Our Lembongan Island 🏝️🏠 Guesthouse Saga
Picture this: You’ve just survived four days of ‘zen’ in Ubud (read: battling rogue macaques and finding inner peace whilst dodging motorbikes), and you’re thinking, “Time for an island escape!”
Nusa Lembongan it is.
Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it? Pristine beaches, coral reefs, lush mangroves – the whole postcard shebang. And us? Well, we figured it was time to trade the chaotic streets of Bali for some serious R&R, or at least, the idea of it.
Highlights
- Getting to Lembongan
- Sukanusa ‘Luxury’ Huts
- Warisan – A Less Traumatic Rebound
- TS Huts – A Glimmer of Hope
- Akah Cottage – One That Got Away
- Lembongan Island Transfers 🌴
- Eating Out in Lembongan 🦐
- Lembongan Island Beach
- Snorkeling Tours 🥽
- All Hotel Options in Lembongan
- Ferries from Bali to Lembongan
- Planned Costs and Budget
The Great Lembongan Guesthouse Gamble (and why we lost)
After our 4-day stay in Ubud, our grand plan for Lembongan was, in hindsight, remarkably naïve. We’d picked two guesthouses, strategically (or so we thought) located at opposite ends of the island, each for four nights. You know, to “keep things interesting.”
What it actually kept interesting was our level of mounting exasperation.
Getting There: A Mildly Chaotic Arrival
Our transfer to Lembongan from Ubud included door-to-door transfers.
We landed on the south-western coast of the island at Mushroom beach, a name that suggests something cute and whimsical, but mostly involves a lot of speedboats.
From there, we were shuttled by open bus to our first abode, brimming with the kind of optimism only a seasoned traveler (or a complete fool) can possess.
Lembongan Island Guesthouses
Sukanusa ‘Luxury’ Huts
If you check them out on the online booking sites, Sukanusa ‘Luxury’ Huts appear to offer a good deal. At least, that was what we thought.
Following our 3 nights at the excellent Sapu Lidi Resort in Ubud, we were expecting Sukanusa to up the odds even further. After all, we would be paying a much higher nightly rate, and this for a place that wasn’t even in Bali.
The reality was quite disappointing.
Sukanusa Luxury Huts
Located not far from Scooby Doo beach on the main central stretch, Sukanusa’s Balinese-style 2-level huts are quite attractive in the photos.
However, with the bathroom located outside and down a set of stairs so steep you practically needed mountaineering gear, it’s not very practical to use. Especially not during the night when you really don’t want to put on clothes and struggle downstairs just to use the loo.
In fact the downstairs ‘relaxing’ area is a waste of space. It was dark and uninviting, with just a dirty mattress to sit on.
The unclean theme continued to the upstairs bedroom. We had a large bed with just one clean sheet underneath a used top quilt. Beneath the clean sheet was a dirty sheet, presumably from the previous guests.
We requested another sheet so at least we wouldn’t have to sleep directly under the used top quilt.
With just two tiny lamps and about as much natural light as a bat cave, the bedroom remains dark throughout the day. Too dark even to pack our rucksacks, which we did on the outside balcony the following morning.
We had booked for 4 nights, but one night was enough.
Apart from the price (a truly eye-watering IDR 650,000 per night – €40!), there’s absolutely nothing luxurious about Sukanusa’s ‘Luxury’ Huts.
For that kind of cash, you’d expect… well, something. Anything, really. But no toiletries, no complimentary water, no tea/coffee, no safe, no fridge. Nada. Zilch.
The last straw was breakfast (included in the room price). This was almost the worst breakfast we’ve been offered anywhere. The breakfast tables were unprepared, options were basic, and we were served watered-down juices, half-toasted bread, eggs & marmalade and an undrinkable filtered coffee.
Truly, spectacularly undrinkable.
Breakfast at Sukanusa… Enjoy!
Honestly, if Sukanusa wants to reclaim its ‘Luxury’ moniker, they might want to start with, you know, clean sheets and a proper brew. Just a thought.
Warisan Villa: A Slightly Less Traumatic Rebound
So our plans had to change almost as soon as we arrived. To avoid wasting time on foot, hunting down another guesthouse, we went online and booked a likely-looking place on the south side of the island. In the morning, after leaving Sukanusa we walked back south down the main stretch in search of the Warisan Villa.
Warisan can be found at the other side of Lembongan island, located centrally at a crossroads between Mushroom beach and Dream Beach.
Warisan Villa. Open-air bathrooms
At IDR 550,000 (€34) per night, Warisan Villa offers a small and beautifully-gardened resort, servicing eight spacious and fully-equipped bungalows.
The accommodation at Warisan Villa is immaculately clean and well-serviced, and there is a good-sized communal eternity pool.
Putu, the owner/manager, had an unfortunate habit of snorting and spitting – as is common in some areas of China. This can be a bit off-putting, especially if you’re contemplating food in the restaurant area. It was for this reason that we didn’t eat there in the evenings.
Breakfasts here also were really nothing to look forward to… Very basic and unappetizing. It seems the universe was determined to test our breakfast resilience.
TS Huts – A Glimmer of Hope
TS Huts is located close to the speedboat landing at Mushroom Beach. We booked ourselves in for 4 nights at IDR 375,000 (€23) per night, excluding breakfast (which, after our previous experiences, was probably a blessing).
Lembongan Guesthouses – TS Huts
The resort is home to 8 huts, located in a lush and well-maintained garden area, with a good-sized swimming pool.
The first hut they offered us was Hut No.1, located just behind the restaurant. The hut was fine, with a comfortable bed, safe box, mosquito net and outdoor bathroom. The only minor hiccups? The air conditioner was more of a decorative fan, and the front door had a charming habit of not quite closing.
However, the staff happily moved us to another of their huts, where everything worked fine.
The staff at TS Huts were really friendly and helpful. Through them, we were able to arrange spa treatments, snorkeling trips and our return boat transfer to Bali.
The owner even invited us to attend the ceremonial funeral of one of his relatives. Now that’s hospitality, wouldn’t you say?
We paid extra for the breakfast here – which was good, as was the dining in the evening.
Akah Cottage – The One That Got Away
The Akah Cottage is unfortunately the one place where we did not stay during our visit to Lembongan. Hidden away on a narrow track leading to Dream Beach, we only discovered the Akah Cottage by chance one lunchtime.
After our first meal there, we found ourselves returning almost every day.
Before leaving the island, we asked to see one of their cottages. It was immaculately clean and fully equipped. If we return to Lembongan we will definitely book ourselves in here. The location, accommodation, service and food at Akah Cottage is hard to beat.
Lembongan Guesthouses
With just 8 days to explore Lembongan island, we planned to check out the beaches in the west and south, and the mangrove forest in the north. Our itinerary also included snorkeling trips in the north and around the islands of Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida to the south.
Of course, eating was also high on our agenda! We were keen to find out what the warungs and restaurants in Lembongan had to offer.
If you enjoyed Lembongan Island Guesthouses, check out our Bali & Lembongan 2-island itinerary. You may also like:
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