Selong Belanak Bungalows

We'd gone in just for drinks, which was clear. The menu showed one set of prices, but our bill came to double. The guy gave us some pretty weak excuses. After we refused to pay those amounts, he apologized for trying to scam us and agreed to the menu prices. Service was terrible. In Indonesia, it feels like everyone is trying to rip you off. Insane!

The noise was unbelievable, like trying to sleep beside the Le Mans 24-hour race track. The rooms don't properly secure: we went for dinner and came back to find the sliding door open about 10 cm. Someone had pushed it in and slid the unlocked panel across. The bathroom can be entered from outside, and its inside door doesn't lock. Some money was missing when we counted it again, so we suspect someone on staff took it, perhaps trying to avoid a bigger problem, but who knows what that person was thinking. I nearly died after plugging in an appliance with wet feet. I fell, luckily, and the wire came loose from the wall. Horrible place.

The bungalows are just five minutes from the beach, and the local atmosphere is lovely if you stay at least a week and have time to enjoy it. I had an incredible stay. The staff are super friendly, attentive, and available. Big thanks to John!

The good parts were the location, close to the beach, and a pretty decent free breakfast. But there was often no water at all, and when there was, it wasn't hot. We were promised packed breakfasts for our early departure and never got them. I asked staff several times before taking room number 8 whether it had bed bugs because reviews on booking had made me worry. They weren't sure what I meant, then said there weren't any. There were. I'm allergic and was sick for a long time afterward.