Hostel that I have Stayed During my Trip and a Little Bit of Review - Solo Female Muslim Traveler (1)

First of all, I personally think hostel is the best option to stay when you travel solo in Europe. Most likely you will have companion (I would like to say 80% - 70% chance, it depend on your vibes, but mostly people in the hostel will talk to you and you probably also talk to them. It depends do you need companion or not, you can always say yes, or no). So solo traveling is not always "solo", there is an art behind it. 

Before jumping to the post, why I recommend hostel so much due to the fact that

1) Usually you will meet people (if you hate being alone, this is good for you).

2) Usually they have receptionist 24/7, so basically even if you arrive pretty late there will always someone that greet you. This is one of the culture shock in Europe probably because nothing is 24/7 even Hotel receptionist, so you need to make sure that you are checking in "inside" they house rules. Sometimes when you arrive pretty late, you can't do check in. That is why usually when I arrive late, I always send them email/or text basically saying I will be there "late" for the check in. 

3) Usually they have the bag storage. This is going to be useful if you are basically arrive early or going out the city late. I am a person that has the most trust issue with the luggage and sometimes I did not trust lockers. So I prefer to put them in the hostel with people which later I can always come back to pick them up. I also hates the hassle on contacting airbnb guy to pick my bag. I like the flexibility on having the bag storage so hostel is a steal.

4) They have kitchen / common area. When I travel solo 30% of my travel .. I basically work. So I love to use common area to just work or study. And kitchen is very useful so I did not need to buy food outside everyday. I think its a luxury to always eat in a restaurant because you can spend 20-30Euro per meal or 10-15Euro for fast food. By always eating outside 50-100Euro per day is easily spend which I think unnecessary.

So in this post I will post some of the hostel that I stayed and I will try to review them. 

PS. I only stay in FEMALE Only dorm, for my own comfort, so all the review is under "Female Only Room". And these all based on my opinion and experience, so please take it with a grain of salt.

1. The Passenger Hostel Porto, Portugal

Rating : 9/10

I have no expectation when I book this hostel. I arrived from Santiago pretty late, so I need Hostel in Porto,Portugal that has 24/7 receptions and near the station. This hostel literally located "inside" Sao Bento Station, Porto. When I book a female dorm, it was very cheap like 15 Euro with breakfast! (But It was January, so yes, low season).

Room: It was a 10-Bed Female Dormitory, but I was very surprised that it was quite spacious, clean and it has curtain for some privacy. They have very big locker and the room + locker was electronically secure with the electronic bracelet. So yes. this dorm looks "old" in a glance but very high-tech inside. You can access the room and the locker with specific bracelet that they gave you.

Breakfast / Common Area / Kitchen : The free breakfast WAS REALLY GOOD. I would like to say it was proper open breakfast you can refill your plate all you want, sadly I have no photos because it was packed during my breakfast. They have big common area for you to work or do anything and also very complete kitchen where you can cook your own meal.

Storage : I also leave my bag with them after check out. They have no storage room, so do not leave any thing precious. Just bag, with clothes. But they take it with no charge and they were willing to keep it with them. 

Toilet & Bath : The toilet and shower room was very-very clean. The hot water works well. They also has some spaces for you to dress up and dry your hair (they left the hair dryer there so everyone can use), and also in the shower they kind a have multipurpose bath product so it was quite nice. 

Public Transport Access: The easiness to access the public transport you can't doubt them. It was very easy, it was inside the station!.

I give them 9/10 because they have no real storage room / lockers and its quite hard to find it in the first glance (they look like cafe from outside! Fancy!). But to be honest for the price it was fantastic I will give them 10/10. Not every dorm has curtain, so I am really appreciating the curtain!

Photos (taken by me)

The magic locker that can be open with an electronic bracelet! Very cool!

2. Youth Hostel Brixen, Bressanone, Sud-Tyrol, Italy

Rating 8/10

Finding Hostel or accommodation in general in Sud Tyrol might be difficult, it was full jam packed usually with German and Austrian Tourist. I found hostel in a unique way because my friend and I was kind desperate to do this trip, and we were kind a pushing ourselves to find something. Then I go to google and just try to type "Hostel" and found the Youth Hostel Bolzano.

I found their website but I don't know how to book, so I just randomly email them asking for enquiry. Surprisingly on August they were full, but then they refer us to their hostel chain in Brixen or Bressanone, it is still in Sud-Tyrol and they said they were available for 34Euro per person per night (so it was 72 euro for both of us with tax, but this one was not bunked bed, this one was room with double bed for two. So then we stayed in Youth Hostel Brixen. By the way the breakfast was included in the price.

The booking experience was pretty unique because you basically just email your name, date and enquiry and they will book for you. No payment in advance. 

Room: It was a room with 2 bed with private bath. The room was very nice and spacious and the view was amazing I would say. Unfortunately I have no picture but it was new, clean and sleek I would say. You will different keys to open the front door (to enter the reception area) and your door, because it was going to be locked I think around 22:00, so bring your key with you always (some people might found this inconvenient).

Breakfast / Common Area / Kitchen : The free breakfast was GOOD. I would like to say it was okay, most likely sweets. You can get a lot of different sweet if you like and different kind of drink, it was also open space so unlimited. They small have common area and also small kitchen where you can cook your own meal. It was small but I don't think a lot of people using it. My friend and I was there at 07:00am to cook indomie for Lake Braiess. So yess Braiess with Indomie! We have chicken left over as well so we kind a pack everything for this trip.

