One of the best things about backpacking is staying in hostels. You can end up sleeping in some pretty amazing places; I’ve stayed in beach houses, old mansions, converted prisons and even a tree house.
You can meet some brilliant people too. People that become friends, drinking buddies and travel mates. Hostels are like these random cultural mash-ups. Sometimes they’re more interesting than the actual place you’ve come to check out.
But if you’re new to backpacking, or just haven’t spent much time in hostels, there are some unwritten rules you need to be aware of. Here’s a brief guide to backpacker hostel etiquette.
First things first – you’ve got to respect the vibe of the hostel; each one is slightly different, and sometimes they have very different cultures.
If you’re staying at a chilled, relaxing hostel you probably shouldn’t be hosting loud, drunken late-night parties every night. Conversely, if you know you’re staying at a bit of a party hostel, don’t moan if things are jumping well into the early hours of the next morning.
You can usually get a feel for what kind of hostel you’re in within a few minutes; are the walls covered with photos of hostel parties or abstract, calming artwork? Is the bar at the heart of the hostel or a super chilled lounge area? What are the people who run the hostel like?
Sometimes as a backpacker you hook up. That’s awesome. But try not bring your romance back to the dorm. A ten-bunk room isn’t the place for sexy time.
Some people think they know how to get around this rule. You know what they do? They hang a towel up. A towel. People, this is not the answer. We can still hear you. And if we’re in the bunk above/below you, we can feel you.
Getting romantic in an empty dorm room is borderline acceptable. But make sure you lock the door. If someone walks in half-way through it’s pretty awkward. For everyone. Just get a room. Your own room.
Some people are lone wolves. That’s cool. Mingling isn’t compulsory. But most of us are social animals. If you’re travelling on your own and want to make friends, the done thing is to put yourself out there. Get to know people.
Don’t be super intense about it. Just spend time in the social areas of the hostel. Listen out for conversations where you can join in. Ask people about their travel plans. Buy them a beer – they’ll have to talk to you.
Don’t expect people to come to you. Travellers warm to you when you make an effort, especially if you’re clearly forcing yourself out of a comfort zone.
A lot of backpackers are using e-readers these days, but books are awesome and still have their place. Hostel book exchanges can be a great way of finding useful resources (like travel guides) and discovering amazing novels that you would never have ordinarily read.
Judging book quality is always going to be subjective, but try not to trade decent novels with trash. Good book exchanges are only going to work if travelers make an effort to keep the standard up.
Sharing a bathroom with up to a dozen other backpackers – sometimes even more – can be a challenge. You know what makes it really difficult? People spending ages in the bathroom doing stuff that they could be doing in the dorm. Or the hallway. Or anywhere that isn’t the bathroom.
It’s not always girls, but they usually have more of a ‘routine’ that involves standing in front of mirrors. Basically, hostel etiquette dictates that you only use the bathroom to do things you couldn’t do outside the bathroom.
Keeping a lid on your romantic liaisons is just one aspect of being a good dorm mate. Dorms can be intimate places. You’re forced into very close living quarters with strangers. So be sure to think about a few other things.
Hygiene is a big one. Yes, you’re a traveler and keeping it real. Maybe you’re not shaving, or you’re giving up make-up. Whatever. That’s fine. Just remember to wash. And don’t stink out the dorm room with the fugly aroma from your clothes. They need to be washed every so often too.
Your in-bunk behaviour is also important. If you’re climbing up to the top bunk at 4am, try not to use you bunk mate as a stepping stone. If you’re a snorer, try to do whatever you can to minimize it. And no matter how horny you get, be aware that in-bunk ‘self-love’ is frowned upon.
If you’re using a smartphone or laptop in the hostel, try not to use up all the Wi-Fi bandwidth by uploading massive image or video files to your travel blog all the time.
If the hostel has an internet cafe setup with a few different computers, don’t hog any of them – especially at busy times. Try and be aware who’s hanging out waiting for their turn to search for trains or book a bed at their next hostel.
This should really go without saying, but obviously if a hostel can’t physically man their bar try and keep an accurate record of what you’re drinking. And how many you’re drinking.
One thing you find out when you stay in lots of hostels is that every country seems to have a different way of playing pool. It can get get particularly confusing working out what happens after a foul shot.
The thing to do is establish the house table rules before you starting playing. This is especially important in hostels that have ‘punishment’ rulings, like making you run round the table a dozen times naked if you lose a game without potting anything.
Lastly, don’t forget that hostels are supposed to be budget accommodation. So don’t complain if the showers aren’t always hot, or your bed is uncomfortable, or the dorms are drafty, or the paint’s peeling off the walls. It’s all part of the experience. It’s character-building.
Obviously, if something is dangerous then you need to say something. And you also need to judge everything by how much you’re paying; if you’re stumping up some serious dollar for a boutique hostel you should judge it it differently for a no-frills YHA place.
Andrew Tipp is a writer, blogger and editor. He used to work as a travel editor for advice and community site Gapyear.com, and has spent more than a year backpacking and volunteering around the world. His favorite countries are Bolivia and Sri Lanka, and he would love to visit the Malay Archipelago. He also provided all of the photos for this post.
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****************Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come.**************** Bethany Salvon is a full time Travel/Wedding photographer, travel blogger, world adventurer & the founder of BeersAndBeans.com. She has a thing for blueberries and vintage photographs.
