Collection O Baan Elephant Home

We arrived by night bus and had asked whether anyone would be at reception at 6 am. I never got a reply, even though I’d seen that reception was available 24/24. That was wrong: nobody was there until 12 pm. I tried calling and texting the four numbers I found, and never got an answer. The so-called luggage room was more like a laundry area, open to anyone, including outsiders, with no supervision. The hostel was fully open when we arrived, with no doors, so anyone could come and go. It smelled of mice, and there was mouse poo on the tables and floor, even though two cats were running and yowling around. I also saw something I assumed was termites, though it might have been bed bugs. I was still willing to wait, since I’m not easily put off, though I was already disgusted. Two girls checked out, and when we asked if it was clean, their answer was obvious. Then the shelf over the sink broke when I put my phone and things on it. They fell into the sink, splashing someone else’s old toothpaste spit all over me. When I tried the tap, black water came out. I went to the shower to rinse off and saw hundreds of black maggots on the floor and between my toes. That was it. I had a panic attack and started crying, so we left. I texted to ask for a refund and got no answer. Avoid this place. There are loads of much better hotels, hostels, and guesthouses in the city. I’ve camped and slept all over the world, seen dirty places, and showered with all sorts of dodgy insects and animals, but never encountered that level of dirt. Mouse droppings are a real danger, and black maggots point to a lack of basic hygiene.