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Envoy Hostel Phnom Penh

At first glance, Phnom Penh can seem like a pretty depressing destination. Most travelers come to learn more about the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge, but there’s a lot more to the capital city than the S21 prison and the Killing Fields. In fact Phnom Penh represents a bright and prosperous future for Cambodia. With cultural attractions like museums and wats, as well as an impressive selection of cafes and restaurants, this city has plenty to offer. To host us during our time in Phnom Penh, we found an equally impressive place to stay in Envoy Hostel. Envoy is the perfect refuge from the chaotic life in the city. With immaculate rooms and spacious common areas, Envoy really does feel like home.

Rooms & Facilities

Envoy just opened last year, so it’s pretty brand-spankin’ new. The staff do a great job of maintaining the hostel and it shows; the entire place is spotless. The bunk beds are big and comfy. Each bed has its own electric socket and shelf perfectly designed for charging electronics safely and privately. Every room is air-conditioned which you’ll definitely appreciate in the heat of Phnom Penh. There is also a small light attached to each bed so you can read at night without disturbing your neighbors. Little details like these show you the owners of Envoy hostel have really given thought to the needs of travelers.

The rooms and bathrooms are all clean and spacious, but our favorite part of the hostel was downstairs. In our two months of travel in Southeast Asia we had yet to come across a hostel with a decent… kitchen!! Yes! We were so excited to see such a clean and well equipped kitchen. While traveling through Latin America, Jules and I cooked most our meals, but in Asia it’s rare to find a hostel with a working kitchen. Envoy Hostel provides free breakfast to its guest, but all of our lunch and dinners were cooked there. Pro tip: There are two organic grocers around the corner with beautiful fresh produce and little treats imported from overseas if you’re looking to splurge.

Location

Envoy Hostel is central to everything you need in town. It’s located in the BKK1 district, an upscale, quiet neighborhood; we couldn’t have felt any safer. Just around the corner is a main road that can connect you to pretty much wherever you want to go. We recommend renting a motorbike, it’s such an easy way to see the city. S21 prison is just a 20-minute walk from the hostel. Just a short moto ride away is a super hip area of town with cool bars and hipster cafes. You can definitely see the expat influence around this area.

Value For Money

At $8 for an air-conditioned 8 bed dorm with shared bathroom, the prices are pretty standard, if not a little on the pricey side. But rest assured you won’t be paying for a grungy hostel bed in a sweatbox of a dorm. This hostel is top of the line. In all our years of traveling, Envoy rates as one of the cleanest and nicely decorated hostels we’ve stayed at. It’s spacious, but has a cozy, homely feel to it. And we definitely saved money with the free breakfast and by cooking our meals. The kitchen alone was worth the price! Overall it ended up working out the same as staying at a cheap place where you have to eat out every night.

Traveler Vibes

Envoy Hostel is still pretty new so it’s not quite on the backpacker radar yet. If you’re looking for a party spot, this isn’t it. But the hostel does have an impressive amount of common space. Downstairs the lounge room is spacious and has a huge TV perfect for laxing out after a big day of sightseeing. The rooftop is nicely decorated with tables and chairs and a nice view of the city. The free breakfast provides a good opportunity to meet other travelers to spend the day exploring with. As word gets out about this awesome hostel, we can definitely see it becoming a fixture on the Southeast Asia backpacker trail. It’s the perfect spot to recharge your batteries in a clean, cozy spot at a great price!

Don’t Forget To Move would like to thank everybody at Envoy Hostel for such a nice stay while we were in Phnom Penh. You can book your night here, tell ’em we sent ya!

Baan Tai Backpackers: The Best Hostel for Half Moon Party

When you start planning your trip to the Ko Phangan half moon party or the full moon party, or just any old time, you’ll notice right away that there’s no shortage of hostels to choose from. Many of them claim to be the “#1 party hostel” or “the best hostel for Half Moon Party” in Koh Phangan, offering swimming pools or free drink on arrival. Don’t be fooled by these gimmicks. If you really want to stay at the best hostel on the island, get to Baan Tai Backpackers.

We felt like family from the minute we arrived. With incredible owners, staff and just a really good vibe from other backpackers staying there, we knew we’d chosen the right spot.

Rooms & Facilities

When you enter Baan Tai Backpackers, you can feel the party atmosphere immediately. The walls are covered with colorful painted messages and drawings from previous travelers. I think Jules and I stood reading all of the writing for a solid 3 minutes before we even introduced ourselves.

The downstairs area has a large table for eating (the hostel sells meals) as well as some couches. There is also a huge TV perfect for hangover days when you just need to chill out and watch movies all day.

