Haoshi International Youth Hostel

I was at Wuyuan when I decided to come to Huangshan. It was fortunate that I met one young traveler from Guangzhou who shared with me how to climb Huangshan. I had little research or preparatory work on Huangshan. I booked this youth hostel after browsing through booking.com one night before I took the train from Wuyuan to Huangshan North train station. It was RMB 50 per night for a dormitory bed. The location of the hostel is not far from where I alighted after taking a shuttle bus from the Huangshan Bei train station. It is about a 15 min walk from the shuttle bus station along the main street and the hostel is located on the left of the street if you are coming down from the bus station. This is also the bus station to take the shuttle bus to two main gates of Huangshan. The signboard of the hostel is visibly clear from the main road. The rooms are on the second floor and a restaurant is located at the ground floor. It seems the restaurant is also owned by the owner of the hostel. The dormitory room and the toilet were very clean. I met an Australian traveler who booked into the same dormitory room and he commented that this was the cleanliest hostel he came across in China. I agreed with his comments. It was `unfortunate' for the hostel owner as I was the only guest at the time of my check-in. His gesture delivered a hidden message that I could sleep without turning on the air-conditioner as he opened the window of the dormitory room. It was so coincidental that a bee flew into the dormitory when the owner opened the window and I had to quickly guide the bee out through the open window and shut it to prevent it from flying in again. The weather in this month of August was terribly hot and I had no other choice but to turn on the air con to tone down the heat after a day long walk under the scorching sun. It was lucky for the owner that he had three other guests who came in after 7 pm to share the cost of the air con. It was also at this dormitory that I gathered more information on how to climb Huangshan mountain the next day. One of the dormitory mates also `donated' his set of the rain clothes and a mountain climbing stick for my adventure the following day. I like the atmosphere in dormitory hostel. It is here that you find new friends and gather new knowledge. The next day, I walked to the bus station and embarked on my adventure at Huangshan mountain. Overall, I found the location convenient; the facilities clean and tidy and cheap; the hostel operator exceptionally courteous in promoting his restaurant to me. It is also within easy access and close proximity to many eateries along the main street. I wold strongly recommend this hostel to anyone who wishes to stay near the foot of the Huangshan mountain at Tangkou.