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Thousands of homestays ready for travelers in Yogyakarta
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Clean and comfortable – A homestay in Bantul, Yogyakarta, offers a cozy living room for guests. Thousands of homestay rooms are ready to welcome homebound travelers and tourists during Idul Fitri. (Courtesy of homestaydijogja.net/-)
H
omebound travelers or tourists wishing to visit Yogyakarta during Idul Fitri should not worry about a lack of hotel beds as thousands of homestay rooms with star-hotel facilities have been prepared for the holiday period.
“Currently, there are around 2,000 homestay rooms located across Yogyakarta. They are not only clean and have star-hotel standard facilities but also give visitors a chance to enjoy the culture of local communities,” Bantul Culture and Tourism Agency head Bambang Legowo said on Tuesday.
He said the rooms were distributed across 36 tourist villages, each of which had around 15 homestays with four to five rooms each. The average daily rates vary from Rp 100,000 ( US$7.60 ) to Rp 450,000, lower than hotel rates.
“There are 20 homestay facilities here and we are ready to welcome tourists,” said Purwanto, the manager of Kaki Langit Mangunan Homestay in Dlingo, Bantul.
By staying in a homestay, he said, tourists would not only get affordable accommodation but also fresh air from their surroundings. They could avoid traffic jams and most importantly could assimilate with local people.
“Only around 40 percent of 20 homestays with around 70 rooms here have been booked,” said Purwanto.
Subroto, administrator of Tembi tourist village in Timbulharjo, Sewon, Bantul, said the homestays in his village could accommodate hundreds of guests, with daily rates between Rp 75,000 to Rp 130,000 per person.
“The rooms priced at Rp 130,000 per night have AC. Currently, only around 100 guests have booked rooms here,” said Subroto.
The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association’s (PHRI) Yogyakarta chapter chairman Istijab Danunagoro said homestays were as good as hotel rooms although they were cheaper. “So, for tourists unable to find hotel rooms, homestay rooms can be an alternative,” said Istijab.
Less than a week before Idul Fitri, which will fall on July 6-7 this year, the occupancy rate of hotels in Yogyakarta’s Malioboro area has reached 90 percent. “A few days before Idul Fitri, they are usually fully booked,” said Istijab. Meanwhile, the occupancy rate of hotels outside the area has reached 65 percent. According to the PHRI, Yogyakarta has around 32,000 hotel rooms, not including those in suburban areas. (ebf)
