If you’re looking for somewhere to stay near the centre of Siem Reap for less than three dollars a night, we found a hostel that’s a little bit different. With only a couple of very large rooms in a wooden hut with mattresses on the floor, staying at Mangolo felt more like a huge sleepover in a tree house than a budget hostel.
The reception, bar and social area are all outside (bring insect repellant) and are friendly and welcoming. The manager organised a great tuk tuk driver to take us to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat, even though we only asked the evening before. The bar was an easy place to meet other travellers too. There are comfy hammocks and mats on the floor, creating loads of space to hang out, and the WiFi is strong throughout.
The bedroom took some getting used to; sleeping practically side by side with strangers on the floor is a little unusual, but the private or couples’ mosquito nets give you a little privacy, and the beds were surprisingly comfortable. There’s ceiling fans in the room, but the only time we had a slight problem sleeping because of the heat was when taking a midday nap.
The bathrooms have a rustic ‘outdoor’ feel with a few small cobwebs overhead… There’s just one shared sink per floor, and the shower water is cold, but they were pretty clean and always available when we wanted to use them.
There are small lockers, but mostly everyone leaves their rucksacks in the middle of the room, which makes for some fun when people are coming in from a night out!
Overall we’d definitely stay there again. Their website is here, if you’d like more info. They’re also highly rated on Hostelworld.
Hope this is helpful to all hostel-hunters,
Charlotte & Sarah x
Two One-Way Flights 