My plan for Tainan was easy — find a hostel near the train station. Since I was arriving in Tainan at night, I didn't want to get lost in a foreign city after dark. Old Man Captain Hostel happens to be the old office of Tainan Train Station so naturally, it was located within walking distance of the train station.


Note: if you key 'Old Man Captain Hostel' into Google Maps, it'll lead you somewhere 10 minutes away, which is NOT where the hostel is.


The hostel, identifiable by its bright orange doors, is at the doorstep of Tainan Train Station.

Room

I stayed in the 'Basic 12 Bed Mixed Dorm', and my experience with Old Man Captain Hostel changed my opinion on mixed rooms when I previously swore in Taipei that I'll never stay in a mixed room hostel again. I guess like travelling, the roommates you get in hostels also boils down to your luck.

Thankfully, everyone I met in Old Man Captain Hostel was well mannered and respectfully kept to the stipulated quiet hours of 11pm to 7am. Although 12 of us were sharing a room, it wasn't noisy and didn't feel claustrophobic. The walkway was spacious and I had no problem opening my luggage to pack.


We were each assigned a locker which was big enough to fit my 13-inch Macbook, amongst other belongings.

My only qualm was that the room's air-conditioning was extremely weak, causing a few of us to be standing in front of the air conditioner and still sweating! Taiwan's summer is known to be unforgiving and I found myself waking up several times throughout my nights at Old Man Captain Hostel.

Toilet

There's only hot water from 6pm to 2am everyday

There are 2-3 toilets located outside of the room on every floor — hardly enough considering there's already 12 of us in one room. That, coupled with the fact that the weak water pressure and restricted hours for hot water, didn't make my shower experience the best. But hey, at least the toilets were clean.

The hot water didn't make much difference during my time there although I can see how it could possibly be an issue if you stayed at Old Man Captain Hostel during winter.

Towels are for rent at Old Man Captain Hostel

Common Area

Although there's only one common washing machine for guests to use, not many people utilised the washing machine when I was there so I only had to wait for one other person before it was my turn. Each wash costs NT50 (SGD $2.50).

The dryer wasn't working during my time there so I had to hang my laundry on the laundry line.

People watching in Old Man Captain Hostel

Atmosphere

Of all the hostels and minsu I stayed at in Taiwan, Old Man Captain Hostel's atmosphere impressed me the most. It's usual for nights to be filled with laughter from guests playing games in the common area, although the hostel makes sure the npose stops from 11pm onwards so guests get ample rest during their stay.


Due to its proximity to Tainan Train Station and history as the train station's old office, Old Man Captain Hostel is a train-themed hostel. The beds are called "cars" and rooms are known as "cabins".

Service

The staff at Old Man Captain Hostel prepared a self-drawn map with places of interests around Old Man Captain Hostel for every guest. They voluntarily suggested places for me to grab a late dinner and were knowledgable about the opening hours of several places around the hostel. I noticed the staff were friends with some locals who frequented Old Man Captain Hostel.

The staff also picked up their phone quickly when I got lost and gave me directions to Old Man Captain Hostel even though it was already past 8pm. The staff could speak English fine. Payment was made in cash.

Will I return to Old Man Captain Hostel?

Yes, if they fix the aircon.

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Old Man Captain Hostel

Address

No. 2, Section 2, Beimen Road, East District, Tainan City, Taiwan 701

Phone Number

+886 982 697 940

Email

oldmancaptain@gmail.com

Website

https://oldmancaptain.weebly.com/

Price

On average, SGD $20.65 a night

Booking

I made my booking with Old Man Captain Hostel via HostelWorld.com as they provide a best price guarantee.

Disclaimer: I paid for the rooms from my own pocket and the hostel didn't know of my identity as a travel blogger. I was treated like a regular guest and this review is written based on my personal experience with the hostel.