A travel blogger has expressed shock after it was revealed that six backpackers had been poisoned at a Laos hostel she had promoted on social media.
Steph Dawson, who has a travel account on Instagram, promoted the lodge in a reel in December last year and was left in a state of “complete shock”.
The six travelers, including Simone White, a 28-year-old lawyer from Kent, were taken to a local hospital in the well-known backpacker town of Van Vieng last week after falling ill.
White’s death was confirmed on Thursday by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.
White and the other travelers are now believed to have suffered suspected methanol poisoning, and Lao police have arrested the hostel’s manager and owner.
The poisoned backpackers were believed to have been served drinks contaminated with the dangerous industrial chemical methanol at the hostel.
Methanol has long been used by disreputable bars abroad as a cheaper alternative to ethanol.
Dawson told GB News: ‘I’m literally completely shocked. “I made a whole reel on Instagram promoting this hostel as a place to stay.”
Travel blogger Steph Dawson expressed her “complete shock” over the poisoning of six travelers at a hostel she had previously promoted in Laos.
Travel blogger Steph had made the reel promoting the Nana Backpacker Hostel in December last year.
The Nana Backpacker Hostel had been popular among tourists due to its free alcohol offers.
Steph went on to say that the hostel had been the most popular in the area, serving cheap alcohol to travelers every night.
‘It was the place every backpacker goes. It’s cheap, sociable and offers free alcohol between 7 and 9 pm. They make free vodka and rum every night.
‘As it’s so cheap, you can go down the street and buy a bottle of vodka for £1.60, but it tastes cheap. “Everyone does it so everyone thinks it’s okay, I think that’s why it’s so shocking.”
The detained manager of Nana Backpacker Hostel, Duong Duc Toan, has said staff were informed that a group of women were feeling unwell after missing their check-out time.
The group of six women had reportedly joined a group of more than 100 guests for the lodge’s signature free drinks just two nights earlier.
Simone White, 28, from Orpington, Kent, died after drinking free drinks at a Laos hostel allegedly laced with methanol.
The hostel remains open but is not currently accepting new guests (pictured: Nana’s Backpackers bar)
However, Mr. Toan said no other guests reported any problems and claimed that the poisoning victims went out at night drinking in nearby bars after the hostel’s free shots show ended.
Lao officials have not yet revealed much information about the incident, other than confirming the deaths of the travelers.
Sharing details on how backpackers can stay safe when abroad, travel blogger Steph said travelers should “trust their instincts.”
‘We have to wait for the investigation to end before passing judgment on the shelter. “If you don’t like to party or don’t want to have drinks, don’t stay in these hostels doing free drinks,” he added.