I decided to travel up North of Thailand into Chiang Mai late last year. I visited Thailand frequently as it is just few hours away from Malaysia but I have never been up North. Thailand has always been one of my favorite countries in South East Asia where you can find literally everything there. From beach activities to nature to shopping. You can read more on 4 day trips from Bangkok you must try.

When I first arrived in Chiang Mai, it gave me a very calm and laid back feel. Not as populated as places like Bangkok yet interesting enough for a short getaway. Unlike other places, Chiang Mai is populated by Chinese tourist. I literally bump into more chinese tourists than the locals. There are so many Chinese tourist that some of the local shop owners can converse well in mandarin just to cater to these crowd.

Overall, Chiang Mai is a place you would want to visit if you happen to travel to Thailand. You will absolutely love it there. At least i did!

I did not book any accommodation in advance prior to my arrival. There are plenty of hostel for you to choose from and I stayed in 2 different hostel throughout my stay in Chiang Mai. The first one i stayed was not very pleasant but the second hostel I stayed was beyond amazing. It was one of my best stay in Thailand that i ended up staying a total of 7 days.

Hug Chang House 

The place that I stayed in is no other than Hug Chang house. In this post, I will be sharing more about my stay here. But before i begin, I would like to clarify that this is not sponsored or paid. I really enjoyed my stay and decided to share more on my experience.

There are three things that I always look for in a hostel. First would be location friendliness. I want to stay at a place which is convenient for me to move and get from one spot to another. Secondly, it must be value for money. There is a reason why I chose to stay in a hostel instead of a hotel. And lastly would the atmosphere to allow travelers to mingle around. Hug Chang literally had all these qualities.

Location (9/10)

The hostel is located in the old city itself which is pretty interesting as most of the attractions are located within it. One of the known attractions which is just walking distance away is Wat Chiang Man. I rated this place a 9 because it is located near both Chang Puak gate as well as Tha Phae gate making it a very convenient place to get around.

Have you heard of the Sunday night market in Chiang Mai? Yes that is a huge night market and guess what, it is located very close to Hug Chang house as well. And if you are looking for a place which is close to food stalls, morning market, and convenience store, hug chang house is perfect.

Service (10/10)

I cannot emphasize more on the exceptional level of service there. I have been traveling for almost a month by the time i arrive in Chiang Mai and it feels like home here in Hug Chang house. People here are nice and genuine. Overall it is a nice place to mingle around with other backpackers and the people who are managing the place are really sweet and nice.

I still do keep in touch with them once in a while. They do provide laundry services, day tours, transportation services to other province, and other activities like cooking classes. Did i mention they come with free flow of bananas too?

Cleanliness, security and atmosphere (10/10)

The hostel is really clean with the rooms cleaned everyday. There are two toilets in the entire hostel and they are clean. Something which is hard to find in hostel these days. In terms of the room, each bunk beds comes with your own bunk lights and socket. Don’t worry about security as there is a locker provided in the hostel as well.

The atmosphere is just indescribable. I do not really know the exact word to describe the place but i suppose ‘home’ is the word to describe it. Most hostel fall into 2 categories. Either it is super quiet with no place for social interaction or the hostel is a party hostel. I personally do not like both and prefer to stay somewhere which is homey.

Should you stay in Hug Chang House, Chiang Mai?

It would be a lie if i say you should not. But of course not every single hostel is perfect for everyone. It really depends what you are looking for. I personally thing that Hug Chang house is a great place to meet genuine people. The staffs there are very friendly that they end up being your friend. That is how great this place is.

But of course, if you are looking for a party hostel, I do not think Hug Chang is the place to go. It is more of a homey place than a party place. With the hostel reasonably priced, free flow of bananas, amazing people, great location, clean and decent place, I would strongly recommend Hug Chang house in Chiang Mai.

This is a place I would go back just to meet up with people i befriend throughout my stay. There is how much I enjoyed my stay.

Here are some links to book and for more information:

Book from Agoda: Hug Chang House

*Disclaimer: I stayed in Hug Chang House in September 2016. This is merely my own personal opinion during my stay. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.

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