Nusa Lembongan - Bungalow No. 7 : Budget Bungalow in Jungut Batu With A Lovely Pool

I had a hard time booking an accommodation in Nusa Lembongan as I was literally spoilt for choices. Ranging from budget bunk beds to mid-range hotels and luxury resorts, Nusa Lembongan has plenty of accommodation. Those stylish chic resorts by the beach no doubt caught my attention but being a thrifty traveller, budget hotels are gentler on my wallet.

The entrance to Bungalow No. 7 is a Balinese gate

Prices are competitive as there are plenty of budget hotels which are located within walking distance to the beach. My only problem was choosing which part of the island for my stay. Generally, there are several main beaches on Nusa Lembongan which are Jungut Batu, Mushroom Beach, Dream Beach, and Sandy Beach. Jungut Batu is the main hub of the island and this is where speed boats from Sanur normally stop at. However, in recent years there are more boat operators and some stops at Mushroom Beach instead. As I mistakenly thought Jungut Batu is the only dock for the speed boat, I ended up booking Bungalow No. 7 in favour for its location.

Our room which can sleeps 3 people

One bed with mosquito tent, the other none

Didn't take a photo of the toilet

The family-run Bungalow No 7 is situated right on Jungut Batu Beach. It’s only 2-minute walk away from the dock if you arrive here from Sanur. One of the boat companies which you stop here is Scoot. Unfortunately, the one we took ended up at Mushroom Beach instead. Thankfully, our ticket includes free drop off service to our hotel, which is around 10 minutes away.

Our room

Two storey bungalows

Garden view from our room

The hotel has an on-site diving class, and a restaurant right next door. Surrounded by tropical gardens, there is a small pool in front of the reception area, overlooking the ocean. Upon checking in, I wasted no time and took a nice dip while enjoying the beautiful golden sunset.

Have to tip toe as the pool is quite deep for my height

Watching the sun set from the pool

Is that abs? *grin*

  

Every rooms feature wooden interiors and ocean or garden view. Each room is equipped with air conditioning, a seating area, and a private bathroom with shower facilities. Unfortunately, I find the bathroom rather run-down and the water pressure too low. The bed however was quite comfortable.

Night fall

Patio in front of the room

The hotel also provides the following services for its guests:

1. Boat transfers

Upon confirmation of our hotel booking, we received email from the hotel regarding boat transfer. We were quoted RP 300,000 per person for one-way boat from Sanur and RP 500,000 for a return ticket. The price includes pick up and drop services in Bali. However, the departure time of the partnering boat operator were 11am, 3pm and 5pm respectively, which doesn’t quite fit with our flight arrival. However, heading down to Sanur on your own and buying the tickets turned out cheaper. 

For a detailed guide on how to get to Nusa Lembongan, read: A Complete Guide To Planning Your Trip To Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida

2. Scooter rental

The hotel charges RP 70,000 for 12 hours for scooter rental which doesn’t suit our plan, but we managed to get one from a nearby shop run by Mr. Ketut, who charged us RP 100,000 for 24 hours. I was pretty sure it was a rip-off but sadly every place around the area quoted us the same and all claimed that it is a peak-season price. I did some homework before the trip and read that it costs only RP 60,000 to RP 70,000 for 24 hours. If you are staying for more than a night, you might probably be able to negotiate for a much better price.

3. Snorkelling packages

A 4-hour snorkelling trip to 3 locations (Crystal Bay, Manta Point and Mangrove Point) only costs RP 200,000 per person, with pick up and drop off right in front of the hotel. We didn’t get the snorkelling trip as Terry didn’t want to rush off to Nusa Penida after the snorkelling trip the next day without seeing the attractions on Nusa Lembongan. But I do think it’s worth doing, as a snorkelling trip in Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Penida is where you get to get up close and personal with manta rays. In the month of July to September, you may even get to see mola-mola. 

4. Diving packages

They also offer the full range of PADI courses, from complete beginner to PADI professional.

Entrance (at night)

Back from dinner

Room Rates

From SGD33 / RM99 / RP 350,000 per night for a bungalow for 2 pax (enough to sleeps 3 persons). Rates includes breakfast. 

Ground floor

The landscaping is not bad

How to get there

Bungalow No. 7 on Jungut Batu Beach which 30 minutes away from Sanur via speed boat. From Jungut Batu, it is only 15 minutes away to Dream Beach and Devil’s Tear, and 10 minutes away to Mushroom Bay Beach.

Nowadays, with more and more boat operators, you are most likely to arrive at Mushroom Beach ferry port in Nusa Lembongan. From here you can grab a scooter for around RP 70,000 per day. Otherwise, you can barter with local motor taxi (or ojek as the Balinese called it) to take you around the island. Coming in a big group? You can also hire a driver to drive you around for about RP 500,000 to RP 600,000. Staying in Bali but still want to do a day trip to Nusa Lembongan? Fret not, as there are also tour package available which includes return speedboat to Lembongan, driver and guide as well as hotel pick up and drop off. This can be easily arranged through your hotel in Bali. 

As everywhere on Nusa Lembongan is reachable within a 30-minute drive, exploring the island with a scooter would be the most recommended option.

Click HERE for A Complete Guide To Planning Your Trip To Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida

Epilogue

Our stay in Bungalow No. 7 is overall a decent one. Besides the bathroom which I nit-picked a lot, the location was also another issue. I initially picked the hotel due to its easy access to Jungut Batu harbour, but unfortunately, we ended up arriving at Mushroom Bay Beach instead. Secondly, the scooter rental in the area was expensive and I couldn’t stop wondering whether they were cheaper on Mushroom Beach or the Yellow Beach. Third of all, the convenience of getting snorkelling packages was another reason why I chose the hotel but, in the end, we didn’t go for any snorkelling at all. Staying near Mushroom Bay Beach or the Yellow Beach could probably be a better choice instead.

Sometimes we planned for everything to unfold perfectly only to have things turned completely different, but that’s the thing about travelling, because… 

Nothing is ever predictable

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