Eighty8 Backpackers
Eighty8 Backpackers is located close to Wat Phnom and brings the same formula as its regional competitors but with a more intimate scale. The downstairs common area has a bar, restaurant, swimming pool, pool table, and big-screen TV. $1 draft beer runs during specific hours. Guest DJs and themed parties animate the space on scheduled nights and the buffet night with live music is a weekly highlight. The Khmer-Western food menu runs from 7 AM to 10 PM.
What to Expect
A compact hostel-bar with a pool, bar, restaurant, TV lounge, and weekly events run with backpackers in mind. Sociable and well-organized without being overwhelming.
Friendly and communal. Smaller and slightly less intense than the biggest hostel bars.
Backpacker pop, DJ nights on event evenings, live music on buffet night.
Casual.
Budget travelers wanting a social base with a pool and consistent evening events.
Cash (USD). Phone: (023) 982 440.
Price Range
Dorm beds from around $8 USD; drinks from $1 USD; cocktails $3-$5 USD
Hours
Bar and restaurant daily 7 AM to midnight. Events until later.
Insider Tip
The $1 draft beer is real and worth timing your evening around. Buffet night with live music is the week's social highlight. The pool is small but welcome in Phnom Penh's heat.
Full Review
Eighty8 Backpackers sits close to Wat Phnom and runs the same hostel-bar formula as its larger competitors but at a more intimate scale. The downstairs common area holds a bar, restaurant, swimming pool, pool table, and a big-screen TV. Guest DJs and themed parties run on scheduled nights, and the weekly buffet night with live music has become a fixture.
The atmosphere is friendlier and less overwhelming than the largest hostel bars. With fewer guests, conversations happen more naturally and the staff have more time for individual attention. The $1 draft beer promotion is real and worth timing your evening around. The Khmer-Western food menu runs from 7 AM to 10 PM, covering the full day.
Eighty8 sits in Mad Monkey's shadow for scale and reputation, but the smaller size is a genuine advantage for travelers who find 150-person hostels exhausting. The social programming is present but not relentless. You can opt into the events or ignore them without feeling like you're missing the point of the place.
The buffet night with live music is the week's social highlight and the best entry point for meeting other guests. The pool is small but functional. The location near Wat Phnom puts you slightly north of the main nightlife strip, which means quieter mornings and a short tuk-tuk ride to the action.
The Neighborhood
Eighty8 sits near Wat Phnom, slightly north of the main backpacker strip, giving it a quieter base location while remaining connected to the Street 136 nightlife zone by a short walk or tuk-tuk.
Getting There
Near Wat Phnom in the Daun Penh district. Tuk-tuk to Street 104 or 136 costs $1-2. Walking to the Riverside takes about ten minutes.
Address
Street 136
Where to stay in Phnom Penh
Compare hotels near the nightlife districts. Free cancellation on most properties.
Other Venues in Street 136
Zeppelin Bar
Rock-themed backpacker bar covered in classic rock memorabilia and band posters. Cheap draught beer and a reliably rowdy crowd after 10 PM.
Mad Monkey Bar
Hostel bar that doubles as the social hub of the backpacker strip. Beer pong, drink specials, and organized pub crawls make it the default starting point for budget travelers.
Birdcage Bar
Compact drinking spot with a laid-back reggae-to-pop soundtrack. One of the quieter options on the strip, good for conversation before the late-night chaos.
Shanghai Bar
No-frills corner bar that's been part of the Street 136 scene for years. Pool table, bucket drinks, and a crowd that skews young and international.