Rumah Jah Langkawi

The location worked really well for our family. The beach was about a one-minute walk away, and plenty of restaurants were a five-minute walk away. We stayed for a whole week and really enjoyed it. I’d recommend it for larger groups or families.

We barely had enough time to enjoy the calm of the house because we spent most of our three days and two nights out sightseeing and doing activities. I’d love to return with my family. The house is just a two-minute walk from the beach, though it doesn’t face the water, and it seems comfortable for a group of 8-10 including children. There’s a large garden, a full kitchenette, dining table, living area, spacious balcony and front terrace. It felt peaceful and had a wonderful atmosphere. The place was clean and orderly, with working air conditioning and water heaters. The upstairs room had slightly low water pressure, but both downstairs bathrooms were fine. The manager and staff were friendly and professional, which added to the comfort. We had a group of friends and found it homely and comfortable. I accidentally left my pendant behind and only noticed on the ferry out of Langkawi. The manager checked immediately, confirmed they’d found it, and arranged to courier it back. It arrived in pristine condition within a few days, and the manager kindly refused payment. That was true Malaysian hospitality. Thank you, "Rumah Jah". Terima Kasih, and I hope to bring my family back soon.

We ended up leaving for a real hotel after one day here, despite having moved to this property to get away from problems at another property in the same group. In total, we spent about five hours fixing things or waiting for repairs, then cut our losses. The hotel we moved to cost the same. Here, the master bedroom AC wasn’t working properly and was fixed the next day. There was also a venomous flying tree snake in the house. The manager told us it was harmless, which was alarming since we were travelling with children. The house itself was worn down, with rusted metal sticking out in places and mould on the ceiling. Rooms have no glass windows, so keeping the wooden windows closed leaves them dark, while opening them lets in hot, humid air. The bathrooms open outside without mosquito nets, and Langkawi has a lot of mosquitoes. We were first transferred here from the group’s 4-star property after multiple problems there. On its first night, our room there had no water. Some hours later it was restored by filling a tank with a hose, but the water was very dirty and apparently unfiltered. We accepted this cheaper accommodation as an alternative because we still wanted to enjoy our holiday. When I raised the issues with the manager, she said her boss would deduct any refund from her paycheck. That didn’t feel like professional business practice.

There was some construction happening during our three nights at Rumah Jah, but we still had a great stay. The place was clean and comfortable, with a lovely traditional Balinese feel to the design. It’s a short walk from the beach and works well if you’re after privacy.