All photos by The Overstay. The sign is “made of junk left by people (clothes, flip flops) and pieces of the building (old pipes, wood).”

Can you explain a bit about the spirit in which you opened your place? How in the world did you end up opening a squat-style hostel in Bangkok?

You know I always been a reggae fan. Right now the music playing is “money people is the root of all evil” but i do believe in small enterprise. I want to make a fair place for the people coming by and that can sustain itself.

The Overstay is close to a squat because it san old abandoned whore house. We are renovating it but 25 years does leave scars in a place. I think more than looking like a squat it’s a different place because we try to make a community of people. It’s a meeting zone. We know the name of the people staying, we organize dinner together once in a while (money for the food in on donation basis), or make some cultural events. Not long ago we acted out on one of the guest’s play.

Do you have any theories about why there’s such a lack of hostels in Southeast Asia and why guest houses remain so dominant?

I think guest houses are a more convenient system for owners and customers, with no expectations from each side. The owner cashes in the money and doesn’t need to be emotionally attached to the people that come by, and the guest on the other hand spends as little time possible in their guest house and dooesn’t feel like socializing there that much.

I have to tell you, I was pretty shocked at the pictures I’d seen of your place. What’s the current state of the building and were those pictures a fair depiction of what the place looked like in summer 2009?

The pictures you saw were not a fair description of the place then and a person with bad intentions could make the place look bad today, but photos have a strong impact. I’ll let you judge.

The place is doing all right. We are fully booked at the moment. People come back to us between the beach and Chiang Mai type of thing.

You’re selling a “six bed mixed dorm” on hostelworld for $.062 a night. This, according to the description, says that it’s a “dormitory ranging in size from 2 beds upwards. The offer mixed accomodation, hand made bunkbed with fan, shared bathroom, clean sheet.” Is that exactly what a person will get when they arrive if booking this rate?

A minor difference is that we have not 2 dorms of 6 but one of 10 people (it changed with the time), there are 5 wooden bunk beds that we did ourselves. We have clean bed sheets and fans shared between a couple of people.

How much of your business comes from sites like hostels.com, hostelworld.com and hostelbookers? Is it worth going through the process of seeing reviews and all of that? What’s the benefit of being booked through them?

It depends of the season. Right now at the season peak maybe 60 percent of our new people come from Hostelworld, other come from our website or have been recommended. The frustrating thing with reviews is that unsatisfied people will be very negative whereas people who like the place won’t think of leaving their feeling because they are sure will do just fine without it. Just like voting for an election.

We also let people stay for free during lower seasons. We met great people through Couchsurfing and we are supporting this project as we can.

It would be flattering to be added to a major guidebook considering that the place is only one year old, but at the moment we would rather avoid Lonely Planet’s guide book. We are on many websites, even in a Bangkok tourist map but seeing a hoard of short stay tourist is something that will go against our ideology : What could we exchange ?

When everything is going right, you have the right mix of people and The Overstay is having a great night – what’s it like?

Some of best nights we have, we’re just 10 people sitting around the bar, listening to music, apparently nothing special but we can stay 5 hours in the same place just talking to each other about everything. On the other hand it’s nice to motivate the whole place into organizing a party, making fliers, decorations, guest playing music, having some dj friends coming over. We stay open 24/7 so we have many surprise parties. At 2 o’ clock, 20 people can come out of nowhere and fill up the bar.

If someone read our article or a few of the more negative reviews online what would you say to them if they were thinking about staying with you?

We have clean bedsheets, mattresses, the toilets are ok and we have showers on every level. On the other hand the place is for anybody but not everybody. This is not a place for up tight travelers with suitcases and 2 weeks holidays. Long term travelers feel at home here.

Community Connection

Matador has a slew of articles about Thailand and just as many about hostel life, including our recent20 MORE of the Craziest Party Hostels Around the World and Nine Films That Should Be Retired From All Youth Hostels.

“We’re here to roll around in your bed for you, sir.” Photo: Exercise Tradewinds 2009, Feature Photo: Carly & Art

Do you call for a turndown service? A cup of warm milk? A soothing hot toddy?

Or how about a team of grown ups in “special all in one sleeper suits” to come roll around under the covers of the bed you’ll soon be snuggling up in to warm it up for you?

Sound creepy?

It can’t be creepy. As the Holiday Inn sleep doctor Chris Idzikowski (director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre) has explained, it’s science!

Dr. Idzikowski (as quoted in Telegraph UK) says:

Maybe what you hear when you read all that mumbo-jumbo is:

It’s a far cry from the days of the quarter fed
massaging bed. Photo: grenade

If that’s the case, just ask yourself: What’s more soothing than multiple strangers dressed in adult sized, terry-cloth footie pajamas coming into your room and rolling around your freshly bleached sheets before you get into bed?

As a spokesperson for the Hotel is quoted as saying, “The bed warmers service is a bit like having a giant hot water bottle in your bed, warming it up before guests climb in to give them a great night’s sleep away from the cold – of course they jump out before you jump in.”

Let’s hope they aren’t serving beans for the employee meal.

Okay. Maybe science doesn’t have a strong enough explanation to make this an appealing prospect, and no matter what they say, people aren’t water bottles, but if you happen to take advantage of this opportunity being offered in the London Kensington branch of the hotel, we hope you’ll let us know in the comments field below.

Community Connection

There have got to be better ways of getting to sleep! For more ideas about that, see MatadorAbroad’s How to Sleep in Your Vehicle.

Photo by margolove

Disclaimer: Originally branching off Nine Films That Should be Retired from all Youth Hostels, I won’t agree that any these books should actually be removed…though perhaps all of us out there are waiting for a new dose of inspiration.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

…dropping the bomb. That piglet-pink paperback is enough to call many-a-reader to pull it from the shelf, but backpackers’ eyes simply light up when they see the word “Zen” – which we all like to associate with our travel persona. The pages are beautifully worn, and passages underlines by other meditative travelers…at least until about page 325 when we’ve just had enough, Bob.

Am I still heady if I only get halfway through?

Any Swedish instruction manual explaining how to clean your digital camera’s lens, or how to maintain your 42 b 605 Mm Automatic Rifle – but of course, in Swedish.

Photo: nataliejohnson

You can’t make this stuff up. Talking with JJ, the owner of the Daku Resort in Savusavu, he explained to me why hostels or hotels should never have book swap shelves. “Inevitably, after a few years, there will be nothing left but Swedish instruction manuals. Go look at our shelf!” And I did. Oddly enough, because I don’t meet many Swedes on the road…

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Probably many a male backpacker’s secret fantasy. Not the horrible death of his daughter and falling into a hole of depression part, but the romanticized story of an ex-drug addict and con-man stealing away to Mumbai to live as a wanted expat for 10 years.

Phew. Another intensely long read, it’s an exciting story, but it’s hard to believe.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I actually tried really hard not to like this book, mostly because maybe 15 people recommended it to me. Gilbert is an honest and excellent writer, bringing us along on her path to self re-discovery after a bad divorce. She spends a full year between Italy, India and Bali. Sounds cheese, but if you happen to pull it from the shelf, give it a go – even if you want to paper bag it.

Photo: yendidmylove

The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists by Neil Strauss

This is written about his creepy friend “Mystery” who you may remember from a recent reality show on VH1. Guys reading this is the same as straight men watching Sex and the City – “I’m just intrigued by the social constructs.” Bull.

