Murni’s House

Breakfast was really delicious, an omelet with tomatoes and toast. From the house, it’s around a 10-minute walk to the beach, five minutes to the main road with lots of local shops, and two minutes the other way to tourist restaurants and shops. Although the house is almost on the main road, you don’t hear the cars or other noise. It’s a very nice house with huge rooms, a great base for exploring the area or relaxing at the beach.

The place feels almost new and in great shape, which makes sense since the homestay was built just three months ago. There’s good space and lighting, nice windows with airflow, a good bathroom with hot and cold water, scooter parking, and an owner who takes pride in the property. Tea, coffee and a kettle are provided in the room too. The beach is a convenient five-minute walk away. There’s also a locals’ evening food market about five minutes away, out to the main road and left. The neighborhood is quiet, which I always appreciate. A couple of things in room 3: there’s no light switch by the bed, and the shower pipe dripped slowly. The bathroom door closes, though, and I couldn’t hear the drip at night. We booked the 6am dolphin tour with the owner, who has his own boat. It costs 100k for watching, 200k for swimming with them, and 300k for snorkeling. At that hour the sea is full of over 100 boats chasing the dolphins. If you go, I’d just do the watching, there wasn’t really a chance to swim, and all the operators are the same at that time. I’ve heard it’s quieter later in the day, so maybe mid to late morning is better. Absolutely recommend staying here. If I go back to Lovina, I’d book it again without a second thought.

The owner, family and staff were friendly, and the service and breakfast were okay. There’s a room price list for tours and spa services at fair prices, with no haggling, which you can arrange through the owner. We also worked out different tours, and I’m glad we took the owner’s good advice. The location is handy, just off a road with lots of food options, laundry, tour operators and massage spas, and it’s maybe a 10-minute walk the other way to two minimarts and a few ATMs. The room was large, the bed very comfortable, and the bathroom very good, though it smelled a little musty.

We really enjoyed our two nights here. The owner was very friendly and the service was great. Our room was clean and had plenty of space. I’d definitely recommend staying here!