Best Hostels In Yogyakarta – Budget Travel In Indonesia

Yogyakarta is the artistic soul of Indonesia, attracting backpackers to its many low budget hostels. These are the best hostels in Yogyakarta.

After a couple of difficult nights in Jakarta, we took a flight to Yogyakarta where we expected the real Indonesia to reveal itself. The signs were good as soon as we arrived at the airport which was filled with examples of Indonesian art and culture.

Which Area In Yogyakarta To Stay

We were unsure which area of the city would be best suited for us. Luckily, we found good advice at the Discover Your Indonesia website. The site describes the south as ‘the Bohemian part of the city… where the artists live’ and ‘with streets lined with bars and restaurants’. That was a good enough description for us!

How To Get From Yogyakarta Aiport To The City

We wanted to take a Grab, rather than use the taxis that were offering their services at the exit. It seemed that Grab were not allowed to pick up from the airport and we had to walk ten minutes to a pickup point. Along the way, we met a girl who was trying to locate the same pickup point. We got talking and shared a cab to the south of the city.

Where To Stay In Yogyakarta

CLICK HERE FOR ALL ACCOMMODATION IN YOGYAKARTA!

These are some of the best budget hostels in Yogyakarta, according to user reviews. These are affiliate links to the Agoda web site. I found Agoda to be much better than booking.com in Southeast Asia. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.

• Rumah Ukhi
• Oke Baik Hostel
• Yez Yez Yez All Good Hostel
• ABRAKADABRA! ARTBNB
• Silas Garden
• Rumah Panjaitan
• Mashbrow Hostel
• Arjuna Garden Homestay
• Wonderloft Hostel Jogja

Yez Yez Yez All Good Hostel

In the south of Yogyakarta, there are many tiny side streets and alleyways in which you will find many hostels with lots of character. One such place is ‘Yez Yez Yez All Good Hostel’ (map).

We booked a five night stay here, knowing that it would be a basic hostel but, hopefully, one with character. The reason we booked 5 nights was because we planned to spend one day at each of the major temples on the outskirts of town. We were hoping that the hostel would also provide a good place to relax and mix with other travellers.

We arrived at our hostel to see the outside was covered in street art. Next to the door was a sign welcoming all the new guests. Reassuringly, my name was on it.

We opened the door and was greeted by a cry of “Welcome!” from the staff. The hostel looked amazing. There was a bar, a pool, a seating area, hammocks wherever you looked, and a great communal area which was already filled with travellers sharing beers and stories. It was such a positive first impression.

We were given an alcoholic shot and they explained the ‘rules’ to us. “We are a very basic hostel, no air-con or hot water but plenty of good vibes.” We were then shown to our room.

The hostel was built by the owners themselves. It is very DIY and basic but that adds to its character. Our room had a seating area outside with two hammocks. Upon entry, we found the bathroom with our own ‘shower’.

The bed was on the second floor, up some shaky stairs. The bathroom had no roof, meaning you could look down directly into it from the floor above. Brilliant!

The hostel sold large beers at 40,000 IDR and I spent most evenings enjoying beers and chatting to travellers from all over the world before the staff called time and closed the bar at around 11 pm. There were two guitars and a ukulele available and it was great jamming with the staff and other travellers. After a night socialising, breakfast was cheap and healthy and a good start to the day.

Whenever we left the hostel, all the staff wished us a good day and when we returned, they all shouted ‘welcome back’. It was a really nice way of making us welcome. They all took the effort to learn our names too which was another nice touch. All of the staff were extremely friendly. After a very short time, it felt like they were old friends.

Muslim Call To Prayer (Adhan)

Every morning, around 4 am, the call to prayer from the local mosques would begin. There were so many, it created a choir of Islamic song. I’d never heard anything like it. The hostel provide ear plugs if you don’t want to be woken by it, but we never used them. The first night, we stayed awake to listen to it. By the fifth night, we slept straight through it!

I can’t recommend this place highly enough. As long as you understand that you are staying in a very basic hostel, you will enjoy staying in a friendly community. It felt more like a commune than a hostel. We stayed 5 nights and could have spent much longer.

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We paid £43 for 5 nights (double room with en-suite bathroom).

Click here to stay at ‘Yez Yez Yez All Good Hostel’.