Taiwan cradles a plethora of budget-friendly hostels and BnBs so finding the perfect accommodation that suits your budget and needs should be as easy as pie.

TIPS!

Booking a place to stay is often a requirement upon entering Taiwan with a tourist entry visa. Upon arrival you will most likely be asked by the immigration officer (IO) to show a proof of booked accommodation.

Get paperless!
I used to print on paper the reservation details but I found it really inconvenient and impractical when you can just use your phone. I worry that my phone would die so I won't be able to show my documents but really it was just 'me' being paranoid.

Get an app on your phone for hotel bookings so it'll be more convenient for you to open your reservation details especially when an IO asks for it.  I usually save a screenshot on my gallery just in case I won't get internet connection yet.

Read the reviews!
Before you feel giddy with paying for a place to stay, it's imperative to read reviews and view photos to get a glimpse of the place. Most of the time negative comments are true and can really cause an inconvenience even how trivial it was presented.

I experienced booking on a hostel because it was cheap and the location was excellent. There were great feedback from guests. Although I've read some negative comments, I disregarded them thinking these were just trivial matters that can be overlooked or perhaps the guests who left the feedback were 'just too picky'. Guess what, I was wrong. I learned.

Pay when you stay
Opt for 'pay-when-you-stay' accommodation if possible. If anything comes up unexpectedly that would necessitate for a change of hostel, it would be easier by then to cancel your reservation without charge. Some may charge for cancellation a day or two before your expected arrival. Although it's not always good to be a 'joy reserver' or so they say, I don't want to risk being charged on my card.

I'm sharing my reviews and experiences with the budget accommodations in Taiwan. I toured around  two cities in Taiwan for a week and stayed in three different hostels.

Mini West Hotel - TAICHUNG

YAY! 💯

✅ economical - it was just around 10 USD per night with breakfast
✅ breakfast included - not as overwhelming as a buffet but it was a generous perk with the price you pay
✅ location - there's a bus station right in front of the hostel; it's a walking distance to nearby bus stops for other destinations; near convenience stores and 24/7 food places.
✅ cleanliness
✅ spacious bunkbeds - it was like a mini bedroom; sheets and pillows were comfortable and clean
✅ privacy - although it's a shared room, each bed has roller blinds
✅ reception - you can check in anytime
✅ staff - accommodating and friendly regardless of the nationality; I'm a bit observant about how staff treat their guests because I had an experience of being ignored or not attended to right away because some white guy came in - this toxic Asian mentality!

NAY ❌❌❌

❌going up or down the upper bunkbeds maybe a little uncomfortable due to its vertical ladder
❌no shoes inside is okay but sharing slippers is not

Angel's Hostel - TAIPEI

YAY!  💯

✅ economical - it was just around 10 USD per night
✅ free snacks - chips and there's a coffee machine (not free though); they've got a kitchen and laundry services for guests
✅ location - it's a 3-min walk to Ximen metro station and Ximending, a famous night market in Taipei
✅ vibe - it gets a little crowded at the lounge area but the warm smiles and laughters are priceless moments of a backpacker's experience
✅ staff - friendly and can converse in English
✅ bunkbeds - comfortable and the staircases are awesome; unlike other bunkbeds, they don't have vertical ladders, they've got mini staircases so it's comfortable to walk up or down

NAY ❌❌❌

❌cleanliness in the bathroom
❌shared toilet - toilet is situated outside the hostel; it's shared with the other tenants of the building; some parts of the toilet needed repair

Neosoho - TAIPEI

YAY! 💯

✅ excellent location - it was a 2-min walk to Taipei Main Station which connects to the airport line and other major cities and counties in Taiwan
✅ economical - it was just around 13 USD per night
✅ wide lounge area with dining tables and computers

NAY ❌❌❌

❌privacy - when you get the upper bed, it would be so awkward to see other guests and even more uncomfortable to see people sleeping in the next cubicle.
❌bunkbeds - uncomfortable, too elevated (upper beds) that you'd hit the radiator or lights with your head; vertical ladders with little to no space to land your feet on; it was a horrible yet funny experience falling 2 steps from the ladder!

