MoHo Moalboal Hostel

I haven't stayed at this hostel, but I had a great time at its Thursday quiz night. The free drink is from 8-8:30, then the quiz gets going. It runs a bit late for me, and I saw quite a few people leave as the evening went on. You might begin with a big team and end up on your own by the end. I'd just prefer an earlier start, that's my opinion.

There's a large open area to relax, and a food court with more than a dozen takeaway choices right next door. The rooms and showers were clean and well maintained. Staff knew a lot about local activities, and the markup on things booked through the hostel seemed to be the smallest I'd heard of. The owner was friendly and put on a 30-minute open bar every night. It's hard to think of much a hostel could do better.

I wouldn't stay here again. The dorm and beds were fine, but the bathrooms and toilets were dirty and barely cleaned, which felt unacceptable for a hostel. Loud music from the bar next door went on late every night, making it impossible to sleep early. What made the place feel unsafe was seeing the owner punch a drunk guest unconscious for no clear reason. I don't recommend staying here.

Several guests discovered on the same evening that cash had been taken from their bags. Other people found their padlocked bags looking as if someone had tried to force them open. Lockers were available, but one guest left a bag on her bed behind closed curtains for only 10 minutes while showering, and returned to find all her cash gone. When the guests reported it at reception, they got a blunt response that lockers were provided and it wasn't the hostel's problem. Staff said this had never happened before, but we later learned that wasn't true: a guest had €200 stolen the previous day and had already told reception. I'm fully convinced the hostel played a part in the theft. The cameras covering dorm entrances happened to be broken, there were always shady-looking locals in the bar despite staff calling it a tourist-only bar, and staff seemed very reluctant to address the theft. Avoid this place if your safety on the trip matters to you.