You better hide this one, I don’t know what kind of lady is going to let you buy her a drink next door if she sees you reading this. Hostels are supposed to be safe places…

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Every other traveler I meet recommends or hands this book to me. I’m still not sure why. Also the most depressing book that I don’t ever remember anything about. Márquez is a beautiful writer, but I think I got lost…

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Photo: yendismylove

Though the last time you may have seen this book was third grade, it takes on some heavy concepts. While we’re out finding ourselves again, this book inspires us to contemplate life and death, as well as whether or not the old man molests that little boy.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

A personal favorite, most likely to pop up in seaside locations (probably in the same hostels playing The Beach). A quick read, this is a dreamlike story of an old fisherman who struggles with his last fish. Simply a Hemingway classic, you’ll always look educated pulling that from the shelf. May score you points with the hottie in hut number three.

Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac

We all really are long-haired hippies at heart, huh? Well, at least Mr. Kerouac makes me feel a little more justified in wiping my ass with my hand. Only when necessary, of course. (That beautiful quote is actually in Big Sur, but you get the idea…)

Community Connection

Matador Goods has an amazing array of book reviews, including a weekly member’s pick. While we’re at it, we’d also like to plug our favorite Goods series, “What’s In Your Backpack”, which covers everyone from travel celebrities to RTW travelers.

Who’s on The Goon? Let’s find out. Photos by author, unless noted otherwise.

Base

Location: Magnetic Island, Australia

It’s not uncommon to see patrons of this hostel walking the shore with big, silver bags of goon ripped right from their boxes, spouts pouring freely into mouths of anyone who will have them. The A-frame dorms are filled to the brim during the summer and there are plenty of corners for late night nookie, including a much-abused tent used to store linens.

The main bar is a striking party space; huge and communal. Most nights the action gets going as the sun goes down but it’s not uncommon for the whole thing to kick off in the afternoon, next to the hostel’s excellent pool.

India House

Location: New Orleans, LA

The pool at Base, Magnetic Island.

New Orleans is the home of some of America’s greatest parties, from Voodoo Experience to Mardi Gras. India House serves as the backpacker base of choice. A September 19th review on Tripadvisor explains, “The second I walked into India House I was greeted by a drunken staff member that offered me a swig of whiskey, and it only went uphill from there.”

Aqua Lounge Bar & Hostel

Location: Bocas Del Toro, Panama

Bocas Del Toro is quickly becoming a huge party destination, often with travelers on the last stop of their South American loop. Mondo Taitu remains the mainland’s party spot of choice but more adventurous travelers will be rewarded if they seek out this island hostel, just a stone’s throw from shore.

You have to love a budget accommodation that lists itself as a bar first and a crash pad second. Aqua Lounge sits precariously on the water’s edge, with a pool made for backflips and beer drinking. It’s the perfect spot to take over if you’re traveling in a pack or meeting up with another squad of friends.

Beachcomber Island Resort

Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji

Party at Pudu in Bariloche. Photo tandra2008

This resort sports a mammoth dorm with 86 beds, making it one hell of a devil’s playground. The day drill involves wallowing and drinking – at night, carousing and drinking.

The only property on this small island, there are all kinds of places to make mischief. Most partiers stay on the close-by private beach, where there’s a stocked bar and always a friend with a bottle fresh from duty-free. The bunks tend to thump a bit after 2am.

The Tiger Paw Hostel

Location: Medellin, Colombia

The Tiger Paw was recommended by many as Columbia’s great party hostel. Stock and standard are events that make for the beginnings of a wild night; beer pong and poker nights to name a couple. Its location close to Zona Rosa makes pre-gaming all that much easier.

Blue Moon

Location: Lafayette, LA

We kept hearing reports about this guest house (with dorm beds), which contains a fully stocked back porch saloon with a stage for live music. According to the site, “It’s become a meeting place where world travelers, community organizations, families, artists and politicians rub elbows, dance, drink a few and thank their lucky stars they have the good fortune to spend an evening together in Lafayette, LA.”

Samba Villa Hostel

Location: Lapa, Rio De Janero, Brazil

The Blue Moon in Lafayette.

A hostel with an Irish Pub downstairs can only spell danger. Place that danger in Brazil and you have one hell of a party. Word on the street is that Samba Villa is cracking on the weekends, with Lapa’s legendary street parties spilling over into Samba at all hours.

One hostelbookers.com
review sums it up: ‘Right in the heart of the Friday night action, which is very useful for toilet stops and replenishing cash reserves. Don’t expect any sleep.”

Snooze & Booze

Location: Split, Croatia

DTravelsRound turned us onto this Aussie-run hotel in Split, saying that it is “known for its social setting, regularly leading packers on tours of the town, hitting up pubs throughout the old town, allowing travelers to get a guided tour of the nightlife.” So basically, guided drunkenness.

Yes! Lisbon Hostel

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

To be fair, nothing can top the party that happens during weekends in the nearby Bairro Alto. Yes! takes a stab at it though, especially on weeknights when many prefer to keep the party at home. 2 for 3 beer goes down fast, as does any €2 bottle of wine that you can find at a local grocery store.

During my blurry night here I met a curvy mom (a buzzed cougar?), a slurry Brazilian with come-hither eyes (and a girlfriend back home) and two terrifying Russian men, both quite toxic and looking for something to punch. The common room has loads of beanbag chairs should you pass out. There’s also a king sized bed underneath the TV, for those who can’t muster the strength to take it upstairs.

The €1 beer at Villa Saint Exupery.

Villa Saint Exupery

Location: Nice, France

We’ve written about this one before but it bears repeating that this might be one of the prettiest party hostels in the world. Gorgeous or not, this place goes off. €1 beer awaits anyone who can operate a vending machine and after 8pm the main area is awash with revelers on the drink.

Pudu Hostel

Location: Bariloche, Argentina

Pudu is haphazardly placed on some sort of cliff – the upstairs rooms have gorgeous views overlooking Patagonia but most guests head to the kitchen each night, where everyone kicks in a few bucks for food and drink. Quiet hammock-side conversation often turns to a full-out party by midnight in the garden.

Pudu is run by an Irish couple who have a history of radical travel and an Argentine who loves all things rasta. I wouldn’t say that anything goes here, but I would say anything within reason.

Casa Caracol

Location: Cadiz, Spain

It doesn’t seem like anyone sleeps here, or at least not while the moon is out. This is one of those places that’s either described as the best party of someone’s life or the worst nightmare of another’s. One stop might even be enough to do you in. As one person said on hostels.com, “I really enjoyed my stay; but I don’t think I’ll come back.”

Hanoi Backpacker’s Hostel

Location: Hanoi, Vietnam

The only hostel that I could find in Vietnam, Hanoi Backpacker’s throws a party at the drop of a hat. Started by Australians, this hostel has a legendary Sunday bash that includes traditional barbie and a free keg. Happy Hour starts at 5pm every day on the roof.

Friendly Fun Franks Backpackers Hostel
Riga, Latvia

Location: Riga, Latvia

Franks enjoys a worldwide reputation on the backpacker scene. British, Australian and Latvian owned, this backpacker not only offers pub tours, they also offer bobsled riding and AK-47 shooting. There’s a 24 hour bar on premises, if you’d like to load up before pumping bullets.

Make peace with dorm chaos.

Stone Of A Beach

Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Just two blocks from Copacabana beach, Stone Of A Beach gets consistent raves from partiers, with constant mention of its rooftop bar and late nights. The caipirinhas are said to be especially deadly. Typical of hostels in this category, reviews are either raves or vehement slags.

Eastern Comfort

Location: Berlin, Germany

The Eastern Comfort is a hostel boat parked on the Spree River in Berlin, just next to the heavily-partied districts of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. The boat itself has a fascinating history, having been transported on a barge from another part of the country by an owner with a dream.

