One day, we decided to venture out to a more remote part of Hanoi, known for its picturesque lakes and peaceful ambiance. After walking around the Old Quarter, we were tired and needed a ride. We flagged down a taxi, and the adventure began. As soon as we got in, we noticed something odd. The taxi driver seemed to be taking a very roundabout way to our destination. The streets grew narrower and quieter, and we were driving deeper into unknown areas. I turned to my friend, who had been trying to navigate using Google Maps, and said, “I think we might be going in circles.” After about 30 minutes of winding through alleys, I started to feel a bit uneasy. I looked at my phone’s map and realized that the driver had completely ignored the main route and was taking us through what seemed to be a shortcut. I asked him in broken Vietnamese if we were going the right way. He smiled and confidently said, “Yes, yes, shortcut!” So, we continued. Finally, we arrived at the destination... only to find that we were much further than we had expected and miles away from where we wanted to be. Laughing at our "adventure," we realized that the driver had been offering us a sightseeing tour all along — just not the one we had in mind. We paid for the ride, which turned out to be a bit more expensive than expected, but the story of our taxi adventure was worth every penny.

One evening, I was talking with a group of guests at Ubuntu Hostel about the best pho in Hanoi. Naturally, everyone had an opinion, and it quickly turned into a competitive debate about which pho place was the best. One guest, an extremely confident food enthusiast, declared, "I’m going to find the best pho in this city, and I’ll eat it every day until I do!" We all laughed at his bold claim, but soon, he actually set out on the "Great Pho Challenge." He visited pho shops all over the city, trying a different bowl every day. After a week, he came back to the hostel with a dramatic sigh and exclaimed, "I have tasted them all, and I must say… the best pho is right here at Ubuntu Hostel!" We were all curious, so we followed him to the tiny pho stand across the street. We ordered bowls of pho, and sure enough, it was the most flavorful and satisfying pho any of us had ever tasted. We all agreed that the pho was amazing, but the real fun was watching him claim victory in his "great pho challenge."

During one of my visits to Ubuntu Hostel, I met a local Vietnamese woman who was running a pop-up cooking class at the hostel. The idea was to learn how to make traditional Vietnamese dishes, and I thought it would be a fun way to spend the afternoon. As we began the class, the instructor handed us ingredients and told us to prepare everything from scratch. We started chopping vegetables, stirring pots, and rolling spring rolls. But things took a funny turn when we had to wrap the spring rolls. No matter how hard I tried, my spring rolls were falling apart. The rice paper kept sticking to my fingers, and I couldn’t wrap them neatly. A fellow guest, who had never cooked Vietnamese food before, kept laughing and saying, "Mine looks more like a burrito than a spring roll!" The instructor, a very patient woman, kept encouraging us, saying, "Don’t worry, it’s not about being perfect. It’s about enjoying the process." But as we looked at our disastrous spring rolls, we couldn’t help but laugh. By the end of the class, our "spring rolls" looked more like abstract art than food, but they tasted surprisingly good! We all shared the food and laughed at our creations. The instructor even said, "Well, maybe next time we’ll just call it ‘fusion cuisine!’"

One day, we decided to venture out to a more remote part of Hanoi, known for its picturesque lakes and peaceful ambiance. After walking around the Old Quarter, we were tired and needed a ride. We flagged down a taxi, and the adventure began. As soon as we got in, we noticed something odd. The taxi driver seemed to be taking a very roundabout way to our destination. The streets grew narrower and quieter, and we were driving deeper into unknown areas. I turned to my friend, who had been trying to navigate using Google Maps, and said, “I think we might be going in circles.” After about 30 minutes of winding through alleys, I started to feel a bit uneasy. I looked at my phone’s map and realized that the driver had completely ignored the main route and was taking us through what seemed to be a shortcut. I asked him in broken Vietnamese if we were going the right way. He smiled and confidently said, “Yes, yes, shortcut!” So, we continued. Finally, we arrived at the destination... only to find that we were much further than we had expected and miles away from where we wanted to be. Laughing at our "adventure," we realized that the driver had been offering us a sightseeing tour all along — just not the one we had in mind. We paid for the ride, which turned out to be a bit more expensive than expected, but the story of our taxi adventure was worth every penny. ⭐ Overall Rating: 8/10 for the scenic detour, and 3/10 for the confusion. The "Unseen" Ghost of the Hostel There are stories about haunted places, but this one is more about an amusing encounter with what we lovingly call "the unseen ghost" of Ubuntu Hostel. It all began when a new guest checked in and claimed to have heard strange noises at night. The guest said, "I swear, I heard someone whispering in the hallway around midnight. It was like someone was trying to talk to me." The staff and I exchanged puzzled looks. No one had reported anything unusual before.

The Mystery of the Lost Flip-Flops During one of our stays at Ubuntu Hostel, we were enjoying the laid-back atmosphere of the common room, chatting with fellow travelers from around the world. The hostel's vibe was always lively, and the staff was super friendly. However, on one fateful evening, I faced a mystery that would forever be known as "The Case of the Missing Flip-Flops." After a long day of exploring Hanoi's bustling streets, I decided to relax and take a nap. I left my flip-flops at the entrance, as I had done many times before. However, when I woke up and went to leave the room, I noticed that my beloved flip-flops were missing. I checked under the bed, in the hallway, and even in the kitchen — nothing. I jokingly asked the hostel receptionist, "Did you see anyone wearing bright orange flip-flops?" She laughed and replied, "No, but I did see a guy earlier who seemed to be very 'stylish' in flip-flops." The mystery deepened. We started to ask other guests, and one by one, everyone had a theory about where my flip-flops could be. The best guess came from a traveler who suggested, "Maybe someone mistook them for a souvenir and took them to the market!" In the end, my flip-flops were never found. I had to borrow a pair of mismatched sandals from the hostel, and they became a running joke throughout our stay. The flip-flops were never recovered, but they left behind a funny story that we all laughed about for days.

Location is right in the center. Very close to eating places and entertainment areas. I asked them to take me to eat some delicious dishes in Hanoi, they were very enthusiastic, I also bought a tour here, they gave me 1 night here for free when I bought their tour, the tour price was much cheaper. Much better than what other places sell, so great, I will come back after my 2-day trip to Ha Long. Thanks.

Staff are very friendly and helpful. The room is very beautiful, larger than the picture, clean and smells very good. Really clean and nice bathroom, great breakfast, great value cocktails, perfect rooftop bar. Will be back soon, hope they still have places to stay because this is a good hostel.

staff are very kind and friendly. The accommodation is affordable, they are equipped with everything necessary. The bathroom is clean and fragrant, and there is always a cleaning staff every time a guest leaves. The sleeping area is cozy and clean, always cleaned and renewed every day. I will definitely come back here again.

The room is fragrant, clean and spacious. The bathroom is clean and fragrant. The staff welcomes enthusiastically and they are quite friendly There is free motorbike parking and bicycle rental Washing and drying clothes is very cheap, only 20,000 VND per kg They have a great rooftop bar and delicious food and drinks

I really like the staff here, they talk to me often and also help me a lot, I'm very grateful. As for the room, the price was so cheap but what I got in return was great, the room was better than my expectations, I thought I needed a place to sleep, but the room was so beautiful, cozy and complete. convenient.