Buzz
In Thailand and several other countries, there's a fascinating accommodation option known as hostels - collective lodgings. Hostels are highly favored by backpackers worldwide due to their budget-friendly prices and convenient amenities. Let's explore the unique aspects of hostels right away.
The most unique aspect of this type of accommodation is the dormitory rooms. Each person will have their own corner in a spacious room equipped with beds, blankets, pillows, and a locker (or you may need to bring your own padlock). With this type, the room rate is calculated per person per night. If your group is large (2 people or more) and prefers privacy, you can opt for a private room. With this type of room, the room rate is calculated similarly to regular hotels.
Dormitory-style rooms at hostels are cozy and clean.
At hostels, you'll have exciting experiences that you can't find at regular hotels:
1. Affordability
Usually, if there isn't a major festival, you can easily find places, rooms at very favorable prices on popular online booking platforms.
If you've already planned your trip, try to book early; sometimes, if you're lucky, you can get discounts up to 70 – 80%.
2. Convenience
Some hostels provide complimentary breakfast consisting of simple items like sandwich bread with jam, milk, cereal, and more. Others offer ice cream or snacks, and you can purchase additional items like Milo powder or coffee to add. Trying your hand at making ice cream during your trip, what could be more fun?
Additionally, hostels typically have a fridge stocked with goodies like chocolate, boxed milk, fruit juice, instant noodles, at relatively cheap prices compared to hotels. You can supplement your stomach anytime because all hostels are open 24/7.
Essential items for women such as hairdryers, towels, and even shampoo and shower gel are sold, rented, or provided for free. Hostels also have washing machines and dryers available for rent at very reasonable prices for backpackers. For just 50 baht (~ 35,000 VND), you can do laundry for the whole group.
3. Community Engagement
A wonderful aspect of hostels is the sharing of information. Hostels often provide a wealth of useful information such as train station maps, train schedules, and interesting places to visit... in common areas, you can easily refer to them on the spot, or even take them back to your room for further study.
Previous travelers, or 'seniors', often leave maps and brochures in places they've visited. In Bangkok alone, you can study travel guides from Bali (Indonesia) or read interesting books from Japan.
Some hostels even set up a blank board in common areas, where anyone can write down their plans and invite others to join. This way, you not only save money on transportation but also make new friends.
4. Self-discipline
Staying at a hostel will instill a high level of self-discipline in you. You'll have to adhere to its general rules and respect privacy and maintain your manners in common areas. Since hostels cater to backpackers who mainly need a place to crash, housekeeping will be quite limited.
Furthermore, you may share a room with several other people. Keep your corner clean, or at least, do not disturb the common area in the room. Actions like speaking loudly, joking around, littering, or even being too friendly should be limited when sharing a room with strangers.
In the communal dining area, there are plenty of plates, bowls, cups, and utensils ready for your use, provided you clean up after yourself. The complimentary food works the same way; only take what you need and store it in the fridge for others to use later. It's also a way to maintain the good image of Vietnamese people.
Feel free to use the hostel's communal fridge; just label it with your name and room number, or else someone might snatch your food.
5. Enjoyment
Every hostel has a common area equipped with DVDs, computers, and games like chess and Jenga... you can play for free with everyone. It's a great opportunity to make many international friends, improve your communication skills, and find new travel companions for your city tours.
Don't hesitate about your English being poor; be confident, bold, and use your body language too. Most people are very friendly towards you.
Tips for choosing the perfect hostel in Thailand:
- You can rest assured about the safety of hostels. For added caution, consider getting your own padlock and depositing your belongings at the front desk whenever you go out.
- In Thailand, the main mode of transportation is the BTS - skytrain, not the MRT like in Singapore. Day passes cannot be used interchangeably for these two modes of transport. Therefore, choose hostels within walking distance to the nearest BTS station to save both energy and money on transportation.
Posted by: Thảo Phương
Keywords: Budget-friendly accommodations in Thailand - Hostels
