Pilgrims Hostel

The restaurant downstairs was a nice surprise, with curries priced well for the Fort where food can get really expensive. The beds were comfortable, and the rooms have AC, though it only runs for limited hours. There are lockers for bags and personal things. Bathrooms are basic, and there’s a water leak on the stairs that feels dangerous. It’s inside the fort walls and about a 15-minute walk from the train station. The pin on Maps Me is off, but the place is nearby. There’s also a good sunset spot close by.

The toilet doors need fixing. They don’t latch properly, so they can swing open while you’re using the bathroom. Downstairs, the shared restaurant and lounge is rather small and gets cramped when the hostel is full. It was fairly quiet for the first few days, which suited me. On my last day it got very busy, and I liked that less, though if I’d been in the mood it could’ve been a nice chance to meet people. The hostel’s in a handy spot in the fort, with the seaside just a short walk away.

The beds are unusually wide and long for a hostel, so I slept really comfortably. Each one has its own fan at the end and power sockets along the side, and there’s a locker in the shower area for every guest, big enough for a backpack. It’s right in the middle of Galle Fort and a great deal for budget travellers wanting to stay central. The restaurant downstairs does a really tasty rice and curry, and at around 450 baht it was the cheapest meal I found in the Fort. Other places there cost much more.

We had a lovely, relaxed dinner at Pilgrim Hostel. The six-curry special with rice was delicious, with the chicken pretty spicy and the rest mild. We also had hummus to start, then tuna steak with chips and salad. Great atmosphere for taking it easy over dinner.