I thought it would be fun to highlight some of the places we’ve stayed on the World Race! Here’s an informational blog of some of the adventures we’ve taken this year and the places we have stayed at!
Right in the heart of Chiang Mai, Thailand is Zion Hostel. Zion is also an Adventure in Missions base that often hosts teams or squads in the area. It’s within close walking distance of the Night Market and across the street is multiple options for cheap, good food (PAD THAI YUM.) Right across from the entrance of Zion is a hotel (I think) that sells the most delicious mango popsicles. Zion Hostel is also home of Bella Goose Coffee, a fantastic coffee shop that helps provide jobs for women that might otherwise have to turn to prostitution to earn money. If you love coffee, there are multiple other coffee shops in the area.
In Bangkok we had our first debrief at Movy Lodge. It was incredible. They have the cute “Cubbie” beds that allow for a ton of privacy with roll down screens. About half a mile away from the Hostel was a HUGE mall with PLENTY of shopping and eating possibilities.
In Malaysia, I stayed on Langkawi island for two nights for our adventure that month. We stayed at Vila Thai. It’s about a mile walk to the beach or a very cheap grab (Asia’s version of Uber) ride away. If you’re ever in Langkawi make sure you stop and get Gelato and Roti (a delicious dessert) I highly recommend it. Malaysia is HOT in December, so when I originally booked this hostel for my team, I selected a room with air conditioning. When we showed up, they didn’t have any air-conditioned rooms available. Ouch.
We stayed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for one night before flying to Africa. We were at Sunshine Bedz KL which had plenty of shopping and places to eat around it. I didn’t spend much time at the hostel, so I don’t remember much about it.
At the end of our month in Lesotho, we had a debrief in South Africa. We spent about a week at Old Vic’s Inn in Nelspruit. We booked our African Safari through Old Vic’s, and I would absolutely book again with this Hostel. This hostel is a little farther away from shopping, but you could most likely call a Uber for cheap transportation.
In Swaziland we had a mini debrief where we stayed at Legends Backpackers Lodge. This hostel was within walking distance of an excellent pizza place and a shopping mall with a grocery store. They also had a pool. I didn’t spend much time at this Hostel either.
For our adventure in South Africa, we spent two nights in Cape Town at A Sunflower Stop Hostel. We also took a Red Bus Tour, which was an excellent way to get around town on the hop on hop off bus and also learn about the city. I would highly recommend going to the top of Table Mountain. My team and I decided to buy tickets to the cable car rather than hiking up due to time and also safety. Bring a coat because it’s windy and COLD up there. Check out the V&A waterfront and Camps Bay if you like the beach scene. It has a great view of the 12 apostle mountains.
In Nicaragua, we went to the Pacific Coast for two nights and stayed in the beach town of San Juan Del Sur for our month’s adventure. San Juan Del Sur is a pretty well-known surf destination and beach town. We stayed at One 2 Surf Club. We didn’t spend much time at this hostel either, but when we did, we felt comfortable and enjoyed our stay here. If you’re ever here check out Ding Repair Café for the best smoothie bowls in town!
Our first week in Costa Rica, we stayed at Fauna Luxury Hostel for Month 7 debrief. The Hostel was super nice and had the little privacy curtains on every bed. The hostel was big enough that we could find spaces to be alone, too (: I would come here again!
In Colombia, we stayed at Rango Boutique Hostel for our Month 9 debrief. I really liked this place! It was beautiful! This Hostel was next to a nice park and a lot of places to eat. After Rango, we went to Living Hostel for a few nights before splitting off into our separate ministries. Living Hostel was a quick walk to a near mall. If I came back to Medellin, I would stay at Rango Hostel over Living Hostel.
This final month I have been staying at Selina Hostel, and I’ve really loved it. HOT SHOWERS PRAISE GOD! Delicious food to order. A co-working space upstairs which came in handy for all our meetings this month. Super helpful staff too. I would come here again also 🙂
There’s a list of some of my favorite Hostels we’ve been at over the past 11 months! If you ever travel to any of the countries I’ve been to, I’d love to recommend places to go 🙂
