Luoyang Yijia International Youth Hostel

The location made getting around easy. There are several buses, and I never had trouble finding a cab. A good supermarket is close by, with almost everything you need and extra stalls outside selling electronics and tech. The people there were polite and helpful. There are lots of tasty street kitchens nearby, and the food didn’t upset my usually Western stomach. Another, larger supermarket is easy to reach, and a huge mall is about eight minutes away by cab. It had pretty much everything, even clothes in bigger sizes, which can be hard to find in China. The Old Town is a must-see and about a 10-15 minute walk away. There’s also a large crafts and antiques market. Almost across from the hostel is a youth plaza where events are held, along with phone shops for topping up a local Chinese mobile card and a nice tea house. The hostel can arrange bus trips, for example to the famous Shaolin-temple. It isn’t far, but getting there as a tourist is more complicated than reaching the city’s own sights. I stayed here for a few months in early 2011 and got an upgrade because of the length of my stay. For a hostel, the room was spacious and extremely clean, with good furniture. There was a large desk with a TV on it, 24 or more channels, no foreign channels, but one Chinese news channel in English. The bed was roomy, with two bedside tables and a low cupboard. I also had my own bathroom with a sink, toilet, and open shower. As is usual in China, the bed was very hard. I stayed through and after Chinese New Year, when it was very cold. The building wasn’t well insulated, so the exterior walls were cold. Heating came from the air conditioning and was mostly enough. Getting a second thick blanket wasn’t a problem. The staff were extremely nice. The boss and at least two staff members spoke English very well, though the night shift spoke only Chinese. I’d recommend learning at least basic Chinese if you travel to Luoyang on your own, anyway. There was always hot water in large cans you could carry up to your room, or use to wash clothes for a small fee in the hostel’s top-loading machines on the first floor. The reception had a small shop selling washing powder, drinks, and other little things. There was a restaurant, though I couldn’t figure out its opening hours. A kitchen was there too, but it wasn’t for shared use. The staff used it for regular Chinese cooking classes, which people joined with a lot of enthusiasm and fun. Even though the main gate was almost always open, the hostel felt very safe. I didn’t see any outsiders who didn’t belong there. Once I forgot to lock my room with my laptop inside and nothing happened. I can’t say that about most European hostels I’ve stayed in. I’d recommend this hostel. It’s safe, inexpensive, and well located, and the staff are nice and reliable. I recommend visiting during New Year.