Backpacking Around The World: Accommodation

Guest houses can offer comfort for those on a budget.

It often takes a little bit of time to get used to staying in budget accommodation when backpacking around the world. At first it may seem a little bit daunting but hostels actually offer a lot more than most people realise.

Hostels are great places to meet people and have a much more of a open environment than that of a hotel. The vibe of a hostel can often change and very much depends on who’s checked in that day. Sometimes you’ll find hostels quite quiet and on other occasions you could find them buzzing with other travelers.

If you’re backpacking the world it can be a great opportunity to try out a few new things. Why not opt for staying in that Tokyo capsule hostel or how about camping in Europe? Whatever you choose, you’ll be able to mix and match throughout your journey.

Independent Hostels

The bread and butter of any backpacking trip, hostels are great for those on a budget looking to meet other travelers. These days, hostels come in many different forms, even catering to the flashpackers amongst us. Some hostels have a great little bar and restaurant whilst others may just consist of dormitories and common room.

Super Hostels

Super hostels such as Base Backpackers tend to exist in Australia and New Zealand and are large franchise hostels. Often used by tour groups such as the Oz Experience they tend to be great places to party but also quite sterile and lacking in the customer service department.

Hostelling international

Hostelling international have a network of hostels throughout the world. They usually  meet a certain standard and are clean and well organised. They seem to lack a certain personal touch of that of the independent hostel but they are great value non the less. For more information you can check out their website here.

Guesthouses

You’ll often come across places where people open up their own homes for travelers. This may consist of a few spare rooms that they let out or bungalows. Guesthouses differ from hostels in that they usually offer private rooms but less services. You also have to be a little more respectful after all you are staying in someone’s home.

Farms

Farm stays are a great way to experience the farming way of life and typically offer courses in riding or farming work. They can be a great unique experience and certainly different to staying in a hostel.

Homestays

Homestays are run by locals who have opened up their own homes for travelers to stay. They offer good value for money and can give you an insight into how the locals live. Homestays are often packaged with language course and charity work and can be very rewarding experiences.

Camping

If you’re prepared to carry the camping gear with you then you could find many opportunities to camp out under the stars. Usually it is actually illegal to camp for free although it usually goes unnoticed outside of large cities. Paid camping involves pitching on a camp site with other campers where the site will often have a number of facilities.

Have you stayed in any unusual forms of accommodation? Let us know by posting a comment.