The rooms here are simple, but well kept. Our 6 bed air conditioned dorm even had a balcony overlooking the back yard. The ensuite bathroom attached to our dorm was big and had a separate shower area (a refreshing change from “over the toilet” showers). The hostel also has privates available if you’d like more privacy. For us, the 6 bed dorm was perfect. It was small enough to stay relatively quiet, but big enough to meet other travelers.

Location

Baan Tai Backpackers is located in the town of Baan Tai. Shocking, I know. We had a really confusing interaction with a tuk-tuk driver who kept asking us the name of our hostel. We kept saying “Baan Tai” to which he just answered “Yes, in Baan Tai, but what is the name of the hostel?” That went one for several minutes before we figured out the mistake.

Anyway, the area of Baan Tai is a great location. Many hostels are located in Haad Rin, where the full moon party is. While Haad Rin has a beautiful beach, the area is really touristy. It’s a good spot for an afternoon of swimming and shopping, but at the end of the day we were glad to get back to chilled out Baan Tai. That’s not to say that you’ll be in the middle of nowhere. The hostel is located on the main road, very close to bars and restaurants and just a few shops away from 7-11.

Pro tip: 7-11 has the best cheesy garlic bread. Yes, it comes in a plastic bag and they heat it up for you in a microwave behind the counter, but we promise you won’t regret it.

One extra tip – the Google Maps location for the hostel is wrong. It’s actually a few kilometers further from the pier than it says on Google. If you’re taking a tuk-tuk make sure to check that you’ve arrived at the right hostel before letting your driver go.

Value for Money

For everything this hostel has to offer, it’s definitely good value for money. The rooms are clean and the common area is spacious. A great bonus with Baan Tai backpackers is having the opportunity to chat with Karen and Tristan. They are backpackers themselves so they really understand the traveling lifestyle, as well as Thailand. They know what other backpackers are looking for in a hostel and they provide it. They also know the island from top to bottom. If you want a fun day exploring waterfalls and beaches, just ask for their advice. If you want to know which party on the island will be best suited for your vibe and musical preferences, they’ll know exactly where to send you.

Traveler Vibes

The vibe at Baan Tai is the reason we loved it so much. For the most part, it’s pretty chilled out. It’s not like other hostels that force the party down your throat. The owners, Karen and Tristan, do a really great job of allowing the party to happen naturally. Don’t get us wrong, they definitely help the party along with rounds of free shots and drinking games. But some hostels try too hard to get the party started. During our half-moon pre-party, our hostelmates started to slowly trickle downstairs after getting ready. After a few buckets (delicious ones!) Tristan and Karen bust out the black light body paint. Then the party is in full swing. The common room of the hostel was full of travelers drinking and painting each other. It was such a fun party we almost didn’t want to go to the main festival! Eventually we all took off together, though; ready to take on the festival as a fully painted group!

While we were at Baan Thai, we ended up forming a really amazing crew with some other travelers we met. And I don’t think this is uncommon. If you have a look at the messages written all over the wall, you can see evidence of other travelers meeting and creating life-long friendships. Or at least one having one hell of a moon party. If you’re looking for a hostel that throws an awesome pre-party, has a chilled out spot for post-party relaxing and can tell you everything you need to know about Ko Phangan, definitely book Baan Tai backpackers, the best hostel for Half Moon Party.

Are you headed to Koh Phangan? Be sure to check out our full review of the Half Moon Party, everything you’ll ever need to know!

The Clayzy House Koh Lanta

To call Lanta Clayzy House just a hostel wouldn’t accurately describe all it has to offer. Sure there are private rooms and dorm beds, a chilled bar and hammocks to relax in, but walking into Lanta Clayzy House you feel it has a vibe that just makes it different from other hostels you’ve stayed at. There’s a community of travelers here, some passing through and some staying for months on end. The chilled out feel just sucks you in. Accommodation is basic, and the rustic style is probably not for everyone, but there’s plenty of fun to get you out of your room. It’s the kind of place you can kick back with a beer, chat with new friends and let the day melt away.

Rooms and Facilities

We’re not going to beat around the bush – the rooms are pretty basic. If you’re looking for luxury living, then this is not your place. But if you’re down for a simple bamboo bungalow with a mattress pad, fan and not much else, this is perfect. We doubt you’ll be spending much time in your room anyway considering the proximity of the beach. A dorm bed will cost 200-250 baht and private bungalows are 350-450. The property itself is huge and there are lots of huts spread throughout.

The bathrooms are actually pretty nice with a few western style toilets. The showers are spacious although the water pressure was a bit dismal. If you get stuck like me in the middle of the shower all soaped up without any water, just give a holler to the front desk and usually they can fix up the water tank.

Other than rooms and bathrooms, the property has some pretty cool little extras. Paintings done by guests and workers line the outside of the huts and aerial silks hang from trees for the free classes available. There’s no kitchen for guests, but the hostel does cook a daily menu for purchase.

