Buffalo Hostel Hanoi Review – 2N stay, great value for money

Hanoi was the first stop in our 16 day Vietnam-Cambodia backpacking trip and so the first hostel had to be bang on. This is our Buffalo Hostel Hanoi Review based on our 2N stay in the hostel. I had shortlisted quite a few hostels based on the reviews, costs and the location.

Buffalo hostel Hanoi fit most of our requirements and 2 points that really sealed the deal were a swimming pool and free unlimited beer from 7-8PM daily.

Buffalo Hostel Hanoi Review

Here’s a detailed review based on criteria that matter to most backpackers.

1. Rooms
   • The dorm rooms are small but comfortable. We had peaceful sleep on all our nights inspite of our room on the 1st floor being adjacent to the swimming pool.
   • Individual lights and power plugs next to the bed. Nice & clean washrooms too.
2. Lockers – They are big enough to hold 2 backpacks; locked & unlocked using a keycard, so no need for separate locks.
3. Staff
   • Young, nice and friendly. Make sure you get ideas from them about the best places to eat or visit.
   • Within the first hour of the trip itself, I had locked my keycard inside the my own locker. Yeah, I can be a complete idiot sometimes. The reception staff was kind enough to attend the problem on priority.
4. F&B
   • Free breakfast. And the breakfast spread is good and varied.
   • Every night the hostel offers unlimited free beer from 7-8 PM. And I mean truly unlimited, you could down 7-8 glasses if you want and no one bats an eye. These guys are simply amazing.
   • Lots of food eateries and restaurants right next to the hotel. Dining on the streets is a great experience. Hostel serves some decent food as well.
   • In the evening/night I would recommend just heading outside the hostel and trying the Vietnamese Hot Pot & locally brewed beer.
5. Price – We paid 2,97,000VND (Approx. $13) for 2 people for 2 nights. That’s a great value for money specially for everything that the hostel offers.
6. Location
   • Located in the backpackers old quarter area, everything is easily accessible and all major attractions are available within a walking distance of 2-5 km’s.
   • A super mart (7-eleven) I think, is located just 100m from the hostel.
   • Long Bien Bus Station is at a 10 mins walking distance.
7. Activities/Tours – The hostel organises quite a few tours and a pub crawl as well. Since, we didn’t have enough time for those, I can’t actually comment.
8. Overall rating – 9/10.

Bottomline – If you drink, its a no brainer – You have to stay here. Even if you don’t drink, still stay here. The hostel has a very social vibe without being a party hostel. Awesome value for money as well.

Buffalo Hostel Hanoi Review – Photos

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Where to book?

For all my hostel bookings, I either use Hostel World or Agoda. Some of the advantages include:

• Lots of option to select from.
• You need to pay only a small amount while booking. Pay the remaining amount directly at the hostel. In case of Agoda, you can book without paying anything upfront. This comes in handy when you don’t have a fixed route and itinerary but need bookings to show for your Schengen Visa.
• Website accepts most Indian credit/debit cards.

You can book the hostel directly from hostelworld here – Book Buffalo Hostel, Hanoi.

Additional Resources

I am assuming, you were looking for the review because you might be planning to visit Vietnam/Hanoi in the coming future, if that’s the case I would suggest going through some posts that will help you plan the trip better:

1. Hanoi City travel guide & itinerary
2. Halong Bay from Hanoi.
3. Day trip to Bai Dinh pagoda & Trang An in Ninh Binh province.