The Hostel
We spent two years designing and building Nolo Hub Pai from the ground up, and opened in May 2019: a social, activity-led pod hostel in Pai for backpackers who want to meet people, explore Pai, have a great night out and still sleep well. We’re a 10–15 minute walk from Walking Street and the bus station, with a fully stocked bar, a pool, unheated jacuzzis and a common area stacked with games. The eight dorms are upstairs, built away from the bar, with six extra-large pods in each.
Beds from 350 to 550 baht a night, 550 in November, December and January. See the price for your dates (opens the booking page in a new tab)
Hostelworld’s most popular hostel in Pai, 2024 and 2025
The Broke Backpacker’s Best Overall Hostel in Pai
Evenings at Nolo
Evenings start at the bar, around the pool and the pool table. We run events every night: some stay chilled, others turn into a full party. We’re about creating a genuine, inclusive social atmosphere without anything feeling forced. At 10pm our team takes everyone who wants to keep going into town to the bars, so the night carries on there and the hostel goes quiet for anyone who wants to take it easy or sleep. There’s a quiet rule in the dorms, so you can step away from the fun whenever you like.
Is Nolo Hub Pai right for you?
Yes, if you want to:
- Meet other solo travellers and small groups.
- Join group day trips to waterfalls, the canyon, hot springs, a cave and sunset viewpoints, plus jungle treks and donation runs to local schools and villages when possible.
- Have drinks at the bar and around the pool, then head into town with the group at 10pm if you want to keep going.
- Sleep properly afterwards, in a pod with a heavy blackout curtain and a window of its own.
No, if you’re looking for:
- Complete isolation or zero social interaction.
- A party that runs all night inside the hostel. At 10pm we take it into town, so everyone else can sleep.
- Hotel-style service or amenities. We are a traditional, community-driven social backpacker hostel and proud of it.
Good to know before you book
Four dogs live here: Tarzan, Sophie, Pablo and Samantha, all young and friendly. If you’re allergic to dogs or would rather not be around them, it’s worth knowing before you book.
- Guests aged 18 to 34
- Mixed dorms only, six pods in each
- Quiet hours from 10pm to 8am
- No pets
- No drugs
- Groups of more than five may be turned down: this is a hostel made for solo travellers and small groups
The pods
Forget cramped bunk beds. Every mixed dorm features just six extra-large pods, giving you actual room to breathe. Each dorm comes with AC, fast Wi-Fi, a full-length mirror, and its own bathroom (bed linen included; towel rentals at reception).
Inside your pod:
- An extra-thick foam topper on a king single mattress
- Enough space in your pod for your large bag
- An actual window that opens for fresh air
- A heavy blackout curtain for proper sleep-ins
- A lockable locker, charging ports, a reading light, a fan, and a fold-down desk
The pool, the jacuzzis and the garden
Seen from above, the pool is shaped like a phallus — an ‘eggplant’, if you prefer — with NOLO HUB PAI in tiles along its length. Possibly the only eggplant-shaped hostel pool in the world. It’s outdoors, with loungers along the side, and there are jacuzzis too — not heated.
Around them is the garden: stepping-stone paths, more loungers, and thatched shelters for the shade.
It has a page of its own in the guide, too: The Eggplant Pool.
The common area and the bar
The common area is full of games: a big pool table, ping pong, foosball, darts, board games and games consoles, with somewhere to watch movies.
The bar is right here, and it’s where most evenings start. Nolo Hub Pai works with local cafés so you can have food delivered to Nolo fast and for free.
Laundry and the rest
- Free fruit-infused water
- Laundry
- A printer, for visa forms and tickets
- Hair dryers and plug adaptors
- Free Wi-Fi: over 100 Mbps down and 150 up, tested in a dorm
- 24-hour security, and CCTV in the common areas
- Housekeeping
- A smoking area
- Free luggage storage
- Free parking, and parking for bicycles
- Scooter rental, arranged through the hostel
Arriving
- Check-in from 2pm to 10pm; check-out until 11am
- Reception open 9am to 10pm
- A security guard downstairs from 10pm to 9am. Leaving before reception opens? He’ll drive you to the bus station and give you back your deposit
- A free lift from Walking Street any time between 9am and 9.30pm, for arriving with your bags or coming back from the night market — where to meet it is on Getting to Pai
- An easy, safe walk of 10–15 minutes to the bus station, Walking Street and the middle of town
- The Saturday market sets up right outside our gate, about 100 metres away, from about 9am every Saturday