Villa Sambal

We took Herni’s cooking class, and she made the Javanese dishes easy to follow. She’s a wonderful host who clearly has so much love for food and the people around her. Everything tasted fantastic, with amazing flavours, and she adjusted the spice level to suit our taste, including a Western palate. I highly recommend coming here, you won’t regret it.

The place is warm and traditional, and the host is even better. Herni runs cooking classes, which I imagine are excellent, and she offered us leftovers from one, so dinner was basically included! Just be aware that it’s close to the mosque. Apart from that, I can only recommend this lovely place 🤗

This was my second visit to Villa Sambal, and returning to Ibu Herni’s place was a real pleasure. The rooms were just as lovely as I remembered, and Ibu Herni made me feel like I was visiting an old friend. Her cooking classes, including trips to the market, are such a fun, authentic experience. When I had a bit of a cold last time, she even took me to have traditional jamu. She was so thoughtful and kind. I’ve made special memories here, and honestly, I come to Jogja just to stay at Villa Sambal. I can’t recommend it enough.

What made my stay unforgettable was Herni. She’s such a kind, lovely host and did everything to make me feel at home. She took me on a walking tour around the city and morning market, and showed me a cat cafe. I joined one of her cooking classes too. The food was amazing, and there was so much that everyone helped eat the leftovers. The downstairs kitchen is where she holds the classes. I even extended my visit from 5 to 10 days because I didn’t want to leave. The turtles downstairs were also very cute and fun to watch. The house is a real gem in the city, with a lovely garden and plants throughout. The rooms are spacious and clean, and cafes and restaurants are an easy walk away. Since it’s tucked in a back alley, you don’t hear the street, though the mosque right next to the house is loud. That’s part of experiencing Java. It was the best place I stayed in Java, and I’d come back anytime!