The on-board bar gets packed on Wednesdays for language-swap night, which later turns into tongue-swap night.

Base

Location: Christchurch, New Zealand

Whooo doggy, this one’s a party. You’d think that a place this central in a town this quaint would lend itself to a nice, Kite-Runner-reading crowd. Instead it’s rammed with a severe party people, all of who make the trip to the accompanying Saints and Sinners nightclub.

Traveler’s Hostel

Location: Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Peeking through the Tripadvisor reviews makes me feel bad for those who came here to rest up. Upon arrival one person notes “everyone was still asleep because of a tequila party the night before” and another confirms, “This place is loud all night and I mean all night until 6 in the morning.”

The Eastern Comfort in Berlin, Germany.

Global Village Backpackers

Location: Toronto, Canada

Although not reportedly the cleanest hostel in North America, Global Village is known for a legendary New Year’s Eve party. The hostel is located in the former Spadina Hotel, which once hosted The Rolling Stones, Jack Nicholson and a bunch of Canadian bands we don’t know. 180 beds and hundreds of conflicting reviews make this a sure bet for an interesting night.

Koala Beach Resort

Location: Airlie Beach, Australia

I was there a few years ago but reviews substantiate the place as I remember it: a rat trap with a severe amount of punters pounding pints. If you want to stay in the middle of the craziest night of your life, then this is the place. Rabble-rousers rave about the mad nights at Koala Beach, while others bemoan the property’s condition. You’d probably hear the same reviews of most frat parties.

Bug Backpacker user reviews say “the staff were idiots and everything was dirty” and “as for the bathroom, I wouldn’t let my dog even go in there!”. This still doesn’t stop the party on Airlie Beach, which never seems to end.

Anything’s better than seeing Borat’s junk again. Photo: alexnormand

The Lord Of The Rings

The LOTR films played non-stop in hostels in the early half of the decade and have surprising legs, especially in countries where new DVD’s are hard to come by. I’d like every copy destroyed by 2010.

I’ve grown weary of Gollum’s breathless catch phrases, Elijah Wood’s perpetually-zoned stare and I can barely stomach Sean Astin’s acting, which is just above the level of anyone playing the lead in their high school production of Pippin.

Ian McKellan may still be a GILF (Grandfather…) but even that’s not enough to make me hang out for the endless amount of time it takes to throw the damned ring into the damn mountain.

Photo by: cc chapman

Sex And the City

Nothing strikes fear into the heart of a heterosexual male traveler more than the sight of a group of women watching this film in the TV Room. While it works as some sort of celluloid antidepressant for most females, it also seems to shut down the male reproductive system faster than you can say “Mr. Big.”

I’ve even talked to one night worker at a hostel who pulls the title from the TV room upon the beginning of his shift and hides it under the breadbox. “It riles them up in wrong way.”

Snatch

Inevitably, some guy will rush to the DVD player with this one screaming that it’s “brilliant”. He will most likely hail from the United Kingdom and will be wearing track pants with stains that aren’t from mayonnaise.

It’s an OK enough movie but too many people have convinced themselves that it’s a classic, especially those who are impressed by Brad Pitt’s accent (again, “brilliant”). Once or twice is enough, especially when you’ve learned Guy Richie’s monotonous screen tricks (one last time, “brilliant”).

Photo by: endless_mike

Borat

By my polling, this is The Most Played Movie Of All Time at hostels. The doubled-over laughter has dwindled to chortles, especially as a Bruno now takes center stage as the contender for the prize.

Younger brothers are starting to roll their eyes as their older siblings still a-quote from this-a very nice movie.

Hostel

The title’s irony seems to be enough to get this flick played at any hostel with a TV and a DVD player. A squirmer on the first viewing, this one gets old fast.

There’s a certain perviness I’ve seen as guys watch the girls react to the gory scenes. This isn’t the ‘ol “let’s make them scared enough to jump into my arms” look. It’s more of a “let’s see how she reacts to ball-gagging and finger-slicing” thing that I’d think makes many women wish they’d opted out of ten bed dorm room.

The Motorcycle Diaries

This inclusion came at the insistence of one of our editors, who wished it to be named “despite Gael Garcia Bernal’s steamy manhood and the exquisite South American Scenery.” Its removal from the small screen will be difficult, as this the one solid art-house film still stocked on every shelf in on the Latin American backpacker circuit.

And Gael Garcia Bernal’s steamy manhood.

Love, Actually

Photo by: mallol

Oh, I know. How could I? Mostly because of Hugh Grant, whose bumbling never holds me past a second viewing (I daydream of giving him electroshock therapy in hopes of reducing the come-hither stuttering).

Best review on Rotten Tomatoes: “(Director) Curtis seems to think that nothing could be more erotic than the subordinate who fetches tea or dusts the crockery.” Agreed.

Eurotrip

The DVD most likely to be scratched just enough to skip every ten minutes, Eurotrip just won’t die. It serves mostly as a time-killer, playing mostly to blank faces and closed eyes.

I’d like to point one thing out to those who can’t get enough of this romp around Europe – the whole thing was filmed in Prague.

The Beach

Dicaprio, before he went electric.

This is perhaps the most obvious choice on the list, a movie that seems unsatisfying to anyone who watches it, yet plays again and again. Going on its second generation of backpackers, The Beach probably maintains its status for what it could have been, rather than what you see before you.

Matador’s Hostel Favorites

How To Eat For Free At Hostels
When Your Dorm Room Ends Up Being A Squat
The Best Hostel In France Is Going Off Tonight
A Look Indie The Jumbo Hostel
The 20 Craziest Party Hostels Around The World

Photo: dmuth, Feature Photo: jim orsini

While this may seem innocent enough, a warped mind can come up with a myriad of sadistic games that might be played out in a show of humiliating hamster play to say nothing of whether or not a Volkswagen sized replica of a rectum will be made available upon request for “Gere Style” suffocation play.

Ottawa Citizen reports that the hotel in Nantes, France is owned by Frederic Tabary and Yann Falquerho who run a company specializing in the rental of unusual locations. They quote Falquerho as saying, “The Hamster in the world of children is that little cuddly animal. Often, the adults who come here have wanted or did have hamsters when they were small.”

The article further states this comment was uttered from inside a hamster costume, and I have no doubt that our dear Yann has graduated far beyond the “world of children.” Or let’s at least pray that he has.

The truth is, now that the hamster’s out of the bag, furries on European vacations will surely be packing their best rodent costumes to spend a night in the Hamster Hotel. Cruel masters will be driving their slaves as fast as their dirty little paws can carry them on the wheel, and men who were once terrified little boys seeing their female pet eating her young before their very eyes can reenact the trauma as they are tortured in their hamster costumes.

Get ready to play pretend!

Community Connection

Can’t get enough weird stuff? Read about the 18 weirdest travel jobs worldwide, or Snake Massages & Bull Semen: World’s Weirdest Spas, and as always, we look forward to reading your comments below.

Photo and Feature Photo: joeltelling

Photo: brad_holt

Specials will vary from day to day beginning in February 2010 with some unlimited and constant choices, among them carrots and celery and use of the soda fountain. You might need to cash in your your “three free drink passes” to truly enjoy such daily offerings as “Ball Park hot dogs and chili,” or charbroiled meatballs with barbecue sauce, but you can’t beat the price.

