I’ve now been backpacking around the world and staying in hostels since I was 19. They’ve come in all varieties from luxe ones with fast WiFi and a coffee shop to run-down and inhabited by thrifty locals. They’ve been in big cities like London and Sydney as well as remote villages.
I’ve been lucky enough not to have many bad experiences (and none like my friend Matt’s or Lauren’s!) but I don’t want to deter you so I’ve also included stories from my favorite hostel stays so I’ll start with those.
The Best
Goon and Pizza at Ozzie Pozzie Backpackers, Port Macquarie, Australia
I had just started the “solo” part of my year backpacking around Australia and I couldn’t have been more anxious. I arrived on the night bus and was thankfully joined by two Scottish girls on the dark walk to our accommodations. A key was waiting for us so we crashed for the night.
I wasn’t planning on spending long in the town, as there isn’t much to do, but I ended up extending my stay. I hung out with my fellow travelers drinking cheap wine (goon!) and ordering pizza for the next few nights. I ended up traveling for the next month with many of these people, developing our own inside jokes and routines.
Family Dinners at Gallery Hostel, Porto, Portugal
I was visiting the town in the wine region for a conference and was feeling anxious since I didn’t know anyone that would be there. I’d previously shown up at a conference and found people to talk to, but this was my first one abroad.
I arrived in the city and spent half an hour wandering until I found my hostel, a stunning tile-covered home with plush bunk beds. What made this place so special was its nightly dinners that the staff put on. They paired everything with port wine, making me feel like I was having an authentic experience there.
Fondue and games at Doug’s Mountain Getaway, Innsbruck, Austria
After my incredible time in Portugal, I hopped a plane for Germany where I spent a debaucherous few days in Munich. After an especially painful night out, I hopped on the train for bordering Austria, watching out the window as the Alps came into view.
I checked into the mountain chalet in Fulpmes, a suburb of Innsbruck, and took a much-needed nap in the cozy room I shared with a fellow traveler. I wanted to keep to myself, but the nature of the hostel meant that I had to make friends with a gang of Aussies. I participated in fondue night, games, and a trip to the glacier in my few nights there.
Connecting Without Technology at La Iguana Perdida, Santa Cruz La Laguna, Guatemala
People told me about the guesthouse on the shores of Lake Atitlan before I got there and it could have definitely gone either way. Disconnected from WiFi and gringo restaurants, all meals at Iguana were communal, another way that forces you to make friends.
It was the perfect place for me to spend a few days away from social media and personal drama and recent election results, soaking up the stunning views of the volcanic lake. I forgot about anything resembling a schedule, waking up in time for yoga, grabbing breakfast on the terrace, and taking a boat to the neighboring towns to explore.
I befriended a group of girls, American, Danish, and French-Canadian, that kept me company for those few days. We didn’t keep in touch afterward. It would have been too hard to replicate anyways.
Shabbat and nightclubs at Abraham’s, Tel Aviv, Israel
It never occurred to me that Tel Aviv would have such a raucous nightlife but I found that out quickly upon arriving. I got to my hostel early, without much incident in finding my way, and took a nap without introducing myself to the bunkmates in the 10-bed dorm.
When I woke up, we made conversation and I learned about the fellow American girl and two German guys. They quickly became my pals as we had Shabbat dinner together before going on a late-night pub crawl. We made plans to hang out in Jerusalem as well before parting ways.
The Art of Doing Nothing at Buccaneers in Chintsa, South Africa
I’ve written a bit about what made this place so special, but really it was the fact that there was nothing I had to see. There weren’t museums or attractions like in Johannesburg and Cape Town. I could just relax. I didn’t swim (too cold) or learn to surf or volunteer in the village as I had planned to.
Instead, I hung out with a motley crew of fellow travelers at the pub, played pool terribly, got a massage, and sat by the pool with the hostel’s dogs. The hostel put on daily activities like volleyball but they were completely optional.
