backpacking

A First Time Solo Traveler’s Guide to Hostels

by Ekua on February 11, 2012 · 4 comments in backpacking,d.i.y. travel,safe travels,solo travel

Hostel Kokopelli, a clean, colorful, and welcoming hostel in Lima where I kicked off my first big solo trip.

When I travel on my own, where I choose to stay can make a huge difference in my overall experience in a location. In my second post for my solo travel for beginners series, I suggested that hostels were excellent place to begin if you want to meet people while you’re traveling solo. I know that some people who are squeamish about hosteling will immediately start backing away at that suggestion.

But I think that everyone is more capable living differently or more simply than they are used to, especially when in the scheme of things, it’s such a brief period of time. With just a little bit of research, in many locations you can find a variety of hostels that appeal to a variety of travelers.

When I was planning my first big solo travel trip, I browsed some of the hostel websites and would often arbitrarily reserve rooms at hostels that had good ratings. While this might guarantee a decent bed to sleep in, I’ve found that if you’re traveling solo, it’s often better to look a little deeper into what a hostel is all about. Here are some of the things I consider before I book a hostel:

» Safety and Location

Sometimes I’ll see a hostel review that says something like, “This hostel is located in a dark, decrepit alley and it’s really hard to find… but it’s a good hostel!” Um, no thanks. Safety and location are first and foremost. If it’s a large city, I typically opt for places that are central to a neighborhood and in smaller cities, I prefer to stay in the center of town.  I also like to stay locations that have easy access to public transportation.

Another thing I look for is whether or not the hostel has lockers and if past visitors have given the impression that they felt that it was a secure environment. You can find shady people in any hostel or hotel, but some places do a better job of looking out for the safety and well being of their guests by doing things like providing lockers for everyone and by letting guests have access to reception 24 hours a day.

Casa Angel, my hostel of choice in Oaxaca. This toilet used to be in one of their bathrooms. When it stopped working, one of the hostel staff members brought it up to the roof and converted it into a flower pot.

» Size and Atmosphere

On my first big solo trip, I figured that large hostels with a party atmosphere were the best for meeting people. While I certainly did meet plenty of people at hostels like that, I’ve found over and over again that I make better connections with better people when I stay at smaller, cozier hostels. There is often a greater variety of people in the crowd at smaller places and people tend to congregate in the same areas so faces become familiar.

I also keep an eye out for hostels that put time and effort into making the hostel inviting by keeping it clean and giving it some kind of personality. Homey and decorative common areas filled with books, ideas on what to do in the area, and friendly faces can make you quickly feel at ease and they draw people out of their rooms to socialize.

» Hostel Events and Free Breakfast

Hostel events and outings are a good way to settle into the environment when you arrive in a new location. I always  prefer to stay in hostels that keep their guests in mind by organizing gatherings, nights out on the town, or trips to local events. I’ve found that if I first get to a new place and I’m not really feeling it, taking on these kind of opportunities always ends up enhancing my experience.

I’ve regularly found that the breakfast table is the best place to meet fellow hostelers. Hostels that offer free breakfast often do it in a small window of time and people traveling on a budget usually take advantage of this, even though it usually takes place earlier than they like to wake up. A number of my great travel friendships have begun this way, with a conversation struck up over coffee and toast.

Note: This post has been sponsored, but all thoughts expressed are my own.

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Wanderful Words No. 22: A Map for Saturday

by Ekua on May 11, 2010 · 4 comments in backpacking,movies with movement,solo travel,wanderful words

Turistas. Hostel. The Beach. These are all examples of Hollywood’s poor representations of traveling with a budget and a backpack. So it was refreshing to finally watch A Map for Saturday, a documentary by Brook Silva-Braga that takes a realistic look into the world of long term solo backpacking.

While my month-or-sos away would not be considered long term by non-U.S. citizens who go away for longer, I found that I could relate to most of the content in the movie—the initial loneliness, learning how to meet people, settling into the coming and going, traveler’s guilt and what it’s like when you have to go home. Throughout the film, I felt like I was reliving many of the emotions I’ve had abroad.

There were moments where I thought the movie was a little vapid. I think this stemmed from my wanting there to be more of an underlying story or a unique angle. Something more edgy and captivating than following yet another advantaged young person on the road. But all in all,  it’s a solid backpacking documentary full of inspirational tidbits. I’d recommend it for any past or potential backpackers.

As the film began, a traveler being interviewed by Silva-Braga supplied this quote about one of the most profound transformations traveling lightly and cheaply can instigate:

“When you have everything on your back, material goods don’t mean as much as they used to. That’s something you take with you for the rest of your life.”

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Nobody Puts Bessie in the Corner

by Ekua on July 12, 2009 · 2 comments in backpacking,female travel,general travel

Last year I became a backpacker. Not a trek-for-days-through-the-woods backpacker, but a travel-cheaply-with-a-backpack backpacker. I can’t remember what drove me to try this style of travel, maybe it was the idea of being able to carry everything you really need on your back. I was heading to Southeast Asia, the ultimate backpacker’s paradise, and it just seemed like the most logical way to travel.

Fitting what you need in backpack is easy enough for a lot of people (a.k.a. men). But with my passion for fashion and history of chronic over packing, it proved to be a challenge. I bought a large women’s backpack at REI and made the mistake of filling it to the brink before my trip had started. I had all sorts of clothing options shoved in there, many of which I rarely ended up wearing. A fellow traveler, noticing my girlie style and overstuffed backpack, commented that I didn’t seem like a backpacker type to her. I took this as challenge, and made up my mind that I could be backpacker, even if my bag was too big and wasn’t sporting the typical earth-toned clothing and zip-off convertible pants that seem to be part of many a backpacker’s wardrobe.

I started off positively, but somewhere along a long hot and humid walk through no man’s land between Cambodia and Vietnam, I began to curse my backpack. I kept thinking how much easier it would have been to have a nice large suitcase on wheels. But soon enough, on my first Vietnamese overnight train ride, I began to see the merits of having a backpack. Those with large suitcases could not fit their luggage in the under bed storage bin. They were forced to leave them in middle of the tiny rooms where they took up space and could be easily tripped on during late night bathroom runs. When we reached Laos, there were no elevators in the guesthouses and I watched the suitcase-clad people struggle to get up the stairs.

Near the end of my trip, another fellow traveler complimented me on how agile I was with my backpack considering how big it was. After making it that far with my backpack that had only become more full, I had grown stronger both physically and mentally. The backpack I once cursed, I now affectionately call Bessie. She taught me lessons about what’s really necessary and allowed me to prove to myself that I am tough and have the ability to endure.

If I was going to do a Southeast Asia trip again, I would have a much better idea of how to pack. But with my upcoming trip to Bolivia and Peru, I have the extra challenge of multiple climates. I could experience 90 degree humid weather in the Amazon and below freezing night time temperatures in Salar de Uyuni a few days later. I have taken Bessie out of storage and I already fear that I am about to over pack. There are a few things I need to remember as I start to fill up my backpack:

My Packing Mantras

  • I will bring clothing that can be easily layered and mixed and matched and will stick to a color scheme that allows for this.
  • I will  realize that I don’t need to have an outfit in every color of the rainbow. (It’s sad but true that I need to repeat this to myself.)
  • I will remember that clothing and accessories that will be inexpensive and fitting for the local climate and style can be bought when I arrive. I will leave room in my bag for purchasing cheap local goods.
  • I will not overpack!

Wish me luck, my friends.

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