The Best hostels in Asia: Southeast Asia tops and flops
Listen, I know hostels have like, the worst reputation ever.
Dorm rooms with people who snore and flip the lights on at 3 in the morning, communal bathrooms and showers, and honestly I’m 90% sure that theres more than one horror movie our there with the word “hostel” in the title.
And quite frankly, this makes me so so sad! My 3 month trip through southeast Asia would have been nothing without the fun, social hostels I stayed at and the people I met at every single one. I will be a hostel advocate until the day I die, and I think they are a FABULOUS option, especially for young people who want to see the world but don’t have a cushy bank account.
In most cases, as I do travel by myself quite frequently, I PREFER staying in hostels rather than hotels. I had a few amazing opportunities to partner with different hotels during my Southeast Asia backpacking trip, but without fail, I would get to my room, relish in having bathroom and a queen bed for a solid 23 minutes, and then search up the closest hostel so that I could go hang out there all day and try to make friends.
During my trip, I stayed in some of the best hostels in Asia, as well as some of the worst. I’m here to convince you that hostels are fun and safe and worth staying at, as well as to give you some recommendations that you can keep in mind for your next Asia adventure! (And a few to avoid at all costs bc we keep it real around here lol).
Why stay in Hostels?
First of all, why should you stay in hostels?
The reasons are literally never ending.
First of all, making friends is a given. Stay at a hostel, and you just ~WILL~ make friends. Chances are, if you walk into a 20 person dorm room, there will be at least one person in there no matter the time of day. It’s so easy to just say “Hey roomie!” and strike up a conversation about how long they’ve been there, where they’re coming from, where they’re going, and exchange travel tips!
If you’re staying in a hostel, everyone else automatically also shares your love for traveling, so that’s always the easiest way to start a conversation! We all have at least that one link to each other.
If you need any other ideas for how to make friends as a solo
traveler, check out this post for more tips!
Another reason you should stay in hostels is because they’re so dang cheap! Even some of the best hostels in Asia only ran me about 8 dollars a night. (some of the worst ran me about 3 dollars, but now that I’ve learned my lesson I don’t mind shelling out an extra 5 bucks - LOL).
Staying in cheap hostels is one of the best way to prolong your travels and make your money go as far as possible. When I look at some hostels that cost $600 per night, I’m baffled.
Respectfully, I would rather stay in my 8 dollar hostel for 75 nights for the same price as 1 night in a boujee hotel room.
And lastly, hostels generate more business by positive word of mouth, so lots of them will do everything in their power to make it a good experience that you will recommend to others along the backpacker trail! Lots serve free breakfast or host family dinners, organize bar crawls and themed parties that encourage socialization and making friends, and a lot of them also offer excursions to the popular attractions in your area. It’s so much fun to be able to go see Angkor Wat with a group of people from your hostel that you’ve already gotten to know through family dinners or by hanging out at the pool than to go by yourself or in a massive tour group full of random people.
Make friends, help your budget, prolong your travels, have fun experiences: stay in hostels.
If that’s not enough to convince you, idk what is.
Are Hostels Safe?
The number one question people ask me when I’m busy singing hostel’s praises: “But are they safe?”
For some reason, everyone expects you to get kidnapped if you even MENTION staying in a hostel. And that, I think, is so ridiculous.
I have never felt unsafe in a hostel! Obviously bad people exist everywhere in the world, but in an environment where everyone is just trying to see the world on a shoestring budget, you meet more incredible, interesting, genuine people than people who strike a nerve with you.
One time I did have a fellow hostel-goer harass me, but literally 10 people IMMEDIATELY came to my defense and asked the hostel owner to kick him out - and he did with no questions asked! Everyone is traveling alone with no one to look out for them, and as a result, everyone has an unspoken agreement to look out for each other. That was my only bad experience, and it lasted all of 15 minutes until the problem was resolved.
I stayed in co-ed dorms my whole trip in Asia, and loved it. If that seems like too much for you, there are almost always all girl dorms as an option, as well as private rooms available at most hostels! The big, co-ed ones are the cheapest so that’s what I always went for, and I had no bad experiences.
If you ever feel like a hostel has a bad vibe, book another one down the street and just leave! Your peace of mind is worth much more than a lost 10 bucks.
