Vayam Boutique Resort Gili Asahan

VAYAMs location is nothing short of perfect. They are tucked on the south coast of Gili Asahan where boats can dock, the wind isnt too strong and right by some restaurants & small town which are super accessible if you are looking for some alternatives. The hotel itself is an experience! We stayed in a triangle bungalow with views directly to the sea, it was always clean, had very comfortable beds, great shade curtains for the kids and fantastic outdoor shower that was large enough for the whole family to fit. Amenities & facilities: We also took advantage of the ice bath many times a day as well as the yoga shala where the kids and parents can practice - and the babies have enough space to crawl. Low season was actually perfect for us as we had the entire place to ourselves! We loved that we could also use the stand up paddles and kayaks whenever we needed to head out to do short snorkeling trips. We also did a snorkel tour to the neighboring islands and VAYAM packed a wonderful fruit and drinks cooler with towels & all the snorkeling gear we needed (including for the kids!). It was truly magical. The best part about this whole resort is honestly the staff. We celebrated my birthday at the resort and they made the most wonderful little celebration with the entire staff coming out to sing, decorate our room and sing a birthday song. I was truly grateful! The greenskeeper / boat driver was also always making sure the place was in tip top shape! The florals are incredible here. The housekeeping always knew when to come in/out and replace our towels etc. And the rest of the staff were just incredibly attentive to our needs and knew all of our names by the end - I honestly felt so sad when we left. I did feel at the end, it was like being amongst one big family

Beautiful sea, corals in front of hotel on the right. If you reach Pearl Beach hotel on the left (about 10 minutes walk, better at low tide), amazing snorkeling opportunities. Sea in front of hotel is good for swimming, even at low tide. Beautiful night skies. Room is spacious. Closet proves storage space. Sufficient sockets. Nice veranda with small sofa and table, plus a chaise longue. Usually quiet, except for one evening when a group of tourists partied in the restaurant until midnight and continued hollering and shrieking even after that. Some warm water, slightly salty. Very polite and forthcoming staff. They made the stay worthwhile.

Owners were indifferent toward us, did not even provide some basic information about the island when we arrived. Hotel itself is located on relatively narrow grounds. We had booked deluxe Bungalow with sea view. When we arrived, we were given triangle room 7, at the very end, behind restaurant, next to kitchen.. Not even partial seaview, only a glimpse of blue in the horizon. The other bungalows further front did have some seaview, depending on how to the front they were. Upon our complaint, we were told that they could not put detailed pictures of all rooms and it just depended. However, and probably seeing our displeasure, we were told we'd receive a (supposed) upgrade to first triangle bungalow - there we had partial sea view. Room 7 may not have had a view but it did have many insects. A huge (dead ) spider in the closet, many very alive bugs in the room and dozens of mosquitoes that passed out on the bed after we used an anti-repellent tablet. No mosquito net. Room 1 had no bugs, but every day the sink furniture was dotted with bird (?) droppings. The first day these were scattered on our toiletries- luckily, there was a cupboard. Breakfast was partially poor.. The Indonesian opton was good, but with the egg option, some slices of bread (no butter or jam), one day only one slice - and when I asked for more, I was informed I could order the bread platter for a charge. No fruit offered with this option. And for all options, you choose coffee or tea or fresh juice. After the breakfast experience we did not try dinner (which was also expensive) but instead ate at next-door hotels. Wifi non-existent anywhere besides the restaurant. Gardener spent hours collecting leaves, but trash that washes up on beach was collected mostly by tourists. The rest of the coastline around island, even close to hotels, is dotted with litter.