Hostels are more than likely going to become your best friend whilst solo travelling.
To anyone new to backpacking the idea of a hostel is often a little iffy however you will quickly fall in love*
*Well at least to some extent haha ‘Love’ might be a little strong!
Hostels are cheap & cheerful, in great locations and are the perfect place to make friends!
Most hostels will have communal and social areas which are perfect for meeting other travellers, recharging your battery or relaxing after exploring and hostels normally always have free wifi!
Ad you are travelling, you will get a feel of what kind of hostel suits you best!
This is my beginner’s guide for hostels!
Booking hostels
In South East Asia, hostels range from £3 to £20 a night averaging at around £7/ £8 a night for a bed in a dorm room.
Hostels are perfect for flexibility as you very rarely need to book in advance, I only book hostels 1/2 night before my stay!
The only exception to this is if there is an event or celebration in a specific location dorms may sell out quicker than normal.
Took book hostels I mainly use, HostelWorld and booking.com
At the time of booking, you will be required to pay a none refundable deposit and then you pay the remaining cost on arrival.
When you check into a hostel you will be required to show your passport which they will likely scan or take a photo of.
You are normally required to fill out and sign an agreement for the hostel and sometimes you will be required to pay a deposit for the key which you will get back when you check out.
Personally, I prefer to leave a monetary deposit for the key rather than my passport just in case.
Dorm Rooms
Dorms can range from 4 beds up to anywhere in the 20’s (yep 20+ a no from me). However, the more beds the cheaper the rate!
I like to opt for an 8/10 bed dorm, 10+ often seemed a little high, however, I don’t normally feel much difference between a 6 or 8-bed dorm so personally I would rather pick the cheaper option.
The reality is, it’s likely only a saving of around 50p! But every little helps whilst on a budget and per night every night for 6 months will quickly add up.
Dorms are made up of bunk beds so a 8-bed room is actually only 4 bunk beds. I found breaking it down like this never made it sound as bad! (Girl Math takes on backpacking)
Plus, the more people in your room the more potential for easy small talk to lead on to making friends! Make the most of dorms! Socialise with the other people in your room, collect travel tips, and places to visit in that specific location.
Dorms as standard are mixed genders however a lot of hostels will also offer female-only dorms if this is something you would feel more comfortable with. (Sorry lads, I’ve never seen a male-only option!)
Unfortunately, the price will normally go up slightly for a female-only dorm however it’s definitely worth paying slightly extra if this feels like a better option for you.
Bathrooms
Depending on the hostel some dorms will have ensuite bathrooms whilst others will have a bigger bathroom on the corridor.
It normally always specifies this when you are booking but personally, I think there are advantages and disadvantages to both and neither patriotically bothers me.
If you have an ensuite bathroom, granted it’s nice that it’s within your room however you will likely have to wait longer to use it as there may only be one shower and one toilet.
Whereas if you have a communal bathroom on the corridor there are normally more than enough toilets and showers to go around and you rarely have to wait.
Plus, us girls specialise in making friends in the bathroom so win-win!
Bathroom cleanliness in hostels is more often than not okay if not really good! I was genuinely pleasantly surprised throughout my trip with the hostel bathrooms.
Hostels pretty much always have Western toilets and hand soap. This sounds so standard for home but is quite a luxury in Asia!
Some hostels even provide body wash in the showers however don’t rely on this as personally I found it quite hit and miss but it is always a win when they have it!
No matter how clean the hostel is, I definitely recommend showering in flip-flops. Sorry but never know what’s happened in there before you!
About 50% of the hostels I stayed in provided towels, nearly all requiring a deposit some even requiring towels to be paid for. A microfibre towel is a packing must-have when staying in hostels.
Lockers
When lockers are provided, every bed will have an allocated locker within the dorm.
However, lockers vary a lot!
Some will fit your whole 70L backpack in and others may only fit your small day bag.
Hostel rooms are genuinely safe as everyone is in the same position and couldn’t think of anything worse than having items stolen however, be sensible with your things and make sure you keep any valuables in lockers and out of site.
Lockers will often require your own padlock however sometimes you may be given a locket key or the locker can even work with your room card!
