What makes a stay in a Hotel/B&B/Hostel an experience to remember? Sometimes, it's the food, the staff, the comforts, the convenient location, the decor, the ambience, the vibe. I think the best experiences are a culmination of all of the above.
As a backpacker, my preferred choice of stay is a hostel. It's not only easy on the pocket but also the best place to meet new people of similar interests and get the best personal view and recommendations about places and things often not on the map or guide. And hostels have come a long way in the recent years. It's growing popularity has not only improved the standards but has led to some hostels setting really high standards in the hospitality industry, yet managing to keep it very budget friendly. One Such hostel that I've had the opportunity to stay in is the Niras Bankoc Hostel in bangkok.
Niras Bankoc
Nestled in the old town, historic part of Bangkok, the renovated, 1oo years old property oozes a perfect blend of nostalgia and the old world charm along with comfort of the modern world. The interiors have a vintage feel to it and this theme runs throughout every little detail of the hostel. The place has options for private rooms and dormitories. Both of which have been set up tastefully. My stay in the dormitory was super comfortable. The cleanliness standard is no less than a luxury hotel. The staff were very friendly and helpful as well, which made my stay even more worthwhile.
The hostel is located at walking distance to The Grand Palace, Wat Po and Wat Arun and just opposite Thailand's famous pad thai place-Thipsamai. It is the perfect quiet alternative to the hostels in the noisy and bustling Khaosan Road.
Petit Peyton - Travelogue Cafe
The hostel has a beautiful vintage cafe which serves some amazing dishes along with local cuisine.
The moment you step in, your sight gets pulled towards this dilapidated looking wall on the right with bells on them which looks absolutely beautiful.
The cafe has travel quotes all over the place which is inspiring.
And quirky vintage items everywhere.
The cafe is beautiful.
It was as if I was back in paris in the 1920s, sitting there in the cafe, sipping my coffee while an old jazz tune played in the background, waiting for the door to swing open and watch Hemingway walk in.
Some dream. Back to reality. The cafe is a perfect place to relax and unwind.
Tours & Activities
The hostel provides some amazing tours and activities to indulge in. You could select from a range of half day tours or full day tours to places close to bangkok. They also provide cycling tours, which is a fun way to explore the city. They also having cooking classes, where you can experience the traditional way to cook up delicious thai cuisines in a traditional setup under the guidance of certified thai cooking instructors.
Nearby Attractions
One of the main reasons I had decided to stay here was it's proximity to many of Bangkok's attractions, most of which would definitely be on your list. Here's a list of some of Bangkok's famous attractions and it's proximity from the hostel
Thipsamai Pad Thai - right opposite the hostel.This is THE place to try pad thai in bangkok. Having gained worldwide recognition for it's dishes, the walls of the restaurant are filled with accolades from the media from all over the world, the TIMES, Guardian, you think of it, it's on the wall.
The Golden Mountain Temple - 160m.You get some amazing 360 degrees panoramic view of the city
Khaosan Road - 1.4 kms
The Grand Palace - 1.5 kms.
Wat Pho - 1.6 kms
Wat Arun - 1.6 kms + a boat ride across the river
Chinatown - 1.6 kms
Jim Thompson House - 2.6 kms
My experience at the hostel was amazing. I'm not getting paid to say all these nice things about the place, wish i was though :p. The point I wanted to share the experience was because I believe if you come across something beautiful, you should share it and this is just one of those things.
If you have stayed here or even visited the cafe, would love to know your experience.
Do visit my blog for more on my travel stories and travelogues.