Traveler Vibe

Clayzy House almost feels more like a camp at Burning Man than a hostel. It’s the kind of place that you might plan to stay for a night or two, then end up staying for a month. The vibe is definitely chilled out, with lots of common areas to hang out. During the day there’s always at least a few people kicking it on the hammocks or at the picnic table, enjoying a day of creating art or just chatting. At night the hostel bar has music playing (feel free to put on something you want to share) and pre-drinks are sold before heading to whichever bar has a party that night.

There’s a fair few travellers working at the hostel in exchange for room and board, and it first it can be a bit difficult to figure out who is a guest and who isn’t. Everyone is friendly, though, and we were immediately greeted with smiles when we came in. This seems like a place where the longer you stay, the more you get out of it. Because of the tight bond of the group of workers, if you only come in for a night or two, you may not get the full Clayzy House experience. Still, if you’re only there for a few nights there are plenty of other travelers to chat to and it seems that people are always down to hang.

Location

If you want to be in the backpacker hub of Koh Lanta, Clayzy House is the place to be. About a 10 minute taxi drive from the pier, the hostel is located on a little dirt road that’s barely visible from the main street. This unassuming street is packed with hostels, bars and restaurants. At the end of the street, and just a minute walk from Clayzy House, is Long Beach. Even though this beach is popular with travelers, there’s a long stretch of sand that makes it possible to secure your own spot. After spending the day exploring the island there’s nothing better than going for a sunset swim and then easily heading back to the hostel for a shower.

The main road is just a couple minute walk from Clayzy House making the main town very accessible. Just across from the hostel is a minimart with snacks and cheap beers. The picnic tables outside fill up at night where backpackers gather to pre-drink before dispersing to the nearby party. Outside the minimart are usually a couple food vendors including a guy that sells huge plates of Pad Thai for 40 baht.

The bars on this strip seem to alternate hosting the nightly party. Sometimes there’s acoustic tunes or an open mic, but toward the end of the night the electronic beats start pumping. If you’re looking to party, Clayzy House is really close to the bars which makes stumbling home at night super easy. If you want a quiet night in, though, prepare yourself with earplugs because it can get pretty loud.

Value for Money

Although the accommodation is fairly basic, Clayzy House Koh Lanta is still good value for money. At 400 baht a night you’re not getting an air conditioned room with a minibar. Instead you’re getting a simple hut, basic facilities and access to the community of travelers that is really the hostel’s best feature. There’s always a group hanging out in the main area and the people working the front desk are a wealth of information on what to see in the area. Whether you’re looking for new friends to explore the island with or homies to kick it on the hammocks after a day of hard partying, you won’t have trouble finding them at Clayzy House. The hard part will be tearing yourself away when it’s time to go.

Thanks Clayzy House Koh Lanta for putting us up for a couple of nights and letting us join your awesome community. If you’re headed to Koh Lanta book a night with Clayzy House.

Ananas Hostel Phuket

The Ananas Hostel Phuket is one of those great city based hostels you find along the way with the perfect mixture of expert local knowledge, cool travelers and homely comforts. The couple who run the hostel are super friendly and hospitable, as well as a wealth of useful information about day trips and tours around Phuket. With over 40 years in the hospitality trade in positions as high as general manager for big chain hotels, the couple now choose the quiet hostel life to help travelers enjoy all the sights in Phuket Town.

Rooms and Facilities

Ananas Hostel Phuket only have dorm rooms, no privates, but they are a far cry from the crowded dorms of other backpacker hostels. There’s a couple of options that suit everybody’s needs, including male only, female only or mixed dorm. The rooms are spacious, the beds are comfortable and each bed has a huge locker underneath it to keep your valuables safe. Not that you’ll need it though, as the place is well looked after with electronic swipe front door entry and a lock for each dorm as well. Another nice touch on the rooms are individual lights and power sockets at the head of each bed, as well as an oscillating fan and A/C that runs from 6pm-10:30am.

Showers have hot water, and there’s shampoo, conditioner and soap in all of the bathrooms, giving the hostel that extra boost of hospitality. Wifi is consistent in the hostel, but can get pretty patchy at times and drops out unexpectedly. So make sure you’re not booking tickets online or something similar without giving it a test run for 10-15mins. There’s a small kitchen with toaster, microwave and fridge which is a nice change from a lot of the guest houses we’ve found so far. And there’s also a nice chill out theatre room with black out curtains, a nice big T.V and a good movie selection.

Heading to Phuket and looking for things to do? Check out our Phuket travel itinerary!

