Betel Box Backpacker Hostel

~~~~~~ Latest Reviews ~~~~~~Jul 2009 As Voted by Hostelworld Customers - 'No. 1 Hostel in Singapore 2008 '2009 Lonely Planet Singapore City Guide - Matt Oakley & Joshua Samuel Brown. 8th Edition, Page 173 - If it's a genuine Singapore experience you're looking for, you've come to the right place. This charming and traditionally furnished hostel is encased by a riot of some of the best local eateries in Joo Chiat and is reasonably close to East Coast Park as well. Betel Box boasts a cosy air-conditioned communal area with TV, DVDs, video games, computers and even a pool table (all of which are notorious for keeping guests in the hostel for too long). It's also equipped with tons of travel guides and book-exchange corner. Friendly staff offer free tours for guests. If you want to taste a slice of Singapore life, look no further.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2009 Lonely Planet Singapore City Guide - Matt Oakley & Joshua Samuel Brown. 8th Edition. Page 84- ..'Top Picks. Must Try Tour..' - Operated by the Amazing Tony Tan, owner of the Betel Box Hostel and expert on all things Singapore, a Real Singapore Tour is one you won't soon forget. His food tours, a Singapore must-experience, generally start each Friday evening around six. Tony takes his charges on a veritable gastronomic odyssey through the historical Joo Chiat neighbourhood, where they sample over 20 authentic dishes from all over Southeast Asia. Other tours include walking or cycling trips focusing on history, nature and culture. Tony also leads an amazing pub crawl. Prices start at $50 including food, equipment and the services of one of the most knowledgeable tour guides in Singapore.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Betel Box Backpackers Hostel is a cosy airconditioned hostel with traditional Asian furnishings in a restored 1920s Shophouse. Our accommodation is in comfortable air-conditioned dormitory rooms with hot and cold showers. We also have a large communal area with guest kitchen, dining area, lounge area, Internet terminals and hundreds of books and magazines.There is no curfew at the hostel; we have an electronic keypad lock at the front door, which means you can come and go as you wish, any time of the day. Staff are on hand to assist 24 hours a day and our communal areas are always open. Security cameras monitors all access points and lockers, while, fire systems are directly connected to the central fire service.Your stay includes- broadband internet (30mins daily) - generous self-serve continental breakfast- access to our neighbourhood professional fitness centre- FREE guided tours by staff who are licensed guides (shared costs on food/ drinks/ equipment, minimum 6 persons)We are located on Joo Chiat Road, which is at the heart of Singapore's famous Katong and Geylang Serai district. Joo Chiat is home to the Peranakans of Singapore. Here you will find signature Straits Chinese eateries and giftshops and also the Eurasian Museum. Furthermore, Joo Chiat is Singapore's largest architecture conservation district with more than 900 individual buildings protected by law; Betel Box is located in a prime example of a conserved 1920s shophouse.Betel Box Backpackers hostel is 13 km from Changi International Airport and 7 km to City Hall (centre of the city). Well connected buses and trains provide easy transport to all the sights and attractions of Singapore. The hostel is walking distance to the most popular park in Singapore; the East Coast beach where you can swim, BBQ, bike and rollerblade.One of Singapore's best attractions is the wide variety of food on offer and the Joo Chiat district is the best area to sample the best of Singaporean foods. The lively area around the hostel has many famous restaurants, food stalls and kopi tiams (local coffee shops).Every week we organise activites, including Tony's Famous Foodwalk in the district around the hostel. On this walk you will get a chance to sample some of the best food Singapore has to offer and it is a great way to meet fellow travellers! Other free tours include Pubcrawl by Singapore River, Nature Walk and City by the Water Cycling Tour.Just have a look at what our previous guests thought of our us:==========================================Betel box is the hostel I choose to stay at every time I go back to Singapore. Besides meeting the basic