Beautiful Downtown Nanaimo on the Seawall - One Block from HI-Nanaimo Hostel
As I continue to travel across Canada and independently review hostels and budget accommodation for backpackers, I find myself in Nanaimo, BC – located on breathtaking British Columbia Canada’s Vancouver Island.
Nanaimo has three hostels: Hostelling International Nanaimo (Painted Turtle Guesthouse); Nicol Street Hostel; and the Cambie Hostel. All three hostels are located in the downtown core area of Nanaimo, although HI-Nanaimo is located in the historic arts district closest to the seawall and oceanfront. All three hostels are very different in accommodations and this is my assessment (comparison chart) of how the three Nanaimo hostels compare in amenities, cleanliness, rates and accommodation.
I have personally stayed in all 3 hostels and the biggest difference can be best described this way: Hostel International Nanaimo pitches and attracts a more discerning backpacker; the Cambie is at the opposite end of the spectrum attracting the young, loud, hard core party-goer, and the Nicol Street Hostel is somewhere in the middle.
On this occasion, I have to pick Hostelling International Nanaimo over the Nicol Street Hostel or the Cambie as the place to stay when visiting Nanaimo on Central Vancouver Island. Although the HI-Nanaimo Painted Turtle Guesthouse was a little more expensive (by a dollar or two), it is truly a cut above the other two hostels. While I was there, someone told me that they recently won the Best Hostel in Canada award and it shows.
I was pleasantly surprised with Nanaimo and everything this charming small city has to offer travellers and visitors. My suggestion, having now finished travelling all of Vancouver Island, is to have a look at some of the travel itinerary recommendations and day trip suggestions on the Hostelling International Nanaimo website.
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Until you get to central Vancouver Island, it’s hard to imagine just how much this jewel of British Columbia has to offer. You could literally spend months travelling around what is affectionately referred to as “Van Isle” and still not see it all so it’s important that you plan your trip well! Using Nanaimo as [...]
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Hostelling International HI-Nanaimo
(Painted Turtle Guesthouse)
Review:
5 star rating
The staff is very friendly and obliging, you fell directly welcome when you enter the hostel. The rooms are clean, comfortable and compared with other hostels very bright - a lot of light in the rooms and in the living room! The living room and kitchen area is nice furnished and snugly! You have to pay a little bit more than the average, but you really get a nice place for your money!
Nicol Street Hostel Review:
2 star rating
The hostel was dark, dingy and cold at night. The location left a lot to be desired (right beside a Salvation Army homeless shelter) and I didn't feel safe. The beds were creaky and the hostel was really noisy. However, it is right in downtown and just a few blocks from the ocean, nice restaurants and shops and I met some nice Japanese students who were also staying at the Nicol hostel.
Cambie Hostel Review:
1 star rating
Tempting due to its low cost, but spending a bit more for a better place is well worth your money! This place is so gross that I can't believe we decided to stay there. To begin with, the room was a windowless box, devoid of AC or even a fan. Fortunately it wasn't hot outside when we stayed there. The mattress was one of the worst we'd ever slept on, like sleeping directly on a box spring. The sheets had hair on them (to be fair, the bartender got us fresh sheets after we pointed this out). The bathroom floor was dirty. The toilet was leaky, so it alternately trickled and filled continuously, all night long. The lighting was dim. The kitchen was broken-down and dingy. And there was loud music till midnight. Really, the bartenders were as nice as could be, but they couldn't save this place from being disgusting and a really poor choice for even the budget-minded traveler.