The 5:30 Kickback menu brags:
“A good hot dog is a profound experience. Lives will be changed, have already been changed, by the Drury frank.”
— Thomas Jenks, entrepreneur

If you don’t have a cast iron stomach, I have no doubt that this will be the case for you.

While many businesses have used the economic crisis to gouge their customers in secret and insidious ways, it appears that Drury Hotels have made a point of going back to good old customer service values by enticing us with something we all like: free food.

Let’s hope that other businesses that rely on our tourism dollars will come to the same conclusion. You catch more flies with three free margaritas a night than with a poorly stocked, loudly humming soda machine.

Launched this year, the 727 Fusealage home in Costa Verde II is a real shocker. Salvaged from a San Jose airplane graveyard, this 1965 Boeing 727 airframe has been converted into a two-bedroom vacation property.

The accommodation was inspired by a Forbes Magazine article about a company offering hurricane-proof living via surplus Boeing 727 airframes. Perched on a 50 foot pedestal, the plane looks like it’s just about to go wheels up.

The inside has been completely gutted and now contains two air-conditioned bedrooms, a kitchenette, a spiral staircase and hand-carved teak furniture from Indonesia. The whole shabang is located on the edge of a national forest, which can be seen from a terrace built around the plane’s entrance.

Check their on site for more details and more neato pics.

Community Connection

Ever jumped naked on a trampoline in your hotel room? That’s some of the craziness people have witnessed outside The Standard Hotel in New York City. Which is nothing compared to what is going on inside Japan’s Freaky Themed Bath Houses and Bars.

The floor at The Overstay. All photos by Greg Goodman

“Please Do Overstay!” exclaims the website for one of the cheapest guest houses we’ve seen in a while. A tour around their site makes this seem like the smartest spot in BKK, a real find for people who are “into exchanging ideas, languages, music, art and love.” The space includes a bar, a music studio, free language classes and nightly dinners. The catch?

“People sleep anywhere they can.”

It turns out that the dormitory, according to The Overstay site, “has the feel of a hippie refugee camp with mosquito nets and big backpack brought by people from all around the world.” Photos from past guests would suggest that it’s more of a pigsty than anything else.

Turning up at The Overstay could be a shock for anyone booking on hostelworld, who make no mention of the dorm conditions.

Mariaborland6641: “Ended up on the floor of a dirty and windowless cell on an unwashed sheet…lay awake sweating profusely. Also no running water anywhere.” (7/7/09, Hostelworld)

“The cleanest at The Overstay.”

Ariana From Canada: “We did not stay at The Overstay because when we arrived there were only drunk men in the ‘lobby’ if that’s what you would even call it and no reception area to check in… I would not recommend any females to stay there and i really do not think it should even be on hostels.com as the check in counter was a bar and they didn’t even have our reservation when we got there.” (9/13/09, hostels.com)

These two wouldn’t be the first to turn up at a guesthouse that has glossed over some of its flaws. But it also doesn’t sound like a fair shake for these guests, who might have looked at The Overstay’s website and expected to enter “Bangkok’s number one chillout spot”, which they further describe as a “six tiered cake of fun and living.”

The question raised is not a new one. Just how much credence should you give booking sites? What does it mean that The Overstay is listed on Lonely Planet’s site, via a re-run of the Hostelworld review?

The same page suggests that booking with LP gives “expert advice from Lonely Planet authors.” Would Lonely Planet list The Overstay if they sent someone to see it? Or is re-running another site’s review simply enough for them, since they’ll pick up a commission on bookings? Either way, somebody’s daughter is spending the night in a squat.

A room. A room?

To be fair, many people seem to dig the bohemian squat space, presumably because they’re sure of what they are getting into. For the right person, The Overstay may be heaven.

Juanluckey writes on The Overstay’s site, “I encourage this place to promote positivity, love, and if you have some creative art talent, that is even better.” TheLostNY describes it as a “diamond in the rough.”

So, we ask. When does spin become mistruth? Do booking sites have the responsibility to do any investigating, beyond what information the hostel provides them? Or does a person expecting clean sheets for $0.62 per night have it coming to them?

The Overstay. Charan Sanit Wong, Number 80-82 next to the Soi 40 in Pinklao, Bangkok. Phone : 028834836

Matador Is Hostel Happy

For a Bangkok hostel of different ilk, check out our review of the badly-named (but nevertheless-blissful) Lub*d. Our ever-popular guide to hostel sex is also out there, waiting for you to take it into a quiet corner. For some completely different crash-space, lend an eyeball to some of the coolest campers around.

Photo: bbaunach, Feature Photo: alan(ator)

What started out as sleazy adult fun meant to titillate and generate a little controversy could have unintended consequences as pervs of all stripes use the hotel’s floor to ceiling windows as a way to expose themselves to people of all ages, some still complying with the mandate that they not come within 100 yards of a school.

New York Magazine, along with the New York Post and various other blogs are reporting that visitors to the nearby High Line Park in the quickly gentrifying Meatpacking District in Manahattan are getting an eyeful as guests to the hotel deliberately create sexy spectacles for anyone to see – including families out for an evening stroll.

According to New York Post, visitors to the park have seen people deliberately putting on a show for them including a nude woman jumping on a trampoline and that, “[d]isgusted neighbors say they’ve seen men masturbating, professional porn films being shot and couples engaging in sex in full view of the stunning High Line park path running alongside.”

Community Connection

More interested in High Line Park than ever? Check out Julie Schwietert’s photo essay from its first days.

What do you think of this latest marketing gimmick? Expose your opinions in the comments field below!

What a flipping kitchen! Salmon dinner for under seven Euros? Score.

The guy in the TKA shirt lands his beer pong toss (“Take that mother…”) as the girl with curly hair is tongue-jamming her conquest, an Aussi guy who told me earlier that he was “gonna get that, mate.” A nineteen year old Canadian boy sits at the bar, downing shots of bottom-shelf rum.

He’s trying to keep up with the goopy-eyed girl from Portland who seems unable to discuss anything other than her boyfriend (“He totally lets me put eyeshadow on him.”). Somebody drops a glass. A pregnant pause. Then the whole place whoops as the party shifts into fifth gear.

The Villa Saint Exupery in Nice, France – recognized wordwide as classy dorm digs – is filled tonight with the same energy you’d feel at a Megadeth concert. This “relaxing” and “extraordinary” place is jammed with howling patrons who have a seemingly common purpose. Chaos.

It’s a real pity for the owners, who would probably be happier to have a clientele of calm, snifter-whiffing women in their thirties. There’s nothing that can disqualify soothing adjectives faster than a backpacker on the drink.

Still, there’s good reason that the hostel is sold out tonight – it does everything right. The staff is abundant, easily handling the 100+ residents in this converted monastery. They hand out maps and directions with less disdain than I’ve ever witnessed, answering the most routine questions with genuine smiles.

Forget your tampons? Rubbers? Pasta with sauce? No worries.

Two shuttle vans make nonstop runs to town and the airport. Laundry is washed and folded for five Euros. Vending machines sell anything that you could have forgotten back home, from shaving cream to condoms (mate).

Views of the Chapel which features an internet lab, an in-tune Piano and a rad fireplace.

A big, stainless steel kitchen gives plenty of room to move but few people make their own meals because the in-house chef (yes) is just so damned good. Eyes bulge at the heaping €6.50 dinner. On one occasion I was served roast veal with rosemary potatoes, ratatouille and green beans. The next night was some salmon concoction that looked straight a good episode of Top Chef. I caressed every piece of food with my fork before I ate it, just to make sure it was real and not some kind of too-long-on-the-road mirage.

