7 Best Social & Affordable Hostels in Bali for Solo Travelers

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Bali turned my solo travel expectations upside down. After island hopping for three weeks, I discovered that the magic isn’t just in those Instagram-worthy rice terraces or sunset beach sessions—it’s in the ridiculous conversations with strangers at 2 AM that somehow turn into friendships. This island has a weird way of making you feel connected to everyone around you.

Canggu and Ubud stand out as the best places in Bali for solo travelers seeking that perfect mix of social vibes and affordability. I stayed in hostels where breakfast turned into impromptu day trips with people I’d just met and where staff remembered my name after day one. The combo of surf culture, spiritual seekers, and digital nomads creates this melting pot that’s impossible not to fall into. These 7 hostels nailed exactly what makes solo travel in Bali so addictive.

Best Hostels in Bali for Solo Travelers

Let’s dive into a world where every hostel is a gateway to new friendships, cultural discoveries, and personal growth in one of the best cities in the world for remote workers. Pack your bags and get ready to explore our handpicked list of the top 7 hostels in Bali. Each offers a special experience that makes traveling alone an extraordinary adventure.

1. Arya Wellness Retreat

• Location: Monkey Forest Road, Central Ubud
•  From: $40 per bed/night
• Best For: Solo female travelers who want instant wellness community and don’t mind paying extra for daily massages

It’s rare to find a hostel that feels more like a boutique wellness hotel, but that’s exactly the vibe you get in Arya Wellness Retreat. The hook here isn’t just the location (though being steps from Monkey Forest Sanctuary helps), it’s the absurd amount of stuff included in your nightly rate that would cost you hundreds elsewhere. 

This is a female-only hostel where every guest gets daily 15-minute massages, free manicures or pedicures, morning yoga, evening sound healing sessions, and a proper breakfast spread. The 10 four-bed dorms use double-sized mattresses with privacy curtains and individual bathrooms shared only among suite mates, no hallway bathroom horror stories here.

The vibe attracts wellness-focused women in their twenties to thirties who actually want to connect rather than party. Daily activities like cacao ceremonies, cooking classes, and movie nights by the pool create natural opportunities to bond. Fair warning: if you’re over 40, you’re forced into private rooms, which pushes the price up significantly.

• Read next: Top Things to Do in Ubud, Bali
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2. Tribal Bali

• Location: Pererenan (5 minutes from central Canggu)
• From: $18 per bed/night
• Best For: Digital nomads who need fast wifi and a productivity-focused environment without sacrificing pool vibes

Tribal Bali is purpose-built as the world’s first coworking hostel, and it shows. This isn’t your typical backpacker crash pad. The massive downstairs coworking space rivals premium offices with dedicated booths, standing desks, whiteboards, and genuinely fast wifi that handles video calls without dropping. The infinity pool gets sun all day and there’s a pink pool table for when your brain needs a break.

The 8-bed dorms use standard bunk setups but with decent mattresses and individual power outlets. Each bed gets privacy curtains and lockers, though the rooms themselves are nothing revolutionary. If you want 2am chaos, look elsewhere. Here, everyone’s grinding on laptops during the day, then hanging by the pool with craft cocktails after work hours.

Near Pererenan Beach, it’s quieter here than central Canggu but still surrounded by trendy cafes and surf spots. The no outside food policy means you’re stuck with their cafe (decent Indonesian dishes, pricey Western options), but the convenience factor is worth it when you’re deep in a work session.

• Read next: Top Digital Nomad Spots in Southeast Asia
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3. Puri Garden Hotel & Hostel

• Location: Pengosekan Street, Central Ubud
• From: $28 per bed/night
• Best For: Social travelers who want Instagram-worthy facilities and don’t mind paying premium prices for the full hostel experience

Imagine a summer camp, but for twenty-somethings with a bit of spending power and a craving for wellness. Puri Garden hotel & Hostel has mastered the art of getting guests out of their rooms with an activities roster that reads like a wellness retreat: free daily yoga, massages, manicures/pedicures, movie nights in their cinema room, trivia nights, cooking classes, and honest-to-god puppy therapy sessions twice weekly with rescued street dogs.

The 4-bed female dorms and 6-bed mixed dorms use queen-sized beds with curtains and individual lockers, basically the Ritz of hostel sleeping arrangements. Each dorm gets its own bathroom, and the common areas revolve around a swimming pool surrounded by tropical gardens that actually live up to the photos. 

