Mbeliling Mountain Ecolodge

We had a lovely room up on the hill, the staff helped with our bags. Interesting bird sounds but it was hard to see the birds. Beautiful view from the room. The gecko was happy to give us a chorus every so often during the night. The Mbeliling driver accompanied us on the walk to the waterfall and even had bird calls on his phone to encourage the birds. The whole 4 day programme was organised by the staff and was a perfect end to our three-week vacation.

Beautiful property. Sad that it didn’t seem to have much business, which in turn meant the rooms did have insects (which is natural without much footfall). They really do need to figure out the steep hill to the rooms - they were slippery and dangerous when wet. Rooms don’t have ac, which is fine, but they definitely need fans (which they didn’t have). The staff were lovely and the food was fabulous. Really want to love it but we struggled a bit!

Four of us took the 18 day birding tour offered by Ecolodges Indonesia which included staying at Mbeliling, Satwa, Rimba, and various accomodations in Bali. We were met at each location by a guide and driver. I can't express enough how knowledgeable and anxious to please each and every person we met was. I thought the price for the package was an excellent value. We saw Komodo dragons, orangutans, proboscis monkeys and more than 200 species of birds including many rare endemics . Six star trip

We arrived at the lodge late afternoon. They did a swift check-in and let us wait at the restaurant/bar area. The view from here was amazing! They served us yummy welcome drinks. The room had to be reached by a super steep hill and I was completely out of breath from the short walk. I also have a bad knee so wasn't looking forward walking back down. They should definitely offer some buggy service! The rooms were spacious, super clean and they offer mosquito spray which you can spray before you go to sleep. We went back for a beautiful sunset at the restaurant. No-one in sight to order drinks. We had to go behind the bar and call someone. After sunset we had pre-ordered a set dinner menu (200k pax, when we arrived), which was served about 30min too late. All fine tho. The food was delicious! Back in our room everything was made ready for sleep. There was a bit of noise from the main road that is literally next to the lodge. Trucks with music, karaoke somewhere. Not as remote as you might think. Breakfast was super tasty but a little small compared to dinner. All in all we had a great stay.

We recently stayed at the Mbelilling Mt. Ecolodge and all I can say is WOW! Mbelilling Ecolodge was the first of three ecolodges run by Ecolodges Indonesia in which we stayed. Gede made the reservation of both the lodges and our tour around Indonesia easy and was quick to answer all my questions. Set on the side of Mt Mbelilling, just under an hour from Labuan Bajo, the lodge is a wonderful place to unwind and enjoy nature. The grounds are beautiful with colorful flowers, plants and birds. The A-frame cabins are airy, spacious and clean. Ours had a king size bed with a nice inside sitting area, ensuite bathroom and an outside deck. The view from the deck overlooks the jungle and out to the Flores Sea and Komodo Island National Park. We loved sitting there watching the sunset in the evenings and listening to the jungle wake up in the morning. All the staff were very friendly and helpful, seeing to our every need and the food delicious. We stayed 4 nights, with one spent on a boat touring the Komodo Island National Park. This was all set up by Gede and the lodge allowed us to keep our extra baggage in our cabin until we returned for our final 2 nights. Very helpful! The other two days were spent exploring the area around the lodge with our very capable driver Eddie. We took wonderful day trip to Sano Nggoang Lake and soaked in the hot springs, a delicious lunch at Warung Makan, then onto a hike to Cunca Rami Waterfall where we took a quick dip in the cool pool below. We were the only people at all these places which made them more special! Eddie did a great job navigation the twisty, steep and rough roads to show us all this beauty. A fantastic experience was had at Mbelilling Ecolodge made even better by their high eco standards and hiring of local people. I would highly recommend staying here!

Sitting on the mountain top 45 mins from Labuan Bajo, the A-frame cabins here are sensational. Views across the mountains to the ocean and Komodo dragon island. A genuine Indonesian getaway experience; great food, birds, stargazing, peace

From start to finish, everything about my visit to the Mbeliling Ecolodge was superb. Gede, who handles reservations, made the process easy and responded quickly to emails. It was apparent from the start that Ecolodges wants to personalize a guest’s experience so, after receiving a proposed itinerary for my 4d/3n stay, all it took was a little back and forth email discussion with Gede to tailor things to my preference. The setting is beautiful with plenty of color and life on the grounds. As mentioned in other reviews, the sunset views of the ocean and islands are a joy to watch from the dining room deck. The cabin was comfortable and the vegetarian meals I requested were very tasty and nicely presented by Dita and Yayang. Throughout my stay Maria and Ignasius were attentive hosts and ensured my needs were met. My tour guide Benjamin was the kind of person every traveler should have when visiting a new part of the world – he taught me about the Flores ecosystem and wildlife as well as its culture, history, economy, religions, and much more. Because the roads are variable in their quality, there were many instances when I was grateful to have Eddie as our driver. He got us everywhere safely, including pickup and dropoff at Labuan Bajo airport. Note: the optional trip to crater lake has roads that sometimes limit the driving to a few km/h and, while it didn’t affect me, I would not recommend that trip to anyone who tends to get carsick. Snorkeling was an important goal of mine and was the high point of my visit. Ecolodges made all the necessary boat arrangements, selected the islands we would visit, and ensured necessary equipment would be provided. I chose to avoid Komodo Island to see dragons (and tourists) but, as luck would have it, during a stopover while visiting a charming community on Rinca Island a dragon happened to be walking through someone’s back yard. Summary: it felt good to work with a company that is clearly focused on sustainability, conservation, and hiring local people, all of whom were warm, gracious, and eager to ensure I had a wonderful time. I would recommend Ecolodges Indonesia and this property without hesitation. Note: portions of this review may be similar/identical to a review I wrote about another of their properties (Rimba) I also visited during my trip to Indonesia.

Within easy reach from Labuan Bajo Mbeliling is a refreshing, well managed retreat in the hills. Maria is an excellent manager and the all local team are well trained and charming. The eco friendly design concept is excellent and the rooms are airy, spacious and have all the facilities one could want. The locally sourced food was very good. Great for a couple of days relaxing after diving in the national park. The local waterfalls are worth visiting incorporating a short trek.

My partner and I spent 4 nights here and it was the highlight of our Indonesian trip. The lodge is in an amazing location, the views are spectacular and the sounds of the wildlife are abundant. We were the only guests during our stay and we were made to feel special. The team cooked for us every day and the food was amazing! We did a 3 day tour package including waterfalls, the crater lake and an excursion to the Komodo islands via speedboat. Everything ran so smoothly from the pick up at the airport, to the drop off 4 days later. Maria was a fabulous host, ensuring that we had all we needed and all our questions were answered. All the staff were fabulous but we have to give a special shout out to Edi and Alfred who made our local trips so much fun. THANK YOU!!