Choosing the right hostel can take some internet research and sometimes word of mouth from other travelers helps. Your mood is also a factor. I chose a hostel in Bangkok that appealed to me because of its location away from a busy noisy area. It seemed to have a few things within walking distance to check out, local bus stops, and a short 750m walk to the famous (or should I say infamous?) Khaosan road. The Here Hostel had photos showing a rustic charm and pleasant garden area. Having a pool was also a plus.

Arriving in Don Muang Airport I decided to save money and take the bus from the airport to the hostel. My BusMap app for included Bangkok as well. The A4 bus for 50 baht ($1.60 USD) was an express bus from the airport and there was a stop pretty close to the hostel. The cost per night was $19.83 with breakfast which is more that double that of the Lub D in Siem Reap, but Thailand itself was much pricier than Cambodia in general.

The bus stop was right in front of Royal Pavilion Mahajetsadabadin, on Ratchadamnoen Klang Rd. All I needed to do was walk across the courtyard to the street by the white wall. The Here Hostel is right at the end of that wall on a corner street. That was easy!

Once inside the Here Hostel lobby the first thing you notice is this white slide from upstairs to the lobby. People are using it to drop there backpacks to the lobby.

My room is on the 2nd floor with not elevator but hostel hosts carry it upstairs for you. Later I use the slide to get my bag down to the lobby for checkout.

This hostel differs from the Lub D hostel in Siem Reap which had a resort feel to it. The Here Hostel has the rustic charm going on with some quirky creative decor here and there.

I in a 6 bed dorm with privacy curtains with welcoming AC. One thing to that makes a hostel comfy is having your own personal outlets in your bed area. That’s a major plus to look for in a hostel which this one has.

I lie in my bed for about 3 minutes cooling off before getting the urge to scout the rest of the place with the ultimate destination of the garden bar. Being on the 2nd floor I pass through the kitchen/breakfast area to this wooden walkway. I found it a cleaver and entertaining way to get from the 2nd floor to the interim pool area and then twist again to reach the garden area.

You can see a lot of little nook areas to sit and relax. At the There bar I order a refreshing Mojito and some spring rolls. Mojitos seem to me the most refreshing drink in hot weather. The garden area is shaded and there’s enough cool breeze to make it pleasant to hang around.

I’m still hungry since I didn’t have lunch I order the minced beef and rice. every thing was perfect.

I stayed in the garden well into the evening and thought to myself that I chose correctly with this hostel.

All the full bathrooms with showers are on the 1st floor only. There is a toilet and sinks on the 2nd floor meal room area though.

Breakfast was included when I booked via the HostelBookers app. Appears if you book through Hostelworld or their website then breakfast is a separate option.

The next day I just wanted to relax until after lunch. Getting into the pool I swam back and forth a few times and stretched. Just the perfect thing to do to build up an appetite for lunch. I had a nice chicken salad and banana smoothie for lunch. I also spotted the large ceramic crocodile in the garden which I didn’t see before. It looked kinda real at first glance.

Then I was ready to explore around the hostel area until evening return for a Mojito refresher before settling in for the night. The main highlight nearby is the Golden Mount Temple which I’ll make a separate posting about.

On checkout morning I send my bag down the slide which flew a few feet afterwards narrowly missing someone who just stepped in front of it. They need to put a barrier up at the base of the slide.

It also seemed like a backpackers convention now with all the packs that weren’t there before.

I cross the street to get to the A4 bus stop which is a little further than arrival but still OK. The A4 bus time to get to the airport was not the report 82min but took 50min.

In all a very pleasant experience in Bangkok!