Betel Box Backpackers, Singapore Hostel Review

• Address: 200 Joo Chiat Rd, #02-02, Singapore 427471
• Plus code: 8W62+V3 Singapore
• Phone number: +6562477340
• Check In: 1:00 pm
• Check Out: 11:00 am
• Breakfast: Yes!
• Wifi: Yes!
• Closest metro stations: Eunos Station (17 min walk), Marine Parade (20 min walk)

Getting to Betel Box Backpackers Hostel

It’s easy to get to the hostel from either the airport or the bus station (depending on how you’re getting to Singapore). The fastest way is to just take a Grab (Southeast Asia’s version of Uber) but if you want to take public transit you can get there by metro and walking, or just using the city bus.

Grab Info

• The airport has a specific Grab pickup floor where you can order a Grab (on your own phone) and wait in air conditioned comfort. Depending on the time you’re getting in and whether there’s a surge fee, it should cost about $15 USD.

From Changi Airport

• By Metro: Take EW to Tanah Merah, then get off there and swap to the train going to Tuas Link. Ride until Eunos Station, then get off and walk about 17 minutes to the hostel. Cost: S$1.50
• By Bus: Take the 24 bus going towards Ang Mo Kio International, then get off at Joo Chiat Cplx and walk about 9 minutes to the hostel. Cost: S$1.50

From Queen Street Bus Terminal

• Walk 5 minutes to Stamford Pr Sch stop and catch the 33 bus going towards Bedok. Get off at Bef Joo Chiat Pl stop and walk 3 minutes to the hostel. Cost: S$1.50

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Check-in & Hostel Staff

Check-in is easy, though a little involved. You have to message the hostel on Whatsapp so they have your contact number, show them your arrival card and passport, and then confirm your dates and so on. Getting connected to the wifi for the first time takes a bit because you have to log into their wifi portal, too. But all together it shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes.

The staff are super nice! I’ve met three of them and they’re all super knowledgeable about Singapore and have great suggestions for what to see and do while you’re visiting. They also host events every so often, usually a Ladies Night pub crawl once a week and other events depending on the time of year.

They also do tours, and if you’re staying in the hostel you get a discounted tour rate. I went on a food tour with them (review coming soon) and it was excellent.

My Room

I always stay in the same room, the 8 bed female dorm on the third level. There’s only two rooms up there, that dorm and then a smaller 5 bed dorm. Besides those, there’s also a 18 bed mixed dorm on the bottom floor, an 8 bed mixed dorm, and a 6 bed mezzanine dorm. There’s no private rooms, unfortunately.

The room is basic but fine for a few nights. There’s air conditioning (only runs 7pm to 10am) and Wifi, and there’s plugs near the beds but not individual ones for each bunk (bring a power strip if you have a lot to charge). Noise-wise, it’s actually very quiet as the window opens to a side street and not the main road.

Outside of the room are some lockers that you can use for your stuff (bring your own lock). They’re not big enough for a suitcase but you could fit a 40L backpack into them at least.

Bed

I somehow always got assigned a bottom bunk (yay) and the bed is perfectly comfortable. Here’s a somewhat bad photo of the bunks (sorry!):

Bathroom

Hostel Breakfast

Guests get a continental breakfast of toast and coffee/tea. There’s plenty of stuff to spread on the toast, including kaya jam, peanut butter, Nutella, honey. I usually bulk up breakfast with yogurt, granola and fruit bought from the nearby supermarket. Guests can store food in the shared fridge/pantry and use the kitchenette to heat things up.

Shared Spaces

The common area is fairly large and it’s the only place that has air con 24/7 so people tend to hang out here. It’s a great place to meet people!

There’s the kitchenette, which has a microwave and hot water kettles (no frying stuff), the “dining area” with tables and plugs for charging phones (see below), a small desk area for people on laptops (i.e. me) and a pool table, a reading corner and a sofa area with a TV.

I especially like the neighborhood that the hostel is in. It’s got tons of restaurants, cafes, bars, three nearby hawker centres, a huge mall with a nice post office some distance away, and you can go south to see the beach and Peranakan Houses. There’s also a ton of street art just in that one little area, which makes it even more fun to walk around.

If you’re looking for somewhere that’s affordable, friendly, and in a nice neighborhood, then Betel Box Backpackers hostel is for you!

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