Warung Riska — Restaurant in East Java

Please avoid staying in the homestay - especially as international traveler!

I have traveled through over 30 countries, including many in Southeast Asia, and I’ve stayed in all kinds of places — from rural homestays to hostels and guesthouses. I usually don’t expect much, but I’ve never experienced something like this before.

Bathroom: Unsafe, unsanitary, and unacceptable

The bathroom was in a shocking and frankly disgusting condition: • The toilet was unstable and wobbled dangerously. Every time I sat on it, I was afraid it might tip over. • The sink was barely attached to the wall and hung loose — I genuinely feared it might fall and injure my feet. • Everything was really dirty. The sink was not cleaned and there was dirt on the floor. There was a sewage smell (likely from the drain), and I found visible fecal stains on the toilet seat when I arrived. I had to wash it down myself. • The water pressure was terrible, and there was no hot water. I even unscrewed the showerhead myself to check — only then did some cold water come through. • There was no soap, almost no toilet paper, no trash bin, and the room had black mold on the walls and ceiling. For €17 per night (almost 300k IDR), that’s simply not acceptable — even in remote areas.

Lack of responsiveness and poor communication

Despite multiple polite messages sent via Agoda and WhatsApp, I got little to no helpful response. When I asked whether there was scooter rental, I was told just “no sorry.” When I reported the water issue, they said I need to come to the Warung. I had to walk twice to the warung (about 100 meters) before someone finally responded and came to check the water.

Misunderstanding and false accusation

When someone finally came to check the bathroom, I politely tried to show the issue — and in my frustration, I gestured and lightly touched the woman’s arm to indicate the shower. That led to a serious misunderstanding and later an accusation that I had made her feel “sexually embarrassed.” This was never, ever my intention. I was fully clothed, calm, and respectful at all times. The situation escalated unnecessarily due to cultural differences and a lack of clear communication. As a solo traveler, I suddenly found myself in an extremely stressful situation and felt deeply misunderstood and unfairly treated.

Feeling unsafe

After being told to leave the property early, I honestly felt unsafe and alone in a remote village. I had tears in my eyes — I didn’t know where to go or what would happen next. Luckily, someone with better English communication (likely a relative) helped deescalate the situation via WhatsApp. That person arranged the transport to the train station and allowed me to stay until my original check-out time. That was a huge relief and the only reason I could regain some peace of mind.

Positives (to be fair) • The bed was clean, the linen and towels were fresh, and the mattress was comfortable enough. • The location is quiet, slightly off the main road (although you’ll still hear the jeep convoys around 3am — but that’s true everywhere in Bromo). • The person handling the WhatsApp communication was helpful and professional and organized a reliable driver for me (from Bromo to Probolinggo). I truly appreciate that.

Conclusion

This homestay is not ready to host international travelers, especially solo travelers. The infrastructure is dangerously outdated, the staff lacks hospitality experience, and cultural misunderstandings are not handled with care. I felt ignored, unsafe, and humiliated — and that’s not something I say lightly.

I strongly advise Agoda, Booking.com and other travelers to reassess this property’s listing and guest readiness. I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I...

Sinceramente, después de haber comido aquí, estamos sorprendidos con las reseñas tan positivas que presenta este lugar.

Primero, porque el local es pequeño y está lleno de moscas.

Segundo, porque la mesa (barra) estaba sucia por todos los lados.

Tercero, porque no tenían bebida fría. Excepto, Sprite.

Y cuarto, porque pedimos un Nasi Pecel y un Mie Goreng por recomendación de la dueña, y lamentablemente, no estuvieron buenos.

Los noodles del Mie Goreng estaban aguados y carecían de sabor. Y el Nasi Pecel, aunque estaba algo mejor, no nos entusiasmó.

En parte, nos duele poner esta reseña por el daño que le pueda causar a la familia que lo regenta. Pero como siempre, tenemos que ser fieles y honestos en expresar nuestras experiencias. Como viajeros y amantes de la gastronomía, al igual que nosotros tomamos en consideración las reseñas de otros visitantes, nos gusta que el resto también tomen en cuenta la nuestra.

Es cierto que por el precio que tiene, no se puede ser muy exigente. Pero, teniendo en cuenta que hemos comido en otros warungs durante nuestra estadía de 21 días por Indonesia, este ha sido con diferencia, el que menos nos gustó. Lo...

We tried this place as the recommendation of the hostel where we stayed. The woman was very nice and compromized to cook something as we want. We really wanted to have some vegetables what difficult to find for the last 10 days travelling in Indonesia. So we were so happy when she said she has sate spinach today😆The soup is salty for me btw. Other...