Storage : We didn't bring a lot of stuff so we didn't leave anything with them. But! This hostel reception was not 24/7 so if you want to leave early and leave your bag you probably need to put it when the hostel reception was there. 

Toilet & Bath : The toilet and shower room was okay, its quite spacious. The hot water works well. There was no towel or multipurpose bath so bring yourself bath-necessities.

Public Transport Access: You need to walk I think 15-20minutes depending on your speed to the station. 

I give them 8/10 because the view is fantastic! and the room was so spacious it was like "hotel" than a hostel I would say. Because I was expecting it to be like a school dorm. Which wasn't! The downside you need to email them for enquiry with no booking website makes it kind a "hard" to predict the availability of the hostel. And I think they have no female-only dorm but single bedded room with breakfast is 36Euro! I think for Bolzano area its kind a fantastic. The fact the receptionist is not 24/7 also makes you need to kind a adjust your travel accordingly. 

Unfortunately I have no room photos :< please forgive me!

3. Dast Nest Hostel - Budhapest, Hungary

Rating 6.5/10

Wow, the rating was kind a downhill wasn't it? Lets see what happen. When I booked it, it was like 9Euro? it was very cheap!

Room: It was a room with a female dorm with 4 beds. I was the first one arrived but they gave me the top bed (usually I can pick which one, but never mind). The mind-blowing thing was that they did not give you the key for the room, so it was kinda "open". So I was a bit scared hoping people will come after me otherwise I was so scared. The bed was okay, the room was a little bit old I would say and was not the cleanest but okay. The electric plug near my bed on the top was not working, so I got to be creative. I took the extension for the sleeping lamp and then create a set up for myself. They have the "wooden locker" under the bed (you can see from the photos), it was quite heavy but I would not leave my things there. 

Breakfast / Common Area / Kitchen : They have big common area and kitchen I would say, quite fancy and nice. But there were a lot of people using it and I did not cook a lot in Budapest since it was pretty cheap if I compared it to other EU country so I eat out to the fullest.

Storage : I didnt leave anything with them, but I think they can hold your bag after check out.

Toilet & Bath : There were no women/men separation for the bath. It was practically for everyone so it was kind a "battle". My trick  - I usually wake up very early (in the eye of European like at 6am to take a bath) because nobody will be awake during that time and practically it will be empty. At night sometimes it was kind a hard because everyone wants to go to party and they start to take a bath around 22:00-23:00. 

Public Transport Access: This area was nice and safe but I would say don't go alone in the deep night on the street of Budapest, you will never knew. 

I give them 6.5/10 because mainly the room has no lock! I was in a culture shock. What if a bear open my room and want to eat my gado-gado when I was sleeping. Another downside of this hostel also it was kind a hard to find, and you need to go inside an old building very mysterious one, because this hostel was inside a regular old apartment complex! So when I walked in I saw a grandpa with no T-shirt brushing his teeth, staring at a girl with hijab walking down his apartment complex. What a scene!

By the way the first night in Budapest I was cruising so I was kind a late to arrive back in hostel and it did not feel the nicest when I walk back home. 

4. Hostel Tabor, Ljubjana, Slovenia

Rating 8/10

It was very scary when I booked this hostel because the picture was very old and if I can be honest the place looks awful in the photos (you can check them on google). But I have a faith it was not that bad because it has 4.2 ratings on google. It was around 18Euro per night I think which was very good for summer for a bed in 3 bed female room including breakfast. 

But when I arrived, I was very surprised. It was not bad at all. In fact, it was fantastic. They have all facilities like common area, washing machine, luggage room and they even have activities like free tours from the hostel. They have 24/7 receptionist during summer so I think it will be fine to check-in whenever you like.

Room: It was a room with 3 bed for female. The room was very nice and spacious. It was like a student dorm with a big desk and big lockers (It was not a bunk-bed style). They have plugs but it was not beside your bed, but it was totally fine. The place is spacious and clean. The lockers were very big. There was no AC, but you didnt really need one for summer in Slovenia.

Breakfast / Common Area / Kitchen : The free breakfast was SUPER. I would like to say I missed my first day of breakfast because I thought it was going to be only one piece of bread and I need to leave early for Bled. So I skip the "good part" it was more like a canteen food with more options.They have eggs, bread, milk, cereals, and basically you can load your tray as you wish but you couldnt take them home. 

The common area is huge and also the kitchen is very proper. I did not really use them (didn't know why!) I was struggling to eat in Slovenia, I should just cook something. But I think during that summer trip "cooking" wasn't my thing yet and I was tired hiking and stuff so I just want to grab something quick. 

Storage : They have big room to keep your stuff and yes its free of charge.

Toilet & Bath : The toilet and shower room was nice, its quite spacious. The hot water works well. There was no towel or multipurpose bath so bring yourself bath-necessities. There were no women/men separation for the bath. So everyone in the floor can use the bath. But I always bath when its empty using the early morning trick! 

Public Transport Access: You need to walk I think 30minutes depending on your speed to the station. I walk everywhere in Ljubjana, its pretty walkable.

I give them 8/10 because for the price it was too good I think, especially the surprising breakfast. This hostel was very popular even among families, so it most likely always fully booked. Very-very recommended.

Again I have no photos of the room, I think mainly for the privacy issue I don't want to take pic when there is someone around. 

But yes, that's it for part 1- stay tune in part 2!