The Hostelz.com Review - Genuine, independent review you can trust.
Slap bang in the liveliest part of the city and historic Red Light District stands Koniko Backpackers Hostel. Public transport buses for the airport and the Chinese cultural area of Cholon can be caught from close by.
The Location
A co-op supermarket, several convenience stores, and the main central market are near, right in the blackened heart of the city. Whether travelers are just passing through Saigon or arrive with sightseeing plans, this hostel will seem at first glance well positioned. Earplugs are essential. At night, the street lights up with garish neon advertising for all the bars and restaurants, and the local girls go about enticing the visitors into different forms of relaxation.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The hostel offers private doubles and family rooms; the latter might be of interest to a backpacking group of four. In general, these rooms have extras, such as a flatscreen TV, which backpackers might not need. Six-bunk bed dorms -- mixed and male-only -- are bookable online. There is also a twelve-bed dorm where a receptionist sometimes sleeps! In that big dorm, beds feel too close together, and disappointingly, there are no privacy curtains. Mattresses are rock hard. Bedding is torn and grubby. Floorboards are loose, uneven, and dirty. One air conditioner is broken, while the other barely works. Electric wires where reading lights were once on the walls are now exposed. Electric sockets on one side of the room appear suspect. There are good-sized lockers. Bring your own padlock.
In the two en suite bathrooms, there is no ventilation. The one sink has an unsealed drainage pipe. Water spills down the stand onto the tiled floor. Cleaning is limited. Hot water for a shower is possible. Complimentary packets of toothbrushes and tiny soaps are above the sinks.
Common Spaces
The hostel has a small footprint. From behind a tiny reception/lobby, something resembling a narrow bell tower stairwell goes straight up to the small covered terrace on the sixth floor. Note -- there is no elevator! On the terrace, the included breakfast is served from 7 until 9 a.m. The menu is predictable, but fine ... but there's no vegetarian or vegan option. Rooftop views are bland; sitting either at reception or on that roof terrace is not overly appealing. In short, there is no common room.
Whether backpackers meet up will depend on who happens to check into the dorms; there are as many Vietnamese guests as foreign travelers in the dorms, including some long-termers and also "after midnight" arrivals. There is also a slightly sketchy atmosphere. Female backpackers are likely to feel uncomfortable in the dorms, but might feel ok in a private room.
Summary
The middle-aged locals on the front desk are welcoming and likable -- they're at ease meeting foreign guests.
Repairs, improvements, and better cleaning are much needed in this place. The thin mattresses are hard and not comfortable for most people. Surprisingly, the Wi-Fi works well.
Street noise and very loud music until 3 a.m. even on weekdays will make sleep in any of the bedrooms extremely challenging. Frankly, Koniko is best suited to backpackers wanting to indulge in late-night hedonism and then to sleep it off through the next day.
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+4
Ron C
Hostelz.com Staff Reviewer
Published on May 11, 2019
Location and Contact
Location
It takes about 30 minutes by Taxi from the airport to Koniko Backpackers Hostel. Furthermore, guest also can walk about 10mins to the market. The hostel is near by bus station where guest can go to Phnom penh, Cambodia, etc...