Hostel Hopping: Hanoi Backpackers Hostel (The Original)
Vietnam is a stalwart locale along the backpacker trail, and within it are some very superb hostels. Today we take a closer look at the acclaimed Vietnam Backpacker Hostels.
I stayed at the original location in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. There is a second location in Downtown Hanoi, as well as four other sister locations throughout Vietnam. The original location is comprised of two separated buildings across a tiny alley from one another, not far from St. Joseph Cathedral and Hoan Kiem Lake. There is a mythical alley called Smoothie Lane or something nearby but I never did find it.
It was one of the most well constructed hostel experiences, hands down. The original location has a rooftop bar, a regular pub-crawl that frequents raucous, typical backpacker-y bars like Hair of the Dog and Finnegan’s, a periodic signup sheet for snake village dinners, as well as longer trips such as a Sapa Valley trek, a Ha Long Bay cruise, and other excursions. The experience of staying in Hanoi Backpackers Hostel is an entire production. Everything can be arranged for you, from renting a motorbike to airport transfers. You may have to pay more for a tour than you could find with your own detective work, but the convenience is worth it.
(Photo courtesy of Vietnam Backpacker Hostels)
I stayed for five nights, and each night there was a wild onslaught of debauchery on the rooftop bar starting around 7pm. Most of the staff is Kiwi and Aussie, so this might bear some of the fun influence. For those in the partying mood, there is nothing better than an entire hostel’s worth of happy folks gathered on a rooftop like clockwork every night. For those in search of a good night’s sleep, you’ll have nothing to worry about as the rooftop winds down early and the party progresses on to one or a few of the bars in town. When sufficiently buzzed by night’s end, a handy business card with the hostel’s address is sufficient to get home on the back of a motorcycle taxi for only a dollar or so.
It was all but mandatory to attend the highly touted Ha Long Bay cruise, a three-day affair in which 3-4 dozen hostel dwellers sojourn to the coast and embark on a cruise out into the stunning waters. Aside from the picturesque scenery, these boat excursions are often fueled with alcohol and loud music. The journey becomes less about the sights and inevitably transforms into a festive rampage out on open waters. Skinny-dipping on Castaway Bay with people you just met is within the realm of possibilities. Mosquitoes pummeled me that night while I was sleeping in the beachside cabanas. But then I got to enjoy kayaking, cliff diving, and rock climbing out in the sun the next day.
Check out this video, showcasing the hostel:
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