Make sure you take your own padlock with you! Opt for a number-locking padlock so you never need to worry about losing the key. And because lockers differentiate so much it’s important you get a wire loop padlock, this way it’s going to fit every locker possible!
Affiliate link, at no extra cost to you I may earn a small commission if purchased through this link.
Personally, I recommend keeping your passport on you rather than leaving it in a locker. Yes, I carried my passport everywhere with me for 6 months straight.
Occasionally lockers won’t be provided at all in these instances keep your most valuable things on you and leave everything else tidy on your bed. It’s much easier for something to be taken without anyone noticing when your things are a mess.
Hostels also offer luggage storage if you arrive earlier than check-in or are leaving later than check-out. If you use sleeper buses luggage storage is really helpful and saves you trying to carry your bags all day!
As much as I love a luggage room, be prepared for chaos!
On the topic of luggage, most Hostels only have stairs! Make sure you can carry your bags before you leave and pack as light as you can!
Curtains & Bed Types
It took me a while to realise the importance of curtains and the different styles of beds but I now definitely have preferences.
When you are in a dorm room a curtain provides so much privacy.
It seems crazy as it’s so basic but I absolutely sleep better with a curtain.
An even better option is the pod-like beds which have solid divides.
You often pay slightly more for this however I would treat myself when I felt like my social battery needs recharging as it feels like full privacy!
You essentially get your own little room within the dorm.
The advantages of both of these are that they block out a bit of light and you can comfortably get changed without being fully exposed.
Plus you can sleep in any funky position you like!
Hostel Etiquette
Over the last 6 months, I have discovered there’s an unwritten list of hostel rules that it’s best to follow to stay in everyone’s good books!
Keep your things organised. Use your locker the best you can and keep other things on your bed. If your bag is open and spilling out all over the floor you’re not going to be loved.
Don’t put the main lights on late at night, early in the morning or at any point in the day when it’s clear someone else in the room is sleeping. Most beds have an individual light or just use your phone torch.
The same applies to making a lot of noise in the rooms, if there is a group of you socialising and it’s getting late or someone is sleeping, move to a communal area.
If you are going out out or intending to be back late, leave your bed clear and anything you need when you get back out so that you don’t have to rummage through all your belongings. Let’s face it we are all louder than we think after a couple of drinks!
If you are leaving early the next morning have your bag packed and things ready so you are not fighting with your backpack trying to fit everything in at 4 am.
The bottom line is, to be respectful to other travellers. Everyone is on different schedules and we all need our sleep.
As you can see, I am just as guilty as anyone for making a mess! Just keep it tidy when you leave the room.
Hostel-organised tours and events
Hostels are the perfect place to make friends, tours and events make it even easier!
Most hostels have communal social areas and a lot of hostels will offer socialising events!
Hostels will offer organised tours and trips to key places of interest in that location.
The advantage of joining a tour is that all organising of the day is done for you and you will likely have a tour guide. They are also great if you are solo and would like to meet new people however they are normally a little more pricey so if there is already a couple/ a group of you it will likely work out cheaper to do it yourself.
The very social hostels will also have pub crawls a couple of times a week. These are always hilarious and make for a very good night,
Everyone wears matching vest tops and a couple of reps from the hostel will go along the bars with you and normally encourage you to drink more than you know you should!
Budgeting
Hostels love to try and captivate their guests and then take advantage of their prices. Be mindful of this if you are trying to stick to a tighter budget.
Hostel food and drinks are expensive, if you walk just down the street to eat, it’s often around half the price and will likely taste better too.
A hostel pub crawl ticket will likely cost of about £10 for the t-shirt and a drink! It might sound cheap at home but is actually about 3 dinners!
Personally, I find it’s important to find a good balance between taking part and saying no.
On the flip side of this, some hostels will have basic kitchen facilities where you can make your own hot drinks or keep things in a fridge.
When I could I would try and have cereal from a corner shop for breakfast which works out cheaper than going out and always felt like a home comfort.
Beginners Guide to Hostels
With everything you have just learnt you are now more than ready to take on hostel life.
Hostels absolutely have their ups and downs but they are a vital part of backpacking and we would all be lost without them!
Make the most of the facilities each hostel offers and embrace the hostel life!
Love Zo x
Hostel Must Haves
