Marco Polo's Guesthouse, Kuching

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Marco Polo's Guesthouse Reviews

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Marco Polo's Guesthouse has been offering budget accommodation to travelers for almost a decade, which says it all. Although the place is almost always full, the friendly owners have a kind word for everyone, the free buffet breakfast offers an incredibly wide choice of options, and if you decide to spend a day inside you will find the a great range of board games and books on its shelves.

The Location

Marco Polo is located in one of the quiet side streets near the promenade. As such, it gives you the comfort of being close to all the sights the historic centre has to offer, while at the same time providing a quiet shelter in which to have a quiet night’s sleep. The street of the hostel has a variety of cheap street-food stalls and eateries, and a bit further toward the river, you have a bigger supermarket and money changer as well. However, be aware that the airport is quite a distance from here as well as are all the nature adventures for which most people come to Borneo.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The hostel offers two types of dorm rooms, which could not be more different from each other. One is inside a real room with a lockable door and has comfy bunk beds and air conditioning. The other one, however, is just a small area divided from the common room by a curtain, which only has fans. The latter can be a good option if your priority is to save money, but be prepared that you will be woken up every time people pass through the corridor. There are two bathrooms, which are old-fashioned but are equipped with plenty of shower gel and shampoo.

Common Spaces

One of the best things about this hostel is the amount and quality of the common areas. There is a semi-open terrace with a kitchen and eating area where the amazing free buffet breakfast is served in the mornings; fried rice, muffins, eggs, porridge, jam, chocolate spread, and peanut butter are all amongst the items on offer. It starts early enough that you can serve yourself even if you are off to a day trip to the jungle. However, the food does not get refilled, so if you wake up late you might only find some leftovers. There is another common area near the dorms where you can play games or read. Moreover, all the hallways are decorated with travel advice and this is one of the few hostels that will not try to make a profit on getting you to join tours but will go out of its way to find the cheapest options for you.

Summary

A decade’s worth of experience with customer service is under the belt of the lovely owners of this hostel, but they still have the enthusiasm to provide the best to every single customer. This place is a gem if you don’t mind the old-fashioned interiors and a bit of a homestay vibe.

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