When I travel to Indonesia, and I’ve been there a few times now, there is one place I always stay when I’m in Jakarta – Six Degrees Backpackers Hostel.
Six Degrees is located at 60 Jl. Cikini Raya, right in the heart of Jakarta. It’s the perfect place to stay when you visit Jakarta and is one of the many reasons I prefer hostels over hotels.
As is the case with a lot of things I do when I travel, I sort of just got lucky with this one. I searched for hostels in Jakarta, found this one, and booked it sight unseen.
Glad I did.
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Six Degrees: A destination hostel
The first thing you’ll notice about Six Degrees is that it’s a little hard to find. Actually, that’s not quite the case. The area itself is easy to find – every taxi driver knows it.
But the hostel itself is not very noticeable as the entrance doesn’t stand out very well. Depending on traffic, it’s about a 30-minute drive from the airport and will set you back about Rp. 170,000 or less than $15 US.
Six Degrees is what I like to refer to as a “destination hostel.” Meaning that it’s one of those places you can go and be comfortable without even leaving the place.
The reason I like it so much is that I’ve seen pretty much everything there is to see in Jakarta. So, when I stay in the city, it’s usually because I am either resting from the long trip to Indonesia or relaxing after a long trip before I go home.
Six Degrees is a perfect place to do that.
Things to do at Six Degrees Backpackers Hostel
Of course, all kinds of people stay at this hostel – not just people like me in their late 40s. It attracts mostly a younger crowd but Six Degrees is also perfectly welcoming for people our age.
Billiards/Pool
Six Degrees has a full-size pool table. And not a crappy one they found for cheap. It’s a decent table that is perfect for a relaxing game with other guests. In fact, they just recently had it recovered.
Movies & TV shows
The hostel has a small section of the main lobby where guests can watch movies and television shows that the owners ensure remain fairly current.
Laptops
Six Degrees always has used to have 2-3 laptops for guests to use. However, they’ve recently stopped doing this because guests always have their own. The Wi-Fi is great and available on all levels in the hostel, including rooms, so you’ll be able to surf the web anywhere in the hostel.
Coffee, water, and breakfast
Coffee and tea is free at Six Degrees Backpackers Hostel and they keep it fresh and available all morning. If you want breakfast – and who doesn’t? – they include a breakfast of toast, juice, and fresh fruit with your stay.
While they sell bottled water, you can fill your own there, too. Personally, I use a Lifestraw Go water bottle (affiliate link) and drink water from the tap. But if you don’t have one, you won’t have an issue filling your bottle here!
Six Degrees even has a basic gym
It’s not Gold’s or LA Fitness, but they have a small exercise room you can use.
Kitchen
Six Degrees has two kitchens – one you can order from and one upstairs you can use. While you might think it’s cheaper just to go to the Carrefour up the street, buy groceries, and make your own meals here, I’d like to suggest otherwise. I highly recommend skipping the cooking. There’s a Padang food stall right up the street that you can have a full meal at for about $1.50. If you haven’t tried Padang food, now’s your change!
There are also plenty of other food stalls in the area to choose from.
It’s not that the food at the hostel isn’t good – it is – but the food outside is much better (and cheaper). See below.
Rooftop Bar
This is my favorite part of the hostel. On the roof, they’ve set up a really nice patio with chairs, lounge areas, and a bar. They play good music at night and it’s a lot of fun.
More often than not, the owners will also be up there having a good time as well. It’s a great place to hang out, have a drink, and chat with new and old friends.
I didn’t find the music was loud enough to interfere with my sleep.
Food
While the food at Six Degrees is fine, the real treats are just outside. In either direction, you’ll find food stalls brimming with the wonderful food that Indonesia is famous for.
The stalls change occasionally, but there is always something tasty just a couple of minutes walk away from your room.
My personal favorite is the Padang food kiosk. If you walk outside the hostel and turn left, it’s less than a block away. The food here is incredible!
