Yo Ho Hostel

Since it was my first hostel stay, I wasn't quite sure what to expect 🙈. The staff were friendly and helpful, and after checkout they let me leave my luggage at reception for free. It's fine for a couple of nights, but there's very little comfort. The top bunk was hard to climb into and even harder to get down from. The showers and toilets felt unhygienic, smelled of urine, and the water drained slowly. For just a couple of nights, it's okay, and you can shower at the beach.

The staff were lovely, and the location is hard to beat: right by Church of the Mother of God, the main church, and about a 10-minute walk from the beach. I found the combined shower and toilet kind of nasty, though. Aside from that, it's a great place to stay.

I mainly worried about my safety sharing a room with this man. He was drunk, kept trying to talk to me despite the language barrier, and repeatedly offered to shake my hand. I noticed he seemed not to want to stay there and had tried to move, but wasn't allowed. I asked reception whether I could change rooms temporarily, but they didn't offer a solution. If that hadn't happened, or if he had simply been a fellow traveler who snored, I wouldn't have minded. The toilet was also often left with poop unflushed, probably because it was clogged, but that wasn't what bothered me. Bring noise-canceling headphones.

The old building has a lot of charm, and the common spaces were okay. I liked the practical kitchen, which had enough equipment, and the shared area was nice for meeting people, with tables, a sofa, board games, and a balcony. The location was convenient and pleasant, near public transport in a busy area. The staff were very friendly. The room needed more care and maintenance, unfortunately. Its window barely shut, there were lots of spiders, and the mattress was really unclean. The sheets were clean, but barely fit the bed.