Sarinbuana Eco Lodge — Hotel in Pulau Bali

Extraordinary beautiful setting - more than we would have imagined. However, the vibe was VERY unfriendly. Unlike literally everywhere else we visited in Bali, the Staff seemed too preoccupied with their roles to say hello, offer help when it was needed or acknowledge guests at all. Maybe they have had recent turn over, as other reviews seem to indicate very different experiences. The food is very bland, which is so strange because there is an abundance of herbs and spices growing on the property. portions are tiny - we were happy to have brought two loaves of bread and a jar of peanut butter with us to the lodge, which we ate in addition to the three meals a day we purchased at the lodge (we are not big eaters). The food is also oddly expensive- I know it’s all organic, but yikes - and staff told us that there were no other options nearby. Maybe they would have given us extra food if we’d complained but the staff were not approachable anyway. |Our small children were tolerated but certainly not welcomed, and there were many things we wish we knew about before took the kids. We booked the treehouse cabin, which while lovely, wasn’t great for our family because you have to go outside to get between the floors and our young kids would have been afraid to do that in the middle of the night if they needed us. This just meant the adults had to go to bed at the same time as the kids and be in different rooms. The kids, who are not fussy eaters, could not find anything they enjoyed on the menu, and sunscreen is forbidden in the pool so swimming times were greatly restricted for us (I understand the reasoning of course, but we hadn’t anticipated this). We were also charged $30AUD because our kids wanted to see the sauna for literally one minute, and it’s $10 per person. this cost is documented on the website but not posted on site, and I’ve never seen a hotel charge for a sauna right next to the pool like that . They did remove the charge when we complained (less the 2,5% credit card fee added to the bill) but do your due diligence and read everything on the website if you don’t want surprises. |We left feeling stunned by the scenery but a quite uneasy at having spent so much money to have been treated in a way that felt cold and unwelcoming in a country that is rightly famous for its extraordinary...

I don’t usually write reviews but I had high hopes for this place & there were a lot of things that were disappointing. I’m writing this so others are fully aware of what they are paying for.

To start, not all was bad. The nature is & surrounds are beautiful, the pool is a great novelty to not have chemicals and great for your skin. The massage on sight was fantastic. The food was very fresh and well made.

Now onto the negatives..

The expat owners are not very warm people. It kind of feels like you are in their home as half uninvited guests, hard to explain. They are nice enough but wouldn’t say welcoming.

The staff seem quite to themselves which is unusual for Bali. Usually very happy, fun loving people. Not sure why that would be here…

They use monkeys and fish to as a “feeding activities” They boast to be eco friendly however have a pond full of huge cat fish that really need much more space. As well as MONKEYS IN CAGES. The sign says they are rescued and now “live in peace” however they have been there for over 10 years & look very sad. Fed well but monkeys are not meant to live like that. They should be putting in effort to rehabilitate or at the very least give them a much bigger enclosure to be able to swing on trees.

The room we got listed to have wifi. When we arrived, we had to buy the wifi modem. It then kept playing up and dropping out of wifi.

Being in the jungle, the rooms are a little damp at all times. I feel like this could be avoided if there were fans in the rooms.

random high pitch noise that goes on for hours throughout the day

No kettle in room like in pictures so you have to buy any hot drinks from the cafe

made you feel like an interruption anytime you requested anything

no feeling of true culture connection, it felt very performative.

You get asked as you are eating one meal what you want for the next meal - cannot relax and just order in a few hours.

No support with any activities in the area (and it’s very...

My girlfriend and I started a month-long trip through Indonesia with a 5-night stay at Sarinbuana. I don't even know where to begin...we are both quite well-traveled people, and Sarinbuana is one of, if not the nicest, most relaxing, and enjoyable places I have ever stayed. The service from home was impeccable, and interacting through the phone, Skype, or e-mail was easy and fun! We were picked up from the airport without a hitch, which was very nice after a long flight from Canada.

The lodge itself is absolutely amazing. We stayed in the Lotus bungalow, which was beautiful, but in reality they are all so so beautiful. Just a genuinely relaxing, lovely place! We enjoyed massages, cooking classes, swimming in the waterfall, a rice field hike, and natural food and medicine courses. We were even invited to a local temple ceremony! There is no shortage of things to do at Sarinbuana, but there is also ample time and space to relax and do things like read. We really loved how everything was local (the food came from the garden outside the restaurant), organic, and holistic. Just great! There is even yoga for those who want to do it - a lovely bamboo bungalow overlooking the forest.

Our favourite part of Sarinbuana was the staff. Everyone is a local, either living close or coming in from local villages. When we wanted a natural medicine class, a person from the local village came to teach us. When we wanted a massage, someone from the village came to give us a traditional Balinese massage (these are amazing, by the way). It was just such a well-run, local, environmental place. I honestly have no complaints. Go to Sarinbuana, connect with Balinese culture and nature. You won't be...