Getting to Six Degrees backpackers Hostel by Taxi
Getting to Six Degrees in a taxi is not exactly cheap – it’s about $15. But I find navigating Jakarta’s transit system to be a pain in the butt. Though it’s getting better. A taxi is the easiest way to get there. It’s a 30-40 minute ride from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
A note on taxis in Jakarta: Everyone recommends to use Blue Bird taxis. And there’s a reason for that – they are reputable and they will not rip you off. The cars are clean and the drivers are super respectful. Only use taxis or car services provided by Blue Bird Group taxi. They’ve earned their reputation.
Regardless of what taxi or car service you choose to use, always insist that the driver use the meter for your trip. Blue Bird will always use the meter whether you ask or not. The company requires them to. You can order a Blue Bird Taxi in advance when you have to go back to the airport, but getting one at the airport is easy – no ordering required.
Simply make your way to the taxi stand near gate 3 at the airport. Blue Bird employees will stand out in their blue shirts.
Getting to Six Degrees on a Bus
This is the cheapest way to get to Six Degrees Backpackers Hostel. You’ll take a public bus (damri) to Gambir Station. The bus shelter is on the left when you leave the arrivals terminal.
Buy your ticket at the kiosk or on the bus for about Rp. 40,000 (about $3 US). Get off the bus at Gambir station and either walk 2km or take a tuk-tuk or taxi south to the hostel.
Again, it’s at 60 Jalan Cikini Raya (prounounced chee-KEY-nee RAI-uh).
Note: The last bus leaves from the airport at around 11:30 PM, so if you arrive later, you need to take a taxi.
Why stay at Six Degrees in Jakarta?
The truth is, I feel completely welcomed here. It’s February 2020 right now and I guess I’ve stayed here about seven times. I consider the owners ot the hostel to be friends – at least as good as friends can be when you see them for a few days every couple of years. They are pretty solid people.
If there’s ever a problem (and I’ve never had one really), it’s taken care of immediately.
I’ve seen it.
Most of all though, I love it because it’s a place for me to relax for a day or two before I start my Indonesian vacation or to wind down for a couple of days before the flight home.
Everything I need is right there at the hostel.
To me, it’s a destination itself. Usually, I get out into the city, but there have been times I was completely exhausted after my trip and just stayed right here and relaxed.
Finding Nemo at Six Degrees
Just for fun, this is the most famous photo of Nemo, the Six Degrees Hostel cat. I took it several years ago. Today, Nemo still wanders the halls here, ensuring that guests keep the noise levels down after 11 pm.
Information at a glance
Six Degrees Backpackers Hostel
Jalan Cikini Raya 60 B-C
t: +62-21-314 1657
Taxi: $20-25
Bus: $3.00
For More on Indonesia: When we travel, we use Lonely Planet
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Michael is originally from Canada but now resides in Atlanta, GA with his husband, Halef, who also writes here. He is a Couchsurfing expert. Michael has traveled to over 50 countries learning how to experience more for less as he travels.
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Hey, I have stayed at that hostel too. It was only one night, but I really enjoyed it. 🙂 I didn’t talk to people there, tho. I was a bit shy and it was my first time staying at a backpacker hostel. This hostel is clean and the staff are humble. If you guys are still in Jakarta, let’s meet up or you can ask me anything about the city. 🙂
Its nice to go to place where every taxi driver knows where you are heading without too much describing. It looks like an amazing place to stay.
Did they have any books or documentaries with local information?
The place looks really good and you were certainly lucky to find it online! I also love hostels more than the hotels, especially when I am traveling alone. By the way that Rooftop Bar looks rad!
It’s always fortunate to stumble upon a place like this. The hostel looks clean and welcoming. Your directions for finding the hostel and reaching it by bus or taxi are very helpful.
What a beautiful hostel! I have stayed n some hostels but most of them tend to compromise with the aesthetics and facilities in order to cut costs. In comparison, this looks like a paradise!
What a coincidence….I am planning a trip to Indonesia in July starting with Jakarta. I have been researching on the hostels there and this hostel is there in my shortlist.
This looks like a fun place to stay :). I especially liked the roof top lounge area and I hope they don’t mind if someone sleeps there at night.
That’s great you found a hostel where you feel so welcome. I love the colors of the place and also that adorable cat Nemo. And good to know there is delicious Indonesian food nearby too.
This one looks really cool. I’ll keep it marked for my future travels.