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The Seoul Hostel Experience

Big Tree House Hostel in Seoul gave a lot of my friends a first time experience of staying at a hostel. That said, I had to do a little more convincing before getting the go signal to book for shared rooms with bunk beds. With a big group of ten and more than a week’s stay in Seoul, I had to find a place that felt like “home”. Big Tree House definitely gave off that vibe. It was a located in a quiet alley not far from Hongdae (where the party is at) and it had a good selection of restaurants within reach. It is also located within walking distance of two subway stops and a lot of convenience stores (which we frequently visited).

Young, the host/land lady was fantastic. She was very accommodating and willing to help out in any way she can. She kept the place really clean and the atmosphere really warm. As a bonus to really fast Wi-Fi connectivity, Young spoke very good English and was able to assist us with directions to places that we wanted to visit.

There were a lot of things in this hostel that I loved, but most of all it was the fact that most of our other roommates stayed just as long as we did. In those eight days, we made new friends from Russia, Germany, and Sweden. The lobby was small and cozy enough for us to chat and get to know each other. Leave it to me and my hyperactive energy to "accidentally" introduce myself to one of the other guests! I mistook one of the girls as my friend, Jess. Silly me even hugged her by the shoulder while holding my phone and telling her to say hi to my friend Tina over Skype. After seeing Tina’s reaction, I took a closer look and realized it was someone I didn’t know! That marked the beginning of a friendship formed in Seoul.

Being a big group of ten meant that we formed the majority of guests at the hostel during our stay. That also meant that we were given more leeway! One night, we decided to buy soju and party in the hostel along with the other guests. As Kay put it, “Where Karla is, the party begins.” Leave it to me to get the dance floor going while being introduced to K-Pop songs! It was a night that everyone definitely enjoyed. Why go to the club when we can have our own party right there--in the comfort of our “home”, at least for the time being.

Initially, we spent the mornings talking to other guests about our plans for the day. In the evening, we shared stories about how our day went. Later on, the conversation deepened as to how things worked in our specific countries of origin. From time to time, we’d compare and see how we were similar or different. We even debated about our taste in music too. After a week, it seemed like we’ve filled our cups to the brim and shared a lot of things that it actually became “painful” to leave.

The experience of a staying at a hostel definitely added something extra to our Seoul-ful getaway. While my friends and I always searched for cheap accommodation with decent bathrooms, we always opted for the safety of our own private rooms and bathrooms. Had I not gone to Europe last summer, I may not have considered this kind of setup. However, I do not regret to say that now, my friends and I are strangers to hostels NO MORE! This definitely stretched our travel budget and even added more color to our already educational experience in Seoul. Apart from learning about the culture of the country we were visiting, we had the chance to take a glimpse of the culture of our fellow travelers. Staying in hostels is really a great way of meeting like-minded people and broadening our horizons, travel-wise.

[NOTE: If you're wondering how you could book a stay in this hostel, sadly it is no longer in business as of April 2013. We're heartbroken! We really wanted people to consider staying here. That said, thank you very much Young for accommodating us and for making us feel at home in Seoul!]