Fresh off the ferry we were ready to unload our increasingly weighted bags and take a stroll around our home for the next week…so we hired a taxi from the ferry terminal to take us to Koala Garden Inn.
The place is nice enough, but it is really off the beaten path, situated in the northern area of the city. The walk to the nearest metro stop, probably Hongdou Stadium was a good 10 to 15 minutes. The area surrounding the hostel was safe, but not pleasant or quaint. The staff was indifferent for the most part, and certainly not a typical hostel type outfit, eager to help you with your days planning and adventures. The best part of Koala is that the rooms were clean and tidy, and our private bathroom came with nice water pressure and was relatively clean. Internet via wireless in the rooms was also great, and the speed was acceptable.
In the end we decided to move to another hostel we found to be a little more convenient to the metro stops, Blue Mountain Youth Hostel.
Security: A
Location: D
Staff: C
Cleanliness: B+
Internet: B+