Doolay Hostel

The rooms at Doolay Hostel are dormitory-style, with bunk beds in mixed and female-only layouts. Guests can book a bed for one person in a shared room of six or eight beds, or a room that sleeps up to three guests, and free Wi-Fi is available in all rooms.

Some rooms have a beach view, and some add a balcony or terrace, air conditioning, a sofa or a seating area. One of the dormitory rooms has a shared bathroom. A female-only dormitory is offered alongside the mixed rooms, so guests can choose the setting that fits them. Mixed dormitory rooms are shared with other travellers, while the female-only dormitory is for women only.

Guests can use a shared lounge with a TV area and a library, as well as lockers, luggage storage and safety deposit boxes. Currency exchange, cash withdrawal, ticket services and laundry service are offered, daily housekeeping is provided, and 24-hour security is on site.

For meals, the hostel has a restaurant, a bar, BBQ facilities and a shared kitchen, and a continental breakfast is offered. Guests can also use the shared kitchen to prepare their own meals.

Getting around, the hostel offers bicycle rental, car hire, a taxi service and tours. Free parking is on site, bicycle parking is available as well, and free Wi-Fi is available in all rooms, with Wi-Fi in public areas too.

Karon is a long beach area on Phuket, where a wide sandy bay runs past a row of restaurants and shops along the road. Doolay Hostel is 50 m from Karon Beach, so the sand is close, and the setting is quieter than Patong, the busiest resort on the island.

Kata Beach, 1.1 km away, is the next bay along the coast, and the Karon Night Market is an evening stop with street food and local goods. Big Buddha, a large white statue on the hills above the coast, is 2.1 km away, and Wat Chalong, one of Phuket's most important temples, is reached by road from Karon. The Big Buddha is one of the best-known landmarks in the area.

Phuket International Airport (HKT) is 30.9 km away, and the hostel offers bicycle rental and car hire, while a taxi service covers longer trips. A day could start at Big Buddha and Wat Chalong, then end with dinner on Karon Beach or an evening walk to Patong Beach, 5.8 km away, where Bangla Road is the main nightlife strip. Longer trips across the island are easiest by taxi or hired car, and car hire and bicycle rental make it easy to explore the coast at your own pace.