A Hostel So Nice I Lived There For 4 Months

That’s right, I’ve been living out of the same hostel for nearly four months. But in my defense if you saw this place then you would understand why. Located in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, EDU Hostel is the premier hostel of Jogja. Not only is it the biggest and cleanest but it is also located in one of the best parts of the city. Top that off with a staff of 45 that treat you like family and cater to your every whim — including a chef that makes the best breakfasts I’ve seen at any hostel anywhere in the world (I’ll get to that in a minute) — and it quickly becomes apparent that you are staying at the best place in all of Indonesia.

But It Gets Even Better!

  EDU Hostel is also the least expensive hostel in Jogja at only 70,000IDR ($7USD) a night!

EDU Hostel, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Outside the front entrance of EDU Hostel

EDU Hostel, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
The magnificent and spacious lobby of EDU Hostel

EDU Hostel, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
The front lobby is home to eight computers that are free for guests to use.

EDU Hostel, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
There is also a lesehan-style game room and chill area featuring TV, fuseball, beanbags, guitars, and more.

Walking into EDU feels like you are entering a fancy hotel. In fact during construction it was originally intended to be a luxury hotel. However the owners changed their mind and instead decided to create the first truly modern hostel in Indonesia. Not only did they succeed but they also created a place so impressive that the Sultan of Yogyakarta gave the place his personal blessing. Ever since other new hotels and resorts in Jogja have asked the sultan to do the same for their establishment but he continues to decline their requests.

EDU Hostel, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
A personal blessing from the sultan of Jogja himself, Sultan Hamengku Buwono X

EDU Hostel, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
The theme at EDU Hostel is kebersamaan — togetherness.

  The hostel has a total of 324 beds and is five stories tall, with the fifth being the kitchen and dining area. This is where breakfast is served every morning.

Breakfast At EDU Hostel

Breakfast here is unlike any other hostel I have ever stayed at. Since there are two professional chefs on staff breakfast changes every day of the week but is always a full-course meal. It far surpasses the ordinary hostel “breakfast” of toast and coffee or maybe fruit. Eggs and rice are the staples but there are always extras like veggies, noodles, and Indonesian favorites such as kering tempe (tempeh), serundeng (sauteed grated coconut), and krupuk (prawn crackers). Drinks include teh (tea), kopi (coffee), and of course ice cold water.

Breakfast at EDU Hostel, Jogja
Breakfast at EDU Hostel, Jogja
Breakfast at EDU Hostel, Jogja

Topping It All Off Is An Outdoor Pool With A Rooftop View

Half of the fifth floor at EDU is the kitchen and dining area but the other half is an open-air rooftop with a spectacular view of Jogja and an L-shaped pool that wraps around two sides of the hostel, overlooking the street below.

Rooftop At EDU Hostel, Jogja
Rooftop At EDU Hostel, Jogja

The rooftop is also a great place for parties and evening gatherings. One weekend a wedding was even held here.

EDU Hostel Rooftop Party
The owner and staff at EDU even threw me a going away party one night — of course it was two months later before I actually left ๐Ÿ˜‰

EDU Hostel Rooftop Party
20-25 of my local friends and hostel staff joined us for a night of fun and food

EDU Hostel Rooftop Party
The owner, Andre, is the guy on the far right.

And Of Course The Bedrooms  

Rooms at EDU comprise of six beds, private bathroom, two showers, and of course adjustable air conditioning. Each room also features unique artwork on the walls and a huge private locker for each guest. Plus the lockers contain an electrical outlet that allows you to charge your devices while also keeping them safe and secure.

EDU Hostel Bedrooms
EDU Hostel Bedrooms
EDU Hostel Bedrooms
EDU Hostel Bedrooms
EDU Hostel Bathrooms

There are also private rooms available; those sleep four and are perfect for families.

 

The EDU Hostel Story

After staying at the hostel for several days I finally learned the story behind it. EDU is short for ‘Educational.’ Frequently large groups of students from all different parts of Indonesia will choose the hostel because it is the only place in town that can handle such large groups without costing a small fortune. It is also a popular choice for Indonesian families traveling to Jogja for religious holidays, such as Eid Al-Fitr.

Checkin At EDU Hostel
The first wave of a group of 300 university students from Jakarta checking in for a two-day trip to Jogja.

Andre’s parents financed construction and then handed it over to him with the instructions: “Now you have one…let’s see at least five more around Indonesia.” Future EDU locations including Bali, Jakarta, and Bandung. That is also why the EDU website is EDUhostels.com and not ‘hostel.’

EDU Hostel Inspiration
There are also several inspirational and motivation posters hung throughout the hostel.

Yes, EDU Hostel is truly a magnificent place. During the course of my stay I noticed that quite a few visitors to Jogja end up extending their stay with EDU — not just because of the majesty of the hostel but also because of the wealth of things to do in and around Jogja. In fact it is my second favorite hostel in the entire world — and I’ve stayed in hundreds of them.

