Arimbi

Arimbi is not too bad overall. It is not so much a youth hostel as it is a budget homestay with the option of dormitories. It's a good place to catch a tour with Alec, a local tour guide, to get outside the city, and see some neat places. The staff are also very friendly.

The Location

The train station is roughly a two-minute walk from the south entrance. Across that main road is a small street off the main road. Take that then take the first right, then left, and you will see it. It is a small area so it is quite easy to find. To get through to the rest of Java however you will have to take a bus to the proper bus station, but you can catch that right near the hostel. In general the location is not great as far as the city is concerned. It is about a fifteen-minute walk to the downtown area and Merdeka Sstreet.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The dormitories are four beds each, and are quite clean, and equipped with a fan. The en-suite bathroom is a little sketchy, though, as it seems to be cleaned every turn of the century or so.

Common Spaces

There is a nice common space downstairs behind the reception with a television and benches and table but this is mainly used by the staff. The staff are very friendly and certainly don't mind you joining in to chat. There are also a few benches and table outside the front door for relaxing.

Summary

Overall this place is decent. It is quite large with narrow corridors and spotless hallways. They offer laundry service quite cheaply, but the main attraction here is Alec. He is a tour guide who does nice (expensive) tours of nearby places such as the local ram fights (only on Sundays), rice fields, and the local volcano. He is quite knowledgeable on the tours and very casual about it too, which is nice.

-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review