Our Hostel Reviews CHINA-THAILAND-INDONESIA

CHINA

Beijing

Red Lantern Beijing Hostel - Nov. 9th to Nov. 15th  (5 nights)
170 RMB/night for a standard room with shared bathroom
Located in the beautiful Xicheng district. We've slept in the main building for our first night. After 20 hours flight we were really tired. The room was on the mezzanine and we can heard people chatting in the living room on the first floor. On the next night, we asked to change for the west yard building which is a little further from the main building (5 mins walk from Ping'ali subway station). The place was really quiet and beautiful. The room was clean, the bed a little hard (such as many many many hostel in china) and they came to clean the room every morning. Shower and american toilet was clean too. Very friendly and professionnal staff. Laudry service, free internet access in the room or 2 computers ($) in the living room, western food and a lot of tour booking services. If you want to eat duck, there is a good restaurant on ping'ali street near the west yard, I don't remember the name but there is an huge illuminated pig on the front. It's on the second floor.

Activities:
Great Wall (Mutianyu)
Tienamen Square
798 Art District
Behai Park
Antique Market
Hutong
Chinese Shopping Center
Wangfujing Night Market
Silk Market

Luoyang

International Youth Hostel - Nov. 16th (1 night)
140 RMB/night for a double with private bathroom

Near the train station (10 minutes walk). If you don't find the place, there is always a women working for us waiting for tourist in front of the train station. The place is located in an old hotel building. The room was clean, they provide you tooth brush, soap, shampoo... The hot water came after 20 minutes... Staff is professionnal but not very helpful. Chinese breakfast included.

Activities:

Longmen Grottoes

DengFeng 

Shaolin Temple Hostel - Nov. 17th  (1 night)
120 RMB/night for a standard room with shared bathroom
Located near the WEST bus station (5 mins walk) not the MAIN bus station! Special mention to the helpful and nice staff! The rooms are really basic. Internet wifi access, hot shower but no food. Good restaurants in the area (Fondue Chinoise on the corner miam!)

Activities:
Shaolin Temple

Xian

7 Sages Hostel - Nov 18th to Nov. 21st  (3 nights)
140 RMB/night for a double with private bathroom
Located near the train station. The place is so nice, modern, clean and comfortable. If you go to Xian, book there! This is the most beautiful hostel we've seen in China. Self-service laundry, internet access in the restaurant and in the gardens (not in the room), TV in the room, western and chinese food, booking services... they made our flight ticket reservation without taking any commission! The staff is nice and friendly. Trust me, you won't be disapointed!

Activities:
Terra Cotta Soldier
Moslem street
Great mosquee
City wall

Guilin

WADA Hostel - Nov. 21st - 23rd  (2 nights) 
110 RMB/night for a double with private bathroom
Located near the bus station (10 mins walk) and right in front of a big shopping center (nice restaurants, chinese & big chain boutiques, big supermarket in the basement. There is also a nice park behind the shopping center. The room was basic but the place is very nice. There is a lot of table outside. Internet wifi access, TV, western and local food, bar services, BBQ's every fridays. Very friendly staff! You can book tours with them, they are cheap. We paid 120 RMB for the Bamboo raft on the Li River (pick up by bus in the morning at the hostel, an hour by bus to go to Yangdi, 3 hours cruise on the river to Xingping and an hour bus to Yangshuo) This is a MUST! Also, you can ask them to book your flight ticket without any commission.

Activities:
Cruise on the Li River (on a bamboo embarcation)

Yangshuo

11 Youth Hostel - Nov. 23rd to Nov. 25th  (2 nights)
70 RMB/night for a standard (1 night) and double (1 night) with private bathroom
Located near the bus station (next to West Street). The hostel is new so it's really clean and you can get very good prices. Great location but a little bit noisy due to the bar next door. Nice and friendly staff. Free internet access and wifi, free self-service laundry, nice view of the town from the roof top. Recommended!

Activities:
Contryside cycling from West Street to Yulong Bridge
Visit the villages
West Street

Shanghai

Mingtown Hiker Youth Hostel - Nov. 25th to Nov. 29th  (4 nights)
420 RMB/night for a double with window with private bathroom (2 nights) and 220 RMB/night for a double without window with shared bathroom (2 nights)
Located near the Bund and Jinshanling pedestrian street. The hostel is huge and clean. Ambiance is very friendly, you will meet lots of backpakers. They don't offer tours or activities. The food served was'nt really good.

Activities:
Pudong (drink on the 91st floor at the Cloud 9 - Grand Hyatt Hotel)
Ex-Concession Française
The Bund and The Rock Bund
People's Square
Museum of Shanghai

THAILAND

Bangkok 

Shanti Lodge - Nov. 29th to Dec. 3rd (4 nights)
650 bahts/night for a double room with bathroom (cold water) and fan.
Located in Thewet, close to Chaoyang river (5 mins walk from stop no.15 for Express boat). The location is great, there is a bunch of guesthouse and lots of food in the street. You can also eat there, the food was pretty good! Almost 15 mins. walk from Kao San Road. The room was clean but there is still problem with cockroaches such as many places in Bangkok. The staff was not very helpful with us. Do not the same error as us, take a room with window to avoid suffocation even if there is a lot of noise from outside!!!

