The Hump Hostel, Kunming, Yunnan, China

We stayed at The Hump from March 14th to March 16th.

I had emailed to reserve a private room with shared bathroom ahead of time (which was listed as available on Hostelworld.com). They told me they only that the private room available on March 14th. I said I'd like it for our first night, then we'd switch to the ladies' dorm room.

There were about seven emails total in our exchange, each of which seemed never to be fully understood by the other party. But The Hump staff were quick to reply.

We showed up to the Hump and they said that the only room was the private room. Not the private with the shared bathroom, but the private ensuite room for 138yuan/night (not 80, like the shared bath that I wanted). In reviewing the email, that does seem to be the room they indicated, even though it's not the one I asked about.

We stayed in the 8-bed dorm room the first night (30yuan/person). The room was full. It has wonderfully high ceilings, terrible light (but each bed has its own private lamp, some of which worked). The lockers were huge (my entire 80L hiking pack fit inside without a problem) and it has a mechanical lock that opens when you hold a plastic key up to it. There aren't rickety ladders to the top bunks, but staircases with built-in hinged doors that reveal little cubbies to tuck your belongings of less value into (food, shower items). There was a big window/balcony thing to let in a breeze and some sunlight.

Most of the women kept to themselves. We never exchanged hellos with them (partly because half of them were asleep, even when we checked in around 8pm). The light was still on when we came back to the room to go to bed at midnight, but nearly everyone was asleep. We turned the light off, only to realize maybe one person was awake in her bed and wanted the light for the entire room on. Even with the great lockers, women tossed their belongings everywhere. Instead of putting their suitcases on the floor or under the bed or in their locker, they were strewn open and spewing onto the one counter area in the room.

Mosquitoes were not a problem. The weather was delightful (50-75 degrees).

But, when we went to brush our teeth for the night, we read a sign posted on the mirror which states something like this: Sorry, but we have to decorate the bathrooms, so there is no hot water for about one week. Sorry for the inconvenience. Let the reception know if you need to take a shower. They also don't provide toilet paper in the restroom. They sell it for 1 yuan / pack at the reception desk.

The second night we paid 40/each to stay in the private room without the bathroom. The room had a slight odor of rotten oranges. It was dark and dank. There were no windows to the outside, only ones to the hallway, so there was no real ventilation for the room. There was a single light bulb hanging from the high ceiling, which was just depressing. Going to sleep was an issue. People cackled down the hallway. Their high heels echoed. People were shouting, clapping and just overall loud. There is a big bar/restaurant area and a nice outside deck/patio, which is great. At night it gets a bit smoky inside (even though smoking in the rooms is not allowed). The hostel also has a bar downstairs and bicycle rentals available. While we didn't rent bikes, I poked into the shop. They looked like they were in various states of ride-ability.

As far as location, this hostel has a lot going for it. Little market vendors line the alleys just outside. There is a large plaza right next to the hostel. Also, a short walk away is a shopping area, and an open air market with live animals for sale, flowers, artwork, tapestries, etc. The provincial museum is just a 15 minute walk. It's closed on Mondays, which we maybe should have checked before going. Oops.

I did need to take a shower our last morning. When I asked if there was a place I could do so, they promptly handed over a key to an ensuite room, so the shower was private, which was lovely. There was still no hot water, though. And it wasn't too hot outside this morning, so it was an uncomfortable and chilly experience. But my hair is no longer greasy.

The staff were reasonably friendly and helpful. Lots of information about Kunming and bus routes, etc. is posted clearly on the walls in English and Chinese. They held valuables in lockers by the reception for no fee. They set us up with a massage place that was cheap and nice (68yuan got me a 90-minute massage). They also provide flight and train booking services.

This hostel was fine. The windowless room was not. The bathroom construction was not cool. The noise level was inappropriate, but I suppose to be expected from a hostel that markets itself as a party hangout to meet other backpackers. But the restaurant and bar was actually cheaper than other hostels we've stayed in. Drinks ranged from 10-30 yuan. Food was reasonably priced for a hostel (15 yuan for breakfast instead of 25). There are plenty of cheap restaurants within walking distance, too (4-12yuan / dish).

If I come back to Kunming (which I'd like to), I won't stay here. I'm ready to catch my flight to Lijiang now. :)