Place to sleep: hanoi backpacker's hostel, Hanoi, Vietnam

About this place:

Ah, yes. A backpacker establishment. Immediately the thoughts of nineteen year olds vomiting, fighting or copulating come to mind. This is not one of those joints. I decided to make this my home base in Hanoi only after hearing positive reports from other travelers. Founded by two Aussies in 2004, Hanoi Backpackers' Hostel is a treat. The building is a bit of a sprawler, with a huge, polished-wood staircase as the centerpiece. The dorm rooms are ample, with surprisingly deep, comfortable mattresses. Each bed has its own lockbox and each room has its own bathroom. The lobby is the buzz of activity that you'd expect at this type of place, with the added bonus of four high-speed computers (or as "high speed" as you can get in Hanoi). The rooftop hosts nightly events, including a typical Australian Beer-B-Q that is much more of a social hang than a rager. It's an ideal spot for anyone travelling solo and guaranteed to shake off any lonely vibes you may have gathered along the way through Vietnam. Weeks of solo rooms in cheap hotels may afford you more privacy but sometimes a few nights packed in with strangers turns up more fun. By all accounts, this is the only traditional backpacker in all of Vietnam. Be sure to email in advance and if you're coming in from the airport, take them up on a private car service, so as to avoid the taxi-scams that prevail in Hanoi.