After spending time in the capital city of Bangkok, a trip to Chiang Mai offers a more laidback alternative. The heart of the city is easily navigated by foot and the area is surrounded by mountains and rainforests.
Where To Stay In Chiang Mai
These are some of the best budget hostels in Chiang Mai, according to user reviews. These are affiliate links to the Agoda web site. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.
- Keta’ Jungle Trek House
- Mapping Hostel
- i-smile
- Me U Hostel
- Hug Glur House And Hostel
- Doze Hostel
- Cody Guesthouse
- Just Chill Inn
- Here Chiang Mai
LoveCNX Guesthouse Chiang Mai
For our first week in Chiang Mai, we chose to stay at ‘LoveCNX Guesthouse’ (map). This is ideally located in the old town on a road with many bars and restaurants. There is a 7-11 directly opposite the hostel and it is within easy walking distance to all of the main street markets.
As we arrived earlier than the hostel reception opening time, we chose to have some breakfast in ‘Diva Guesthouse’ next door. The staff there were very welcoming and the Thai omelette and rice was very good. They allowed us to sit and relax in their restaurant lounge until our guesthouse opened (half an hour later than advertised).
Love CNX Guesthouse
Love CNX Guesthouse had been perhaps our favourite hostel so far on the trip. The room was a good size, the wifi was good, the shower was more than adequate and we finally had a nice, comfy bed with good pillows! The aircon was very powerful and they had a breakfast area that provided free water/coffee/tea. There was also a rooftop terrace to relax on. The staff were very helpful and welcoming. I highly recommend this hostel if you are staying in Chiang Mai.
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Click here to book a stay at LoveCNX Guesthouse
Like Home Hostel Chiang Mai
Following a few days in Chiang Rai, we returned to Chiang Mai to stay at a hostel called ‘Like Home‘ (map). Situated just outside the old town, we immediately felt like we were entering a small community on arrival. Everything seemed at a slower pace than in the old town, which is literally only a few minutes walk away. We were greeted by Nuy, the owner of the hostel, who explained that breakfast, dinner, laundry, water, bicycle rental and even transfers to the train or bus station were all included in the price! We couldn’t believe it!
Our room was not in the actual hostel but two minutes walk away in a place called ‘Winner Hotel’ in which Nuy has bought some rooms. Winner Hotel has the feeling of a hotel that is past its best. It desperately needs a bit of an update. It seems Nuy has taken advantage of this by buying rooms from them and offering them at a much lower rate than the hotel itself. The room was fine; a little dark and shabby but certainly good enough for us on our budget.
Each morning, we walked down to the hostel and had omelette, toast, salad and coffee to set us up for the day. Each evening, Nuy would provide food for all her guests; usually around 4 dishes to choose from and always a vegetarian option (vegan on request).
What I really liked about ‘Like Home’ is the social aspect which is what makes a good hostel, in my opinion. People are encouraged to eat together and you can buy beer from the shop next door and sit outside and socialise. It seemed there was no reason to go into the old town! Nuy is like the mother to all her guests! She will help you out with everything. We asked if she could get us a deal on a local cooking class, just on the off chance, and she got us in, even though it was full, and with 20% off the usual price! She really was a wonderful host and I can not recommend her hostel enough. People come here for a night and stay for weeks!
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Chilling at Like Home hostel
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