Hotel Review – Woodpecker Lodge, Kuching, Borneo

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Woodpecker Lodge, Kuching Review

I stayed at Woodpecker Lodge in Kuching.

It is a hostel but it has single rooms so you can have some privacy without having to pay for a double room.

Oliver the manager is an amazing guy. He is 5th generation Malaysian from Indian descent and he takes massive pride in his hostel and ensuring you have the best time possible in Kuching.

Arriving At Woodpecker Lodge

The lodge is cheap and clean however the one thing I must mention is that when you get to the entrance there are some really dodgy looking stairs that go up between two noodle restaurants. This is a common area so ignore the state of the stairs and head on up.

It’s a shared entrance so the state of that is often outside of Oliver’s control.

The stairs up to Woodpecker Lodge Kuching
The stairs up to Woodpecker Lodge Kuching

About Woodpecker Lodge

The building is old but the rooms are very clean and have good AC’s and even TV. They are tiny single rooms so don’t expect to spread out but at what was around $15 AUD per night – a bargain and in a great location.

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Single room, woodpecker lodge, kuching, sarawak
A single room, Woodpecker Lodge Kuching

Woodpecker Lodge Location

The hotel is right on the corner of Jalan Chan Chin Ann and the road that goes along the river. Sometimes the address is a little strange, but make sure you are on Jalan Chan Chin Ann looking at the river and the hotel is up some stairs on your left just before the corner.

Woodpecker Lodge location in Kuching
Woodpecker Lodge location in Kuching. Click for the Google Maps Location

Why I loved Woodpecker Lodge

The location is great, its close to everything, the rooms are very clean, the staff are friendly, however the main drawer card has to be Oliver.

He gives you all the local insight, is happy to take you anywhere he is going and make recommendations from tours to coffee places.

He very generously took Chin and I to a local Chinese street food market (the location of which will remain a secret) on the Sunday night. Its about an hour out of Kuching and he just txt us both on the Sunday afternoon and said he was going if we wanted to join in.

It was a fantastic local food place, I was the only western face there (Chin is from Taiwan) and the food was amazing. So privileged to have had the experience and thanks again to Oliver for his unwavering dedication to his hostel and his guests visit to Kuching.


In Summary – Woodpecker Lodge Review

Location: Right on the river in the middle of the city and within walking distance of anything you might need.

Staff: Very helpful with not only the accommodation but tips and suggestions for your time in Kuching.

Facilities: Good. You can have a private room that is tiny but it’s all your own. There are steps up to the hotel though so be aware of that. This is a budget place so it’s not got all the facilities of a more upmarket hotel, but it is clean and safe and great for the budget conscious traveler.

Value: Fantastic. $15 AUD for a nights private accommodation.

Bed Comfort: 6 – good but those very firm mattresses you get all over Asia.

(* Bed rating explained below)

* Bed Comfort Rating:
1 is OMG I’m sleeping on the floor & 10 is I died & am floating in the clouds.


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Jenny Marsden - Charge The Globe
About the author

Meet Jenny, a passionate Australian travel blogger who has explored 103 countries to date. With over 30 years of travel experience, Jenny has a wealth of knowledge to share with her readers about the cultures, landscapes, and people she has encountered on her journeys. She’s always battling unfashionably frizzy hair and you will never catch Jenny in anything but comfortable shoes. Learn more about Jenny and her travels.