Mad Monkey Luang Prabang

We had a small hiccup with a tour booked through the hostel, but the staff, especially the manager Luis, were so kind and helpful. They listened, took it seriously, and sorted it out. The service was amazing. We enjoyed staying here, with good pre-games and nice showers 😄

The volunteers made it a great time. V, Waikauri, and the guy running karaoke, whose name I've forgotten, organised events and sent us photos. Karaoke was fun, and the overall vibe was great. Most evening activities involved a lot of drinking, which felt a bit much for us, though we expected that. The free drinking water at Mad Monkey hostels is a huge bonus. Staff were quick and helpful when someone blocked a toilet with tissue paper. We enjoyed the free, slightly chaotic trip to the light festival. Booking directly has perks: our first stay got us a discount, and members get extended happy hour, which we haven't used yet. Since we've now stayed in both Mad Monkey hostels in Laos, we're both "Maddest Monkeys". That means free bar crawl entry once a month and a free stay in the next new country we visit, likely Vietnam. We booked trips elsewhere because some were cheaper, and the laundry seemed overpriced for the area. We would have liked a separate smoking area, since the smell made eating and drinking there uncomfortable and sent us elsewhere for food. One dorm shower seemed to have only cold water, and another dorm's Wi-Fi was quite spotty. We stopped here as a couple and really enjoyed our stay. Thanks for a great time, Ceri and Ben.

The room wasn't huge, but there was loads of storage space around each bed. I fit all my things there without needing the lockers or floor. The pool and bar were nice extras. It's a bit out of the way, but otherwise a decent choice. Permanent staff and volunteers were lovely and helpful. Jue was especially friendly and helped me book my onward transport. She does a good job with housekeeping, too.

A great place with good facilities, and the free beer from 7:00 PM-7:30 PM is a real treat for a budget backpacker like me. The highlights were hosts Waikauri, a Kiwi icon 🇳🇿, and Jack, who gives a propa beard trim and is great at darts.