How to Book Hostels
The easiest way to book hostels is through HostelWorld! They have an app and booking is literally the easiest thing in the whole world.
Often times, I would book two nights to start, and if I enjoyed the city and the hostel, I would extend! Half the time I would wake up in my dorm bed and groggily stumble down to reception and ask to extend. I’m not sure if this worked so well for me because I was traveling just towards the end of the pandemic, so I would do a little digging before your trip and see how far out the hostels in the region you’re going to get booked up just so you have a good idea.
I’m traveling Central America next, and I think I’ll have to do a ~little~ more planning ahead, but there was only one instance in Asia where I asked to extend for that night and they weren’t able to accommodate me. No big deal, I packed up my bags and walked down the street to another amazing hostel!
Additionally, if there’s a hostel that you’re dying to stay in but it appears to be booked up on HostelWorld, you can always email them directly to ask if they have available beds! I did this at the Banana Tree hostel in Ninh Binh, and they had room for me despite HostelWorld showing that they were full! (and if you’re going to Ninh Binh, the Banana Tree is really the best option for accommodation so I was super happy that someone told me that trick.)
Hostels are the easiest thing in the world, and I cannot recommend them enough.
The Best Hostels in Asia
Without further ado, let’s get into what I believe are some of the best hostels in Asia.
Also - sorry in advance: I didn’t take many pictures of the hostels themselves! Some photos are from HostelWorld’s website, and some are just of the location. I’ll try to do better on my next trip!
LayDay Surf Hostel: Canggu, Bali
Layday holds a VERY special place in my heart. It was the very first hostel I stayed at at the beginning of my backpacking trip, and I met the most amazing people there. I stayed for 7 whole days, which is almost unheard of in a part of the world where most everyone is on a whirlwind trip, staying just 2-3 nights on average in one location.
And let me tell you one thing: I didn’t necessarily love Canggu! So those 7 days were definitely because of Layday.
They had an amazing pool and common space, super clean rooms, and they hosted lots of fun parties. While they didn’t offer free breakfast, they had a paid menu and the food was actually to die for. The beds were comfortable, although they didn’t have curtains on them, which is something I prefer.
Although Canggu is the party capital of Bali and Layday was no exception, they do have local Balinese neighbors and as a result quiet hours start at 11. Lots of people tend to keep the party going at Luigis or Sandbar, but if you want a chill night you don’t have to worry about noise.
I think it was the people I met who made my time here so special, but Layday is beautiful and fun and I would highly recommend.
Mad Monkey: Gili T
If there’s one thing about me - If there is a Mad Monkey hostel in a city I’m visiting, I WILL be staying in it.
Mad Monkey is a chain of hostels with locations all over Asia, and they are without a doubt some of the best hostels in Asia. The Mad Monkey on Gili T was no exception.
The best thing about Mad Monkeys is the experience they work so hard to give you. There are countless activities and excursions planned through the hostel every day, events, game nights, bar crawls, and more. MM Gili T offered foam parties, beach cleanups, snorkel tours, bicycle tours, and Indonesian family dinners. The dorms were small, with most rooms only fitting four people.
Once again, no curtains on the beds, but since the rooms were so small I didn’t mind!
The bathrooms were clean and bright, and the private tent-style rooms were so cute. The breakfast wasn’t included, but I literally ate at their restaurant for nearly every meal, the food was that good.
The staff was amazing, and one time when I was sitting by myself, one of the local staff members came to make sure that I was meeting people, had plans for the day, and had a drink in my hand. They’re so friendly, and really go out of your way to ensure that you have a good experience.
All the events that Mad Monkey put on make it literally soooo easy to make friends, and I met my travel buddies for the next few weeks at this hostel!
I’d 100% go back. The only downside is that it is on the west side of the island, a little farther away from the main strip than I would’ve liked, but since it was on the west coast and directly on the beach, we did get some pretty incredible sunsets.
Nana Backpackers: Vang Vieng, Laos
Out of all the hostels I stayed at in Southeast Asia, I had the most fun at Nana Backpackers in Vang Vieng, Laos. Now, again, this could’ve been a combo of the people I met there as well as all the incredible, fun things to do in Vang Vieng, but I had the absolute time of my life. I’m convinced it is the best hostel in Asia.