Location

Ananas Hostel Phuket is tucked away in a very quiet little part of town, but that’s not saying it’s far away from the main attractions. A 10min walk puts you right back in the action, giving the hostel the perfect proximity for those wanting to get out of the traffic and into a quiet spot. A bus station is around the corner, as is a gas station for snacks. Nearby is Phang Nga road, a busy street with restaurants ranging from upscale to street stalls. If you’re looking for things to do in Phuket here is a great guide from our friends at Love and Road.

Traveler Vibe

A great mixture of socializing and quiet time. There’s a common area downstairs that has a few computers with Internet, some lounges and tables. In the morning pop downstairs to grab breakfast with your fellow hostel mates and meet people to explore the area with. Ananas is not a rowdy hostel, so don’t expect beer pong or free shots. It may seem a bit quiet at first but because there’s only one main common area, it’s actually really easy to make new traveling buddies.

Value for Money

While a night in a dorm might set you back a bit more than usual at 400B ($12USD, $15AUD, 8£, 11€), it’s quite a nice place to invest that little bit extra. The comfort, the assistance and the beautiful location make up for it. Also throw in a light complimentary breakfast of toast, tea and coffee (which is a surprisingly nice change after eating rice for days on end) and the deal gets at little bit sweeter. The hospitality and helpfulness of the couple running the place made the price well worth it. Overall the Ananas Hostel Phuket is a great place to stay when visiting Phuket Town.

Thanks Ananas Hostel Phuket for hosting us and showing us a great time while we were staying in Phuket Town. If you’re headed to Phuket, book a room at Ananas and tell ’em we sent ya!

Eco Hostel Phuket

When you first stop off out the front of the Eco Hostel Phuket (that’s if your driver can find the location based off Google Maps), you’ll be surprised that this hostel can fit as many beds as they claim. Nestled between two high rise shops, Eco Hostel Phuklet has definitely utilized the limited space provided to offer a great accommodation for backpackers arriving in Phuket Town. Our first impression of the Eco Hostel Phuket was a nice clean cut and stylized hostel, with a refreshingly unique theme of environmental consciousness.

Rooms and Facilities

There’s a lot to offer at the Eco Hostel Phuket, Thailand, from tucked away privates on the top floor, to tightly packed in dorms on the second and third floor. Prices start at 320 for the cheapest dorm option, and 360 for a little space upgrade. There are two privates, one at 1200 that sleeps 3, and another at 1750 for a super stylish 4 sleeper with a private toilet.

Both the privates and dorms have A/C that runs all day long, which is a nice touch when you arrive from the redeye flight and want to have a little afternoon nap without the sweltering heat.

Wi-fi is solid throughout the hostel, with separate routers at each level to ensure a strong signal. There’s also a shared bathroom on each level, with complimentary shampoo, soap, hot water (not that you’ll need it) and a hair dryer.

On the bottom level there’s a really nice cafe that serves up all kinds of delicious food, from sandwiches and breakfast, to fruit shakes and organic coffee. Kick back in the air conditioned cafe, enjoy a iced tea with solid wi-fi and take a break before hitting the hot streets of Phuket Town.

Location

This hostel is a little tucked away from the main hustle and bustle of Phuket Town, but in saying that it’s still only a 10min walk to the center of activity. Phang-nga Rd, where the hostel is located, is a pretty useful hub of restaurants, bars and other hostels as well. Within a couple of minutes walk you can find scooter rentals at 200-250 baht a day (depending on your negotiation skills) and the main bus station behind 7-11, if you don’t fancy yourself riding a bike among the crazy Thai traffic.

Looking for something to do in Phuket? Check out our Phuket travel itinerary!

Traveler Vibe

If you’re looking for your own space, or a place to wind down then this is the place for you in Phuket Town. We found our two nights stay at Eco Hostel Phuket pretty chilled, which was a nice way to start off our trip. If you’re traveling alone and looking to meet people one thing that is missing is a centrally located common space within the hostel. Unless you’re rooming with someone its a little hard to meet people because of how spread out everyone is among the floors.

In saying that, it’s always possible to meet people on the road if you put yourself out there, but some hostels definitely make it easier depending on the set up and social events they put on.

Value For Money

The prices are fairly average for the area, but few are this immaculately clean. Our private for the first night was beautiful and felt more like a boutique hotel room than a hostel. If you’re looking for a hostel to relax from the exhausting tourist trail and have a good night sleep, this is perfect. Even if you’re on on a super tight budget, it’s worth the small splurge to feel comfortable and at home. We were very happy to be able to crash in our room at Eco Hostel after a long day of traveling.

A big thanks to Eco Hostel for hosting us during our stay and for providing us with a great welcome to our Southeast Asia adventure! As always, our thoughts and opinions are our own!

Heading to Phuket? Book a couple nights with Eco Hostel and enjoy this comfortable haven in the city!