The Chapel is the hostel’s star attraction. A massive room wrapped in a stained glass wall, it also features a balcony full of free, high-speed-charged computers. Strewn about are couches, a grand piano (in tune) and a wide-screen television. Outside of The Chapel are three sitting areas, one complete with a fireplace.

Instant Party and Disappearing Brownies

The bar is, as mentioned, quite alive. House beer and wine only relieve patrons of one Euro and late-night drinkers can always grab a brewskie from the vending machine. Plates of brick-sized brownies are also available at the bar, scarfed down as fast as they can be made. It’s the kind of room that is impossible to be lonely in.

The dorm rooms are a bit cramped, holding as many as thirteen beds. The designers realized that they weren’t going to win any prizes with the room space afforded to them, so they wisely opted to make the common areas so attractive that nobody would bother with beds, other than to sleep. Any complaints about the dorm rooms would seem common for most hostels – more showers, toilet paper, less inexperienced drinkers.

Chillout space? Check. A perfect place for a bottle of wine or a smoke.

The Villa Saint Exupery’s only downfall might not be its own doing. Reviews and articles about the hostel are so glowing that many people booking might not take into account that this is, after all, a playpen for backpackers.

Sadly, a dorm room is only as clean as its inhabitants.

It doesn’t matter how big the beds are – they’re still littered with empty peanut butter jars and Stephanie Meyer books.

The reviews give Saint Expupery a grand air – which it has in many ways – but no matter how you dress a hostel up, there’s still going to be the Australian dude slapping me on the back, talking about how he’ll get the girl who smells like Garniere Fructis.

A hostel is, still, just a hostel.

Community Connection:

Check out another one of our hostel raves, as well as our picks for best party hostels around the world. Our recent post about ’boutique hostels’ might also catch your eye, especially if you want to search for other hostels like Villa Saint Exupery.

St. Christopher’s. Photo: Skrivanet

St Christopher’s Inn Hostel at London Bridge has flipped on a few webcams, hoping to shed light on what really goes on inside of a dorm room. The thing is, most of us already know what happens – not much. Here are ten things that we expect to see on the hostel’s live cam:

1. The dazed glee of a person who has the room to themselves from 8:22-8:34pm and their sigh as three girls from Bakersfield show up at 8:35, like, ready to p-a-r-t-y.

2. People realizing that they left their toothbrush at the last hostel – again.

3. BIG fights between traveling couples on such exciting topics as the amount of time spent together, differing sightseeing agendas, Irish guys, why one bag is so damned heavy and who has to carry it, PMS – who has it and who’s a jerk for stooping to mention it, lost items and lack of funds.

4. A girl named Roberta furiously highlighting her Lonely Planet but never leaving the room.

There’s always one. Photo: Hollyswayne

5. The silent, unspoken struggle for electrical outlets, wherein an absent boarder has his iPod unplugged from the wall.

6. Young people vomiting cider, too inexperienced to know that it’s way too sweet to consume nine pints in one evening.

7. The tossing and turning that comes when the room has an early riser, most likely somebody in a panic because their flight leaves from Heathrow in sixty minutes (no chance).

8. Just exactly what the cleaning staff takes out of the garbage and keeps for themselves.

9. A condom accidentally flying onto the floor as a dude digs through his shower kit for something else, then the scramble that ensues to cover it up before anyone notices.

10. The solo sulking that happens when everyone in the room bonds with the exception of one traveler, who will be half-heartedly invited for drinks and not accept. This person will sit alone and read The Memory Keeper’s Daughter for three hours, then go to sleep.

Community Connection:

Matador is oozing with material about hostels. Check out our everlasting guide for hostel sex, as well as a take on how to make your hostel less hostile.

Hoping to see something more nefarious on St. Christopher’s webcam? Let’s hear about it in the comments below!

Design

This is the big shocker, the amount of time that went into laying the hostel out.  Its nouveau-industrial look gives off the feeling of a white-hot advertising agency rather than a bunk bed emporium.  High ceilings, distressed wood, blasted concrete and wide stairs all work exceedingly well together.

 Rooms

Not the hugest but certainly the neatest.  Big, thick mattresses and bedding that feels like it comes from The Martha Stewart Collection.  Couple that with unbelievably efficient air conditioning and that new-hotel smell…it’s a winner.

Safety

Lub*d is smartly located away from the Koh San Road glut, a safe walk from the Chong Nonsi BTS/Skytrain.  A digital room card taps open your room, as well as the main entrance.   Each room has a big safe.

 Bathrooms

A girl staying here told me that let out a moan when she saw them for the first time.  A huge sink, with actual mirrors, sits dead in the middle of the room.  It’s surrounded by sizeable showers, each with overhead spray-age and honest-to-Jesus hot water.  

 Computer Friendly

Nine laptops sit in the lobby, with free use for all guests.  Speedy WiFi is available in all of the rooms, free of charge.   Bigger plus – all rooms have oodles of electrical outlets.

 Touches

 The little things add up, from the way that the electrical outlets match items in the room, to the fun atmosphere of the lobby (which stocks board games showing no sign of disrepair, as well as a bar).

 The Only Downside

 Lub*d isn’t cheap, compared what you can find at guesthouses.  650 Baht will swing you a dorm bed.  A better bet is splitting a “twin rail room” with a friend, which ran two of us $1,200 Baht.  I felt that paying an extra 200 Baht was worth it, just so that I could go a whole night without seeing bamboo.

 Lub*d. 4 Decho (pronounced “Day-Show”) Road, Bangkok.  +66 (0) 2 634 7999  www.lubd.com

Feature Photo and Photo Above by Lola Akinmade

There has been no shortage of press surrounding the Boeing 747 jetliner that was converted to a hostel just outside of Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport. The Jumbo Hostel opened in January and Matador caught up with 36-year old entrepreneur and owner, Oscar Diös, to find out what all the fuss was about.

Matador: So which came first? The idea of converting a plane to a hostel or an available plane itself that spun the idea?

I currently own a hostel in Uppsala and was actually looking to expand my hostel business first. It was difficult finding buildings to convert to hostels within our budget.

Then someone told me about a Boeing 747 plane that was standing at the airport. At the time, the plane was not really available. We started investigating to see if it would be possible to turn it into a hostel by reviewing different layout designs. We really wanted to keep the windows to bring in a lot of light and have the rooms facing outwards.

Photo by Urban A.

Matador: You’ve been in the press a lot lately. What has the world’s reception been to your new hostel?

Very overwhelming but of course a lot of publicity about the project is always great. We’re working quite hard and it’s great to get positive feedback, especially from close friends who say “Oscar, this is actually pretty good.”

Aviation enthusiasts who have seen it are pleased that we’ve kept most of the layout of the plane. We’re also keeping the décor very simple. As you can see, we haven’t slapped a lot of posters and pictures up on the walls yet.

We’re taking it step by step to get a feel for what’s really needed in terms of interior design.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

Matador: This hostel sits just outside the airport, which is roughly 25 miles from Stockholm. Has the location been a negative issue for you? Were there other possible locations where you could have moved the plane?

We have a free shuttle bus from the airport terminals. From the airport, guests can catch trains and buses to Stockholm quite easily. There is a pedestrian walkway which is just 15 minutes from the airport. Of course, during the winter, the walkway is not very convenient.

This was the easiest location for us to keep the plane, because it’s just outside the airport security fence.

To keep within our budget, it became the best location for the plane.

The location has actually been excellent for publicity because it is very visible and an impressive sight from the highway as you approach the airport.

Matador: What has been the most impractical issue you’ve had to deal with while converting the plane?

