Mulu Diana Homestay — Local services in Borneo

Some of what I write may seems like criticism, but I just wanted to point out some inaccuracies in the listings, not be hyper critical. I actually enjoyed my stay.

On websites like Agoda or booking.com when it comes to the description it seems incorrect. I'm not sure where the hot springs are, the lambir hills are 80km+ away, there is no on site restaurant per say, and each room definitely does not have a flat screen TV, dishwasher and bathrobes.

This is however not an issue as for the price, you kind if know what you are getting into. It's a basic hostel/homestay in a remote destination and you should expect just that. No luxuries, basic setup. A room, a bit of food, a shower, a toilet and a clean bed.

I was wandering around the airport looking lost until someone rang the homestay for me and arranged a pickup transfer to get me. There is no WiFi at the airport so it's probably best to do this in advance or have a local SIM.

They can do laundry for 10myr per kg. My stuff smelt fresh and was all folded neatly.

I got a private room which can sleep 4, perhaps more. No AC but they have a fan. The bathroom did not have any toiletries, just toilet paper so bring your own shampoo and body wash. The water was a bit brownish, I assume it is river water so I would not drink or use it to brush teeth.

Everyone here is friendly. English is limited but this is not a problem as you can use your broken Malay, Google translate or the tried and tested smiling and pointing technique. If you have a question or need help with something then they will be able to help you out.

I could have done with some sort of intro. I was basically given a key and shown to my room. I felt this lacked a lot of info such as breakfast time/location, nearby amenities, laundry, tea/coffee station, what areas are communal Vs for the owners, what tours they might offer or how to get food. Nothing you can't figure out by asking but it would have made settling in easier if this was provided at the start/on a print out in the room.

The accommodation is currently in the process of expanding so there may be construction next door. It was paused during my visit.

Transfer service available for 5myr one way to places like the airport or national park HQ. It's about a 20 min walk to the park entrance or a 10 min walk to the mini mart. The afternoon heat is draining as there is no shade on the main road.

Breakfast is at request. The pancakes were quite good. Nice and fluffy!

There is a coffee/tea station in the upstairs hall...

Very basic room with fan. Rooms are just filled up with bed's, no table or shelf. Privat bathroom is equipped with toilet, toilet-hose and cold shower (no pressure, had to knee on the floor to get water out). There is nothing to hang up your wet clothes or ponchos, no airy shelf for shoes either - considering we are in the rainforest you are constantly coming back soaked and really need to get your stuff dried. The place itself is constructed with new building materials, therefore impermeable - not the best choice considering the moist atmosphere. The location is about 20 min walk from the nationalparks entrance. As you would sometimes want to come back in the dark (nightwalk) and there are snakes around it's not really convenient. As the place is at the river some cave tours offered at the Homestay start right infront of your door. Breakfast offered was different everyday: Pancakes with Papaya (tasty); fried noodles; toast with fried egg and sausage. Dinner offered is quite expensive being charged 25 MYR (especially as it's not even an a la carte menu - a la carte menu at other places around is around 13 MYR for a meal). The Tours offered at the place are more expensive as the ones offered at the nationalpark (it's 50 MYR per person, needing a boat add another 150 MYR which would be shared between the group - nationalpark prices are between 25 and 70 per person all inclusive, groups might be bigger though). Electricity is available 12 hours starting at 6 pm - which results in having the sound of the generator all night (instead of enjoying the quietness and jungle sounds). In Jan 2023 there were construction works ongoing on extending the place.

No option to refill water bottle. Free instant coffee or tee available.

Electricity from 6pm to 6am (Nationalpark offer's electricity 24 hours, most other places in Mulu from 6pm...

The atmosphere was great; it's a true "kampung style" homestay. The food was nice too. The room was clean, and while the toilet facilities reflected the budget-friendly price, it wasn't a major issue. There's no water heater, but that wasn't a problem given the hot weather. They didn't provide a hairdryer, so don't forget to bring your own. They have two personal in-house tour guides available. They provide free water, but you need to boil it before drinking as it is rainwater.

Diana wasn't around during our first three days, so we couldn't experience the highly-rated service until she returned. Unfortunately, we couldn't sleep on the first night, despite the heavy rain outside. It was so hot inside the room that the two fans couldn't help. There was only one window in the room, and it faced the new building, blocking any airflow. Worse, we couldn't open the toilet door because there was no mosquito net on the window, so mosquitoes kept flying in whenever we opened it. What a disaster. I hope they will put a mosquito net on the window. However, they upgraded our room after we complained. The big room, which accommodates eight people, had two windows and better ventilation, so they let us stay there since no other guests...