What is a Hostel?

With more and more young people facing psychological conflicts in this confusing world, backpacking around the world has become a popular trend. At this moment that I’m writing this piece, many of my own close friends are moving from one country to another carrying their big backpacks that have small colorful flags of different countries sewed to them. Some have been travelling for more than two years now and have been to more than a hundred different countries in different continents. Now, being on such a long-term itinerary requires one to stick to a tight budget, and stay at hostels. But, what is a hostel?

What Kind of Rooms Are There at a Hostel?

Generally speaking, a hostel is a budget accommodation facility that provides both dorm-beds and cheap rooms for travelers who can’t afford to stay at hotels. So, there are both dormitories and private rooms at hostels. The hostels’ dormitories or dorms usually offer bunk beds, private lockers, and also bathrooms and showers that are commonly used by all the people in that dorm. The dorms bunk beds at good hostels are also equipped with curtains as well as reading lights (see the pictures below). There are hostels, like some of the hostels in Tehran, that offer dormitories to the male and female guests separately. But most of the hostels accommodate the male and female gusts in their “mixed dorm”, regardless of their gender. Still, being cheap is not all what a hostel is.

What is the Common Vibe at a Hostel?

The hostels being budget accommodation options is not the only reason that makes a typical backpacker opt for them. Generally speaking, there is this unquenchable thirst in backpackers for sharing travel stories. And there is no better place to satisfy this thirst than a hostel's common area where the young travelers from all walks of life sit in circles and chat endlessly. They get together at hostels’ hangout areas and engage in conversations like the following:

Backpacker 1: [rolling a cigarette] It’s now almost a year that I’ve been travelling. [finishes rolling] You want a cigarette? [offers to roll another one]

Backpacker 2: Yeah, thank you. One year!?

Backpacker 1: Cheers. Yup! Almost 12 months now. Have been to Turkey, have been to Jordan, have been to Israel, damn I wanna visit Iran next months! Have heard great things about it. They say Iran's tourism is booming!

Backpacker 2: Iran!?

Hmm……

9/28/2023 10:50:58 PM