Holiday Hostel

This was the first time I felt like I was duped by a hostel with fake reviews and an inflated rating. Writing this for other solo travelers - I fell under the weather and my first 2 weeks in Nepal probably would have been easier if I had stayed elsewhere. This is a budget place to stay for a couple nights, but not ideal for working, meeting people, or relaxing comfortably longer term. Keep your skepticism when dealing with Holiday in Nepal, as they are very business-minded. I’m a solo traveler, working remotely full-time on U.S. hours and a budget. Holiday is in a great location in Thamel and the staff is cool - I ended up getting rides with their driver a few times. The breakfasts (I paid extra for the pancakes) and teas were tasty and I looked forward to them every morning. I got sick and ended up staying at Holiday for about 2 weeks total. 1 week was in a private room off the main road, a little noisy during festival time, but with a large comfortable bed. The next week they put me in a dorm with the room to myself and said they would switch me later. I ended up just staying there because it was quieter - the dorm room was off of a courtyard with only noise from children playing during Tihar. The duvets are great, but the mattress is softer and more comfortable in a private room than in the dorms. In the dorms, check that your outlet isn’t exposed and that the toilet works, check that there’s toilet paper, and get the wi-fi for the different floors so you can switch between connections if one happens to go more slowly. The manager was responsive to all of these issues but besides the wi-fi, these are all basic things I feel should be working properly, regardless of the price of the hostel. I asked on the off-chance if they had a hair dryer and while the staff was very responsive, they came back with a hair dryer that was partially melted. Had I turned it on anywhere near my head without checking first it certainly would have set my hair on fire as flames started coming out of it immediately. I can only speak to the accommodations and an overnight trip to Nagarkot, but based on a short walk-through they gave me on an Annapurna Base Camp trek itinerary, Holiday might shine on their treks. They will work with you to create an itinerary that works for your budget and time constraints. I did not end up doing ABC with them, though. The manager worked with me and I did a trip to Bhaktapur, Changunarayan, and Nagarkot for a couple days, which was nice. It was pricier than I liked but still being sick, I thought I’d splurge on a one-night package. We were supposed to also stop at Pashupatinath Temple but we didn’t for whatever reason. The guide had a lot of knowledge on the temples - stick to the sites and the small hikes and you’ll have a lovely time. The short hike and playing on the swings with the local kids in Changunarayan was one of the highlights of my time in Nepal, and given my health and schedule I likely would not have done it without a guide. That being said - by rule of thumb, DO NOT buy souvenirs while with a guide [in Bhaktapur, or anywhere else for that matter]. You’ll get charged double or triple the amount to account for commission for art pieces and singing bowls (no, the bowls are not local to Bhaktapur and a full moon symbol should not drive the price up like that) than you would if you were to go shopping around on your own in Thamel. This tour was no exception in that regard, which was too bad because I had an awesome day besides that and still tipped well. Had I known that the guide would allow such high price points, I definitely would have pushed to spend the time seeing something else that day instead. Overall, it was a mixed bag, but it probably ended up taking more physical and emotional energy to stay with Holiday than it would have at another hostel. I didn't fully rest or get over my illness until I left Kathmandu and got to Pokhara.

This owner is a liar. I booked female dorm on Agoda but he lied to me that no bed is available when I came in and said only mixed room is available. Although the room is available on Agoda. He hanged up the phone when I requested that he need to give me another room. He said I can just leave. It was already 12:30am. All the good views are fake. The boss gives discount to people and ask them to give good reviews.