I’d written down Light Hostel in my notebook a long time ago, and this trip to Tainan finally gave me a chance to stay there! I was a little wary of budget hostels run as businesses. I was afraid they’d be too commercial and lose the warmth a backpacker hostel should have, and that being so cheap would mean a lot of bad surprises. But Light Hostel completely exceeded my expectations and brought back my love for backpacker hostels!

Light Hostel has four branches in Taiwan: Tainan, Kaohsiung, Chiayi, and Hualien. I stayed at the Tainan branch. It’s a backpacker-style hostel, but it also has double and four-person rooms. A dorm room holds about 6 to 8 people, and it’s only NT$500 per night! (For the exact price, check the official Light Hostel website.) The Tainan branch is on Haean Road. It’s about a 15-minute bike ride from the train station, which is very convenient, and the Haean Road area is full of good food, so you can easily eat from breakfast through dinner. What mattered even more to me is that TCRC, a famous bar in Tainan, is not far from this hostel. It’s about a 15-minute walk, so after an evening drink at TCRC, I could safely walk back to my lodging! The hostel also has all the basics, including lockers, washing machines, dryers, WiFi, and more.

Light Hostel Tainan Information

Review

  • Cleanliness: Basically nothing to complain about. Pillowcases, bed sheets, and so on are replaced for every guest.
  • Mattress: Very comfortable to sleep on. Not too soft, not too hard, just a well-balanced mattress.
  • Bathroom: Bright and clean, with body wash and shampoo provided.
  • Security: Key cards control entry so non-guests can't get in. Each guest also gets a personal locker that opens with a key card.
  • Location: On Haean Road, not far from food, bars, and the train station.
  • Price: A dorm bed for NT$500 per night. This is honestly the cheapest option I've seen with the best quality so far.
  • Service: The staff at the Tainan branch are very friendly, and they're adorable >///< You can also pay by credit card!

▲ The entrance has a luggage room and shoe cabinets. Inside backpacker hostels, everyone wears indoor slippers.

▲ Once you enter Light Hostel, the ground floor is a spacious common lounge where you can do whatever you like.

▲ There’s a simple kitchen with an induction cooker, a microwave, and other equipment.

▲ When you’re traveling as a backpacker, nothing matters more than the washing machines and dryers!

What left the strongest impression on me about Light Hostel is their attention to detail, and the feeling of human connection that a backpacker hostel should have, even though it’s run as a business. Beyond doing the big things well, with full marks for cleanliness and facilities, they’ve included some clever little touches. For example, at the entrance there’s a lucky draw for attractions and food: grab a stick to decide what to eat tonight. Next to each bed there’s a small wooden shelf for your phone, glasses, and other small items. The day I was there, I came back to my room after chatting with friends at TCRC, and the common lounge was packed with people chatting. Unfortunately I was too tired that day and went straight to bed, but the scene reminded me of the atmosphere in the common lounges I experienced on a trip to Kyoto, Japan. This is also why I don’t really like staying in hotels: they’re too formulaic, and people feel too distant from each other. At Light Hostel, though I suspect some company is behind it, there’s none of that commercial feel.

The most important thing about accommodation is the bed, and I give this one full marks!! It’s the kind that’s neither too soft nor too hard, and it’s really comfortable. This was honestly the first time I’ve slept so well at a youth hostel that I couldn’t get out of bed….. When I sleep elsewhere, I worry my phone alarm will wake my roommates, so I wake up as soon as it goes off. Maybe that’s because I wasn’t used to the bed, but here I slept right through my phone alarm, and it didn’t stand a chance. I don’t know whether to be happy or sad about that.

What I fear most in a backpacker hostel is roommates with bad manners, like snoring or making noise. But to be honest, I’ve stayed at nearly ten backpacker hostels so far, in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan, and I haven’t run into this kind of problem yet. If it did happen, the owner would usually step in. Otherwise, bring earplugs and you’ll be fine. If you ever come across an owner who doesn’t deal with these things, please let me know so I can avoid that place (thank you on bended knee).

▲ Even though it’s a dorm for 6 to 8 people, the room itself is quite spacious, so I doubt it would be hard to escape in case of a fire.

▲ This is my bed. You can see the blanket and mattress are quite clean. When checking out, guests are asked to take off the bed sheets they used and put them in the laundry basket. Every bed has a curtain you can draw while sleeping, so even in a backpacker hostel you still have privacy. This is a little detail I really love!

▲ This locker is probably my favorite. When you check in, you get a key card. Besides getting into the room, the card is also needed to open this locker! So you don’t need to worry about storing valuables.

▲ This is another thoughtful touch. When you’re traveling, you always end up forgetting a toothbrush, toothpaste, or towel. The Tainan branch of Light Hostel has a small station at the entrance where you can grab whatever you need. Of course, it’s not free!! But the prices are very reasonable, unlike some hotels that charge a premium.

In conclusion, the Tainan branch of Light Hostel is truly more perfect than I imagined: cheap, well equipped, and in a very convenient location. From now on, I’ll probably always stay here when I visit Tainan. But then I won’t get to try other backpacker hostels. If you have recommendations for backpacker hostels in Tainan, please share them with me! I’ll also try Light Hostel’s branches in other cities when I get the chance. I hope every branch is as friendly and has as good facilities as the Tainan one.