Activities:
Wat Pho Temple
Grand palace
Flower market
Chinatown & Indian neighborhood
Visiting Ayutthaya

Chiang Mai 

Green Tulip House - Dec. 3rd to Dec. 7th (4 night)
650 bahts/night for a double with shared bathroom (cold water), AC and continental breakfast.
Located near the ? Post Office. One of the cleanest hotel we've stayed. Stella and Nino were very helpful and they can book any activities for you and it's not so expensive. We paid 1250 bahts for half day elephant training at the Jumbo Camp which was very interresting and 700 bahts for a cooking course at Siam Rice.

Activities:
Elephant Training
Cooking class
Saturday, sunday and night market
Waterfalls
motorcycle

Ao Nang 

Dec 8th (1 night)
650 bahts/night for a standard room with private bathroom (cold water) and fan.
Located near the beach (from 10 minutes walk). Special mention to the helpful and nice staff! The rooms was clean. Perfect for a stopover or a transit in the city. Internet wifi access in the room and great food.

Railay east

Riverside Resort - Dec. 9th  (1 night)
600 bahts/night for a private bungalow with bathroom (cold water) and fan.
We've only stay for one night but I can tell that the place was nice and our bungalow was clean. They have all accomodations you need (internet access, grocery, restaurant, swimming pool).

Activities:
Pranang beach
Railay beach (west side)

Tonsai Beach

Mambo Bungalows Dec. 10th to Dec. 15th  (5 nights) 
300 bahts/night for a double bed with bathroom (cold water) and fan.
Cheap bungalows, good food, nice and helpful staff. Recommended for travellers looking for authentic places.

Activities:
Beach
Kayaking
4 islands cruise
Snorkeling

Koh Lanta (Kloh Nin Beach)

Atcha Guesthouse (1 night) - Dec. 15th
250 bahts/night for a room with shared bathroom (cold water)

Guesthouse & Bungalows (3 nights) - Dec. 16th to Dec. 19th
700 bahts/night for a room with fan and shared bathroom (cold water)
The guesthouse is located on the beach side, there is a restaurant with wi-fi access. Food was expensive. Very friendly ambiance (pool table, sofas, magazines...), nice staff and clean rooms.

Activities:
motorcycle
beach


INDONESIA 

Kuta, Bali 

Suka Beach Inn - Dec. 19th to Dec. 22nd (3 nights)
120 000 Rp (+ 10% taxes) for a double room with bathroom (cold water), fan and breakfast.
Located near Poppies Lane II, the place is huge and a beautiful ancient balinese palace (there is about 40 rooms). Rooms are basic but clean and nice for the price. A great place to stay for a couple of days. Recommended by le Guide du Routard 2010-2011.

Kubu Hotel - Jan. 2nd to Jan.5th (3 nights)
200 000 Rp. for a double room with bathroom (cold water), fan and breakfast.
Located near Poppies Lane I, the room was pretty clean but we heard every sound from outside. Free wi-fi in the room, swimming pool. Recommended for a stop-over or a transit in the city.

Activities:
Beach
motorcycle

Ubud

Ubud Terrace Bungalows - Dec. 22nd to Dec. 26th (4 night)
250 000 Rp (incl. taxes) for a double room with bathroom (bath + hot water), fan and breakfast.
On the Monkey Forest road, the place is a little paradise! Nice exotic garden, great view, swimming pool... Our room was very clean, the bed was comfortable. Highly recommended!

Activities:
Monkey Forest
Rice fields
Ubud Palace
Lotus Garden
Market place

Amed 

Bamboo Bali - Dec 26th to Dec. 28th (2 nights)
200 000 Rp. for a bungalow with 2 standard beds, bathroom (cold water), fan and breakfast.
Located on the front of the beach, we've stay in a bungalow with view on the ocean. Huge balcony with hamak to enjoy the nice view! Special mention to the helpful and nice staff! The room was clean. Perfect for a stopover or a transit in the city. Internet wifi access in the room and great food.

Trawangan Island, Gili Island

Milany Bungalows - Dec. 28th  (1 night)
200 000 Rp. for a bungalow with double bed, bathroom (cold and salted water), fan and breakfast.
The place was nice, our bungalow was clean. Water provided from the sea. The owner is very friendly!


Tanah Qita Bungalows (3 nights) - Dec. 29th to Jan. 1st
250 000 Rp. for a bungalow with double bed, bathroom (cold and FRESH water), fan and breakfast.
Very nice place to stay. Bungalows are clean, staff and owner (Martin) were very nice and helpfull. Great breakfast, nice garden and a cute little cat! The place has a private beach and fresh water is provided from Lombok.

Activities:
Biking
Snorkeling
Beach

Bangsal (Lombok)

Arnel Guesthouse and Restaurant (1 night) Jan. 1st
120 000 Rp (incl. taxes) for a double room with shared bathroom (mindhi and cold water), fan and breakfast.
We stayed in the smallest room of the place because it was the last one but it was clean. The owners are very nice and convenient. Nice place for a stop-over if you want to go to the Gili Islands.