With a 9.9 rating on Hostel World, this hostel has to have something special, and the truth is it does. I never really understood the value of a social hostel for solo travelers until I stayed at this hostel.
Chang Rai is a small town in Northern Thailand, not many people visit, let alone stay longer than a week. Yet during my time volunteering at this hostel, we had SO many people extend for 2 to 3 weeks! How come?
First and Joe, the owners of this hostel, made it their mission to make this small family hostel a home away from home. Everyone who walks in is family, and everyone is accounted for. They will make your time in Chang Rai SO special and there is a big chance you will come back (they have a wall of fame for people who have come back multiple times).
So, welcome to my heartfelt review of Get Hi Hostel; THE ultimate hostel haven in my broke backpacker journey.
Photo: @amandaadraper
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Getting to Know Get Hi Hostel
Get Hi Hostel is a small hostel in Chiang Rai owned by an AMAZING Thai woman ( First) and an American who fell in love and never left Thailand (Joe).
When you first walk into the hostel, you will notice sticky notes everywhere and Polaroids of people who came and quite literally never wanted to leave.
Photo: @amandaadraper
This is a social hostel but not the kind that prides itself on “SEX, DRUGS, AND FREE BEER” like some party hostels in Bangkok. This is a more chilled version. Honestly, way more chill lol.
Get Hi hostel prefers karaoke nights and family dinners. We went on a few bar crawls during my stay but these bars played reggae music, were full of locals, and had pool tables for entertainment.
However, if you are more into the bar scene, they can show you some of the most lively party scenes in Thailand! No joke. One day I was sitting at a table with a strangers, the next we were dancing on top of tables in a random bar in Chang Rai. Pretty cool, right?
Socializing and good vibes are the name of the game on your journey through Thailand!
What’s Unique About Get Hi Hostel?
This is why you should add Get Hi Hostel to your itinerary while backpacking Thailand:
- Free breakfast every morning (AND it is delicious)
- Comfortable beds WITH curtains
- They have a partnership with a local moped rental company so you can rent one super easily.
- Guaranteed friendships.
- Really fast Wi-Fi in all areas of the hostel (For digital nomads in Thailand)
Photo: @amandaadraper
Location of Get Hi Hostel
Get Hi hostel is located in the heart of Chiang Rai, Thailand, within walking distance of numerous coffee shops and bars. Although chances are you will be exploring crazy mountains and monkey temples by moped so you can think of this hostel as a base for your Chiang Rai backpacking adventure.
Have you heard of the football team that got trapped in a cave? The Tham Luang Nang Non cave is in Chiang Rai! You can take a day trip to visit this cave.
And have you heard of the opioid museum in northern Thailand? You can take a moped and visit it from the hostel. If mopeds aren’t your style, First and Joe can also organize a car and a day tour for you.
From Opioid houses to tea plantations and hidden cave temples, Chiang Rai is a town with so much character and potential for so much exploration. This electric mix of experiences makes it a great stop for anyone staying in Thailand. Within two days I managed to do the countryside, see the Golden Triangle, and see Myanmar from a distance!
Photo: @amandaadraper
Get Hi hostel has a total of 38 beds.
- Female only dorm rooms
- Male only dorm rooms
- Mixed dorm rooms
- A dorm room for the volunteers!
…and one cat and two dogs to make a full house. 🙂
The dorm rooms start at $460 Baht (around 12 dollars) and go up to $560 Baht (around 15 dollars). Though that is including breakfast!
Get Insured Before Your Travels
Before you go headfirst into exploration mode, gear up smart and make sure your adventures are backed by Thailand travel insurance.
ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing.
They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.
SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!
Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.
Do I Recommend Get Hi Hostel?
I may be a bit biased since I volunteered at Get Hi Hostel, but hands down, it’s the best hostel I’ve experienced on my solo travel journey in Thailand.
Something this hostel taught me is no matter where you come from and what your background humans thrive off of connection. Really raw community.
During my stay at Get Hi, I bonded with an Australian as we shared stories about crocodiles and kangaroos, an Irish girl who taught me one too many beers didn’t hurt anybody, and a Canadian who had enough energy for the both of us and let me be her moped bitch for the week (I was a passenger princess champion).
DO BE WARNED. The need to extend is contagious, so book an extra few days. You won’t regret it 😉
Photo: @amandaadraper
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