PerthGinger
Google
We stayed here as a family of 3 couples. This hotel is modern and tidy and would be a 3-4 star in a high tourist area, but that is not what Larantuka is. This hotel appears to be the best in the location with maintained gardens and swimming pool. the rooms are up to date with little wear and tear. ||The hotel seems to cater mostly for indonesian guests so do not expect too much western style breakfasts other than an omelette. ||We really enjoyed our time here as there are areas where large groups could eat in a pavillion by the beach or even on the boat that is permantly fixed on the shoreline.||The views are great and the ocean warm with local life going on all around you. This place has the feel of Seminyak about 25 years ago.||The internet is really sketchy, but that is not the hotel's fault, it is sketchy everywhere. I bought an Indo sim card for my phone and used the hotspot when the hotels one was a little overloaded - it was nearly booked out every day we were there. A cyclone had taken out the cable on the next island. ||Because the internet is sketchy, I would recommend paying your bill everyday rather than what we did by leaving it till the last day when there was no internet at all. It was a major drama to try and pay our bill but we ended up being able to use the atm down the road to withdraw cash.||There is an atm within walking distance to the left of the entrance (near the mosque) that dishes out 100k rupiah notes instead of 50k that we received in most of the atms in town.||You can catch one of the local taxi buses with blaring music for 50k rp/per as you walk along the road outside - we never had to walk more than 50m before one saw us.||There is a little warung to buy small things nearby like cigarettes etc too. Travel into town to the night markets for fantastic sate, grilled seafood and noodle dishes. The fish are fresh caught and you can select your own to eat. ||There is a supermarket where you can buy most products a traveller would require - upstairs houses the cooking and plastic ware such as plastic tubs for washing etc.||The supermarket has a small selection of beers such as bintang and prost .||The day market is where you can purchase some of the best tropical fruit I have tasted. The pineapples are large and sweet and the mangoes are huge and juicy. There are wide selections of spices and vegies displayed along the market road.||||If you go skin diving off the hotel area and catch something, the hotel can cook it for you. Talking to one guy, he said that he saw beautiful tuna and deep water fish just 100m off shore as well as more of the coral type fish. He did warn though that the rip was very strong and he was carried about a km down shore before he realised. Check to see if the fishermen are out, it they are not- presume that the water is dangerous as he said the ledge dropped off very quick and then the water became very fast.||There is a british guy running the dive shop and he is a wealth of information about the area and can organise fishing, diving and tourist boat trips for you at very reasonable rates.||Our son was marrying a local girl and we were there for their ceremony up in the mountain village. It is worth a drive to go up into the mountain areas as the views are spectacular over the ocean and all the little islands in the many bays.||We were unable to find motorbikes to rent which meant that we couldn't just go off and follow our noses, but had to rely on the local transport. Hopefully someone will start a bike hire place soon.||Trips out along the coats has people living on the beach in the fishing villages with children playing idyllically in the mangroves and sand. ||The people are very happy and there is music everywhere all the time. Very little english is spoken, but as nearly all have an education, I used my english to indonesian translation app very easily