How I Found A Great Hostel In Sao Paulo For $50 A Night

How do you find a cheap and safe place to stay in a foreign city where you know no one?

Ahead of my trip to Brazil, I browsed Kayak with a focus on price and location. There are places as cheap as $30 a night, but they involve sharing a room with multiple other travelers without a safe to lock important items. I settled on Pousada e Hostel São Paul, for about $50 per night, because it is within walking distance of the city's main attractions in addition to seeming both friendly and clean.

After a couple of days in the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere, I knew I made the right choice.

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This is Julio, who helps run the place. Whenever I see him, he greets me with a smile and "Bom dia!" before asking me if I need anything.

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The hostel has a common area and a little kitchen, with simple seating areas both inside and outside.

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This is Rodrigo, who does most of the handiwork in the building. He doesn't speak English but is happy to work through my broken Portuguese.

Michael Kelley/Business InsiderI snapped this picture on my iPhone while chatting with Rodrigo.

My room has four beds, but I'm the only occupant.

Michael Kelley/Business Insider

The best part is that I can walk pretty much everywhere from I want to go.

Nearby is the municipal soccer stadium - I went to the thrilling championship of the state of São Paulo on Sunday - as well as Avenida Paulista, which is where most of the city's financial and cultural institutions are located.

It's a 10 minute stroll to Rua Apiscuelta, where a lot of hip Paulistas hang out on a stretch of restaurants, bars, lounges.

The Bourbon Shopping Mall, home of the ridiculously priced Apple products, is a bit of a hike but manageable.

Here I am about to head to the streets.

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