requirements like clean bathrooms and a good location, the staff is amazing and works hard to give this place something extra. Thank you Betel Box!omg i loved this hostel so much! it was so easy to meet people, the room was so nice and cool with the air con and it was actualy so fun to stay in such a big dorm. all my worrys like safety and noise were completely wrong! the food tour was so much fun and there were a bunch of other tours wich also looked fantastic!! yeh this hostel was wicked definatly go there!!the staff here were EXCELLENT, i had the worst journey to singapore, tired and jetlagged, i was in the worst mood.i had the itinery to see as much as i could in the very few hours that i had in Singapore. the guys were fab, especially Justin, who helped me out tremendously. they were all extremely helpful and MORE than accommodating. i'd definately come back.PD, Jad, Ty and I have had an amazing stay at Betelbox. you bought the culture, customs and history of Singapore alive for us on the food walk and cycling tour. The generosity of the staff and all of the travelers in welcoming and including our boys in all the activitis was outstanding. Nothing was ever too much troubel & we can't recommend the betelbox highly enough. Tyler will be back to play pool at 57 Chevy as soon he saves for his fare. Top notch hostel with a great friendly atmosphere. Huge common area allows plenty of opportunities to mix with other guests. Staff are very helpful, coming up with itineraries to fit into whatever timescale you have while also adding to the fun around the place with good anecdotes etc. Complimentary breakfast is really good also. A bit far out from the centre but well served by public transport, particularly the metro system. Great place with lots of fun. Try the free food tour! Joo Chiat isn't in the centre of Singapore but its well worth exploring and easy to travel to and from on MRT and bus. Hire bikes were cheap and good for getting to the beach but watch out for mental drivers! Justin, Tony and Din are amazing! Really helpful and welcoming. The communual area is chilled and a lovely place to hang out after a long day. Great shower in our dorm. Will be back in few monthsFantastic Hostel!!! Very Clean, excellent facilities and the guys that run the hostel are a wealth of general & local information. Don't miss out on Tony's Foodwalk!!!!!, you won't regret it!!!!==========================================We hope to see you in Singapore!

Directions

Betel Box Hostel Singapore200 Joo Chiat RoadSingapore 427471The hostel is at the right-hand side on Joo Chiat Road just after the junction with Joo Chiat Place. We are a few doors down from the 7/11; you should look for the green doors with our logo painted on them (but there is a sign as well).If you have any problems, just give us a call or send us an email!Coming from Changi International AirportI. BusThe price for a ticket is S$1.70. Please note that Singapore bus drivers are not able to give you change, so you will need to get the exact fare before boarding the bus. You can get change from the moneychangers in the arrival halls of Terminal 1 and 2.Bus frequency: Between every 1 and every 13 minutes Operating hours: from 06:00 until Midnight (every day)?Bus 24 is the most convenient way to reach the hostel; we are only a short walk away from the bus stop?Take bus 24 from Terminal 2 (the buses leave from the basement of the airport)?If you arrive in Terminal 1, take the Skytrain to Terminal 2?Ask bus driver to alert you when the bus reaches Joo Chiat Complex, which is at the corner of Joo Chiat Road and Changi Road?Walk from bus stop in the same direction as the flow of traffic and turn left into Joo Chiat Road?Walk down Joo Chiat Road for 7 minutes and you will see the Betel Box Hostel on the right-hand side of the roadII. Train (Mass Rapid Transit or MRT)The closest MRT station for the Betel Box Hostel is Paya Lebar on the East-West (EW) line (the green line).The price for a ticket is S$1.70 plus a refundable S$1 deposit for a single trip ticket.Train frequency: Every 12 minutesOperating hours: from 05:31 until 23:18 (Monday to Saturday), from 05:59 until 23:18 (Sunday/ Public Holidays)?The MRT station is located in Terminal 2 of Changi Airport?If you arrive in Terminal 1, take the Skytrain to Terminal 2?Take MRT to Paya Lebar station (station EW8 on the same line as the airport)?You