They have a massive pool, a small gym (that I actually used! Look at me go), a fabulous restaurant (no free breakfast though), and the best noodle shop I’ve ever been to in my whole life was directly next door. (walk out and turn to the right. your life will be forever changed.)
The only real excursion that they had was the infamous Tipsy Tubing, but it was so fun that I participated THREE whole times. Around 60 people go every day, and floating down a river through the STUNNING landscapes of Laos, singing awful karaoke at bars along the way, and ending with a dance party at the last location was my idea of a fabulous time.
The rooms were basic but clean, No curtains but I hung up my trusty travel towel from the top bunk and it worked fine. The bathrooms were in a separate part of the building, but it was never an issue and they were always pretty clean.
I spent the night on the floor of the bathroom once thanks to an evil veggie burger that gave me food poisoning, and I didn’t mind. So that should tell you that they’re decently clean LOL.
The owner of the hostel, Pikachu (I know. I’m being serious), is the nicest person ever. If you beat him at pool (which you won’t), you get a free night at the hostel! He helped me organize transport to the capital when I knocked my tooth out and had to go to the hospital, and he also has a service that helps people with their Vietnamese visas, as most people head that way after Vang Vieng. He is the best, and he’s created such a fabulous hub for travelers.
They also have very cheap private rooms, which I know is appealing to lots of people! I got a private when I knocked my tooth out, and it was actually so nice.
Buffalo Hostel: Hanoi, Vietnam
Listen: I’ve stayed in MANY Hanoi hostels - Central Backpackers, Buffalo, Nexy, Bia Hoi Corner hostel, etc.
Most of them are great (avoid the last like the plague though), but I enjoyed my time in Buffalo the most. The beds are super comfy with thick curtains that keep the light out, they offer an amazing free breakfast, and the dorms have hall bathrooms (nothing I hate more than a hostel with bathrooms in the room. Like what if I get food poisoning? I need the separation just in case ya know what I’m saying?).
The pool is super cool and a great relief from the heat, but not very good for tanning or anything as it is in an enclosed courtyard.
The best thing about this hostel, however, is the excursions that they can help you plan. They team up with Central Backpackers to take people north to Ha Giang, where you can complete the world famous Ha Giang loop with people that you met in the hostel! They’ll organize trips to Sapa, Ninh Binh, and they have an epic Halong Bay trip as well.
Both of these hostels also have free beer every night - so that’s something to take into consideration as well LOL. I typically went to Central Backpackers at night, as they have a really fun rooftop bar that trumps the night life at Buffalo.
If you’re in Hanoi but looking for chill vibes and the comfiest beds ever, check out Nexy! I had a good few nights there as well.
Photo from HostelWorld!
Banana Tree: Ninh Binh
If you’re heading to Ninh Binh, the ONLY place I would recommend you stay is Banana Tree. If they book up, try to either email them or find a guest house or something that’s within walking distance of this hostel. Ninh Binh is tricky, because unlike most other cities, the city center here is not where you want to be. You want to be closer to the limestone formations, caves, and scenery that make Ninh Binh so famous!
Besides the epic scenery of Ninh Binh, Banana tree IS the thing to do, the place you want to be, and one of the best hostels in Asia.
Banana Tree is set right on a river, and they also have a pool and a massive outdoor area that is perfect for making friends. Their restaurant is actually incredible, and I ate most of my meals there! They have a scooter rental that they run right there from reception, which is super convenient, cheap, and easy.
The beds are my favorite style of hostel beds. They look like little capsules that you climb into, where you have your own little space. I slept SO well here. The capsules were dark and quiet, and the bathrooms were super clean (they’re attached to the room though which is my only gripe!)
The reception can get you bus tickets to anywhere, and they were so helpful in organizing travel and helping you out with excursions.
Memory Hostel: Da Nang, Vietnam
Memory Hostel in Da Nang is a little bit different than the typical hostel vibe I go for, as I really only made one friend there, only because my friend Victoria and I were staying in the same room as him. The social scene was not really too existent, but I found that to be the case all through Da Nang if I’m being honest.
The reason the I’ve put this on my list the best hostels in Asia is because of the service. You’re greeted at reception with a cold towel and a welcome drink, and shown to your room. The hostel is actually so unique and beautiful, unlike anywhere I’ve ever stayed!
