Coogee Beach House, Sydney, Australia |
Introduce yourself to the other guests in the room as soon as possible. If they are tied up with something (Skyping home etc) when you enter, of course wait until its a good time. But don't wait too long as it then can feel a bit awkward. Do it right away and that usually sets the tone for how your relationship will be. I know that relationship may just last 24 hours, but you never know, you may have just met a person that will become a lifelong friend. If your roommates have been staying at your current destination for a while, they usually posse really good inside information on what is worth doing in the city and its surroundings. Ask where they have been and where they are going. Travelers generally love to share stories from the road.
Bring your
own pillowcase. And you may not want to slip it over the pillow in the room.
Stuff clothes in your pillow case if you want to be on the safe side.
Flip flops
for the shower. A must.
Always be VERY courteous
to the staff at the hostel. I mean, being courteous to people in general is just good manners. But if you are in a bind and need to book more nights
there than the original travel plan called for, chances are if the staff like you,
they will help you stay.
Be courteous
to your fellow roommates by NEVER turning on the ceiling light if you come home
late. Use the light coming from your cell phone to guide yourself into your
bed.
Do try to
vary your diet by not only eating white pasta with red pasta sauce. While
traveling many people overload on carbohydrates as that is usually the cheapest food.
Try to cook eggs, beans and perhaps sweet potatoes in the kitchen. It’s doable,
it just takes some determination.
Don’t try having
sex in a bunk bed when there are other people sleeping in the same room. You are
never as quiet as you think and again, a bunk bed?! Come on!
Bring
earplugs. If the above scenario happens. Or if someone snores.
Keep an
open mind. No, really, this is THE most important point. You will share a room
with people who probably are not like you and yes you will be a bit dirtier
(okay quite a lot dirtier) than you would be if you were staying at the Sheraton. But
I do believe everyone should have the hostel experience once or a few times in
their lives.
My favorite
hostel in the world? Coogee Beach House, Sydney, Australia, pictured above.
Toddy's, Alice Springs, Australia |
My favorite
saying someone uttered at a hostel: “It’s like we are in the army now” – my
dear sister Ida at “Toddys”, a hostel in Alice Springs way out in the
Australian outback. I was beyond thrilled it was clean although a bit sparse.
My sister, “the flight attendant”, who is used to 4-5 star hotels, did not find
it as appealing.
Over and out!
Over and out!
Insightful information about hostel life and living in one , its very helpful thank you Emma .
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment Mimi and for your support!
ReplyDelete