Backpacking in Belarus🇧🇾: Staying at the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno

Backpacking in Belarus: Staying at the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno

2018 meant a welcome return to Belarus after a gap of 11 years. While my 2007 adventure took me to Babruysk and Minsk, here in 2018 I backpacked Grodno after another gruelling visa struggle at the Belarus Embassy (in Warsaw this time). Grodno is a cool city in western Belarus. Its only about 20 minutes drive from the border with Poland so this made for a easy adventure, in my new life as Northern Irishman In Poland. My return came about through an invite from Polish comedian and long time friend Rafał Kowalczyk and the fact I now cover Belarus for one of my writing clients.

Belarus in 2007

Backpacking in Grodno 2018

Backpacking in Grodno 2018

Backpacking in Grodno 2018

Backpacking in Grodno 2018

We decided to backpack the sights of Grodno for a few days in February 2018. This Belarussian winter dealt us a coldady temperature of -15. So we needed a cosy base and we chose the newly opened Kip Town Hostel in Grodno. It was a crazy time. After a long visa struggle, a border problem and having to find a driver to take me across the border in minus 15 degrees at 2 am, I was finally back in Belarus!

Backpacking in Belarus: Staying at the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno

Getting a ride with Krzysziek from Kuźnica (Poland) to Grodno (Belarus)

Here are six reasons to stay at the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno when backpacking in Belarus.

Backpacking in Grodno 2018

1.Location
Location perfect here for the Kip Town Hostel as it is literally 50 metres from the Jesuit Cathedral. It is within walking distance of all 5he city ‘ s main sights being located on Karl Marx Street. Grodno turned out to be a cool city to backpack in.

Backpacking in Grodno 2018

Backpacking in Grodno 2018

2.Cosy
This was a cold -15 winter so we were glad of the hostel’ s cosy dorm rooms. We were in an 8 bed dorm room. It was cosy and comfortable.

Backpacking in Belarus: Staying at the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno

Backpacking in Belarus: Staying at the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno

3.Well run
Kip Town Hostel in Grodno is well run and organised – the staff made us feel at home and on the first evening, Inga was speaking to me in great English which came as a surprise.

Backpacking in Belarus: Staying at the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno

4.Fast WiFi
My first trip to Belarus in 2007 was an oddball in my travel spectrum. I remember stugglagating to find internet on that trip. Certainly the brace of hotels I stayed in – the Hotel Tourist in Babruysk and the Hotel Minsk in Minsk had no in room WiFi back then. Here in 2018 the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno had fast WiFi.

Backpacking in Belarus: Staying at the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno

5.Kitchen
Despite being a small hostel, Kip Town has a kitchen. Coffee and tea is available and there is also a microwave.

Backpacking in Belarus: Staying at the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno

6.#Belaruskie
I’ve been hash tagging #belaruskie for no reason other than the fact that the word doesn’t exist! It became a bit of a joke and song on the trip and has stuck. I’ll also hashtag the real #grodno and #belarus just to make sure. The below Instagram window was in the main park in Grodno.

Hash tagging #belaruskie as well as #grodno and #belarus

It was another great trip. I had fun in Belarus on my return and will write more about it soon. I have covered Babruysk for Culture Trip and been interviewed by local media and news channel Hrodna Life.

Being interviewed by local media and news channel Hrodna Life

Here’s the rest of the hostel information, I recommend it!
«Kip Town» is a small hostel in the heart of Grodno . It is modern and centrally located. The hostel provides cheap, comfortable and clean accommodation with two-level beds and privacy curtains.

Facilities — 24 hr reception, a rest zone, an eating zone, safe deposit boxes, a self-catering kitchen, a luggage storage place (under the bed), a bathroom with a shower and a separate lavatory. For you in free use: WiFi, TV-set, tableware, a teapot, a microwave, a fridge, a hair dryer, bed linen and towels. Breakfast is not included.

Here are the details for booking a room at the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno, Belarus:

https://www.facebook.com/kiptownhostelgrodno/

https://kiptownhostel655815010.wordpress.com/

+375 29 237-78-82

I will cover my visa situation soon also…

How to get a Belarus Visa in Poland

Here is a video I made during my stay in the Kip Town Hostel in Grodno, Belarus: