Job Discussion Forums

[Not Angry]

I have been teaching English in Korea for the past few years and am moving to Indonesia to study Indonesian. The school that I am attending provides homestays for about 450,000 a week. Is that reasonable? I will only be there for about 3 months. Is it possible to get an apartment? How much would the cost be in that. They recomended that I stay in a Loseman, but would prefer to avoid that if possible.

I know this has nothing to do with teaching but I can't find any information, specific to my questions, on the net. Thanks in advance for your help.

[tempegoodness]

I studied in Yogya in 2001 and had a fantastic time. Much better than my Korea experience. The people are friendly and used to foreigners so none of the ooohhh, waygukin behaviour.

Yogya is a student town and there is a wide variety of accommodation, from private rooms in a family home to a Kos (student accommodation - many rooms with a central eating area and shared kitchen/laundry) and are usually divided in to male/female residents only. Some have strict rules, others don't, but they are a great place to make friends and dramatically increase your language ability. I had a room in a house with my own key so I was free to come and go. Some of my friends had to wake a guard or climb a fence to get in after midnight. Ask if there is a curfew - usually there is but often they are flexible, especially for foreigners.

Compared to Korea the standard of accommodation is much lower, but that doesn't mean you won't find anywhere nice. Say goodbye to clean, air-conditioned taxis though! The upside is Indonesian food is great and I recommend the warung outside the Novotel (if it is still in business).

If you want more info PM me.

[Gurusome]

By homestay, do you mean you would be living with a family for three months? That sounds like a horrible idea to me, but maybe you have a different lifestyle to mine. I would find it very restrictive.

As far as the price goes... do you really mean 450,000 per week? Not per month?

I stayed a few nights at Delta Homestay (that's the name of the place -- it's pretty much a hotel) in Prawirotaman II last year, and the cost was only 85,000 per night for a double room with a separate bathroom (basic) and air conditioning. A fully cooked breakfast was included. With a fan rather than a/c, the price would have been 60,000 per night, which works out to 420,000 per week. I'm sure that if you were staying for three months, you'd get a discount. They have a pool too.

But then... is food included in the homestay deal? And how far is it from the school? Will transport costs be an issue? (I don't really expect answers... just giving you things to think about.)

Yogya's about the cheapest place I've been to for everything. I'm pretty sure decent apartments exist for cheaper than 450,000 per week, but it seems that in Indonesia it's standard practice to get at least a years rent in advance, so it might be tricky finding a place for such a short term.

A friend of mine did have a basic bedsit apartment (one main room plus small bathroom -- hot water but no a/c, and unfurnished) in Bali that cost her 700,000 per month, and she only had to lease it one month at a time. If similar places are available in Yogya, I would imagine the price would be lower. But then you have to think of all the stuff you'd need to buy before you could live there comfortably.

A good losmen might be your best chance at affordable accommodation that allows you freedom. Just make sure it's not one that locks you out after midnight (or, in some cases, 10pm).

If you happen to find an agent who does rent flats at a reasonable cost for short terms, please post the details.

Sorry I couldn't help you more.