Hostels: Worth It?

When planning a trip, accommodation is a very important part of the process. There are so many different platforms for finding a roof over your head while travelling, and there are many differing levels of comfort that people look for. As a budget traveller, one of my favourites is hostels.

My Experience

I have stayed in hostels in 9 different countries, all with different amenities, layouts, and safety precautions. Hostelworld is the go-to for budget travellers looking to stay as cheaply as they can, without sacrificing things like a bed, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Above is a picture of a hostel I stayed at in Montezuma. It had a big kitchen, a pool with some comfortable deck chairs, and 3 dorm rooms. These were mixed dorms with 6 beds each and a mesh door. One of the most important parts of the hostel routine here was making sure your room door was closed, as there were spider monkeys that lived in the tree above the roof who would go in and steal your things if you left the door open.

Other websites, such as Booking.com, Kayak, or Expedia are also available to book hostels. However, I would always recommend Hostelworld. When you book through them, you are added to a groupchat with everyone in the hostel for when you are staying there. People will put messages such as “I’m going to the beach if anyone wants to come” or “Pub crawl tonight at 7pm, meet in the lobby” so solo travellers are able to meet people and attend events quite quickly. As a female who solo travels alot, I found these types of messages and meet ups quite helpful to make friends so I felt more comfortable (and safe) going out, especially at night.

Hostels also often have private rooms, so if you are travelling with friends or a partner you are able to stay in your own zone, while still using the shared common amenities that they provide. These are also available to be booked on Hostelworld.