Website Review: Hostel Bloggers

http://www.hostelbloggers.com/

Hostel Bloggers is a blog site (affiliated with hostelbookers.com) I came across while searching for other bloggers discussing cheap travel. I was keen to read their review of Leiden, a city in the Netherlands I visited last year. The review accurately reflects the city, but it didn't persuade me to see or not see the city.

The site reviews many cities, events, travel deals, and of course hostels, but it doesn't seem to have any real character. All of the posts are unattributed, thus suggesting it is an edited mix of marketing materials and travel guides. I hope my blog can represent something about myself that is unique from this site.

I plan to bring more interesting and elaborate stories from my travels to this blog over the coming months.

Hostel Review: Bull Dog Hostel [Amsterdam, Netherlands]

The Bull Dog Hostel also affiliated with the Bull Dog "Coffee Shop", is the most commercial and character-less hostel I have ever stayed at. It is located in the Red-light district, convenient for tourists looking to take part in the vices of Amsterdam. I went to see a Jazz band playing in the Red-light district, but I turned out to be one of the only 5 people who showed up. I also went to see a show at Paradiso, which featured an opening rock band that was cool. There was some loud dance stuff playing after that, so I left early. I attended a film screening at the new Amsterdam concert hall that offered free drinks and h'ordeurves. I think it was a restored silent film, but the introduction was all read in Dutch. Luckily the film was captioned in English. I loaded up on free drinks, which was an awesome deal.

Hostel Review: Flying Pig Beach Hostel [Noordwijk, Netherlands]

I arrived at the Flying Pig Beach hostel over Easter Weekend, since the Amsterdam hostels were full. It's location also offered a quick trip to see the beautiful tulips that were blooming. The hostel was close to the boardwalk and the beach, and the hostel bar offered a great happy hour deal. The hostel had a very friendly atmosphere and contained a small kitchen for cooking while also offering a free breakfast. The hostel was small and didn't have many bathrooms, but had a certain gritty charm. The hostel was accessible by bus from Leiden, but wasn't exactly an easy find.