Choosing a Backpacker Hostel

For any traveller backpacking Australia the accommodation of choice will probably be the backpacker hostel. This isn’t to say that there aren’t other accommodation options for the traveller on a budget but depending on your situation more often than not you’ll find that you’re shacking up in hostels on a regular basis.

In fact many backpackers will tell you that choice of hostels on your trip around Australia can have a dramatic effect on the enjoyment of your experience. You need to understand that all backpacker hostels are NOT the same. There are usually numerous hostels in any one destination that cater for all the different needs of the backpacker whether it be a party hostel, relaxed hostel or just somewhere to put your head down for the night.

The best places to find hostels are guide books, web based sites like Backpacker Pages and probably most importantly word of mouth. The problem is that guide books often have a huge delay on printing the books and this can mean that the backpacker hostel information printed may have changed dramatically since gathered.

Web based backpacker sites such as backpacker pages is also a great place to find a hostel to meet your needs. This is because most sites are updated on a regular basis and are updated by travellers that have actually experienced these hostels. With nothing to gain or lose reviews on these sites are often unbiased and paint the real picture of what a backpacker hostel is like.

Undoubtedly word of mouth may be the best way to find a hostel that meets your needs. This is because like minded backpackers are more likely to tell you ‘how it is’ rather than how the backpacker hostels would like you to believe it is. While backpacking Australia many of Backpacker pages staff’s favourite hostels were discovered by word of mouth and it’s our aim to pass this information onto you.

As mentioned previously there are many types of hostel to cater for your needs and choosing the right one could be the difference between a goodnights sleep and a sleepless one. Party hostels can be loud and although most hostels try and keep the noise to a minimum late at night you’ll have to put up with people banging doors and turning on lights until the early hours.

Relaxed hostels are much more subdued and you can pretty much guarantee that you’ll get a good nights sleep with little to disturb you. That’s not to say that these hostels are boring it’s just sometimes you need a good nights sleep when all the partying catches up on you.

Mid way hostels are usually cheap, very basic and cater for the backpacker that just needs a bed to put their head down for the night. These backpacker hostels are dotted all over Australia and are usually found at mid way points between popular backpacker destinations. They are usually very empty during the day and fill up as the sun starts to set as weary souls pull in of the highway for some much needed rest.

So just remember that not all backpacker hostels are the same and with a little research you can find the right hostel to meet your needs.