Trawling through the booking apps to find accommodation to suit is exhausting. Who knows what the actual accommodation will be like but Rainbow Lodge did not disappoint. We spent a month there to see how this budget to mid range option stands the test of time.
by Jessica Dale
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Rainbow Lodge, Langkawi
Rainbow Lodge is located in the Pentai Cenang area of Langkawi, it boasts a varied range of accommodation options to suit pretty much any weary traveler. It offers accommodation types including budget backpacker dorm rooms, private budget rooms, small chalets and bungalows. Rainbow Lodge is not a luxury paradise but is works as a long term option.
Location of Rainbow Lodge
The first thing you notice if walking to Rainbow Lodge is the small stretch of road leading through a rural setting to get to it. If you approach from the Jalan Pentai Chenang direction, the fields are on the right and are teeming with wildlife and the faint moo of a yak heard from a field further in the distance. This stretch of road is important because this is not only the main road to get to Rainbow Lodge, it is also the road you are likely to walk down and see the lighting flashes in the clouds far far above on a warm winter’s night. Accommodation is not just about the room after all.
Speaking of location, Rainbow Lodge is perfectly situated within a short walk of the main center of Cenang (pronounced Che-nang) and as such only minutes away from the bustling scene. It is the perfect location of peace and quiet when you need it and the convenience of the action close by. The main night market of Cenang is also only a few moments walk away which is held weekly on a Thursday.
First Impressions
Rainbow Lodge as a whole is split into 2 main sections. This can be confusing at first when you arrive only to be informed you are at Rainbow Lodge Budget instead of Rainbow Lodge. RL Budget is predominantly dormitories and as the name suggests – budget basic rooms. Head up to the next turning and although part of the same business – Rainbow Lodge (Also known as Rainbow Lodge 101) operates a different reception.
After finding the correct reception we were shown to the room, a semi-detached chalet with a hammock outside, the area was peaceful and you could picture yourself spending a lot of time relaxing in that hammock enjoying the 30°C (86°F) November heat of Malaysia.
Entering the chalet, you are greeted to a rather large room. A larger than usual television, fridge and small table to the left. To the right a secondary yet un-needed single bed. Straight ahead was a standard size double bed. A small vanity table to the back of the room with perhaps the smallest almost comedic stool next to a wardrobe.
The decor was rather plain and uninspired but bright. The bathroom featured a bath (albeit quite small but still useful) and in this part of the world the rare commodity of TWO rolls of toilet paper!
After a quick shuffle of the furniture – This was home for the next month.
Positive Aspects of Rainbow Lodge
Rainbow Lodge is by no means luxury accommodation but this is not what we are here for. With that in mind let’s take a look at what things Rainbow Lodge is amazing for:
Peaceful Area and Quiet
This cannot be stressed enough, we have stayed in accommodation which doesn’t benefit from this quality and it has been sorely missed. Rainbow Lodge is in a great area and in the entire month of staying there, sleep was disturbed just the once by a huge downpour of rain. Rarely could other people even in the chalet next door be heard.
Stable Internet
Anyone that reads our articles knows the importance we stress on having consistent and fast internet. This allows us to do what we do and is essential in many things you do and use. Rainbow Lodge not only offers great WiFi speeds and coverage but the 4G speeds are great here too.
For the entire month the internet didn’t fault once. From our experience with other accommodation in Langkawi, this is an extreme rarity so should be coveted. Rainbow Lodge offers traditional WiFi which is to say – you get the password and connect to the network. Nice and simple without any additional login screens. Why is this important? Any of you tech savvy people out there travelling with a Google Chromecast or Amazon Fire Stick – this will work here!
Bathtub
Considering a lot of budget/midrange accommodation rarely comes with a bathtub we think this is definitely a positive for this accommodation. There’s nothing quite like a good soak after a day’s activities, especially when those activities include taking on the Thousand Memories Eagle stairs of Gunung Raya!
Price Point
Rainbow Lodge is priced around 70-100RM ($15 – $20) per night depending on the season. As a member of the budget category, We can say it’s definitely worth that price. Having stayed in other accommodations in Langkawi that costs a lot more and returned much less value for money
Close by Bar with Pool Table
This is quite honestly one of the best features about this accommodation. In one of the sections of Rainbow Lodge Budget is the Rainbow Lodge bar. This bar attracts everyone from locals to back packers and is a fantastic spot to meet new people and mix with folks from all over the world!
The bar itself offers cheap drinks and a free pool table. Anybody who knows us understands the importance of a free pool table that is actually level and great fun to share a game over a drink with someone new!
Rainbow Lodge has a good amount of positives but like most accommodation- it’s not perfect. There are some aspects we think could be worth knowing especially when considering a longer term stay here.
Cleaning Schedule
When we first checked in we were informed that cleaning is only done once weekly. In our month-long stay we found we had to request cleaning otherwise they would forget. This issue only really affects those staying longer term and the reception staff are quite friendly but are not always there so it can be a bit of a game trying to find them. Rubbish can be left outside and will be removed accordingly (we were only informed this on week 2 however).
Only a minor inconvenience but certainly one that is worth your consideration should you wish to stay over a week.
Tin Roof When Raining
Of course, depending on when you visit Langkawi rain can be a crucial factor. This issue only presents itself when it downpours, the roof of the chalets in Rainbow Lodge is a tin-like roof and as such when it rains very heavily you can barely hear yourself think. This only happened twice but one of those times was in the early hours of the morning and thus disturbed our much-needed beauty sleep. We were not happy.
The Sliding Bed with an Uncomfortable Headboard
This negative is probably our biggest gripe with Rainbow Lodge! The mattress on the bed was not overly attached to the base and as you can imagine it was all fun and games pushing the mattress back to the headboard frequently. Speaking of headboard, it was a faux leather style with solid pieces of wood running through the center. We found this particularly uncomfortable when sitting upright in bed. A pillow resolved this issue but it is definitely worth mentioning.
Conclusion
Rainbow Lodge delivers above-average for the price point for Langkawi accommodation, sure it has a few negative aspects but we have yet to find a perfect accommodation. With its local bar only metres away from the chalets and the quiet (and safe) area Rainbow Lodge is the perfect accommodation for anyone looking to stay both short and long term. We thoroughly enjoyed this quaint little site and after staying in a good amount of places in this area of Langkawi – we can honestly say this is the best of the bunch.
We booked Rainbow Lodge through Hotels.com which has a brilliant rewards program as they reward a free night for every 10 nights stayed, Click this link here to book Rainbow Lodge for your next Langkawi stay.