The reviews were made with all honesty and are actually based on my personal experience. Yours may be different. Feel free to react and interact!

Ever wondered what to do in Ho Chi Minh City aside from visiting some historical places and night markets? I really thought there was nothing more to do except walk on pavements, shop for souvenirs, and pig out. I didn't expect I'll find paradise in Mui Ne, just four hours away from the city. It's not in Ho Chi Minh but it's worth the travel. When I planned for this trip, I thought I would just be spending my time around the city just like other tourists do. Well, I actually spent less than a day in Mui Ne. I took advantage of the night bus trips to maximize the day time.



This trip wasn't planned as I didn't have bus or accommodation reservations. This trip was some sort of optional since I had other plans I've already set and budgeted but it turned out, my Mui Ne trip was the highlight of my holiday!

Since this was an optional itinerary, there were some issues I have encountered but had been sorted out with some luck and a load of determination.

I'm not based in HCM so I had to take a two-hour ride on a plane from Vinh City (airport) in Nghe An to HCM. My Mui Ne trip was rather half planned because I didn't have prior bookings whatsoever because my whole trip was dependent on the bus schedules. It was a long holiday in Vietnam and the buses are expected to be fully-booked even weeks before the trip. I was able to book the tour, with a friend, by chance. I just had to try my luck in booking for a bus ride to Mui Ne and the odds were in my favor.

I booked a sleeper bus to Mui Ne on the same day of the departure. The hotel staff advised me to look for a tour company before 1PM so my friend and I could still catch the night bus.  Booking a bus ticket to Mui Ne was a piece of cake since HCM has an array of tour companies offering different tour and transfers to the neighboring provinces.

I expected fully-booked buses but ended up with only three other passengers. The bus left HCM at around 9 PM, an hour late. My friend and I waited at the tour agency office for more than an hour before the bus came. I was asleep the whole time so I didn't feel how dragging a 4-hour ride could be. The bus only drops off at the city center so we had to take a taxi to Long Son Beach, which we also booked on the same day. I'm just so grateful there are helpful and friendly people anywhere in Vietnam. We were able to hail a taxi because a Vietnamese helped us. It took more or less 30 minutes to reach Long Son and we didn't have troubles locating this place since it was famous and it was along the road. 

Booking a hotel the last minute was a piece of cake since there were a lot of options - good price and excellent location. We booked Long Son Beach Campground for a day. It was a perfect place for backpackers  and budget travelers. Although I really loved the vibe of this place, I've also known some people who didn't like its unique features. We've all got our own choices! I happened to like this place. Here's why.

We arrived at the resort at around 2AM. Their 24-hour front desk service was really a bonus point. In Vietnam, most accommodations don't have this feature. In some cases, I had to knock and wait till the owners wake up with my phone calls. In worst cases, they simply refused so I ended up with no choice but to wait outside.  I've always hated this part - waking up people at the wee hours of the night.

Anyhow, we were ushered by the attendant to the shared cottage and we were able to get our locker keys right away. The transaction was swift and hassle free. The staff / managers also speak English well so there were no communication barriers whatsoever.

Beds in open cottages. How cool is that!?

The staff was very helpful, too. We didn't have an idea where to book our tour so we kept in touch with them as we were travelling and they responded positively. There were few problems at the start since the tour groups are all filled in on that day but they were able to book us a day tour with two other tourists. That was last minute booking!

Going Home

Getting a sleeper bus reservation wasn't easy during the holidays. My friend and I almost didn't get a ride back to Ho Chi Minh. We already checked out of the resort and decided to take the local bus from the resort to the city center.

We were told there were a lot of tour agencies offering bus rides to HCM but they were fully booked. We walked around and finally succeeded! It was a holiday so we just settled for the normal seater bus, not the sleeper bus.

Generally, the tour went well except for some transportation issues which were all sorted out, maybe not with the best option but with better ones!

Till our next laag*!