They took our (included!) breakfast orders that afternoon for the next day, which was such a nice touch, and they gave us lots of restaurant recommendations as well.
Mad Monkey: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Oh look - another Mad Monkey hostel, surprise surprise.
And I don’t want to be mean, but literally no one has very many good things to say about Phnom Penh. There’s not much to do besides visit all the heavy, heartbreaking historical sites, and a lot of people complain about getting mugged or robbed. Phnom Penh was the only city in Southeast Asia that I was nervous to go to.
Thanks to the Mad Monkey, however, I had such a good time in Phnom Penh. Their pool was stunning, their restaurant was STOCKED, and the hostel was like a freaking complex. You walk on a bridge over a koi pond to get in, and they have security at the doors.
The rooms were big but clean - no curtains on the beds unfortunately, but I just hung up my beach towel from the top bunk and it wasn’t an issue!
They do amazing, meaningful tours to the Killing Fields and traditional Khmer family dinners, as well as wild bar crawls and pool parties. I stayed way too long in Phnom Penh just because I was having an epic time at Mad Monkey.
Photo on the left from HostelWorld!
The nest: Koh Rong, Cambodia
Now - I do have mixed opinions on this hostel. I’ll start with the good first.
The beds are PERFECT. They’re bunk style, but literally every bed is a double. They’re absolutely huge, and the curtains cover everything (no dinky, flimsy curtains here), and there’s a shelf along the wall where you can kind of set up shop.
I love hostel beds that feel like your own little capsule, and The Nest delivered.
Next, the BEACH. While the location was a little bit separate from the rest of the island, you could wake up and walk three feet to one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen in my life. I mean, just LOOK at this beach.
And Lastly, every Friday or Saturday, they host what’s called the Nestival. A DJ comes in and everyone danced until the sun comes up. It’s so nice that the party happens directly in the hostel, so you can simply go to bed if you get tired.
Or if you don’t want to party ‘til dawn, just walk down the beach and swim with the bioluminescent plankton. I TOLD you this hostel was a good one.
Now for the bad - the bathrooms are kinda gross. The water pressure was terrible, the doors didn’t really close, everything was just a little grimy. If I’m being honest, I preferred to bathe in the ocean when I stayed here LOL.
Also, the location is super far away from the rest of the island, so I didn’t really get to see any of Koh Rong except for the little slice of beach that The Nest occupies. Also as a result of this, you have to eat at the hostel restaurant. Their food is actually super delish (the shakshuka for breakfast was my ride or die), but cheap, local options are nonexistent.
Overall, the good FAR outweighs the bad and I would highly recommend heading to Koh Rong and staying at The Nest.
Mad Monkey: Siem Reap: Cambodia
You’re not even surprised at this point. Mad Monkey, please sponsor me.
The Mad Monkey in Siem Reap was so. much. fun. We had pool parties, group sunrise trips to Angkor Wat, pub crawls up and down pub street, trivia nights, and more.
The bathrooms here were some of the best I had on my trip; it was like a proper hotel bathroom (albeit one that for sure did not have 5 stars), and the rooms were small and private. While I don’t think the facilities were as nice as the one in Phnom Penh, the city of Siem Reap is soooo much better so I had way more fun here!
Taco Shack Diving Hostel: Koh Tao, Thailand
Last but not least: Taco Shack Diving in Koh Tao, Thailand, has a special place in my heart. I ended my trip here, and stayed for a grand total of 10 days.
While the rooms are basic, with no curtains on the beds and less than ideal water pressure in the showers, I still really enjoyed my time here.
The restaurant is super good, they have gorgeous communal spaces, and more importantly, a dive school where you can get PADI certified along with the people you’re staying with, which is a great way to make deep friendships with people.
Also, my dive instructor here was an ex Dolce and Gabbana model and he’s been there the last 10 years. Chances are that he’ll still be there when you go too, and that’s reason enough to check this place out.
The hostel dog’s name is Taco and he’s to die for, they had trivia and karaoke nights, and while it’s definitely not the nicest in terms of amenities and accommodation, I would still recommend it to anyone.
Flops
sunrise riverside hostel, luang prabang
This was the first hostel I stayed at where I couldn’t wait to get out. There IS a Mad Monkey in Luang Prabang, but because I went on the tail end of COVID, they hadn’t reopened yet, so I got stuck at Sunrise Riverside Hostel.
