South Korea Hostels Dwellers Tales

We stayed in South Korea hostels because it meant we wouldn’t need to eat instant noodles for weeks after our South Korean trip. So, I took the road less travelled (by me), risked my life sharing space with the crazies, and convinced my friends to do it, too. I prepared a long speech on hostel staying, like meeting interesting people, having different experiences, and saving money, but they didn’t need any convincing; they were okay from the beginning.

3 Amazing South Korea Hostels We Stayed In

ARI Guest House – Myeongdong, Seoul

A pink guesthouse right smack in the middle of the shopping district.

My first impression of the ARI guesthouse was that they were friendly because I received a welcome email within a day of booking it. Also, Welcome My Friend stickers were everywhere. Located right opposite the Myengdong shopping entrance, this place is perfect for the shopaholic within you, and believe me, Myengdong will turn anyone into a shopaholic. However, the manager, a pretty lady, helped us carry our luggage upstairs and gave great suggestions for dinner and hangout places.

A hint of Japan in South Korea Hostels

The room reminded me of the Ryokan we stayed at in Japan, with three tatamis, a dressing table, and a small enough space to open one luggage at a time. I guess that’s how hostels are. The best part of the room was the heated floor, and with only a tatami mattress in between, it was warm enough at night to forget that it was snowing outside.

My favourite part of this hostel was the pantry. One side of the wall was covered with post-its written by the guests. I spent mornings helping myself with cheesecake, drinking rice tea, and reading the ones written in English.

Popcorn Hostel

A Seaview hostel in Busan

Dragging my luggage for twenty minutes (we got lost) along Haeundae beach, I was already sceptical; usually, the hotels we could afford in popular areas weren’t lovely, but what more could I expect from a hostel, I thought. On top of that, it was a cold day, and we were generally gaaaah… So, when we saw a blue-coloured house with the hostel name only to be informed it wasn’t ours, I let out a long sigh, and the sick Yin went paler. Thankfully, our hostel was only minutes away from it. Phew!

We got out on the eleventh floor and opened the door to the mecca of hostel dwellers. This place was RAD. It was huge with minimalist decor. The room is pink and purple, artsy and cozy, and has a TV and a big bathroom. It even came with a fantastic view of Haeundae beach. This place was better than a hotel!

Making Friends in South Korea Hostels

We met a bunch of people here: a lady from Malaysia who offered me yummy fried rice for breakfast; University students on vacation who couldn’t stop looking at Vi; a girl who part-timed there so she could stay for free; a couple who were frantically searching for a flight ticket since the father of the woman asked her to come back immediately, draaaama… (I eavesdropped); a neighbour girl who arrived at 3 PM every day to study English; the super friendly manager, Jay, who would draw on the map and show us where and how to go to places; and a guy with a French beret who had an intensely creepy vibe.

This is the hostel I would want to stay at if I ever go back to school again or like now.

Yeha Guesthouse

The interactive guest house

Why do I love Yeha? Let me count the ways. YEHA guest house looked modest at first. Boasting orange and lime green, I thought it cate more to youngsters, but after a closer look, I saw how interactive it was five minutes after we arrived. They have a How Do You Like It board with Jeju island’s point of interest pictures, and if you like it a lot, you can stick a heart-shaped sticker on it. The Seongsan Ilchulbong / Sunrise Peak got the most glittered love.

Dream Letter Box

Another thing I loved and participated in at Yeha was the Dream Letter Box, dated years from now. You can buy a postcard from them for less than a buck and write to your future self; they will mail it to you years from now.

They have a busy common area: a TV room slash internet zone slash kitchen slash dining hall. At any time of the day, it has a strange mix of people. I met a family of fifteen with everybody from old uncles to a three-year-old; a couple of gents we shared food with; teenage girls who couldn’t stop talking and scratching themselves simultaneously at wee hours that I had to pack my things and leave the standard room as I was starting to feel itchy. They also have an unlimited supply of kimchi, a drawing book for our Jeju experiences, hundreds of guests’ pictures, a guitar, and a free drink during happy hours.

The staff was accommodating. They booked a tour for us and helped us order Korean food (it was a cold night, and we were lazy). Yeha provided maps for the guests as well as the weather forecast. In addition, they sell daily necessities, souvenirs (I got Fafa cactus chocolate from here), and random items for charity.

At first, I felt a little out of place until I saw that family of fifteen sitting in the lounge room one evening. If it’s cool for them, it’s cool for me, too. So yeah, it’s a YES to South Korea hostels.

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