Tulamben Backpacker

I booked two nights but left even though I'd already paid. The first room smelled of sewage. We changed rooms and found moldy pudding in the fridge, and the pool was dirty. It looked like nobody was maintaining the place. Avoid it.

The staff were wonderful, friendly, and couldn't have been more accommodating, even if they clearly aren't trained hoteliers. With more attention to standards and clearer expectations for guests, this could be a beautiful place with good facilities and prices. I stayed here before, and COVID seems to have affected their ability to maintain the standard I enjoyed on that earlier visit. The rooms are large, but the cleaning left a lot to be desired. During our few nights there was no room makeup service. Breakfast was toast and eggs, with no menu. Its timing seemed to vary more based on when they didn't serve it than on any set schedule or request. The AC was adequate and the bed was comfortable. You'll need transport to go anywhere, so don't stay here without a car or bike. With transport, the location is nice, unless your room faces the busy road with lorries. Some parts of the stay were outstanding, and others fell short.

The pool and room were great, with a nice cool room and a big shower. You can refill your water for free, and make your own eggs at breakfast, plus there's watermelon. The food was cheap, but awful. My partner and I spent the whole day in bed and ate only rice. Breakfast eggs had ants on them and a lizard was roaming freely. The food standards seemed poor. There's no ATM on site, the nearest is about 1.5 miles away, and the staff speak very little English. The food cost me a star.

We'd booked for one night, and had already paid, but would've left immediately if we hadn't. This was the worst stay during my girlfriend's and my month-long trip around Indonesia, though thankfully it was only one night. The place felt way overpriced and offered no value. Even with our booking confirmation, the management couldn't find our reservation. Sorting it out took ages, made harder because they didn't speak English. Our room had no toilet paper. When we asked, they said they had run out and gave us tissues instead. At 7:30 in the morning, they woke us to serve breakfast, although we hadn't asked for it. There was no choice, just what was probably the worst-tasting chicken fried rice. The pool was also dirty and out of order, despite the description saying it was available. The pool was the reason we'd chosen Tulamben Backpacker.