I hate to say negative things about this place, as it is a family run business (the little girls will ask to play games with you and brush your hair! They’re soooo cute), but it just wasn’t it for me.
The pool was covered so it didn’t get any sun, they only served breakfast, and the rooms were just ~damp~. They were dark and dingy, and everything smelled a little bit like mildew. The bunk beds were super rickety and the lockers teeny tiny.
I met loads of amazing people here so if you end up having to stay here, it’s not so bad. Just not what I look for when I’m staying in a hostel!
mad monkey koh rong samloem
Dun dun dunnnnn - You didn’t see this one coming did you??
While this Mad Monkey hostel is undeniably a little bit epic - look at the pier bar with all the swings and jumps! - the location landed it in this category for me. Mad Monkey in Koh Rong Samloem has it’s own private beach that can only be reached by longtail boat, which means that you can’t really access the rest of the island.
If you want to explore the rest of the island, you have to take the boat to the pier in the morning when they drop off guests who are heading out, and then set a timer to be back at the boat when it comes to pick up the new guests. This is do-able, but it just never worked out for me and made me feel a little isolated.
Additionally, there is no AC, the rooms are essentially open air (there’s a roof but the rest is very much open to the elements!), there were mosquito nets on the beds, and there were zero outlets in the room, meaning you had to leave your devices to charge in the main Sala. This isn’t ideal for those of us who want to set an alarm or edit pictures before falling asleep!
A super unique experience, but it definitely was out of my comfort zone. They had awesome excursions like fishing and snorkeling, themed party nights, family dinners, and more, but I got a little bit of cabin fever and didn’t stay for long.
Bia Hoi Corner hostel, hanoi
Now this - THIS - is my only genuinely bad hostel experience.
First of all, the rooms here have no windows. This is a pet peeve of mine in hostels, as I do like having some glimpse into what the time of day is or what the weather is like. The rooms also have the bathroom attached, and in an effort to be hip and trendy, the wall that separates the bathroom from the room is a semi-transparent stone that lights UP when you turn the light on.
If you’re trying to head out early on a trip to Halong Bay or even come in late at night and brush your teeth, it would’ve been so inconsiderate to turn on the bathroom light and wake up everyone in the room.
The hostel had no restaurant and super minimal common areas. I walked out one morning and the (creepy) owner was sleeping on a cot in the lobby, which definitely threw me off.
Additionally, the owner was MEAN. My first trip to Vietnam, our Korean bank cards weren’t working on ATMs so we were hard pressed for cash. He had a card reader, but literally kept refusing to let us use it. When we finally broke down at the fact that it was 4 am and we had nowhere to stay, he finally charged our cards.
When we came back from Halong Bay, we had two more nights booked at this hostel, and since he had used our cards once we assumed that it would be fine again. When we showed up with no cash (guys this trip was a struggle with our Korean banks - the lack of cash was the theme of our trip), he ushered us out and quite literally kicked us onto the curb, refusing to let us stay there despite the fact that we had reserved a spot weeks in advance.
Luckily, there are a million and one good hostels in the lovely city of Hanoi, so we headed down the street and found Nexy, where we got the best sleep of our lives in cushy, soft beds. The owners there helped us get cash from a jewelry store (pro tip), sorted out our COVID tests, and arranged our transport to the airport. We LOVE Nexy, especially after what we had just come from. Nexy Stans 4ever.
That wraps up my list of the best hostels in Southeast Asia!
I hope you enjoyed and that you get the opportunity to stay in some of theses hostels on your next trip! Obviously, I have not stayed in every possible hostel in every city, so I’m sure that there are some incredible ones that I missed.
Additionally, as much as I tried to give the hostels honest, unbiased reviews, I do feel like it is sometimes the people that make a hostel a good experience, so I’m sure that everyone will have different thoughts than me! Please take all of this with a grain of salt; if we have differing opinions, that’s okay!
I can’t wait to find the best hostels in Central America on my next trip, and I’ve definitely learned my lesson and will be taking actual pictures of the hostels I stay at so I’m not scrounging around and taking screenshots of instagram stories. Thanks for bearing with me! I hope this post was still helpful regardless of photo quality.
What do you think are the Best Hostels in Asia? Let me know in the comments below!
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