The Culvert

“Polecam.”

The hotel is very atmospheric, tucked in the jungle. Honestly, at 39 years old I’ve never slept so well anywhere else. It was a shame that there were two sea pigs there and I couldn’t take them with me.

Gabriela·A week ago

“Family friendly, quiet and clean and unique experience!”

The staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful, everything seemed well managed and clean. My kids loved the beach and the fun. There were a few mosquitoes, but that’s understandable given the jungle location.

Yuri·2 weeks ago

You have to climb over your bed to reach the bathroom. The kitchen put different items on the table while you ordered the same thing from the menu. They solved it neatly by offering extra food, but we didn’t want more, so we ended up getting what we had already eaten for free.

Yolanda·2 weeks ago

“A weird experience. Some good but we left early!”

It was a very strange experience at the Culvert. On the surface, it has everything—a creative culvert design turned into accommodation, very clean, two pools, a beach, wild monkeys, etc.—but there’s an eerie, isolated vibe that’s hard to explain. The heavy, smoky haze over Sarawak made it difficult to distinguish the beach from the sea, and the sun has been scarce since June because of fires in West Kalamatan. Visitors should know the place is completely isolated, so bring supplies or have a car. We were probably the only three guests on the entire site during our stay, and walking to the beach felt a bit isolated and dystopian, especially after hearing about a crocodile on a neighboring beach. It was hard to sit by the pools because of constant flies and over 100 steps up and down to the beach, which wasn’t really a sunbathing spot. Breakfast was okay, and James, the young person who seemed to be in charge, was very helpful. The rest of the young staff, who outnumbered the guests, seemed under‑employed, lacked customer service training, and had to be chased for everything—ordering food, drinks, etc. One evening, we were the only ones in the restaurant, no staff were around, and after about five minutes I shouted into the kitchen to order a drink. I eventually found two staff sitting on the floor playing on their phones! I asked if they were hiding; they apologized and complained of being tired. The staff weren’t rude, but they need better customer service training and should be more proactive. Many of the points above—location, weather, flies, isolation, beach—are beyond the resort’s control, but other things are fixable. It’s very peaceful at the culvert, but if you have big bags, get a larger culvert because the smaller ones are tight. We were offered an upgrade (not free) and should have taken it—our mistake. The location is very isolated. The pool bar isn’t open, so you have to climb a big hill to get a drink. The beach has over 100 steps and isn’t a sunbathing beach. The staff are pleasant but need better customer service training and should be more proactive, not reactive. The current weather has been grey and humid for a couple of months, which affects the atmosphere of the place (hard to describe). There are no other outside facilities within walking distance, but GRAB taxis are cheap.

John·3 weeks ago

“The boys love culvert kali sejuta!”

We hit the Instagram‑ready spot, close to nature with a spotless private beach and stellar service from Natassa and Asfa, making our family holiday a hit; the only hiccup was a stain on our blanket, but it didn’t ruin the trip.

Nurul·3 weeks ago