Mari Mari Backpackers Lodge, Mantanani Island

The ocean view is gorgeous. I visited the island two years ago and chose to stay overnight this time. We had a wonderful time, and I'd happily return again. Just order food at least 30 minutes ahead, since it takes them a while to prepare.

The staff are lovely and helpful, and the kitchen serves basic but good food. There's some decent snorkeling too, and the island has a beautiful, secluded, almost pioneer feel. But the beach is filthy, with washed-up rubbish and logs from Borneo's logging industry. It's sad to walk past plastic junk everywhere. Sea pollution may be a fact of life now, but a tourist island needs a way to deal with it. The other big downside is the price. For such basic facilities, Mari Mari is too expensive and poor value.

For the price, around MYR 400 per person, I found the stay ridiculous. The website listed a three-person room, but there wasn't one. They put an extra bed in a very small room and charged everyone the same price. The photos show how small it is. We had two rooms: one had a sink that didn't work, and nobody came to fix it after we reported it; the other had no electricity at the wall. The bathroom had no hooks for clothes or places to put shampoo and toothbrushes. There was no daytime electricity, so we had no fan or hot water after snorkeling or diving. Checkout was at 10am, but we had to wait until 15:00 to leave. The drive from BKI took 1.5 hours, followed by an hour on a boat, and we arrived completely wet because the boat was really awful. They said there were three snorkeling trips every day, but that wasn't true. They didn't have enough boats for snorkeling or diving. I expected a diving lodge to be professional, but diving was boring and there was nothing to see. Some snorkeling was great, though. The white beach had plastic bottles everywhere. Joining a day tour to snorkel around the island seems like the better option. I wouldn't stay overnight.

The beach and sea were clean, with no debris, and diving was exciting with a very experienced dive master. Our sulap was simple but clean, close to both the beach and dining area. There were plenty of menu choices, and the food was cooked and presented really well. The staff were friendly and helpful.