0
0
A good hostel or good accommodation can make or break a destination. A bad night’s sleep can have a knock-on effect into the next day and that can ruin any plans. Hostels can also be frowned upon by a lot of people. They think of them as dirty and unsafe. I have always enjoyed hostels. I find them to be, not only excellent value for money, but a lot nicer and cleaner than most hotels and I love the personal touch that you get. The sense of being welcomed into a family that a good hostel offers can have a wonderful effect on how you perceive a destination. Location-wise, I find them to be more central and reliable than hotels. In 2018, I stayed in a total of 56 hostels. Below, in no particular order, are my Top 5 Hostels of 2018.
(All pictures courtesy of HostelWorld)
Born Free Hostel, Bangkok, Thailand
This hostel is always my #1. I first stayed there in 2014 and have returned countless times since. When I think of Bangkok, I think of Born Free. The hostel is owned by a Swiss guy and his Thai wife and they are two of the nicest people you could ever wish to meet. Born Free is also conveniently located within walking distance of the infamous Khao San Road. It is a small hostel with three rooms, a 10 bed, a 12 bed and more recently a 6-bed dorm. Two rooms have air-con and one has personal fans for each bed. The hostel has a common room as you walk in the main entrance, which is on a quiet side street off the busier Samsen Road.
What I love most about this hostel is the personal, cosy feel to it. The common area forces people to mix because everyone has to walk through it. The owner and staff members are attentive and the hostel is always kept spotless. Beer is sold in the fridge with no real mark up from the many 7/11 markets nearby. It always seems to attract a good crowd of people. I have been there 8 times and have always found it very easy to mix and meet people. I could never go to Bangkok and not stay in Born Free, it just wouldn’t be the same city to me.
The Attic B&B, Bandung, Indonesia
The staff and owners make this hostel what it is. It is not designed or intended to be a noisy party hostel. Aside from the rooms though, the only common area is outside around one big table. To chill out, you almost have to talk to people. Beer is sold as an honesty policy. Write down a beer every time you take one and then pay your bill when you check out. The breakfast available, despite being very self-service, is different and tasty. Usually, pancake mix was made available to guests, along with instant noodles which were also available free of charge all day. The beds were comfortable, the WiFi was good and the showers were hot. Private rooms were also available at a price that suits anyone’s budget.
I left Bandung after a few days and I felt sad to be leaving this hostel. It is a nice place to be and to stay. The owners couldn’t do enough for me. They seemed genuinely interested in the guests and how they were getting on. I would return to Bandung in the future and wouldn’t think about staying anywhere else but here.
Hostel Terra Vista, Goreme, Turkey
Choosing what looks to be a beautiful hostel in Cappadocia is easy. The surrounding scenery is so stunning that almost every building has a great view. At Hostel Terra Vista, the rooftop was the perfect place to watch the hundreds of hot-air balloons take off each morning. The hostel was beautiful. It felt old and traditional in its design yet was very modernly equipped and clean. The breakfast each morning was the best free breakfast of the entire trip. The beds could maybe have been slightly better but that is really a minor complaint.
The owner Ahmet makes the hostel. He was in contact with me a few weeks before my arrival asking if I was interested in doing a very popular hot-air balloon ride during my stay. He informed me that it was a busy time of the year and to be sure to book in advance. I was even offered a discounted rate for one of my days there but could organize it for any day during my stay. I gratefully took him up on this option. I failed to make it to Cappadocia on my intended arrival date and instead I arrived 24 hours later. He was in constant contact with me during the delay. He re-organised my balloon ride and even resold my bed so I wasn’t charged for it. Ahmet was simply one of those hosts who made staying somewhere worthwhile.
Hostel Old Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
This beautiful hostel was voted in Lonely Planet’s top 10 value stays of 2014. The building was built in 1868 and was once owned by Plovdiv’s richest tobacco merchant. The wooden floors in the hostel are over 130 years old. The hostel has no bunk beds, only antique single beds that have been restored. The common room is also quite unique. The wooden walls and high ceilings are accompanied by antique armchairs and couches. It is only the bathrooms that have a modern feel to them. They have been very recently renovated and are excellently equipped.
The staff are also very helpful and the free breakfast was excellent, as was the location. Plovdiv is a fascinating, old city and staying here made the stay even better. No hostel during the entire trip was more memorable for the building and decor alone.
Wonderloft Hostel, Jakarta, Indonesia
After leaving the Philippines where hostels seemed to be of slightly lower quality than the average on the trip, arriving in Wonderloft was a great feeling. The hostel was big and clean with plenty of hot showers, (the first in three weeks.) They put on a good breakfast and had a really cool rooftop sitting area. Here was an opportunity to escape crazy Jakarta for a while. Prices were also low and a private room for two people cost as much as two dorm rooms beds.
Once again it was the staff that made this hostel. After missing my flight from the Philippines to Jakarta, they reorganized my airport pick up for the next day and kept my booking. They were in constant contact throughout the delay to make sure that I would make it to Jakarta ok. It took a lot of the stress off what was a hectic time during the trip. Jakarta is by no means a beautiful city but this hostel made my time there a lot better than it might have been.
These were my top 5 from the past year but there are certainly some other hostels that deserve a mention;
Ayesha Hostel, Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka
Lanta Lily, Koh Lanta, Thailand
Irsia Guesthouse, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Laksita Hostel, Ubud, Indonesia
Hug Hostel Rooftop, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Flipflop Hostel, Negombo, Sri Lanka
Traveling Ladybug, Oradea, Romania
These were the best of the rest. Fortunately, I can’t think of many really bad ones. I won’t name any names but certain hostels can end up a lot worse than you expect. I remember one that didn’t provide bed sheets, had a leak in the ceiling during the torrential weather and, once we checked in, the receptionist wasn’t seen again. These things can happen with budget accommodation and you just have to get on with it. At times, you get what you pay for but you can also be treated to an excellent place to stay for very little money. This was the case for all of the above.
Average Rating