This guesthouse cottage cost me $8.50 a night, breakfast included (dinner was an extra $1.75). It was located at the edge of the Harau Valley (the setting of my recent posts), and the neighboring cottages were arranged around a lotus pond, with rice-paddies stretching out in one direction, and the waterfall a two-minute walk in the other. The place is called Abdi Homestay.
There have been times here in Sumatra when I feel like I could start a new Instagram account entitled “Amazing Budget Guesthouses of Indonesia.” I have long been aware of the budget-friendly nature of independent travel in this country (and have even recommended it sight-unseen to others), but actually being here has driven home just how amazing these $8-$12 rooms can be.
By “amazing,” of course, I mean amazing in setting – small cottages and guest-huts perched on jungle beaches, over volcanic lakes, alongside sheer-cliff waterfalls. Room-amenities can at times be lacking, and often all you get is a bed, a mosquito net, an outlet to recharge electronic devices, a cabinet (or wall-hooks) for stowing your gear, a porch-hammock for afternoon reading and naps, and a cold-water bathroom. My room at Abdi Homestay didn’t have hot water, though considering the Harau Valley is about ten miles from the equator I can’t say this was an issue.
$8.50 a night, folks. That’s not a one-time deal, or a promotional loss-leader, or a passing exchange-rate anomaly: It’s just how much rooms like this one cost in this part of the world.
Note: “Dispatches” are short vignettes, profiles, and mini-essays written and posted from the road, often in tandem with my Instagram account. For more full-formed writing, check out my book Marco Polo Didn’t Go There, or the Essays or Stories archives on this site. I don’t host a “comments” section, but I’m happy to hear your thoughts via my Contact page.
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