This brand new, centrally located hostel is an excellent choice for anyone staying in Sophia. One of the most apparent benefits of the Sophia Backpackers Inn is the comparatively low cost for a dorm bed - only 14 leva (7 euro) where most other hostels charge 20 levas (10 euro - it constisistantly puzzled me why the cost of hostels was relatively quite high compared to the extraordinary cheapness of everything else). Filled with wooden floors, comfortable beds and spotless rooms, it exudes a cheerfulness that is unusual to see in hostels.
The many advantages of this hostel include free internet, a cosy common room with cable TV (CNN, BBC etc) and a tiny attached balcony. The kitchen is very clean, and washing only costs 1 leva (0.5 euro) per bag. The two bathrooms are both brand new, with 24 hour hot water, and even free tea and filter coffee all day. There is also a very cheap traditional Bulgarian restaurant about 50m from the hostel and a small supermarket 2 minutes walk away.
A rather quirky aspect of this hostel is that it is promoted very heavily to Japanese travellers and not really at all to anyone else. the result of this is that you may find yourself in a hostel populated entirely by Japanese backpackers, which is not a bad thing!
One problem though is it is quite difficult to find. If coming from the main bus or train station walk down the main road over the lion bridge. Continue for about another 500m until you see a handmade sign pointing to a small art gallery. Turn left here and walk past a chinese resteraunt, the hostel is on the corner on the right on the first floor. Look for the Bulgarian flags hanging off the balcony. The only sign is on the doorbell just before you reach the corner.
The best aspect of the Sophia Backpackers Inn however is the friendliness of the staff. This is a very small operation and is run by the owners, a group of three young Bulgarian friends who speak English and Japanese, and are more than happy to point you in the direction of the nearest bar/nightclub/piano bar etc. This is a thorough enjoyable place to stay and comes highly recommended for anyone wishing to spend a few nights in Bulgaria's capital.
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