What’s my favorite, you ask? Well that is a private mansion turned two-bedroom illegal hostel in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Illegal…what?!? It is an illegal hostel because it is not registered with the government and pays no taxes. In fact the hostel has since been removed from all the popular hostel booking sites and now survives solely on word-of-mouth. (And traffic from my article.)

  If your travels should ever take you to Yogyakarta there is only one place you should consider staying — EDU Hostel! Plus if you tell them Derek sent ya then you’ll get some extra lovin’ from the staff ๐Ÿ˜‰

  EDU Hostel is located at Jl Letjend Suprapto no 17 and can be found on Twitter @EDUHostelJogja. You can also visit their website for more information or to book reservations.

 

EDU Hostel Staff

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About Derek Freal

"Some people eat, others try therapy. I travel." ย  Cultural enthusiast. Adrenaline junkie. Eater of strange foods. Chasing unique and offbeat adventures around the world since 2008. Derek loves going to new destinations where he does not speak a word of the local language and must communicate with hand gestures, or places where he is forced to squat awkwardly to poo -- supposedly its healthier and more efficient. For more information (about Derek, not squat pooing) including popular posts and videos, check out his bio.

27 thoughts on “A Hostel So Nice I Lived There For 4 Months”

  1. Derek: “The owner and staff at EDU even through me a going away party one night โ€” of course it was two months later before I actually left ;)” it’s actually “throw me a going away party.” You don’t have to validate this comment. I just wanted to let you know about this slip-up.

    Reply
    • Hey Delia, how have you been? What’s new in your corner of the world? I could really go for some cold weather right about now…want to trade places? ๐Ÿ™‚

      Since you’ve commented before your post was automatically approved. Thanks for catching my slip-up…it’s been corrected now ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
      • Why would you want to trade places? ๐Ÿ˜€ You seem to have excellent time over there. Here the fall came, the colors are beautiful but it’s raining and not very warm, and if I remember correctly ๐Ÿ˜‰ you didn’t carry clothes for cold weather. ๐Ÿ™‚ I should go there, though….I might do that someday, we never know…;)
        P.S. Now it’s your turn to correct me. I skipped “up” in “slip-up” and I don’t have edit button…please? ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • oh well, what can I say?…some things never change. I wish you success and a lot of fun in your future adventures ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
          • Really? Only 13hrs lapsed between this comment and your last one…How much time do you think I’m spending online? I’m off doing stuff like Panjat Pinang, 5am boat trips with the local fisherman, cobra fights, even a film with an Indonesian TV star….which is now airing on TV here and will be written about as soon as I find the time. Forgive me if it takes me more than 13hrs to respond to a comment, sorry.

          • ๐Ÿ˜€ ๐Ÿ˜€ Thank you so much for taking your precious time to reply and correct my comment, among a myriad of exciting things you do in Yogyakarta & around ๐Ÿ˜€ ๐Ÿ˜€
            I’m sure Vietnam is a better choice in terms of travel (and colder weather as well). My corner of the world as you know, is a great city in many aspects but it’s not exactly a tourist destination.
            P.S. Your “new home” (the hostel) looks very modern, very cool. Just wondering…are there rooms or other hostels for less fortunate middle-aged people like me, without feeling embarrassed? ๐Ÿ˜€ (joking!). Or these unlucky individuals like me are supposed to be rich/successful enough to go directly to (more or less) deluxe hotels? ๐Ÿ˜€ (half-joking) ๐Ÿ˜€

          • The hostel offers private rooms too, for a higher price. But there are other boutique hotels nearby that have small, comfortable rooms perfect for couples for about twice the price, 150,000IDR. These are located on Jl Sosrowijayan, one of the big tourist streets in Jogja. But there are plenty of middle-aged people passing through the hostel. They even have a large presentation hall used to hold conferences. Unfortunately I forgot to include it in this post because I only poked my head inside one time.

        • Because I would love some cold weather right about now! ๐Ÿ˜€ In fact that is going to be the only reason to leave Indonesia and head into northern Laos/Vietnam. While winter there is not exactly cold, it is at least cooler.
          P.S. Comment fixed.

          Reply
    • Ahhh but you’re completely missing the point Laura. In 4-1/2 years of traveling I have never stayed in one city for more than a month or two at a time — I get too restless. Luckily there is a never-ending supply of stuff to do both in and around Jogja, so many hundreds of things the guidebooks never even come close to mentioning. My upcoming posts will be better documenting some of these activities. Plus I was flying/driving somewhere else frequently during that time, it’s not like I was actually sleeping there every night for four months. I just left my stuff there. But now that I have literally done it all I’m taking off to Thailand in a few days.

      Reply
    • Oops, I knew I forgot to mention something. Of course they have wifi! It’s ridiculously fast wifi too, at least compared to most other hostels. I don’t even stay there anymore but I still stop by for breakfast and to steal some wifi hehehe ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
    • Actually I still go there for breakfast some mornings, at least when I’m in Jogja. Doing a housesit on the outskirts of town now but am traveling back and forth to Jakarta a lot, so not there as often as I should be.

      Reply

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