Hostels are memories waiting to happen. Often, I find that the different hostels I stay in during my travels make my experience entirely different and more interesting. After a hard day of pounding the pavement looking at monuments or for a cheap place to eat, finding a place to stay can be quite a challenge. Hostels have dorm-like rooms that can accommodate usually between 5-12 people. What! Share a room with that many strangers?
The whole concept is to allow people who are on a strict budget the freedom to travel while meetings others. They are usually inexpensive depending on the local currency and the size of the city. (I've stayed in hostels as cheap as $7US up to $30US per night) There are lots of hostels internationally that can be housed in historical buildings or castles that serve as a real treat for the first-time, or even veteran traveler!
If you want to meet like minded international travelers to share advice, cultures, a bite to eat, or a laugh over a beer then a hostel may be right for you. It's takes a real trooper to be able to sleep in a room with a bunch of strangers andstill keep cool about it. Here's a few useful rules and tips that I've learned while hostelling:
1. You are an ambassador for your country whether you realize or not! If you are travelling internationally, be sure
to use your P's and Thank-you's! Be polite and try to be open minded to the people you are sharing the hostel with. They may be from a background totally different than yours, and have different values and customs. Why not get to know them and learn more about their country and culture?
2. Do not eat food that is not yours! No one likes to wake up to find that their breakfast has been stolen from the community fridge! Believe in Karma!
3. Try to be quiet as you enter/exit the dorm room. There may be people that are trying to sleep before catching a flight or train early the next morning. Have your things packed and ready to go and clothes laid out if you get up early so you make the least amount of noise when you leave.
4. Check for designated smoking areas. There are lots of hostels that don't allow smoking indoors. In some countries this rule may often be overlooked and sometimes ignored!! Be prepared that smoking may not hold the same stigma as it does
back home.
5. Bring Ear Plugs.. (more than one pair because you will lose them!!) There is always the loud snorer that sleeps in
the bed above you or right next to you! Before you throw your boots at him/her try em', the squishy foam kind work best.They're cheap and available at your local drugstore.
6. Keep Your Passport on you at all times!!! Buy a money belt before you go and wear it! Although it can be hot and sweaty, and sometimes not the most fashionable thing, you'll get into a situation someday and you'll be glad you have it! Keep a
small bit of emergency cash or travelers cheques inside it, and in each of your bags. The neck pouch kind that is
supposed to hang in the front can sometimes be obvious. Try wearing it under one arm and across the chest and it will be totally invisible.
7. Find fire escapes and evacuation routes after arriving. Although this may sound a bit like your mom's advice, there was a fire in an Australian Hostel in 1999 that killed backpackers like you and me. It's better to be safe than to ruin your trip and that new backpack you just bought.
8. The Hostel Manager/Employees/Owners are GODS! Do not argue with them or try to out-smart them. Buy them a beer instead and it may pay off in a free night or some handy local tips. Now that you know a few of the basic rules of the road, have the time of your life! Be open to new things and you'll meet lots of new friends to share your adventures with. There are loads of resources available.