The Worst
The St. Kilda Floods at Base in Melbourne, Australia
It’s now been many years since this incident, but I was reminded of it when my hostel in Johannesburg was without power. My then-boyfriend and I had just started our road trip from Sydney to Melbourne, which was not long after the devastating Queensland floods.
The rain clouds were forming as we approached, but it wasn’t of much concern. He found a place to park his car on a side street in the beach suburb of St. Kilda and we checked into our dorm room. But it wasn’t long before the power went out.
We assumed it would be temporary, but it wasn’t. Instead, the floods made their way into the parked cars on the street and in the parking deck, destroying the generator in the basement. It was obviously not something the hostel could have prevented, but they continued serving alcohol when there was no power and when doors were propped open without keys.
I ate a sad 7/11 meat pie for dinner that night, followed by dry cereal. They didn’t offer refunds for the nights we’d stayed, just the next few we had booked, so we got out of there after two nights.
Lumpy Bed With No Ladder at Backpackers Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany
Maybe it was the fatigue from traveling for almost a month or the stark difference from some of the great hostels I’d stayed at already. But by the time I got to Dusseldorf, I was already over it. I got lost looking for it before finally seeing the small sign pointing to it down an alley.
When I got there, they said I couldn’t check in yet because I’d listed my arrival time as much later. I didn’t know what train I would take so I had no way of knowing. Fuming, I sat with all my bags waiting on a room. When I finally got to check in, I was directed to a top bunk…without a ladder.
I had to fling myself up there and hope I didn’t have to pee during the night. It came with one square lumpy pillow and a mattress so sunken in that I felt like I would fall through. I wondered how someone shorter would have managed. The kitchen also closed at 10 pm for some reason and the staff locks that entire section of the building.
My First Earthquake at Pool Paradise in Lima, Peru
Most of my experiences traveling in Peru were great. I met some lovely people in my two weeks especially the friends I made on a bus to Huacachina. But for my final night in the country, before I headed to the airport, I spent the night at Pool Paradise, a hostel in one of Lima’s nice neighborhoods.
I checked in at almost midnight and went straight to sleep in my bunk. The person above me continued to move around, maybe with someone in their bed, for a few hours before I passed out. Sometime during the night, half-conscious, I felt my bed moving.
I assumed it was him, but I then realized it was actually an earthquake. Perhaps I should have been concerned, but I rolled back over and continued sleeping. This had nothing to do with the hostel, of course, it was just something weird that happened.
The Unwelcome Guests at Island Vibe in Port Elizabeth, South Africa
I’ve been hesitant to even tell this story because it could have gone a different way and I’m not sure if I should blame the hostel or not. Sometimes I can laugh about it. My French friend and I had been traveling together for a week or so when we had to stop in Port Elizabeth for the night.
The BazBus route stops here and picks up again before going to Cape Town so we added a second night so it wasn’t such a tight turnaround. He went on a tour and I wandered around before meeting back up that night. We had dinner out and returned early to go to sleep since our bus would arrive at 6 am.
It was just us two in a four-bed dorm but someone else checked in at some point. We went to bed but a few hours later heard movement. Soon the sounds did not leave anything to the imagination. When one person left the room, I shot up and complained to the front desk.
The manager came in and yelled at the people. It turned out that one guy was a guest and had brought in a friend and two female friends to drink boxed wine and have sex very loudly. She ran them out, including one girl who was strolling around completely naked, calling them prostitutes.
I have no idea if this was the case, but it left me rattled for the rest of the night. I was just lucky I have such bad eyesight that I didn’t see anything because my friend is scarred for life.
The Bolt Cutter Incident at Palmers Lodge in London, England
Losing the key to your locker is something that could theoretically happen to anyone, but what happens when you JUST HAVE TO get your stuff out in the middle of the night? The manager comes in with bolt cutters. I’d stayed at Palmers Lodge for a number of my stays in London without incident, usually booking the same dorm room.
I was in town for a job interview and had to leave for the airport to head home early the next morning. So the sound of metal being cut didn’t exactly lull me to sleep. The lights had to be on for this process as well. Lesson learned, folks: use a combination lock with a code you’ll remember!
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