Karimunjawa Guesthouse Options

22
Jul 17
0

For such a small island community, there is a surprising number of Karimunjawa guesthouse options. During our stay there, we were able to experience a variety of accommodations at very different ends of the price spectrum.

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Karimunjawa Guesthouse Options

In Karimunjawa, you can pay anything from IDR 100,000 (€7) upwards per night for a room. Although for this price, you’ll be getting a small squalid backpackers place with shared facilities. However, you still get breakfast (and end up cooking it for yourself in the communal kitchen).

You’re unlikely to find the above prices on Booking.com. Just turn up and take your chances.

Even for IDR 200,000 (€14) you’ll still be getting very basic accommodation, though you should at least get a private bathroom.

A more realistic price for decent and comfortable accommodation, with a seaview, is from IDR 500,000 (€35) per night.

Above this, its just a question of how much luxury you’re prepared to pay for. The most we paid was IDR 1.4 million per night (€98) for a wannabe Maldives-style bungalow.

With the exception of the Asari Guesthouse, all of the places described below are located in or around Karimun town.

Dormitory-style Accommodation

At the bottom end of the scale, the cheapest places on our list were the gallery-style blocks of rooms with communal facilities. There are a few of these establishments to be found in Karimun town on and around the Jalan Dr Sutomo.

In these places, you could expect to pay from IDR 100,000 (€7) upwards per night for a room.

Karimunjawa Guesthouse Options – Dormitory-style accommodation

Waru Guesthouse

If you’re prepared to pay a little more, you could opt for a place like the Waru Guesthouse.

When we first arrived there, our first impression was ‘backpackers central’. Our room was small and dark, with just a table and a double mattress on the floor. However the place was clean and well-maintained. We had a private shower, but a shared toilet.

The price we paid at Waru was (IDR 180,000 or €12). This is actually pretty good value, and the price also includes a decent breakfast.

Karimunjawa Guesthouse Options – Waru

Samsara Guesthouse

The Samsara Guesthouse is another inexpensive option. Samsara is a small place with 3 ‘private’ rooms and a dormitory. They charged us IDR 200,000 (€14) per night, including a pancake for breakfast. This was for a room with private bathroom/toilet and fan.

The toilet didn’t work and if you keep your window open for fresh air you’ll find plenty of stray kittens running over your bedsheets.

This isn’t the cleanest of places. Fine for some, but not everybody’s cup of tea.

Karimunjawa Guesthouse Options – Samsara

Cocohuts

Perched high up on the hillside overlooking the port and town, Cocohuts offers the best views. We chose a deluxe bungalow for IDR 500,000 (€35) per night. There are 2 of these cabana-stlye lodgings, which share a large open balcony and stunning vista.

Breakfast was included in our Cocohuts booking, with a choice of Indonesian or Western breakfast, which was fine.

Karimunjawa Guesthouse Options – Cocohuts

Breve Azurine

Located about a ½ hour walk from the town centre, Breve Azurine is a picturesque mini-resort with individual deluxe bungalows, a private beach and lagoon, and prices to match. We paid IDR 1,410,000 per day – that’s around €95.

As should be expected, everything at the Breve Azurine was clean and tidy, and the service was excellent, but at these prices it really wasn’t worth the money.

Karimunjawa Guesthouse Options – Breve Azurine

Asari Guesthouse

If you’re keen to get away from Karimun town, in the north of the island you can visit Timo beach and the nearby Asari Guesthouse. It takes around an hour to motor up there from Karimun town.

The Asari Guesthouse has just two or three lodges to rent, and is very secluded and private.

Here you can rent a budget double room for IDR 200,000 (€14) per night.

Karimunjawa Guesthouse Options – Asari

If we return to Karimunjawa, we would probably choose to stay at the Cocohuts and the Asari guesthouses.

Both offer good value for money, and allow you to experience different locations on the island. However, you would need to arrange some form of transport if staying in the north.