Insulation and using all floor space in the best optimal way was the most difficult aspect of renovating. Because it is a Boeing 747 airplane, the walls curve outwards. Measuring all the walls and taking their curves into account when designing and fitting the rooms proved to be challenging.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

Matador: Why did you choose to call it “Hostel” as opposed to “Hotel?” Are you targeting a specific group of travelers? Are you worried you may exclude a certain group?

There are a ton of hotels near the airport but there aren’t any hostels. There have never been.

If we made it a hotel, then we won’t be as unique. I prefer to come in and bring something new, not just a plane but an actual hostel to the area.

So now we’re unique in two senses – we’re the first hostel and the first plane to provide lodging in the area.

Also, we prefer to be an up market, upscale hostel rather than a low market, low cost hotel. Jumbo Hostel serves as a two star hotel so we can be both to cater to various types of travelers who want to experience the plane.

Photo by Urban A.

Matador: Any more Jumbo Hostels in the works?

Yes, we’re already looking at possible expansion. This is the first one so we need to have a good reference point because for people, seeing is believing.

Finding the planes might not be that difficult but finding good locations at airports around the world might be more challenging and for that, we need this project to be the model for future reference.

The concept is similar to the boat hostels in Stockholm but this project is a lot bigger to renovate and design.

Taking a plane from a 490 passenger jet to a 72 guest hostel is quite a big difference.

Video Tour of the Jumbo Hostel

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Looking for some of the world’s best hostels? Check out Matador’s guide to the 20 craziest party hostels around the world.

Photo by Andrei Z. Feature photo by ImageMD.

You know about Art Basel and SCOPE, but some of the world’s best art fairs—and best art—can be found off these well-worn paths:

10. FEMACO

The Feria Mexico Arte Contemporaneo just celebrated its fifth year. A walk through the 2008 event, held at the spacious Centro Banamex in Mexico City, confirmed that the Mexican art scene embraces a vision much larger than its admirable tradition of mural art, exemplified by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Jose Clemente Orozco, and its propensity for self-inspection, a la Frida Kahlo.

In fact, the FEMACO fair is notable precisely for the fact that its exhibitors include not only the most respected Mexican galleries and the artists they represent, but also a surprising number of European galleries, particularly from Scandinavian countries.

Photo by Nahkahousu

FEMACO is truly an international art fair, and a visit to this fair can easily be extended into a longer vacation that immerses you in Mexico City’s rich tradition of artistic activity, as well as its bustling contemporary scene. Mexico City is my part-time home, so if you do visit next year’s FEMACO, be sure to check out my Green Guide to Mexico City and the Top 5 Ways to Experience Mexico City Like a Local.

9. CIRCA Art Fair

CIRCA has been incorrectly dubbed as the Caribbean’s first international art fair, which overlooks the fact that Havana has long sponsored a biennial that is respected around the world, but no matter: CIRCA is a highly respectable art fair entering its third year, and each year has been better than the one before.

What makes the CIRCA Art Fair a must-visit on the international art fair circuit is the fact that both gallery owners and artists are accessible to new and established collectors alike. The fair gets bonus points because of its strategic location: a new convention center placed at the crossroads between historic Old San Juan and the popular nightlife and beach destination, Condado.

Having called San Juan home for two and a half years, I know the area well. Check out my Green Guide to Puerto Rico and Top 10 Experiences in Puerto Rico Guide.

Photo by Naligum.

8. ARTSingapore

While the Shanghai Art Fair might be bigger and more popular, ARTSingapore offers an interesting alternative in Asia for collectors and browsers.

First, the fair is held in October, whereas many other international fairs are held in the late spring or early summer, so ARTSingapore is a welcome addition to the fall fair schedule.

The other attractive aspect of the ARTSingapore fair is the diversity of its exhibitors. The 2008 exhibitor list includes at least 22 galleries from Korea, a country often excluded from other fairs, and additional participants from Israel, Australia, and Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam, countries which also tend to be overlooked on the international art fair circuit.

Want some local news from Singapore? Contact Matador member Nora Dunn, whose current trip has her transiting through Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

Photo by Hiromy

7. Affordable Art Fair

If you’re not in the market to buy an artwork with an inflated price tag, this is the art fair for you.

Held each June in New York City, the premise of the Affordable Art Fair is simple: attract a new generation of art collectors by introducing art work that can be bought within the limitations of almost any budget.

Pieces range in price from $100 to $10,000, but don’t think that the low prices mean substandard art work. With more than 70 galleries representing artists from North and South America, Asia, and Europe, you’ll certainly find a selection of art that doesn’t just fit your budget, but also aligns with your tastes.

While you’re in town, take advantage of your visit and see how many of The 10 Best Experiences in New York City. Period you can check off my list.

6. Joburg Art Fair

2008 was the inaugural year of this latest art fair in an already crowded international art fair schedule, but is poised to quickly become the “IT” destination for purchasing contemporary African art.

The fair also promises to be interesting to watch for the political issues it raises regarding the way Africa is represented and represents itself before the world, as well as economic issues.

Get insiders’ tips from our resident South Africa expert, Ethekwinigirl.

Photo by Matthias Contze.

5. Art Dubai

It’s not hard to believe that Dubai is the latest go-to destination for art collectors; after all, this is the “city built for tourism” as a “playpen for the rich.”

But even if you can’t afford a single piece at the Art Dubai fair, you’ll surely enjoy taking in views of some of the most exciting and edgy art in the world, from the ironic “Desperately Seeking Paradise,” a curated exhibit of work from Pakistani artists, to the Bidoun Lounge, a site-specific installation serving both as bar and theatre for the exhibition of video works from Middle Eastern artists.

Learn more about Dubai before you go from Matador member, Abha, who lived in Dubai and is our resident expert on the city.

4. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair

Another young art fair, the DAAF also promises to be a hot fair within the next few years.

Held in Darwin City, Australia, the DAAF is smaller than most international art fairs in terms of the number of exhibitors it includes in its schedule, but it’s also much more intentional about who it includes and why: only artists, galleries, and community based arts centers who can verify the provenance of the art work as justly acquired from indigenous and Aboriginal peoples.

Many artists are on hand to talk about their work. The diversity of the work itself is another reason to recommend this fair: in addition to paintings on canvas, collectors can acquire bark paintings, timber and metal sculptures, didjeridus, fiber arts, and jewelry.

Get some travel tips from Australia experts and be sure to check out the blog of Matador’s Australian expat, croftyangel, who reports about life down under.

3. The Moscow World Fine Art Fair

It’s likely you won’t be able to purchase a piece at this fair unless your pockets are deep, but that’s part of the fun of this particular art fair.

Attracting the growing nouveau riche class of art collectors from Russia and Asia, the Moscow FAF is as much about people-watching as it is about analyzing art.

Beyond the social value of this art fair, it’s one of the few fairs that have such a broad scope of artistic genres and works from various periods, ranging from antiquity to the present.

The location is interesting, too: poised between the Kremlin and Red Square, the Moscow FAF is pure fun. Matador member ZTP Teo has lived in Moscow; hit him up for some local recommendations.

Photo by 101 Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair.

2. 101 Tokyo

Fresh from its wildly successful first year, the 101 Tokyo Art Fair has already outgrown its host space and will be expanding in 2009, including 60 national and international galleries.

The list of first year exhibitors proves that the 101 Tokyo organizers are clearly able to collect an impressive range of galleries and genres under a single roof; the 2009 fair promises to be even more exciting.

Contact Matador’s Tokyo expert, Masaya, if you plan to visit this fair.