will have to change at Tanah Merah station (2nd stop from airport, station EW4), but stay on the same platform for trains towards the city (direction Boon Lay)?Take exit A (Sims Avenue exit), turn left and when you hit Tanjong Katong Road, turn right towards Sims Avenue?Cross Sims Avenue and turn left (you should be walking in the same direction as the traffic)?After passing Malay Village, turn right into Geylang Serai and keep walking straight, crossing Changi Road and walk into Joo Chiat Road?Walk down Joo Chiat Road for 7 minutes and you will see the Betel Box Hostel on the right side of the road?Total walking time is 15 minutesIII. TaxiThe taxi ride from the airport to the hostel should not cost more than S$12 before midnight and S$18 after midnight. These prices are for the normal taxis only (the blue or yellow ones); you should avoid the limousines, vans and London black cabs, because they are all much more expensive.Taxis in Singapore have fare meters; do not accept any offers of flat rates.There are a number of surcharges for taxis, including the S$3 airport charge, 50% surcharge after midnight (lasts until 06:00) and the peak hour surcharge of S$1 from 07:30 until 09:30 and from 17:00 until 20:00 for certain taxi companies.Coming from Tanjong Pagar Railway StationTrains from Malaysia (e.g. Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth) arrive at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.?Take bus 30 from Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in the direction of Bedok Interchange?Ask bus driver to alert you when you reach Malay Village on Sims Avenue (the bust stop is just after Malay Village)?Walk back in direction you came from and cross the street?Walk through Geylang Serai and keep walking straight, crossing Changi Road and walk into Joo Chiat Road?Walk down Joo Chiat Road for 7 minutes and you will see the Betel Box Hostel on the right side of the roadComing from Lavender Street Bus StationIf you are arriving from Melaka or Malacca (Malaysia) by bus, you are likely to arrive at Lavender Street Bus Terminal.?Leave the bus station and turn left onto Lavender Street (direction of Kallang Road) and stay on the left side of the street?Just before you reach Kallang Road there is a bus stop?Take bus 13?Ask bus driver to alert you when you reach Malay Village on Sims Avenue (the bust stop is just after Malay Village)?Walk back in direction you came from and cross the street?Walk through Geylang Serai and keep walking straight, crossing Changi Road and walk into Joo Chiat Road?Walk down Joo Chiat Road for 7 minutes and you will see the Betel Box Hostel on the right side of the roadComing from Queen Street Bus StationThe bus station on the corner of Queen Street and Arab Street is the main station for buses to Kuala Lumpur and Johore Bahru.?Exit bus station and turn right into Arab Street?Follow Arab Street until you reach Victoria Street?Turn left on Victoria Street (do not cross the street)?Walk for a further 100 meters to the bus stop?Take bus 7, 33 or 51?Ask bus driver to alert you when you reach Malay Village on Sims Avenue?Walk back in direction you came from and cross the street?Walk through Geylang Serai and keep walking straight, crossing Changi Road and walk into Joo Chiat Road?Walk down Joo Chiat Road for 7 minutes and you will see the Betel Box Hostel on the right side of the roadComing from World Trade CentreYou will enter Singapore at the World Trade Centre if you arrive by ferry from Indonesia.?Go to Harbour Front MRT station on the North-East Line (purple)?Change to the East-West Line (green line) at Outram Park station?Take East-West Line in direction of Pasir Ris/ Changi Airport?Get off at Paya Lebar station (station EW8)?Take exit A (Sims Avenue exit), turn left and when you hit Tanjong Katong Road, turn right towards Sims Avenue?Cross Sims Avenue and turn left (you should be walking in the same direction as the traffic)?After passing Malay Village, turn right into Geylang Serai and keep walking straight, crossing Changi Road and walk into Joo Chiat Road?Walk down Joo Chiat Road for 7 minutes and you will see the Betel Box Hostel on the right side of the road?Total walking time is 15 minutesPlease note that we are not able to accept credit cards; once you check in at the hostel, please pay the ourstanding balance in cash.Contact details are on the confirmation email.