Just a warning from my last trip... my laptop charger got fried by a voltage surge in a cheap hostel in Manila.

3 comments

3 Comments

Last year in Bangkok, my phone adapter literally melted from a power spike. This is NOT just bad luck, it's a systemic problem in many developing cities. Hostels save money by skipping surge protectors, and the local grid can be unstable. I've lost count of how many travelers I've met with fried gadgets. It's a hidden cost of budget travel that NOBODY talks about. The real issue is how common this is across Southeast Asia and beyond.

oliviab442mo ago

@caleb_coleman88, calling it a "systemic problem" feels like a stretch. Most people I meet on the road have fine gear, so maybe it's just bad luck.

lee.casey1mo ago

Totally agree with the hidden cost thing! I had a power bank swell up and die in Hanoi last year, and the hostel owner just shrugged. It's not just one bad outlet, it's like every other place has sketchy wiring.