Captan Home

This is a good spot for people who want to relax. The staff are professional, the wifi is excellent, and it's within walking distance of popular zen beach, with a quieter beach across the street. It's also close to 7-11 and a water refill station. I stayed in a shared room, where each bed has its own high-speed fan, which made it easy to sleep cool. The shared areas are cleaned every day and the bathroom was very clean. The shower water is always cool, a nice way to cool off in the midday heat. The kitchen has utensils, plates, glasses, a fridge, kettle and microwave. The fridge could maybe be cleaner, though that depends on the guests too.

The bed was comfortable, the location is good, and the price is low. The room was spacious but very hot, with almost no communal space, and the hostel wasn't very clean. If you have nowhere else to stay, it isn't among the island's worst places, but my experience with the people running it was awful. My friend's booking elsewhere was cancelled, and although there were plenty of empty beds, Captan wouldn't let him stay for any number of nights. They told him to ask about the much more expensive bungalows they own across the road. I felt they saw someone in a desperate situation as a chance to make money. I stored his bags during my stay, and the staff were hostile and unpleasant the whole time. They watched us and followed him around, and wouldn't even let him use the toilet in peace. There was one empty bed in my dorm, two in the next dorm, and a spot in a private double room where the person staying there was happy to share. I also spoke with another backpacker who was refused an early check-in, even after offering to pay to sleep on her yoga mat. One of my dormmates was told off for doing yoga in the wrong place. The way the people here treated others made it one of the worst experiences with locals I had on the island.

I spent a month here and felt I got my money's worth. The family who own the place were really friendly, the rooms were good for the price, and the restaurant food was both tasty and cheap.

The location is the one small positive I took away. My experience otherwise wasn't pleasant: the owner was unfriendly, and the bikes weren't maintained. Their wheels looked a little misshapen and shook while riding. She was also reluctant to return my deposit, and it took a few minutes of convincing her before she agreed to return even part of it. If you're visiting beautiful Koh Phangan, I'd look elsewhere.