fried rice instead. I’d booked a double room and tried to order both a pancake and fried rice, but the owner wouldn’t let me order two items at once. There aren’t any nearby restaurants either. I don’t recommend staying here.

The best part of this authentic Balinese homestay was its position under the night sky. We were in rooms parallel to the ocean, with a view of the main road, and the place seemed perfectly aligned beneath the Milky Way. I took the attached photo myself 🌌 The husband and wife welcomed my family with open arms. They rented us very safe motorcycles with extra helmets, and when we left, offered us bracelets for safety on the ferry back to Bali. I was truly blown away by how magical the experience felt.

Our room was nice and clean, and the hosts were very friendly. The place is right across the street from the port. We only stayed one night, but I’d come back. We were allowed to check in very early, and the front-facing rooms have a spacious balcony above the other street buildings with a sunset view.

The owner and staff were lovely. We got there early and tired from traveling, and they let us check in early. They also upgraded our room to an ocean view for free and served breakfast at noon, even though breakfast ended at 11am, because we’d slept in. It’s a quiet place, about 20 minutes from Banjar Nyuh Harbor, close to the beach, a night market 5 min away, and a coffeehouse. Great value. I’d recommend it for couples or solo travelers and would stay again.