Whales and Waves

We left that night and moved to Mocean, where the surf break and food were better, the rooms were wider, the bathroom was beautiful, and the employees were amazing and always smiling. The difference in hospitality was huge. At this hotel, even basic things were a problem: we only got two bottles of water and couldn’t refill them for the villa, the food was overpriced, and a two-room villa had just one toilet and no kettle. The main problem started after we returned from surfing at 6:30 pm on our fifth day. There were three of us staying in the villa for four nights, and our key suddenly wouldn’t work. We each tried the door, then asked the front desk for help. The receptionist couldn’t open it either and called her manager to get a new key. After the call, she told us we had to speak to Uni to get into the house. We had no idea who Uni was or why we had to call her. She turned out to be the hotel manager. Uni said we were locked out because we hadn’t paid for a kayak we supposedly broke the day before. She demanded 8 million rupiah, about 800 AUD, to fix it. Otherwise, we’d be left outside with all our luggage and nowhere to go at 7 pm, since other guests couldn’t use the kayak. I was wet, cold, and hungry after surfing, and at first I thought the whole thing was a joke. We’d already spoken with two hotel managers that morning. They hadn’t inspected the kayak before renting it to us or when we returned it. The kayaks were left under coconut trees in full sun and looked poorly maintained. We don’t remember hitting anything while kayaking. When we talked to the managers in the morning, they said the person who normally checked the kayak had forgotten, and that it was her fault. Then a third manager showed up and locked us out of our room. The owner happened to be having dinner in the restaurant, so we asked him for help. He said something bad must have happened during our kayak trip and that his general manager would have to reach an agreement with us. In the end, we paid 250 AUD just to get the key to our villa. Once inside, we saw that the door lock had been changed. We no longer felt safe, so we moved to another hotel that same night. They didn’t refund us for the remaining day we didn’t stay. I’ve travelled a lot, and I’ve never experienced hospitality like this. If you want to avoid the same experience, be careful about using the kayak. Also, the villa had no way for us to refill our water, and the food was overpriced. The rooms had only one toilet between them and no kettle.

The grounds and beach are absolutely gorgeous. Food prices can be closer to Bali prices, so be ready for that if you’re used to Sumbawa prices. We hope next time our individual dishes will arrive at about the same time, and that the rooms will have a TV and kettle. We’re planning to return with friends to try the other activities, like volleyball, cycling, and the swings.

The hotel rooms have a unique feel, and the staff are friendly. There’s a beach right in front of the restaurant, with a lovely view and a sunset you can watch from there.

There’s plenty of space and an outdoor playground, so it might suit kids. Still, I’d recommend places with more soul. This resort feels like it’s run for corporate profit, with no real warmth. The standard rooms are small and overpriced. They’re recently built and clean, but poorly designed and equipped, with little thought for practical needs. There’s no fridge or kettle, no clothes hooks or place to hang wet things, and only three small shelves for two people with luggage, so the room feels messy and humid. At this price, I’d expect a lot more. They’re expanding, and we heard compressors and hammering early in the morning. Food and coffee are expensive too. The surfboards they rent are pricey, and they sell all kinds of tours instead of referring guests to the local people and families who rent equipment and run community businesses. I don’t really connect with that approach, and wanted to share how it felt. They give two people one litre of water a day. When I asked for more because it was 35 degrees outside, they said the house rule allowed just one refill per day. I wanted to avoid buying more plastic bottles and pushed for more water, but was refused. Their beach is covered in plastic, yet the staff spend 12 hours a day tending the grass and garden without seeming concerned about cleaning the beach. A big place should set an example. Instead, they want to sell water, at an overpriced rate.