From here, you’re near Ubud center, which means you’re close enough to walk everywhere but far enough from street noise to actually sleep. Note: The property enforces an 18-40 age limit, so you won’t deal with gap year teenagers or retirement tour groups. 

4. Lushy Hostel Canggu

• Location: Pererenan district, Canggu
• From: $18-25 per bed/night
• Best For: Party people, solo travelers who want instant friends

Lushy Hostel Canggu won 2024’s Best Large Hostel in Asia, and honestly, they’ve earned it through sheer commitment to organized mayhem. This place throws a party every single night of the week. I’m talking pub crawls on Wednesdays, beer pong tournaments, and a rooftop bar that shuts down at midnight before herding everyone to Canggu’s main strip.

The 137-bed setup includes mixed dorms with AC, personal safes, and privacy curtains. Each bed gets a power socket, which matters when you’re documenting every moment of the chaos. The swimming pool becomes party central by day, while the games room (ping pong, pool, foosball) keeps the energy going. Separate male/female bathrooms prevent most awkward encounters.

Located in quieter Pererenan, it’s a 10-minute walk to Echo Beach and 5 minutes by scooter to Batu Bolong’s main action through rice field shortcuts. The 18-35 age restriction keeps the vibe young, and staff actually remember your name, which is rare in party hostels. 

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5. The Farm Hostel

• Location: Batu Bolong Road, Central Canggu
• From: $25 per bed/night
• Best For: Digital nomads who need reliable WiFi without total silence, anyone seeking boutique hostel quality at backpacker prices

The Farm Hostel gets daily bed-making service, something I’ve never seen at this price point. Staff literally remake your bed with fresh sheets every morning, which sounds minor until you’re staying somewhere longer than three nights and realize how much this elevates the experience above typical backpacker joints.

The crowd splits between working travelers and people exploring Bali at a more relaxed pace. Most guests are 22-28, using the large communal tables for laptop work in the mornings, then hitting the pools in the afternoon. The two pools include one with floating surfboards. Evening drinks happen naturally around the bar without organized activities.

Located on Batu Bolong road with rice fields behind it, you’re a 4-minute scooter ride from the beach. The 118-bed hostel has 6-8 bed dorms with AC, large lockers, and jungle-style outdoor bathrooms in deluxe rooms. When it comes to payments, they have this cashless wristband system that tracks your spending. Staff actually enforce quiet hours from 11pm, which helps when you need decent sleep between surf sessions and work calls.

• Read next: Top Things to Do in Canggu, Bali

6. Indraprastha Home Stay

• Location: Hanoman Street, Central Ubud
• From: $15 per bed/night
• Best For: Travelers who prefer family vibes over backpacker chaos and don’t need Instagram validation

Indraprastha Home Stay is what happens when a Balinese family opens their actual home to travelers who want something real instead of manufactured backpacker experiences.  Many visitors say it feels more like being part of a home than staying at a hotel.

Rooms come with basics that work: AC or fan (depending on what you pay), hot water, mini fridge, private balcony overlooking rice fields. No bunks, no shared bathrooms with strangers, no pressure to join beer pong tournaments. They serve different breakfast every day, remember your name, and give restaurant recommendations that aren’t tourist traps. 

Located on Hanoman Street puts you in Ubud’s main tourist corridor but tucked into a quiet back garden. Five-minute walk to Yoga Barn, ten minutes to Monkey Forest, surrounded by warungs that locals actually eat at. 

There’s no pool, no organized activities, no nightly events. This is perfect for people who’ve outgrown the hostel scene but aren’t ready for resort prices.

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7. Clandestino Hostel Canggu

• Location: Kayu Tulang Street, Central Canggu
• From: $20 per bed/night
• Best For: Solo travelers who want guaranteed social interaction

Clandestino Hostel Canggu has it all: 6-bed to 14-bed industrial-style dorms, swim-up pool bar, rooftop terrace, free Indonesian dinner nightly. Staff actively work to connect guests, organize group activities, and ensure nobody sits alone during the free dinner. It’s basically a summer camp for adults who can legally drink.

They organize beer pong tournaments, tattoo nights with local artists, and pool parties that feel structured rather than random. The crowd averages early 20s with most staying 4-6 nights, creating actual friendships instead of one-night party connections. All dorms have AC, privacy curtains, and individual power outlets. The 6-bed rooms include en-suite bathrooms while larger dorms share facilities.

Located on Jalan Kayu Tulang surrounded by rice fields, you’re a 5-minute scooter ride from Batu Bolong Beach. Clandestino also has an onsite restaurant that operates 9am-midnight with 10% breakfast discounts before 11am.

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