1. Toronto International Art Fair

TAF nabs the number one spot on our list because its organizers clearly concern themselves with much more than just selling art; they organize the fair to stimulate conversation about art by introducing a series of special projects intended to engage both serious collectors and first-time browsers alike.

The vast majority of exhibitors are Canadian galleries, suggesting that TIAF sticks with what it knows best: its own country’s art. Finally, like ARTSingapore, TIAF is held in October, a strategically smart move that minimizes competition.

Check out Matador member Travelflare’s guide, 5 Reasons to Visit Toronto.

Community Connection

Want to find local art fairs in the US? Check out ArtFairCalendar. For a list of other arts fairs around the world, check out Art Fairs International.

Photo by crashmattb

Let’s be clear: This is not a guerrilla guide to Nashville’s secret underground indie-rock haunts or its little-known hipster underbelly.

No. This is a guide to the Nashville you’ve always known existed, but probably never thought was worth visiting. It’s a Nashville full of corny cowboy merchandise, country music at full blast, and middle-aged RVers from Indiana. It’s also a helluva good time.

The Pitch

Once upon a time, country music was officially known as “hillbilly music” on the Billboard charts – and the reputation has stuck. Making an occasional exception for suitably counter-cultural types like the Dixie Chicks, hipster music critics won’t touch the stuff – and in the same way, too-cool travel types don’t often make the trek to country’s mecca, Nashville, aka Music City, USA.

But country has a rich heritage and a vital modern scene. It’s also quite possibly the greatest drinking music of all time. Frankly, Hank Williams Jr. is to beer-guzzling what Bob Marley is to ganja-smoking.

So come on down, hit Nashville’s finest honky-tonks, and throw back a Bud or three. Soon enough, you too might have some new friends in low places.

Where To Go

“They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway,” the old song goes. “They say there’s always magic in the air.”

Sure, the song’s about a musician trying to make it big in New York City, but it might just as well be about Nashville. Broadway forms the heart of the downtown scene. Live music spills out of several blocks worth of bars; the party gets going early and doesn’t stop till “early” comes around again.

Most places have no cover; the bands play for tips only, and no one pressures you to keep buying drinks non-stop – though if you’d like to, no one will stop you, either!

Be sure to hit Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, a historic dive that can claim legends like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Patsy Cline as past customers. Live bands play upstairs and down, from the early afternoon to the wee hours. The place draws a mixture of country music pilgrims, curious tourists, and die-hard locals, and can morph from a quiet sit-down scene to a foot-stomping dance floor almost without warning. It’s at 5th and Broadway.

Next on the strip is Robert’s Western World, a more laid-back place with an older crowd and talented cover bands playing traditional country: think more Hank Williams Sr. and less Lynyrd Skynyrd. It’s between 4th and 5th on Broadway.

Take a left on 2nd to hit the Wildhorse Saloon – one of the few places to charge cover. It’s got more of a nightclub vibe, with a young crowd, new country on the stereo system, and free line-dancing lessons on the floor.

Across the street from the Wildhorse, the Buck Wild Saloon is a karaoke joint, and a great place to end your night. Had enough liquid courage that you want to take your own shot at “Folsom Prison Blues”? This is the spot to do it. Be forewarned, though: On most nights there’s enough undiscovered talent rocking the mic in this place to fill an American Idol episode.

These are just a few of Broadway’s party possibilities – take a wander and see which honky-tonk is the happeningest on the night you’re in town!

Photo by mlsj_photos

Practicalities

Most of the live music venues serve food, too. There’s a Pita Pit on 2nd for a quick bite to go, and a BB King’s across the street for the chain-restaurant take on classic Southern dishes. Big River, at 1st and Broadway, is another decent dining option with great local microbrew.

As you might expect, downtown Nashville’s hotels are pricey, the usual bland big-name chains. They’re well-located if you can split with friends, though. The city’s official tourism site has info on special offers, and a booking system.

There are also a couple of hostels around the fringes of downtown – Music City Hostel is within striking distance of the Broadway bar strip.

You can take your pick of the cheap motels on any of the highways coming into town, but you’ll need a DD or a couple of steep cab rides. Demonbreun, one street over parallel to Broadway, has plenty of parking lots between 12th and 8th – you can pay around $10 and leave your car overnight, only a few blocks from the main strip. Another option is to check out Couchsurfing for well-located locals.

For the truly bad-ass budget party hound, Nashville’s Greyhound station is in the heart of the city, at Demonbreun and 8th. So if you’re really worried about blowing too much cash on cabs and hotels, you can roll into town in the early afternoon, party through the night, and stagger back to the bus station with the sunrise.

Feature photo by Marcus Correa. Photo above by carf.

Where to Stay

In Lapa, you’ll pay a fraction of the price that you would pay at one of the Ipanema or Copacabana high-rises and you’ll be close to the best all-night party. This way you can bus it to the beaches during the day. Otherwise, you’ll end up taking a taxi to Lapa at night.

You can prebook a hostel, like Brazil Hostel or Rio Hostel. If you like to travel by the seat of your pants, drop into one of Lapa’s love motels. They are cheaper than hostels, have private bathrooms, and you don’t have to book a package if you’re not staying all four nights.

Check out the Nova Mundo. It’s got balconies, radios, TV’s and big mirrors. Note there is also an upscale Hotel Nova Mundo in Flamengo, so if you hop in a cab, make sure you specify Motel Nova Mundo in Lapa.

Where to Party

If you want to watch Carnival, go to the Sambadrome. If you want to be in Carnival, stick to the streets. Keep your ears open for blocos, foot parades in which locals dance up and down the street to the beats of a truck top samba band. Beer carts follow.

Some good ones go up Rio Branco, the main street of downtown Rio, as well as Lapa and Santa Teresa. Copacabana has a wild one and Ipanema has a great gay party.

Samba Cheap Seats

You’re going to want to check out the Sambadrome at least one night. Plan to go when Mangueira or Beija Flor parade, but don’t buy expensive tickets ahead of time. Show up around 6:00 PM and get them from a scalper. They shouldn’t be more than 15 reais per ticket. Say “Mais barato possível.”

Banda Beija-Flor percussionist. Photo by carf.

Eats

Try açaí (Ah-sai-ee) from corner side juice stops. Order açaí na tigela com banana e granola. It’s a great energizing food on a hot day. If you don’t like it the first time, eat it two more times and I guarantee you’ll be addicted.

On the street, eat meat on a skewer dipped in farofa, ground flour from the manioc root. Other good snacks to fill your belly between drinks are misto quentes (grilled ham and cheese),presunto e queijo joelho (ham and cheese wrap), or frango com catipury (chicken and creamy cheese), and pastel com queijo (fried pastry with cheese).

In a restaurant, try isca de peixe com molho rose (fried fish pieces with mayo and ketchup sauce) aipim frito (fried yucca), and picanha, or filet mignon, the best cuts of meat.

Digs

Skol is the Carioca favorite. To order, just twirl your finger in a circular motion.

Only we, as foreigners, really drink more than one caipirinha–cachaça with sugar, lime and ice. They will put you down. Caipivodkas, made with vodka instead of cachaça, are a little smoother.

Capetas are devilishly delicious—vodka, condensed milk, vanilla, guaraná powder, and cinnamon shaken with ice. Batidas are fruity and creamy. I like guaraná soda and vodka. Hydrate with água de coco beachside from a green coconut.

How to Be and How Not to Be

Dance. Don’t worry if you can’t samba; just move your feet, work up a sweat and smile. Brazilians want you to enjoy their culture.

