Sandy Beach Bungalows

We booked 10 nights back in November 2023 to stay at the end of January 2024 (so not a last minute booking). We had to pay at the hotel on arrival. We arrived and were given a room down the back away from a family with a baby (at the hotels suggestion). Our room was extremely dark and dingy. Locks were difficult to lock. Shower had a slight trickle of water, no amenities as per our booking. The bed was rock hard with only a top sheet, no doona or extra pillows. We complained to management who offered another room but for only 6 days out of our 10 day booking, it also had a trickle from the shower and was not much better. We walked around the island and decided to book elsewhere. Upon returning to Sandy Beach Bungalows, initially they were not willing to refund us. We then spoke to the owner who agreed to refund half our booking only after we explained our experience, but we had to cancel through *********** so we could not leave feedback. Advice to others, check out your room before paying anything to the hotel. I am very disappointed that they would only offer a 50% refund rather than the whole amount less one night. These photos were from our bathroom.

We loved our stay here. It was quite the trek with our bags from the boat, but once we got there we were greeted with smiles and a free welcome drink before being shown our room. The bungalow is basic but so are they all on the island! The outdoor style bathroom was fine, although watch for mosquitos in the night and make sure the door is always fully closed to this room. What a lot of places don't warn is that most (if not all) of the showers on Gili air are actually salty. It was a surprise for us, but we were in the ocean most of the time anyway and it wasn't too bad. The guys who work there are great fun and always greeted us. They even opened their kitchen early to make us breakfast for a few days when we were going on early morning dives. They were so kind and everything was no problem for them. The food there is great too, and there are so many places nearby to eat. It's not far to walk to the slightly busier side of the island, but it was nice to be in a peaceful part with nobody around. You also have to sit on their ocean lookout swing, it's a must-do on the islands.