My take on the hostels I stayed at in Vietnam

After traveling for one month in Vietnam and going from south to north, I stayed in a lot of different hostels and can safely say that I liked most of them. What I look for most when I stay in hostels is how clean it is, if the staff are nice to you, if there’s free breakfast and how the atmosphere is. I tend to stay in less crowded hostels though, since my party days are over and I enjoy reading my book at night rather than chugging ten litres of beer in the bar. Nevertheless, I came across a few of those so called “party hostels” during my trip and I was rather pleasantly surprised. Let’s take a look at the hostels I stayed at in Vietnam and my take on them.

Prei Nokor Hostel, Ho Chi Minh City

My first stop on my trip to Vietnam was Ho Chi Minh City. Me and a friend I was supposed to travel with decided to book Prei Nokor, even though it was a bit out of my backpacker budget. My friend convinced me that it’s much better to pay a little more to get a good night sleep. And boy, was he right about it. Although it ended up with him never traveling with me, his advice followed me throughout my trip to Vietnam. It is worth paying a little more because most of the hostels I ended up in were beautiful. And the Prei Nokor Hostel was one of them. Although the ambiance isn’t the greatest, it’s a lovely hostel that’s very comfy and cozy. If you’re solo traveling though and want to get to know others, this is probably not the best hostel. But if you want a hostel which has big, comfortable beds in a really nice location, this is the place to go to. I stayed there for about 3 nights but could’ve easily stayed longer.

9 Station Hostel, Phu Quoc

Just by looking at photos, I knew this hostel would be great. Located in Phu Quoc, it’s probably one of the nicest hostels I’ve stayed at during my traveling. It feels like it was just built, with spacious common areas and very clean dorms. The restaurant/bar/common area combined with the pool is what really blew me away. It almost felt like a little resort. The location is good too and since it’s hidden in an alley, you’re never bothered from the traffic and the honking. If you want to go to the beach, you just have to walk for a few minutes and you can go get a relaxing massage, swim in the water and get tanned. There’s no other place I would’ve preferred to stay at in Phu Quoc.

Tribee Ede, Hoi An

I’ve stayed in Tribee Bana before but wanted to check out another of the Tribee’s. Hoi An has a total of seven Tribee hostels, but I liked Tribee Ede the best. The pool is probably one of the reasons why. When the sun is scorching hot and you have nowhere to go, you can just jump in the pool. The atmosphere here is social and the staff makes sure that it remains this way. They have different kinds of events such as ‘free spring roll classes’ and even offer you free rum and coke for an hour. The rooms are also more intimate and you won’t find the 16 bed dorms here at Tribee Ede. If you’re ever in Hoi An, this is the place to be at if you want a social hostel.

Freedom Hostel, Hue

Probably my least favorite hostel in Vietnam, but I still liked it. It’s not as developed as the others but the woman working there was lovely. It’s a small and intimate hostel, which I really liked, but there’s not really an atmosphere. Probably because there’s no common area other than by the reception. They do throw family dinners every night for those who wants to join, which I thought was a lovely initiative.

Little Charms Hostel, Hanoi

I didn’t think I was saving the best for last, but apparently, I did. This incredible hostel feels more like a hotel than anything and all for the price of 6 USD per night! As I stepped in to the restaurant area, I immediately thought I had come to the wrong place. How could a hostel be this fancy? Well, Little Charms Hostel proved to me that hostels doesn’t have to be shabby or run down, they can also be this luxurious and beautiful. The staff were nothing but delightful, the free breakfast was very good, the rooms were very clean and the beds were big with a curtain, so you could get some well needed privacy. They even have a little pool in the hostel. Although it’s not the hostel you should go to if you want to party, it is the hostel you should go to when you want to spoil yourself for the mere price of 6 USD per night.