28 Jul 2020

When I hear the word 'hostel', I'm immediately teleported to good ol' times. Times of becoming best mates with people after knowing them for two hours, lusting over the hot Canadian at the bar, getting drunk with strangers, basically getting tetanus in some of the showers, hearing the creak from someone climbing down a bunk bed... I mean, I could go on and on - hence this article.

Hostels aren't just a cheap accommodation option, they're an experience. So here is what I miss about galivanting across the globe and checking into hostel after hostel.

1. The bizarre stories

Bangkok reminds me of a group of British guys singing "I said a boom boom boom, now let me hear you say way-ooh" at 2 am whilst the rest of the dorm screamed at them to shut up and I cackled uncontrollably.

San Sebastian takes me back to a night where a girl was snoring so so so loudly that the rest of the dorm and I just got up and partied together since we weren't going to possibly get any sleep anyway.

Vancouver reminds me of an Aussie guy (classic), sleepwalking in the middle of the night in our room and peeing on his mate.

Dang it, I miss the funny and wild hostel stories.

2. The people you meet

The second you enter your dorm room, there'll be someone that'll ask the same old same old.

"Where are you from?"

"How long have you been travelling for?"

"Where have you been?"

Next thing you know, you're having dinner together and have planned to meet up with them in Belgium. 

I miss the fast-paced bonds hostels bring. I am still best mates with a girl I hung out with in Cambodia for 2 days and have met up with her years later!

I miss the fact that you can meet people from all walks of life and experience their stories, their humour, their cultures... it's just priceless, dude.

3. The romance

Here's the perfect equation. You + an abundance of young people + cheap bar + limited time = a hostel romance.

I have plenty of fond memories of short-lived hostel romances. And I'm not gonna lie to you, hostel romances are known to be saucy. I reckon you can already gather where this is going but hey, it happens everywhere. I mean everywhere.

4. The little things that are worshipped

Mate. After 5 months of travelling, hopping from hostel to hostel, things like free breakfast, clean showers and access to a pool were music to my ears.

I'd be stoked when the pillow was a perfect amount of not-too-hard-but-not-too-soft. I'd be in awe if the rest of the hostel room was miraculously empty therefore I could be by myself for the first time in weeks! I'd even be euphoric if, during free breakfast, there was Nutella! What a jackpot!

5. How cheap they are

I would never have been able to travel to 21 countries in 5 months without hostels. They let me see the world whilst also being able to afford to eat (and if the going still got tough, I'd just meet people in the hostel kitchen and have their leftover pasta - bonus).

I remember the hostels in South East Asia had pools, bars, events and were in perfect locations. Best thing though was that they were only like $3 a night... I genuinely was considering just living there forever.

6. The pub crawls

A lot of hostels host pub crawls which are yet another way to meet people and suss out your location.

All I can say is... you haven't experienced a pub crawl until it's with a wild, drunk group of travellers from around the world. My worst hangover to date was after one in Budapest... wow oh wow my head is hurting thinking back to it tbh. Can't recommend it enough though.

7. The vibes

With funky people from all over the globe, events, amenities and accessibility, hostels are the biggest viiiibe for young people wanting to see the world! My travels would have been a lot less dull without them and far out, whenever it is safe to hop back on a plane again, I'll be diving right back into the hostel lifestyle.