Hostel review: Posh Backpackers. Riga, Latvia

Posh Backpackers is located in the Moscow district of Riga.

I arrived after dark to a block of confusing deserted streets. All the surrounding brick buildings looked like abandoned warehouses and minor alarm arose until I found the small Hostel sign.

Posh Backpackers entrance

Waking in the morning to noise outside, I looked out the window to find a busy flower market. During the day, with the market at the doorstep, the area is bustling and invigorates you to get out and explore Riga.

Close to Central Market, Posh Backpackers is very walkable to old town Riga and a comfortable place to stay.

Central Market, Riga

The common room was small with sofas, a computer and TV. There was no kitchen to speak of, only a small refrigerator, a bench with a kettle but there is no need to cook for yourself to save travel money. Riga is so cheap to eat out.

I had a large dorm to myself which consisted of a double bed, two singles and a fold-out sofa. The heating was sufficient to avoid the chill outside with old-style double windows.

My dorm at Posh Backpackers

Wi-Fi access was available and the staff friendly as East Europeans can get. There was a lack of English with some but it is always fun to communicate in sign language, with smiles and basic English keywords.  The older female staff tried so hard to help and made me feel so much at home, like Grandma was making sure I was comfortable and happy.

Nearby, there were a couple of local bars if you want to go out at night and mingle with locals without being ripped off.

Plus:- Easy walk to main bus and train station. Next to the Central Market. Friendly staff and well heated.

Minus:- No lockers. Can get noisy with street cleaning trucks in the middle of the night around dawn when market stalls are set up. Showers ran out of warm water fast.

Breakfast:- A decent feast of eggs and bacon with cheese toast for guests staying in private rooms. Otherwise a cheap 2 lats per person.

Address:- Pupolu iela 5 (Central Markets); LV-1050, Riga, Latvia

http://poshbackpackers.com

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Hostel review – STF/HI Vandrarhem Malmö, Sweden

Hostel review – Blue Mountains YHA, Katoomba, Australia

Accomodation review: Condor Ocean View Apartments, Surfers Paradise, Australia

Hostel review – Blue Mountains YHA, Katoomba, Australia

Blue Mountains YHA

6 bed female dorm, $A28 per night

I usually don’t stay at YHA hostels myself. They are more expensive and I feel like I need to be in a large group to fit in.  The Blue Mountains YHA Hostel I chose because it was actually one of the better priced options in Katoomba available.

A 10 minute walk up a decently inclined hill from Katoomba train station and you will find this hostel which is a refurbished old mansion. The common room used to be a dancehall and the stage is still there.

The staff are very friendly and can answer any query about hiking, day tours and sightseeing around the area.

There is plenty of room in the (6 or 8 bed) dorms and the spacious common room has a log fire, pool table and comfy beanbags. I visited during winter and it can get very cold up in the Blue Mountains. The fire gives a cozy atmosphere while keeping us warm.

Also there is a garden terrace area to chill out in after a long day hiking or climbing in the National Park. To walk to the famous Three Sisters lookout, and gateway to the Park, takes approximately 20 minutes.

It is not a party place which is fine with me. You will find a mix of ages stay here and everyone is buggered each night after all the recreational activities available to do around the area.

A supermarket located next door. There is a huge sunny kitchen with all the equipment and space you need.

The downside is you have to pay for every service such as tea/coffee and wifi. But that’s YHA Hostels for you.

Rating: 7/10

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Hostel review: Posh Backpackers. Riga, Latvia

Hostel review – STF/HI Vandrarhem Malmö, Sweden

Hostel review – STF/HI Vandrarhem Malmö, Sweden

STF/HI Vandrarhem Malmö                

6-bed Female Dorm €28 per night.                                                            

This was the first Hostel I stayed at in Sweden and it lived up to all expectations I had of a HI (Hostelling International).  That sterile, bland school-like building and atmosphere.  Nothing to complain about but not a place I would return to stay.

It was a welcome surprise that, like elsewhere in the world, you are not required to be a HI member. If you are a member, then good for you as you get a cheaper rate.

I arrived after an easy 20 minute walk around the edge of town from Malmo Central Station. If I had followed the instructions to get out at the train station Triangeln, which is underneath a small shopping mall, it would of taken only 5 minutes.

Reception is on the first floor along with the common room.  There was only one computer available for public internet access. If travelling with your own laptop, there is free wifi available in the rooms as well, although the signal can be faint upstairs.

Thankfully I was travelling with a small bag, therefore avoided the difficulty of the turning staircase which must be a big sweaty hassle to climb with a large backpack or luggage.

No bed linen provided here so I paid the a small hire fee and settled into a 6-bed female dorm.  The bunk beds were comfortable enough as I was lucky to get the bottom bunk which was a double mattress.  The top bunk is easy to reach with large wooden steps for access.

The lockers are the tall-thin variety requiring your own padlock.

Wandering around and opening doors in the hallways, I found toilets and separate single showers. There was no hassle finding one at “rush-hour”.

I shared the room with three French teenagers along with different solo travellers each night, all of  who were addicted to Facebook.   Other hostels I had been staying at during this trip had only been half-full, yet here in Vandrarhem Hostel during midweek and low season the room was always busy.

Situated in the residential inner city area, it doesn’t take long to walk around the main attractions of Malmo.  A supermarket is convinently located underneath the Hostel, although a tad expensive. You can find better alternatives nearby and at Bruno Cafe across the road they made a fabulous coffee.

The kitchen was well-stocked with plenty of space to cook and eat. At an extra cost of 65kr you can get breakfast but I did not indulge so cannot comment except that I did peek in one morning to see what was on offer. You’d had to eat alot of toast to get your money worth.

There is a choice outdoor terrace off the eating area which would be comfortable in good weather, alas when I was in Malmo it rained most of the time and was freezing.

Rating: 6/10

Tip: if you have a car, there is free car parking in Malmo, along with other special offers, if you have the Malmo Card.

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Hostel review: Posh Backpackers. Riga, Latvia

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