Sedana Jaya Homestay – A Hidden Gem In Ubud

Sedana Jaya Homestay – Bali, Indonesia

So I’m a huge fan of Ubud. No trip to Bali is complete without some time spent away from the congestion and polluted air of Kuta. The Sedana Jaya was a breath of fresh air as we took in the beauty of Ubud.

On my first trip to Bali in 2010, I spent a good three weeks lazing around on the beaches around Kuta and the Bukit Peninsula. Those days were great, but it seems like Southern Bali is getting more crowded and polluted with every passing year.

Although Ubud might be crowded as well, it gives off a small-town vibe. The city is surrounded by lush landscapes that provide visitors with a literal breath of fresh air.

Sedana Jaya – Hotel Review

I don’t recommend many hotels on this site. But when I do it’s because the place was really, really good. What I really like when I travel are hotels with unique architecture and histories like the Loy La Long on the Chau Phraya River in Bangkok, or the Cheong Fatt Tze ‘Blue Mansion’ in Penang. Although, I must admit that bucket-list destinations like the Marina Bay Sands are always nice!

Another thing I look for are deals that seem too good to be true. When you’re traveling on a budget the hotel will typically reflect the price. I’m sure we’ve all had those sleep on top of the sheets moments, right? But every once in a while the stars align and you find 5* quality at a 1* price.

Location

The actual town of Ubud is fairly compact and walkable as long as you keep to the city center. Things spread out fast once outside the city center, so if you’re planning to do some sightseeing you will need to either hire a scooter or find a private driver for the day.

The Sedana Jaya is in a great location if you’re looking to kick back and chill in the city. The guesthouse is located on the eastern end of Jalan Raya Ubud, the main street which cuts through the city.

Walking outside you have literally everything you could want in the way of shopping and eating. Across the street is the Ubud Art Market, a great place to fill up your backpack with cheap shirts and other souvenirs.

Bali is an excellent place for foodies, and there are a ton of vegetarian/vegan restaurants if you’re looking to eat healthy while on vacation. A nearby eatery I really enjoyed was Soma Cafe. The atmosphere was great, and the fruit smoothies were a great treat on the hot evenings. Under 5 minutes walk from Sedana Jaya.

Price

I booked the Sedana Jaya Ubud for $10 per night. The cost per night was super low – one of the lowest prices for accomodation offered on Booking.com at the time. The guesthouse is pretty new, the owners only started to accept guests in 2018, so there weren’t many reviews yet. I decided to give it a chance – and I’m so glad I did!

It is literally one of the most under-priced hotels I’ve ever seen. Here are some reasons why we loved our stay:

• Reasonably sized rooms
• Very clean
• Private bathroom
• Friendly owners
• Daily breakfast
• Great location
• Beautiful garden/landscape

These are a few things to expect from the Sedana Jaya Homestay.

Service

The family that owns the sedana Jaya is really nice and friendly – they really made sure that we had a good stay. This is a traditional Balinese house which means that the whole family lives together. The young husband and wife here are the ones who take care of managing the rooms and visitors’ needs. You will also see the grandmother, and newborn baby – both of whom smile constantly!

The rooms are cleaned daily and towels and water are changed while you are gone. It seems like they want to be as unobtrusive as possible for their guests. The family is also happy to help you find a motorbike to rent and can help you book tours around Bali.

We asked a lot of questions during our stay and they were able to provide us with a lot of knowledge which made our trip to Ubud go smoothly.

Breakfast

We have come to have pretty low expectations when it comes to hotel breakfasts. I guess that’s what happens when you stay in $10 – $20 hotels for too long.

However, the Sedana Jaya Homestay completely surprised us with its daily breakfast offerings.

Their menu consisted of your choice of an omelet, scrambled eggs, and toast or a banana pancake. You also get a big plate of freshly cut fruit and a refreshing glass of fresh fruit juice. Absolutely delicious!

A breakfast like this for two people was pretty much worth the cost of the hotel. Obviously, we highly recommend staying here!

Where To Book

The Sedana Jaya Guesthouse only has two rooms for visitors to Ubud. Because of this, you will need to book early to reserve the rooms. We were very lucky to have booked two months early and were able to reserve for 5-nights. We would have extended our trip but they were fully booked on either end of our stay.

As always, I recommend checking out the Sedana Jaya on booking.com. You can find the full hotel listing there and compare it to similar properties in the area. I don’t think there is a better place to stay in Ubud – but if you find a better one for this price please let us know!

Since opening earlier this year, the Sedana Jaya has racked up a bunch of perfect ratings from guests. Their current rating sits at 9.6 – which tells just how good this “budget hotel” really is.

If you’ve stayed at the Sedana Jaya please let us know about your experience in the comments below!