Grace W.
3/5
- NO sea-view & price : That was specifically what I thought I paid for. Owner was nice but said he didn't know why the booking company said sea view rooms were available. Owners should be specific about the unavailability of the room so guests can cancel free. They sent a vague email about my requests being difficult to meet and that was it. My requests were quiet spot and parking, assuming sea-view advertised was still available. All room prices - RM 100. For two people, it’s value for money i.e. RM 50/each, but not RM 100 for a solo traveler. Another RM 50 deposit will be returned to guest once keys are returned.
- Free parking : Only 2 available - 1st come, 1st serve basis. Check in time is 1230, checkout 12 noon.i checked in at 1.20 pm Was lucky to get the 2nd (which looked a little bit like a graveyard, and didn't move the car after). 3rd cars and after need to park along the street food area if they can find any parking - usually full.
- Wifi : Worked adequately
- Room – Basic twin bed dorm-like room, old – but clean. Brought my own kettle, coffee, fork/spoon and water after reading other guest reviews. They provide towels on request. There’s a stool and small table. Beds were clean and comfortable. Blankets are thin, towel material but air conditioning worked okay, was adjustable and wasn't noisy compared to the neighbors. Windows facing the neighbors are better closed.
- Shower room: It's nice not to share and water was hot. Old stains (non-removable) on the toilet cover and sink, they could have covered for aesthetic purposes with some floral sheets (hopefully not blood stains). But overall, toilet, shower and sink were clean with cheap toilet paper provided.
- Noise: Neighbor was using loudspeakers with terrible karaoke singers, wailing their hearts out during a party - pretty much the whole afternoon – thank goodness they stopped by night time! So bring your earphones and music to muffle /dampen any unwanted sounds during your zzz hours (just in case) or just run away to the end of the beach!
-Location: Beach, Food, Public amenities: Literally 10 steps away from the sea front. Right in front there’s a nicely decorated street food store (most left corner) that allows you to read and have a nice drink or snack in the afternoon without being overcharged excessively in a tourist place. Paid beach activities include horse riding (RM 40 for ~ 15 minutes –my guess), paragliding, boat rides and sun burning on chairs provided by the local vendors. The beach is not too dirty considering there is only one trash bin along the whole stretch that I saw any way. Water should be safe enough to swim in during low tide. The sands are slightly rocky rather than soft and silky. Night time is more alive – more food stalls and Night market are opened, but be sure to survey the seafood prices as they can vary. Some of the waiters in Sham Beach Café were inefficient, little offish and got me the wrong order. Owner though, wanted to make up for it, wasn't rude, the shop price was slightly less ridiculous for street seafood. Massage parlors – seem nicely decorated, but double to price of those in local residential areas. On Sunday mornings, 99% food stalls are CLOSED - so it's not easy to find breakfast. Bring you own or order on Grab-food/Panda. One open shop sold cereal for RM9 and other bread/sandwich based breakfasts for RM18-RM 30 --- TOO much for any local (average local breakfast (RM5-15) .
-Tourism: If you walk along the main road – 3 types of shops – souvenir, halal food and massage parlors. Again survey prices of all shops as they may differ in quality and quantity for the amount you pay. If you like antiques, Yahong Gallery is worth a visit. Some are reasonably priced and the artist is very good, although lots of the products look very old. Bring enough cash if you are a foreigner (two ATMs in the area, one was spoilt), most shops don't take credit or debit cards.
