Morinda Villa and Resto — Hotel in Kelurahan Malumbi

We had high expectations for this property given the price. Unfortunately, the only good thing this place has to offer is the incredible view from the bungalow. On arrival we asked to be upgraded to a larger room as the one given to us felt quite small. For an additional cost, we moved to the largest bungalow with the best views. However, the room itself - like all the bungalows - was constructed of very low quality materials and with very little attention to design. There were a series of issues including:||1. The windows could not be opened making the room stuffy and hot|2. There was no mosquito net for the bed despite the location close to a river |3. There was no tea in the room, and the coffee was the nasty pre-sugared, pre-packaged stuff (very disappointing in a country that produces the world's best coffee)|4. There is no wifi and there is no signal for your phone - so no access to Internet all all|5. No one speaks English |6. The menu is not in English |7. The food took a long time to prepare and then arrived cold and was underwhelming|8. A bottle of water was served to two guests with no glasses - we were expected to both drink from the bottle |9. Beer was not cold |10. The toilet seats do not stay up|11. The breakfast was a buffet of entirely Indonesian food - no western options ||This list could go on. But perhaps the most shocking thing was the fact that while reading on my bed, a rat pooed on me from above. It was in the rafters above the bed. When I went to the reception to complain, I was told by the manager "it's not our fault". I disagree. When charging USS$50 per night, one should expect that the room at least does not contain rats. ||We were moved back to our original room but we were not provided with an apology or anything else for the inconvenience. The manager seemed not to care at all. ||I would not recommend this...

Although a little bit remote, Morinda's location is exceptional on top of a hill. The surrounding is just so pretty, and we are very lucky to be placed in room no. 1 with the best balcony facing sunset at that time (December). The sunset view is just amazing with the hills and river down there. Great colors!||Umbu Freddy, his wife, and the staff are just very warm and welcoming, full of smile and helpful. After going around and crossing some more conventional hotels in the town, no doubt that Morinda is the best hotel in Waingapu.||Room is spacious, air conditioned, with adequate amenities like soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, anti-mosquito spray, etc. Sometimes you will hear loud music from neighboring village down the hill, do expect this as we observed it as a habit locally.||Breakfast is good for Sumba standard. They also try their best to cater dietary needs like vegan or gluten free, although the choices are limited like tofu, vegetables and eggs, which is very understandable considering the remote area. Their restaurant is also open for lunch and dinner.||They provide bike trip and boat trip around the area. We took the boat trip along the river in the morning at 5.30 am for 1.5 hours. So serene with the sounds of nature, but it was a little bit too long for us. Take the boat trip if you are motivated to wake up early and have time.||Overall, this is a very recommended place to stay in Waingapu for those who like to be in the nature. Be aware that phone network reception is almost zero there. Good place to relax and get disconnected. We are very lucky to have...

Located on top of a hill, the view from the villa is amazing! Best spot to watch sunrise is just on your porch. And the restaurant is a good place to watch the sunrise. I really love the ambience.||- The location is a little bit remote. In fact, it's just 15 minutes away from the city center and 20 minutes away from the airport||- The staffs are friendly and helpful. Just ask them if you need anything and they will help. Airport transfer is available, you just need to pay for the airport entrance fee (5k rupiah) and give a little tip to the driver.||- They also offer some activities like canoeing and sunrise hiking to the nearby hill||- Extra bed is available for 175k||- They only have 6 rooms so better book it in advance||- There is no phone cell reception here. They got a GSM repeater in receptionist area, but apparently it's working only for Telkomsel and the reception is probably only enough for making a call or sms.||||10/10 will stay in Morinda for my next visit...