The Hostelz.com Review - Genuine, independent review you can trust.
Phangan Arena Hostel is by no question the biggest hostel on Koh Pha Ngan island. It is a very social place with a restaurant, swimming pool, gym, and also a football field. It is suitable for solo travelers, couples, groups, and also for families -- you can choose from a huge variety of rooms.
The Location
The hostel is located about an hour's walk from the pier; it is easy to navigate here, just go straight and you will see the hostel. You will not miss it, there is a big sign in front of it. You can easily take a local bus -- just tell them "Phangan Arena" and they will know where to drop you straight away. The neighborhood is pretty quiet, there are several restaurants around and a convenience store five minutes' walk away. For the food, you don't have to go outside, you can order delicious food in the hostel for the best price around. There is a beach two hundred metres away from the hostel. This beach is not suited for swimming, but it is very nice for relaxing.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Every room has a door lock and there are lockers either inside of the room or outside. The standard dormitory can accommodate eight people. There is going to be either a fan or an air conditioner, according to the price of the room. Rooms are clean, there are no bedbugs. You will be provided with a thin blanket, but for a towel you need to pay extra. Internet is working quite fine here; of course, when there are plenty of people connected, you might need to wait till your page is loaded. Every bed has its own socket. There are rooms with windows and rooms without windows. You don't need to have a mosquito net here.
Bathrooms are outside of the room on the ground floor. It is pretty clean and everything works as expected, including hot water. There is a toilet paper provided, but don't expect to find some soap or shampoo.
Common Spaces
There is so much this hostel can offer. There is a restaurant, there is a PlayStation room, table tennis, a very nice gym, a big swimming pool, plenty of places for relaxing, and there is also a modern football field right next to the hostel. For playing football, you need to pay extra, while everything else is free of charge. Smoking is not allowed inside of the rooms and facilities.
There is no free water, coffee, or tea here. You can buy it in the local restaurant, but you are not allowed to bring it from the outside, otherwise you might get charged hard without any notice. There is no free breakfast. In the evening, this place is usually crowded and there are plenty of people drinking and having fun, but you might not hear it in your room -- it depends on in which room you are staying.
Summary
This is a very nice hostel for a very reasonable price. It has a lot to offer -- great-tasting food, gym, swimming pool, football field, and beach. We highly recommend it.
Photos taken by the Hostelz.com reviewer — Genuine photos you can trust.
+4
Martin
Hostelz.com Staff Reviewer
Published on Apr 26, 2018
Location and Contact
Location
• Directions from Thongsala: Travel East from main pier about 3km. When you pass Bangkok Hospital on the right 100 meters, we are on the left side of the street. • Directions from Haad Rin: Travel West from main pier about 6.5km. Past a petrol station on the left for 60 meters, we are on the right.