One of our former volunteers, Thea Flindall, is no stranger to travel. Having stayed in hostels across the world, here she shares her top travel tips and hostel hacks to help you find your feet if you’re taking a trip.
1. Do your homework
Make sure you’ve read up on where you’re heading. Knowing a bit about the history and politics of a place while you’re there means you’ll probably get a lot more out of it and avoid a Jeremy Clarkson-esque blunder of ignorance.
2. Keep a diary
Maybe this point is true of life in general and not just a suggestion for the wandering folk, but a lot can happen in the space of a few days when you’re on the road and the places and faces will inevitably blur together in the recesses of your brain.
I’ve never been one for capturing every emotional detail but making a note of the city, the hostel and the people you met, can be enough to trigger the stories and momentary occurrences that will make you smile with nostalgia years down the line. Using Instagram or Twitter to purposefully capture clips of where you are can have the same effect and creates a breadcrumb trail back through your journey.
3. Get your disposable cameras on
Unless your trip has a genuine artistic aim, why not leave the DSLR behind? Disposable cameras are cheap, light and will encourage you to take only the pictures you really want to capture, instead of a stream of identical shots you’ll never look at again. They’ll also cheer you up when they come back from the darkroom just as post holiday blues set in. It also means you’re less of a target for thieves.
4. Make friends with the hostel staff
Since they live in the area they’re likely to know the cheapest and most original places to go, eat, drink, and will be able to nudge you in the right direction to avoid tourist traps. They’ll also be the ones you have to turn to when your passport has disappeared into a watery abyss or whatever other disaster strikes. So, however tired, hungry and sweaty you are when you turn up remember that a smile can go a long way.
5. Be nice to everyone
Even the people who make it really hard. You never know who’s going to catch up with you in the same hostel a couple of weeks down the line and no one needs bad vibes following them from town to town. Travelling can bring out someone’s deepest insecurities, as they’re constantly confronted with new people and challenges, so breathe deep and take the high road.
6. Pack light
If you’re doing a long trip, anything you take will be in tatters by the end. If it’s a quick one, then you don’t need to take much anyway! The lighter your luggage, the more freedom you have to chase an adventure, if one happens to present itself, with no bulky cases to lug around or piles of clothes to pack up. Shocking as it may seem, most countries do sell the essentials and probably much cheaper than back home, so leave the year’s supply of Herbal Essences at home.
7. Always take the cheap route
Occasionally it’s worth spending a little bit extra (meals involving seafood spring to mind as an example although I imagine that’s not a foolproof rule…) but for the most part the cheapest dorms are where the best people will stay; the budget bus is where you’ll have time to see all the views; and the tiny corner bar down a side street is where you’ll eat some proper local food. You’ll end up more patient, appreciative and will generally find yourself with a more down to earth understanding of the culture you’re visiting.
8. Be comfortable being on your own
Sitting alone in restaurants or walking around museums can feel really uncomfortable when you’re not used to being on your “todd”. As you get used to flying solo it can be really liberating so try not to scroll endlessly through your phone in an attempt to appear less alone. Independent and lonely are two very different things!
9. Download Duo Lingo
Learning languages can be difficult if your brain doesn’t work that way. There are so many apps available that can help you pick up at least a couple of phrases while you’re sat on a bus or in a hammock with nothing to do. You can make friends with locals more easily and even chat people up with (hopefully) more success too!
10. Learn to make friendship bracelets
They start conversations, give you a purpose when you don’t know anyone at the bar and are a nice thing to be able to give people you meet.
11. Make few plans
Have an idea of the general direction you might go is useful but if you can avoid it, don’t pre-book buses and hostels. Just wake up every morning and decide if you’re staying or going. If you confine yourself to too rigid a schedule you leave no time for spontaneous trips with new friends, an extra night with the love of your life or that monster hangover that was the result of clearly and definitively assuring everyone that you were ‘definitely having a night off from drinking’.
What are your biggest travel tips? Share them in the comments below.