The hostel in Kuta
11. - 13. October
This post isn’t very long or comprehensive, but I want to share with you a little story from our experience of staying at a hostel!
Because honestly it was never part of the plan with the children.
When we (Bjarne and I) thought of hostels, we thought of large shared dorms, girls and boys separated, young travelers, lots of partying, noise, and places that were not very family-friendly. None of us had ever stayed at a hostel before, so that image was all we had to go on. And yet, there we were, booking two nights at a hostel in Kuta before traveling onward to a new country.
The reason was simple: it was surprisingly affordable to book a family room, the photos looked genuinely cozy, and the reviews were very good. Sometimes, that’s all we need to take a small leap.
The hostel is called Interconnection, and we warmly recommend it to anyone spending a couple of nights in the Kuta or Sanur area.
I don’t know why I didn’t took any photos.. I guess you just have to use your imagination.
From the outside, it was easy to miss. It looked small and discreet. But as soon as we stepped inside, we were greeted by a narrow stone path with carp fish swimming on both sides. Everyone left their shoes at the entrance. There were shelves for everyone and a big, open doorway that made the place feel welcoming. It felt very homey! Right next to the hostel was a delicate little café serving good coffee and banana bread.
The receptionist welcomed us with the biggest smile. He was so cool and genuinely happy to have us there. Together with a colleague, he carried our bags up to the family room. It was the coziest room we had had so far on this trip. Homey, beautifully colored and funitured, smelling fresh and clean, with a good energy. There were two single beds, plus a cool bunk bed with curtains and private lockers; a classic hostel bunk, and the kids loved it.
Kuta itself wasn’t the most inspiring area for us, but it was perfect as a stopover. We all slept incredibly well, though we did wake up early to the sound of prayer from the nearby mosque. Bjarne and I took turns going for morning runs, which was one of our favorite ways to get to know a new neighborhood: quiet streets, local life waking up, more genuine glimpses of everyday Bali.
Breakfast was included in the booking. When we came downstairs, we sat at a long table next to a young man named Lorenzo, just 19 years old, from Italy. The food was prepared right there in the open kitchen by the receptionist and the cleaning lady. Fresh watermelon and papaya cut while we waited for fried eggs, omelets, and toast. We, of course, brewed our own coffee.
People came and went.
And we stayed.
For hours.
Lorenzo was traveling all alone for the first time, on his way to Australia to find work and adventure. He was open and incredibly kind. Another man joined us as well, originally from Algeria, but having lived in many countries, including Norway. He spoke fluent Norwegian, which delighted both adults and children alike. Hearing our language spoken so effortlessly, so far from home, felt really nice.
Lorenzo and Hannes connected instantly. Lorenzo had endless energy and creativity like a big brother, and no fixed plans for his day. He happily spent hours playing with Hannes, fully present and engaged. It was pure joy to witness and made us so happy!
Hannes was teaching Lorenzo how to play Othello!
That morning also brought a small, unexpected moment of clarity.
Bjarne can linger with ideas for a long time, turning them over, feeling into them, and sometimes the spark fades before anything actually happens. But that morning, he woke up suddenly, bright and decisive, and said:
“Today I want to get my ears pierced.”
And since I am very much in favor of spontaneous impulses when they come from a clear place, I cheered with genuine excitement. Within minutes, we were walking down the street to the nearest tattoo and piercing studio.
It turned out to be a really good place, clean and professional. And just like that, Bjarne got his ears pierced.
Mr. Spontaneous!
He looks incredibly good with them. Truly. It suites him perfectly, and now he is… even more handsome.
Back in the common living room, there was a large world map covered in flags. They were missing Norway. Astrid immediately offered to make one. The staff helped her find paper and tape, and she proudly placed the Norwegian flag on the map herself. Everyone cheered. It was such a sweet moment.
Astrid is putting Norway on the map!
As we stood there talking about the map, two girls came out of one of the girl-dorms. They were from Beijing. Suddenly, they joined the conversation too, excited that we had visited their hometown. There we were; us, Lorenzo, the receptionist, the man from Algeria, and the girls from China, talking and laughing. It felt so good, and we wondered if this was what a hostel was really about.
We can also add that Kuta gave us a beautiful day at a museum inside a temple, where we learned about Indonesia’s liberation and constitution, and a really good Greek restaurant, hehe.
That was really why I wanted to write this post.
To highlight how unexpectedly nice this hostel experience was for us.
So noce, in fact, that we decided to come back.
In a week.
We were traveling to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for one week first. When we realized we could apply for a longer visa in Indonesia, and that leaving the country would give us a fresh 30 days upon return, we chose curiosity over frustration. Instead of being annoyed by a small planning mistake, we decided to explore a new city, adding a new country to our list.
Kuala Lumpur seamed exciting: vibrant, modern and traditional all at once. A new culture (muslim), new food, new stories waiting.
For about 200 Norwegian kroner, we were able to leave our big bags at the hostel and travel to Malaysia with just backpacks.
