Pakasa

We stayed at a wonderful Pakasa apartment in Leiden for a short stay in October 2022. This place is so underrated; it is amazing. Having previously lived in Leiden, I immediately knew Pakasa would be the perfect place to stay and was not disappointed. Great location and facilities. We will definitely come back next time we're travelling to Leiden! Just all-around excellent!

Pakasa is located right on the Old Rhine canal in the center of Leiden. It is less than a mile to the train station and even less to most of the major museums. It is 600 feet from an excellent supermarket. The only downside is there is no parking nearby, but we used the train the entire week we stayed here. All the apartments are accessed by a steep, narrow stairway. In no way is this an accessible unit. Someone using a cane could not get up to the second or third floor apartments. The apartment is decent size, good for a couple. I wouldn't recommend more than that. The loft is not really functional as it can be accessed only by a fairly tall ladder. I wouldn't feel safe climbing that ladder. I don't know why they didn't put in a circular staircase as there is room for one. The queen size bed is comfortable. The bedroom is so small that we kept our suitcases in the living room, but there is enough space there that it is not a problem. The one side of the bedroom is under the sloping ceiling, so you can't stand up on that side without hitting your head on the ceiling. Getting into bed on that side is awkward as you have to bend over and crawl to the bedside. The apartment has one big room that serves as the kitchen, dining area and living room. It has a loveseat and a sitting chair, as well as a desk and desk chair. Again, fine for two, not so great for three or four people. The kitchen is fairly well supplied. It has a dishwasher but no microwave. The fridge is a mini-fridge with a freezer section. You have to bend low to the floor to access it. There are a lot of dishes, glasses and cutlery, but not much cookware. For example, there is a casserole dish, but baking pan or cover for the frying pan. The stovetop is induction and cooks quickly. The bathroom is the worse part. The shower door when open is only 12" wide, so large people cannot get into the shower. No shampoo or shower gel is provided. The shower has plenty of hot water. There is a combo washer/dryer in the closet in the entry hall. There is another closet in the bedroom, so there is adequate storage. Our apartment had a balcony overlooking the canal. It is a very small balcony with a wood chair, bench and table, but we didn't use it. Our apartment was on the top floor so it had cathedral ceilings going up to the roof which made it feel more spacious. The ceiling beams and braces were exposed. This apartment is much better for small and short people, and preferably in good shape for climbing the steep, narrow stairs, but I was able to make it work for me.