Selatan Rinjani

After the response: The room not being ready wasn't the issue I raised. What bothered us was that nobody made it clear whether we could leave our bags and go out, or whether we were meant to wait. We haven't forgotten visiting the rice fields. We were worried about bringing insects back, so we checked our bodies before entering the room and again after showering. People working at a homestay for tourists should be able to speak basic English. We know the mosque's call is part of life in Tetebatu. It was the sound of the mosque along with the gecko and finding a leech in our bed that kept us awake. Earplugs for guests would help. Danny could tell we were unhappy, but didn't seem interested in making things better. Original review: We wanted to enjoy our time at Selatan Rinjani, and Danny, the owner, was nice and tried to help. He arranged a ride from Selambun, which was great. We arrived before 10:30 am, but the room wasn't ready until about 1:30 pm. That delay itself was fine. The problem was not knowing whether we could go out to eat or needed to stay and wait after Danny told us to leave our things outside the room. He didn't respond to us between our arrival and when the room was ready. Danny left around 3:30 pm to sleep in Mataram, so we were by ourselves until two boys arrived, who we think were training. They kindly helped remove a leech we found in our bed and gave us clean sheets. We'd showered twice before bed, so we don't think it came from us. A gecko on the roof and the mosques early in the morning also kept us awake. The boys made breakfast, but it wasn't very good. The scrambled eggs were fine, but we couldn't eat the pancakes past the first bite. They also dropped cutlery on the floor and handed it back to us. When we asked for clean ones, they seemed confused, which felt unprofessional. We decided to check out a day early.

The bungalow is tucked into the woods in a cozy spot, and the nearby monkey forest is easy to reach. Getting there means going down some steep steps. Also, the calls from several muezzin around the village can echo quite loudly, especially in the evening.

We loved staying here. The accommodation is beautiful, and Danny was so generous with rides, local tips and help arranging our Rinjani trek. Thanks so much, Danny!

Dani is a really welcoming, friendly guy who makes you feel at home and is happy to help with anything you need. The bungalow is charming and peaceful, with a lovely view over the rice fields. The main waterfalls and fields are about a 20mn walk away. Highly recommend this place!