Magical, Quirky and Friendly

“I stayed at Hotel Tugu Lombok with my two sons in one of the Ampenen Villas. I had dined here in the past which had ‘wetted’ my appetite to stay and explore the resort more as it had looked so interesting and unique. I certainly wasn’t disappointed. From arrival in the reconstructed Rumah Ampenan (19th century Chinese traders house), to the Bale Kokok Pletok (open air dining area), Lara Djonggrang Bar and temple inspired Spa, the whole place is full of interesting stories, mystique and quirkiness which give it a vibe like no other place I’ve stayed before and definitely set it apart from other larger resorts and “”chain”” hotels.
Our villa was spacious even with three beds in it, refreshingly cool and spotlessly clean. We had so many welcome flowers and a personal note, which just endeared the place to us even more. Every day we were surprised with a new pet (of the towling variety, thanks to Jaelani one of the super friendly staff). While I appreciate it was low season, there were not many guests and so we felt like we were getting extra special attention – all the staff knew our names, which made you feel instantly safe and comfortable. We were also given a personal guided tour of the complex by Ellie, which as specified, was filled with stories and tales of Ancient Lombok, Temples, Princesses, Gods and immortal beings – facinating to understand the inspiration for the environment which we were enjoying.
As there are not many dining options close to Hotel Tugu (a couple of very basic local warungs about 1km away), we ended up dining at the hotel for all meals, which did add up a bit (especially with the ++), but the quality of the food was superb with a wide choice of local and western foods, all of which tasted delicious. Even with taxes, the food was still good value compared to what we would normally pay in Australia for the same quality. We were at the hotel for three nights and dined in three different locations – the Bale Kokok Pletok, the Gedong Gandrung (hall of love – with my two sons!!) and the beach – all fantastic experiences.
I would recommend doing a bike ride around the local area on the hotel’s bikes (we did ours late afternoon to avoid the heat). Jaelani offered to escort us which was helpful and informative. Another worthwhile thing to do is get up early and stroll along the beach to enjoy the sunrise over Rinjani, the myriad of sea life exposed at low tide and the fishermen heading off for the day. We also used the hotel’s kayaks to paddle around and over the bay (looking at amazing sea life below, including turtles) and stand up paddle boards – perfect for use on the clear blue, calm waters of the Sire peninsula.
I dont think there’s any doubt that I will come back to this magical place again – there is nothing I could fault and much to recommend.

Room Tip: We were given a tour of several villas – they all looked wonderful.”