Taipei: Our Cozy Stay with Good Vibes at We Come Hostel

Taiwan was a country I least expected to visit. But after changing their visa policy to accommodate Filipinos who have tourist visas from countries like Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, any of the Schengen countries, the United Kingdom, or the United States, I booked flights to Taipei at once. Having visited Japan last 2014, my visa gained me access to Taiwan easily. My travelling feet soon started walking the streets of Taipei City to find our hostel in Datung District, the lovely We Come Hostel.

Do you know how difficult it is to travel to a new country yet you have to hold off on exploring the place because you’re stuck finishing deadlines. Yeah. That sucks.

As an online freelancer, work is my priority as this funds my travels. The good thing with working online is I have the freedom to choose my office. It could be on a bunk bed on a 12-bedroom dorm in Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro, or on a handwoven mat sprawled on a sandy beach in Bas Daku in Moalboal, or inside a cute coffee shop in Phahonyothin in Bangkok, or even on a sleeper train traveling from Bangkok to Padang Besar in Malaysia.

So when I travelled to Taiwan for the first time, I had to kill all my urges to join my friends as they explored Taipei since I needed to work. This time, on one of the small high tables on the common room of our hostel in the Datong District. I actually intended to finish off work before I flew to Taiwan from Malaysia but because of a tummy flu in Penang, my work schedule went in shambles. The truth is, being stuck in my hostel in Taipei wasn’t bad at all especially with their fast WiFi. In fact, it allowed me to appreciate the hostel’s work culture and saw how guests are treated like family by the friendly staff of We Come Hostel.

We Come Hostel

When you enter the hostel, you’ll be greeted by their friendly staff. Bringing of footwear inside the common area is a no-no. This is done, I guess, to ensure that their hostel is clean round the clock and no foreign dirt gets inside the property. To make sure your shoes are secure, the management has a designated shoe box apartment where you can leave your footwear. Rubber slippers are available for you to use within the hostel grounds.

What I like about this hostel in Taipei is their spacious common area where you can lounge and mingle with other guests if you get bored in your rooms. There’s a huge flat screen TV if you’re into movies and shows and there’s also board games available. A huge dining table sits in the kitchen area. A fridge is available for use in case guests wants to buy food. There’s also a mini bar where beer and sodas are sold. You can leave your payment at the cash box placed beside the ref. Cup noodles are for sale too in case you get lazy to go out.

Since we arrived too early, we comfortably stayed at the lounge area while waiting to check in. The ever helpful Alan of We Come Hostel was so kind as to show us the best places to visit within the Datong District and the rest of Taipei. He also showed us a short video from YouTube about Taipei’s history.

We Come Hostel have different rooms to choose from. They have a private double room, a 4-bed mixed dorm, a 6-bed mixed dorm and an 8-bed mixed dorm. Since we were four in our group, we chose the 4-bed mixed dorm but due to availability, we were assigned to stay on their 8-bed mixed dorm on our first night. Afterwhich, we transferred to the 4-bed mixed dorm on the rest of our stay in Taipei.

What I love about the bunk beds at We Come hostel is that they are wide for a single bed. How they made up their beds with those dainty white sheets and futon blankets reminded me of the cool hostel I stayed in Japan.

To assure guests that sheets are replaced every time someone checks in, I think it is the reason why We Come asks its guests to make sure they bring their bed sheets, pillow case and blanket covers at the reception upon checking out. This also ensures that nothing is left behind their beds. I simply like this idea.

A simple breakfast is inclusive when you book your stay at We Come Hostel in Taipei. They serve bread with different viands each day. During our stay, we had scrambled eggs, sausage, chicken nuggets and hash brown. My favorite’s the hash browns but due to its popularity, they sell like hot pancakes. Coffee, tea, milk and juice are also available. For the spreads, your choices are peanut butter, margarine, and orange and strawberry jams.

The hostel has a number of bathrooms and toilets so it won’t be difficult to find a spare one in case guests use it simultaneously.

A common desk with a vanity mirror is available for guest’s use. There are enough hair dryers for everyone. There’s q-tips, facial puff, facial tissue and even a dental floss.

On my first two full days in Taipei, I had to finish off work so while my friends went out to roam around the city, I stayed behind. It seems that the hostel gets empty by mid day since most of the guests go out to explore the city. While finishing off my tasks, I get to observe the routine the hostel does each day. Their staff makes it a point that the place is clean and you could see them in action too.

What’s interesting is I saw a roomba or a robot sweeper who takes care of cleaning the common area. This little fella dances to its own beat. One moment you see it next to you, the next time, it’s already at the kitchen area.

Here’s a short video I made about how this hostel in Taipei looks like.

While lurking around the common area, I met Tin, a girl from Vietnam who recognized I’m a Filipino from the Sinulog shirt I was wearing at that time. It turns out that she just came from Cebu a couple of months back to learn English, if I’m not mistaken. She’s staying in Taipei to learn Chinese this time. I also met Sugimoto (not sure if I spelled this right), a Japanese, who speaks little English. He fell in love with Taipei and is staying there to learn the language too.

One day, I saw this box sitting on top of the dining table and when Alan passed by, he told me it’s a gift given to the bride’s friends at a wedding. It turns out that on weddings in Taiwan, it’s sort of like mandatory to give a gift to the bride’s close friends. I’m not quite sure if I remember this info right. Alan just came from that wedding and although he’s both friends with the bride and groom, he gets to take home this box of goodies and he was so generous to share this with the hostel guests. Tin, who I’m guessing works part time in the hostel, also cooked sweet black beans and gave me some to try. These gestures from the guests and the people manning the hotel is really appreciated. I’ve never experienced anything like it. They are so friendly it makes it hard to leave the hostel. The good vibes in this place is something I definitely miss and couldn’t wait to get back.

Here are more photos of the place.

We Come Hostel

Book here for discounted room rates
2F. No.26, Gangu St.
Datong District, Taipei City
Taiwan
E-mail: wecomehostel@gmail.com
Phone: 02-2555 7177
www.wecomehostel.com/