Chanchalay Hip Hostel (SHA Extra Plus) by ZUZU

Such a lovely place, with staff who were friendly and helpful. My one issue was the very thin walls. You can hear your neighbours clearly.

The hostel was quiet and had a nice seating area, but it didn't feel social or make it easy to meet people. The office is shut from 9pm until 7am. There's no free water in private rooms, no fridge, and breakfast isn't included. I also didn't see any mention of free tea or coffee. They don't sell tickets to Railey island or an airport shuttle, and when I asked if they could book a GRAB APP ride to the airport, staff said they didn't offer that. With an early or mid-morning flight, there's no one to help carry suitcases down the staircase before the office opens at 7am. The place is one block from the river walkway and three blocks from a 24/7 7-11. GRAB APP from the ferry terminal was a tiny bit cheaper than from my friend's guest house hostel. PAC UP HOSTEL is one block down the street, more social, sells tickets, and is open 24/7. It was mentioned as the number one hostel in Krabi. Chanchalay has unisex shared bathrooms and showers down the hall on the second floor, with no separate single-sex shower or toilet doors. The room has air conditioning, but a fan is cheaper per night. I don't understand why. The ratings on BOOKING.COM and AGODA, 8 to 10 stars, don't match my experience. This place is overrated on booking platforms.

Everything was clean and fresh, and the staff were friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the breakfast too. You can book through their website and save some money. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Krabi.

The double room was good value, and both the room and bathroom were clean. We got a warm welcome. Soundproofing isn't great, but earplugs made it fine. I'd recommend it!