In the middle of Autumn 2022, I was privileged enough to have another trip to the beautiful country of KYRGYZSTAN for the second time around. This time, I only stayed in Bishkek and settled down in Baitik Baatyr Street. With its heartwarming hospitality, level of comfort, available facilities, and location, this hostel just set the bar a little too high. High enough for me to cancel my booking from Compass Hostel just to go back to this hostel to spend the last few days of my trip! Without further ado, let me introduce you to none other than the People Hostel in Baitik Baatyr Street in Bishkek!
💡 Want more inspiration in Kyrgyzstan? Click on these posts and start exploring!
- Visa Guides: E-Visa & Visa on Arrival
- Travel Planning: Several Ways to Go to Bishkek from Manas Airport
- Border Crossing Guide: Almaty to Bishkek by Public Bus (Ak-Zhol Border)
- Budget Accommodation(s): People Hostel in Baitik Baatyr Street, People Hostel & Coworking in Bishkek City Center & Duet Hostel in Karakol
- Beginner-Friendly Hike: Ala-Archa Hike to Ratsek Hut or Kol-Tor Lake Hike
- 4000-er Hike: Komsomolets Peak
- Sightseeing: Burana Tower, Skazka Canyon, Jeti Oguz, and Things to Do in Kyrgyzstan
- Multi-Day Experience(s): Son Kul Lake
- Banya Experience(s): Bath of Aphrodite by Baytur and Zhirgal Banya
- Travel Story: Four Seasons of Kyrgyzstan
Location in Bishkek
Located on one of the busiest streets in Bishkek, the People Hostel is just about 300 meters away from Vefa Center along Baitik Baatyr Street. If you're coming directly from the airport, this hostel is well-located in terms of distance and accessibility to the bus stops.
Not only are you close to bus stops, but the access to supermarkets, food establishments, and services is unbeatable. While the landmarks (Ala-Too Square, National History Museum, Victory Square, Panfilov Park, and Bazaars) are quite a distance away, the hostel is still closer than you think.
As for transportation, there is a bus stop opposite Vefa Center. It is a bus stop for the marshrutka, as well as the GoBus Stop No. 4, which directly goes to/from Manas International Airport.
To learn more about the GoBus service, you may visit the GoBus Website.
Rooms & Facility
Instead of hostel hopping like I always did in the past, this time I spent almost 7 nights alone in People Hostel. I have changed beds multiple times though, 4 times to be exact, during my stay. From the upper bed to the lower bed, then from the Female Dorm to the 4-shared dorm, and then back again to the Female Dorm.
With that said, I have seen almost every corner and facility of the hostel.
Rooms a.k.a. Dorms
Starting with the rooms, or what they call Dorms, it's a typical sharing dorm, and what you see in the picture is what you get. People Hostel has an all-female dorm, an 8-shared dorm, a 6-shared dorm, and a 4-shared dorm. They also have 1 separate room for those who are looking for privacy, which is a loft type and good for two people.
I've stayed in both the Female Dorm and the 4-Shared Dorm, and both are nice. The 4-shared Dorm has a nice little corner with a cushioned chair at the window if you need a little privacy when reading or doing something else. Both dorms have spacious beds, reading lights, lockers/cabinets, and power sockets. I was also provided with clean blankets, a pillow, and a towel.
Facilities & Common Areas
Moving on to the common areas and the facilities, I'm afraid I can't do justice to this part. I wasn't able to take photos of the toilets and the co-working space. Both of them were well-maintained and functional as originally designed. Toilets are separated by gender, and there's only one toilet and one shower area for each gender. Fortunately, I've never experienced having to wait in line. It could be since it's not the peak season anymore, but it's always free whenever I need it.
Two fully functional washing machines are also available in the laundry area in the basement. There are enough racks and space to dry clothes as well. To use the washing machine, you just have to pay a small fee at the reception. It costs 100 some (fee as of October 2022) if you want to use your detergent and 150 some (fee as of October 2022) if you want to use the hostel's detergent.
