Hiraya surf hostel — Hotel in General Luna

We had such high hopes for this hostel, as when we arrived the receptionist was super friendly and the vibe of the hostel really felt like a community with a family dinner and party on the Saturday. The dorms are big, but don’t feel crowded however be prepared for cold showers!

However, after a few sleepless nights after finding bed bugs in the bed and notifying the staff with no apology we decided to leave and go to a different hotel with no bed bugs for a comfortable sleep. I’ve seen there are numerous reviews referring to bedbugs so the staff are aware, you must fumigate the whole room to get rid of these, as they can burrow in wood which I can only assume is happening in the dorms at the hostel. Sadly, we weren’t even offered a refund for all the discomfort.

We were offered to move to another room, which was a nice offer but when we returned to our original room they had already placed new guests into the big infested beds. That is extremely poor if you ask me!

Another annoying thing is that they don’t provide toilet roll or even offer the option to purchase it at reception which is inconvenient and lacking of basic amenities. Not to forget you have to pay 50 pesos for drinking water.

We loved the concept of the family dinner, but unfortunately we both got upset stomachs and there were multiple guests being sick from the food which was served.

Beware, you need to ride a scooter to stay here as the road gets water logged from all the flooding. When we asked if there was a shortcut to cloud 9 we were told no. However, a super kind local showed us a quick walk through which saves loads of time!

An honest review needs to be left as Hostelworld rating is too high considering there have been multiple recent reviews around bed bugs! Which is a problem the hostel needs to sort out instead of making...

It seems as though everything designed about this place invites social interaction. Of course you may still put on earphones and zone out, but the people I've met during my stay have been so very awesome, and I'm glad that I stayed in Hiraya.

There's a less than ideal stone / mud road heading to the hostel which is shared by a dew hostels and private resorts as well. They should pool money together and do something bout that because when it rains, it's bad...

There are 2 toilets and 2 showers in the dorms, and 2 toilets out by the common area. There are beds right beside that area, and I guess those would be the least attractive beds, but it's not that bad. Just kinda weird. The showers and toilets are cleaned everyday at midday. And they don't provide toilet paper, so bring your own.

The beds are extremely stable, so even if your bunkmate comes home late, chances are you won't feel them climb into bed. There are however no curtains - drawbacks and pluses here. You can see if your bunkmate are free to talk when, but no privacy. You can however out up your own sarongs or beach towels as makeshift curtains and that's good enough.

Staff is extremely friendly and helpful. The owner Raf or Raph is a very nice and cool guy, with many dogs. Pool is nice, meals and drinks they provide aren't the best but are FAR from bad. Prices are good!

In summary, yes I would very highly recommend Hiraya surf hostel. You will make friends (maybe even if you are a weirdo), you can also find your own space and work (although it does get kinda hot at times), and you will have a great time!

It was my first hostel stay ever, and I couldn't have wished for...

If you're keen to go backpacking to Siargao island, do yourself a favour and just book to stay at Hiraya. Firstly, the staff are all super helpful and a lot of fun. They will help you book and plan your scooter to get around the island, your surf lesson, transport to the airport, boozy boat cruise, and anything else you could need. And they will help you to party any night you want.

Secondly, the hostel itself is awesome. There is a big pool and a cafe with great food and coffees. There is a nice big main area that is great to chill and meet people in, or have a drink. They also have family dinners and acoustic jam nights in that space each week that are really fun. The dorms are comfortable, it's not luxury but they are clean and tidy and no problems with bugs or anything. The air con was working more or less fine during my stay, so don't worry about the negative review below citing the air con. Power cuts are common across all of the island since they are recovering from a severe typhoon in the not so distant past.

It's in a great location, just around the corner from the main surf breaks on the island and near some great cafes and BBQ places.

But mostly it's about the people - it really seems like awesome people come to stay here and the people who work here have worked hard to build an awesome vibe. Don't overthink it, just book Hiraya if you're...