Don’t be afraid to participate in what I call “the kissing game.” All year long, visions of Carnival dance in Brazilian boys’ heads, the one time of year when they will get to kiss—a lot. Boys, that goes for you too.

Pre/Post Party

In Rio, the party doesn’t stop, especially between November-March. If you happen to be in Rio the months leading up to Carnival, go to a Samba school on a Saturday night. Mangueira, Beija Flor, and Sangueira are the most well-known, but don’t overlook the small ones, like Princesa Isabella.

If you miss the floats during Carnival, the winners parade once more the following Saturday. This is when most Cariocas go. And sunrise from Copacabana is always good to go.

Community Connection

Visiting Brazil but not during Carnival? Check out our guide to the best venues and shows in Bahia.

Studying (or thinking about studying) in Brazil? Check out the Best Places to Study in Brazil.

Finally, for dozens of blogs, plus feature articles, local experts, travelers currently in Brazil, as well as volunteer opportunities and more, check out our Brazil page at Matador.

Photo by jongos

Everyone wants to party on the road but with a million hostels in the world, where should you go?

I’ve searched high and low, drank with the best of them, and endured sleepless nights by the toilet to find the best party hostels out there.

Here are twenty that will keep you drinking, dancing, flirting, and hugging the porcelain goddess until the sun comes up:

Surf N’ Sun

Location: Gold Coast, Australia.

With a swimming pool and open courtyard, the Surf N’ Sun packs the young, the wild, and the alcoholic.

Bar Crawls take place every night and the hostel offers punch and free club entry. Boxes of goon start flowing late afternoon when people come back from the beach.

The Clown and Bard

Location: Prague, Czech Republic

With a 36 person dorm room, this place is always hopping. There’s a bar downstairs with a two for three happy hour beginning at 7pm and a live band filling the air.

Music gets blasting and four deck games of Kings have been known to break out as people forget there’s a city outside the hostel. If you’re in the 36 bed dorm, bring earplugs as this place does not follow any of the hostel sex rules.

The Flying Pig

Photo by fatalfuj

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

With its bar and pillow lounge, the Flying Pig is the spot for those looking to channel their inner Bob Marley. There’s a constant cloud of smoke seeping out into streets at all hours of the day and night. Don’t worry if you run out- there are two coffeeshops across the street!

Base

Location: Melbourne, Australia

Base features a downstairs club that pumps out music every night. You won’t get any sleep as the music filters up the floors and entices you to come down and party until dawn.

The young and the restless fill the dance floor after drinking pitchers of beer and cheap, colorful shots. There’s usually theme and karaoke nights that let you embarrass your self all night long.

Loki

Photo by obvio171

Location: Cusco, Peru

Located in a 450 year old building, Loki is known throughout South America for its parties. With regular events, an open lounge, and theme nights, I wouldn’t expect any sleep here either. The bar is regularly packed so tight, you’ll be practically grinding against your neighbor.

#11 Happy Guesthouse

Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Why: Located by the lake in Phnom Penh, #11 Happy Guesthouse features a huge patio, two big screen TVs, a pool table, and one dollar beers. Always packed, this hostel is filled with the party seekers who spend their days sightseeing and night drinking beer before heading to the infamous Heart of Darkness.

St. Christopher’s Inn

Location: London, England

A bar, karaoke, cheap drinks, and a license to go until 4am all means that this hostel is bursting with partygoers and one the busiest in London. After you drink it down, you can take it off at the rooftop hot tub. People here know where the action is and if you play your cards right, it just might be your room.

Kabul

Photo by foraggio

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Located in the center of Las Ramblas, Kabul has a very open second floor where all parties happen. Happy hour officially begins at 7, which is usually a few hours after everyone wakes up.

With a reputation for partying, this place keeps drawing those who start partying at 2 a.m. and sleep until 2 p.m. This place gives new meaning to the term “late night.” I was called a quitter for sleeping at 5 a.m.

The Rising Cock

Location: Lagos, Portugal

The Rising Cock is infamous for its parties and it’s well deserved. Two things happen at the Rising Cock: drinking and drinking.

Start your day with the hostel’s booze cruise on which the majority of people get naked, and then keep the partying going with drinking games at the hostel. If you can’t handle 24 hour partying, this hostel is not for you.

The Pink Palace

Location: Corfu, Greece

The Pink Palace is one of the world’s most famous party hostels in the world and with good reason: toga parties, cheap shots of ouzo, happy hours, and theme nights. After a day at the beach (which is just minutes away) or their booze cruise, you’ll be spending the night dancing at their club, Palladium, until the sun comes up.

The hostel has over 300 beds- there’s a good chance, you might not end up in yours!

The Treehouse

Photo by prufrock27

Location: Ko Chang, Thailand

Every night is a bucket night at the Treehouse, and it’s the perfect blend of a relaxed hippy vibe and partying with a very active dance floor and a lot drinking. This place has all the ambiance you need and you don’t have to stay there to party there. People trickle in from all over to have fun, making this a hotspot on Lonely Beach.

The Yellow

Location: Rome, Italy

With a bar downstairs and semi-nightly pub crawls, it’s pretty easy to meet people at the Yellow. It’s not a huge hostel either making the close quarters also convenient for meeting fellow travelers.

Ostello Archi Rossi

Location: Florence, Italy

This place has been popular for a long time as evident by the walls covered by the names of past guests. A big courtyard and common dining area keep people mingling and drinking vino rossi.

There are some clubs down the street and, when they close, you can move back to the courtyard to keep the party going. The rooms are a little away from the action so you can actually get some sleep if you want.

Wombats

Photo by gpwarlow

Location: Berlin, Germany

Known for its partying, Wombats rarely sees anyone over 25. With an ultra-chic bar, everyone breaks out their best attire and pickup skills here. Cheap drinks keep travelers mingling all night long. If you can’t meet anyone here, you can’t meet anyone anywhere.

The Jazz on South Beach

Location: Miami, Florida USA

Located right near the beach, The Jazz on South Beach has an excellent bar that hosts the bold and beautiful of South Beach. This is the place to stay if you’re looking to be seen in South Beach.

Carnival Court

Location: Capetown, South Africa

There’s no chance of a good night’s sleep at Carnival Court. Located near a lot of bars (there’s also a bar in the hostel), this place is a hangover waiting to happen.

It’s wild here and everyone is looking to break a new drinking record. The staff will point you in the direction of the parties but you just might have trouble walking there as the fun here starts well before the sun goes down.

Millhouse Hostel

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

The music is on 24-hours a day at the Millhouse and the atmosphere is extremely social! Each night has a different activity such as dance party, karaoke night, and tango lessons.

Definitely a hostel for those that want non-stop fun and excitement right at home! Most commonly heard line: “Were those moans from the porno shop next store or did you get lucky last night?”

Auckland Central Backpackers

Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Located right down town, this hostel draws upon the fact its part of the Base chain. That means all the craziness of Melbourne spills over with people getting down and dirty all night long. It will give you another reason to keep staying longer in Auckland. !

India House

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

A funky converted house that was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, the India House features eccentric local characters and travelers who just can’t leave. Maybe it’s Bourbon St. Maybe it’s the jazz. Maybe it’s the beer vending machine in the kitchen. Whatever it is, people here know how to have a good time.

Tina’s Backpackers

Location: Caye Caulker, Belize

Located right on the beach, Tina’s Backpackers keeps people in close quarters. Everyone here is into island living – sun by day, drink by night.

Though the crowd tends to be a bit older (30ish), you wouldn’t know it by the way people party here. It is way off the beaten path but it’s worth it.