Kismet Dao Hostel in Brasov, Romania

The Kismet Dao Hostel in Brasov, Romania is a great place to stay. Especially for backpackers or college students who want to save some money, but don't want to sacrifice quality or safety. I stayed there with four other girls, which allowed us to get an entire room all to ourselves. I would highly recommend this at any hostel for your own peace of mind. It's not necessary, but it does make you feel just a little safer when you know everyone else who is sleeping in the room and can lock the door.

Also, much like the Hostel Mostel people in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Kismet Dao staff can arrange someone to meet you at the train station to pick you up and take you to the hostel to check in. I would highly recommend this; you can know it's them, because they will be wearing a shirt with their logo on it. Anytime you can arrange for this service while travelling Europe, you should absolutely do it. Also, it saves you from getting lost, which is always great.

Brasov is a beautiful city, and Kismet Dao is a great home base for all of your sightseeing. It sits at the top of a quiet hill, so you're not near any of the noise of the nightlife. But you're well within walking distance of several shops and restaurants, as well as a local bus stop that can take you to attractions such as Castle Bran.

The rooms are clean, but if you've never been to a hostel, here's a heads up about what this one will look like. Nothing will match. There are different couches, bed frames, dressers, and other furniture all throughout the hostel. Don't let it shake you; it's qualities like this that make it so affordable. But you will find Kismet Dao to be very hospitable. The staff spoke English, which offered us all a really nice respite from having to speak our broken Romanian, which we had been doing for a couple of months.

The kitchen was absolutely great here. There was lots of room, and even a table to sit down and have breakfast that overlooked the beautiful rooftops of Brasov. In the quiet morning while you have breakfast at the Kismet Dao hostel, you'll marvel at the beautiful dark green landscape and brick colored rooftops, it was a truly peaceful experience. Also, because the kitchen was a little smaller than most hostels, there can't be too many people in there at once, which is also nice when you get tired of the lack of personal space on the hostel circuit.

Also, Kismet Dao seemed to be way more up to date than many other places in Romania. They had hot water, cable, a washer and dryer, maps to help you get around, and more. When you travel Romania, you get used to making certain weird sacrifices, hot water in particular. But Kismet Dao sort of had everything going for it, which was really great. They also have private rooms, as well as the dorm style. So if you really need a break from community living on the European road, you can get a private room at this hostel and it will still be cheaper than a hotel.

I would highly recommend this hostel to anyone, but not if you've never stayed in a hostel before. In that case, you should probably go ahead and get a room at a hotel. Kismet Dao seems like a real treat if you've stayed in other hostels, especially in New York City or other places in Europe. But a hostel is typically full of backpackers and sometimes unruly college students. So you could still be subject to some strange culture shock. So in summation, Kismet Dao is a great place for seasoned travelers, a good place to try a hostel for the first time if you're in a group, but not good for anyone who is travelling alone or as a couple who have never been to a hostel. That's the only circumstance under which I recommend you skip it. No matter where you stay, make sure to be safe as you sightsee, and get out there and enjoy all of Brasov's interesting historical offerings.