Panorama Backpackers

A wonderful warm welcome. Excellent food and helpful staff. The dive school is very serious and welll maintained. Our daughter will never forget her boat trip across to the mainland with Joe....! We will recommend to friends.

Nothing. One more fan in the big room maybe but this was not a big deal.

Overall, the homestay is a simple yet decent choice — especially if you're looking for a remote, local experience with rustic charm and know what to expect. Sylvia, the owner, was helpful at the beginning, and the staff were kind and welcoming. The food was generous and of good local quality, which we truly appreciated.

However, our experience was unfortunately tarnished by an issue with the laundry service and how it was handled. A couple of days before our departure, we used the laundry service offered at the homestay. The clothes were returned in noticeably poor condition: still smelling, sloppily folded, and generally worse than when we handed them in. The real surprise came on our last day, just before checking out, when we were handed a bill charging us for 3.5 kg — despite only sending a few items: underwear, socks, and a couple of t-shirts. A week earlier, in another place, we had given in significantly more clothing (including jeans) and were charged for just 2 kg — which had been weighed in front of us. When I contacted Sylvia to ask about this inconsistency, she distanced herself completely, saying the homestay doesn’t handle laundry directly and that she was “only trying to help.” I pointed out that the service was advertised on her property and that there was no mention of it being outsourced. She argued that we should have requested the laundry be weighed beforehand — which we did. My partner specifically asked, and the woman collecting the laundry assured her it would be weighed later, just not at the reception. Sylvia then shifted the blame to a language barrier with the staff, rather than acknowledging any issue with how the service was managed or communicated. When I said I would still pay but felt unfairly treated — like a bule goblok (stupid tourist) — she became defensive and began shouting. I calmly explained that I preferred to raise concerns directly rather than leave negative reviews, but she cut me off, shouting that she “doesn’t care about reviews.” What upset us most wasn’t the laundry fee itself, but the way the situation was handled: being spoken over, not listened to, and offered no real apology or accountability.

Lovely property right on the beach. Delicious food included. Fantastic day trips, especially the snorkelling/diving!

The views from the porch are amazing.

Daily trash pick-up or at least cleaning would be nice.

We spent three nights at Panorama Backpacker and would definitely recommend it. The bungalows are simple but clean. The staff is incredibly friendly, and the included meals were fantastic. The dives with Sven and his team were varied and well-organized, and both the accommodation and the dive center offer great value for money.

The only thing we missed was a shelf or wardrobe in the room to store our clothes and belongings.

Best sunsets. Food was fantastic. The massage from Stephanie was perfect. Every request was attended to. Nice quiet remote location. Beach clean up by gov and locals once a week. Happy to participate. House reef was stellar

Go pro went missing from beach? Rooms need to be cleaned under furniture better. Beach bar could be more welcoming.

100% recommend this place. They picked us up from the airport, private boat to the resort, overlooking the sea. Turtles, fish and loads of coral snorkeling from the beach. 3 meals a day were delicious. Boat trips from the beach, comfy beds with fan and bathroom. Friendly staff helpful and happy. Bar on the beach, stay as long as you can, it's perfect.

Nothing.

The food was tasty and plentiful, and the snorkeling and diving is world class.