The kitchen and dining area is where I frequently sit. Water, tea, and coffee are free for all.
As a hiker, I find the gas box thoughtful and practical. Borrowing and leaving them is more practical than buying a new gas and not utilizing all of it.
Hostel's Hospitality
Probably the highlight and my favorite of all is People Hostel's warmth and hospitality. Regardless of whether I traveled during the off-season or not, the connection and memories that I had with the staff of People Hostel are just on another level.
On my first night, I shared dinner with Kasiet from the reception, and she even gave me a Doner Kebab. I always have a treat from her, which is almost every day. I swear she's the sweetest!
She even went with me to visit the National History Museum. Having her as my unofficial tour guide is one of the best things about my entire trip!
I have no picture of Max, but he's someone I won't forget (I even told him that). He is also a sweet fellow working in People Hostel, and he arranged our taxi to go to the airport on my last night, and even offered to wake me up. There's a wake-up call service from hotels, but in a hostel?
Despite rejecting his offer to wake me up, he's up on the second floor during our last-minute packing before we leave. He could be waiting downstairs, but he stood there like a friend offering help until the very last moment. He's the sweetest!
Almost everyone in the People Hostel in Bishkek is accommodating, and no less than Kasiet and Max. However, Kasiet and Max had gone over and beyond the extra mile, hence they are my unforgettable people, EVER.
Bonus: But what happened to Compass Hostel?
Since I kept mentioning my canceled booking at Compass Hostel, let me share a glimpse of the story. Compass Hostel was my first hostel choice for this trip. Due to availability issues, I ended up staying in People Hostel first, but I was looking forward to transferring to Compass Hostel. The hostel is located near Erkindik Avenue and the nearby Korean Restaurant called Chicken Star.
Unfortunately, my experience was a series of small things that eventually led me to feel 'uninvited'. First, my booking from Hostelworld couldn't be found. Then the lady at the front desk was multitasking (I have no problem with that), but didn't give me her undivided attention for at least a whole minute. On top of that, there was too action happening around and I could hear everyone running in the corridor back and forth.
But the turning point was when I was assigned to the twin room (to share with 1 student, as the girl introduced) and her stuff was all over the place. I'm no beginner in sharing rooms (hello, bed spaces in Dubai!), but this is on a different level. Not only is the stuff all over the place, but both cabinets are occupied with stuff too. The student, fully aware of my presence, didn't move either to remove the stuff inside the cabinets. If the stuff is not hers, then it's more of a bigger problem.
If you know me personally and the full-time job I do, you'd know how long my hospitality, patience, and tolerance can go. As unfortunate as it was, I felt unwelcome and uninvited. I felt that I was just given any bed, regardless of my prior booking, without even checking if the room/cabinets were ready for me to use. With a heavy heart, I left in the end.
People Hostel Cost
As a fan of Booking.com yet unsure of my travel plans, I originally booked 2 nights ONLY as below:
After 2 nights, I extended for another 2 nights in the Female Dorms for 800 soms per night (paid directly to the hostel). I checked out after spending a total of 4 nights, then moved to Compass Hostel as told above.
When I went back to People Hostel, unfortunately, there were no available beds in the Female Dorm anymore. The only available bed is in the 4-Shared Dorm, which is 1200 soms per night, and I booked two nights. Then on my last night, I changed to the Female Dorm for one (last) night for 800 soms.
Please do the math for me, but that's how much I spent on my accommodation in the People Hostel in Bishkek.
You can also book this hostel through Booking.com!
Conclusion
If you reach this part, thank you, I will not keep you any longer. Among all the hostels (Airbnb's included), this is my #1 as of the moment. I know I have favoritism towards Kyrgyzstan by now, but not because of it. People Hostel is my #1 because of the hostel's location, facilities, hospitality, and affordable price.
I don't know about you, but having all of these in one hostel sounds like a steal for me. That's it about People Hostel in Bishkek, and I hope you give this hostel a chance, they're quite a gem!
Ready to book your stay? Book it NOW!
