Hostels
From World travel guide
Hostels are a loosely-defined form of guesthouse, generally low-budget compared to other places to sleep. Although often used by youth there is usually no upper age limit.
Understand
- Hostels originally provided dormitory-style budget accommodation to travellers. However, many hostels now provide private single and double rooms in addition to dormitory accommodation.
- Hostels vary widely in their rules and regulations, with certain hostels imposing a curfew and others letting you come in at all hours. This depends on the hostel and its affiliation. Generally, hostels that are part of Hostelling International, for instance, do impose a curfew as well as a limit to the number of days you can stay.
- Some hostels have separate accommodations for men and women while others place them all together in dorm-style rooms.
Hostelling International
Many national hostelling organizations have joined together to form Hostelling International (formerly International Youth Hostel Federation), which maintains lists of youth hostels around the world and even takes bookings for some online. Affiliated hostels usually offer a certain minimum standard of lodging and a degree of accountability, although usually the largest risk (in terms of theft) is your fellow travellers, not the management.
Note that in some countries, many hostels are not affiliated with IYHF (eg. Australia). Particularly in poorer countries, the IYHF network may be very limited and possibly even more expensive than alternative accommodations. Also beware of hidden charges: for example, in Scandinavian countries it is typical to charge extra if you do not provide your own bedding.
Sailboat Hostels
A sailboat hostel is a boat that has been redone for or dedicated to use as a hostel for international backpacker travelers. A sailboat hostel is a great way to see things that would otherwise be inaccessible or too expensive on a shoestring budget. A hostel of this sort should offer their beds at what could be considered a hosteling rate (roughly between $5 and $60 per day, depending on the country).
Sailboat hostels, depending on their size, can accommodate 3 or more people. Generally they would include a breakfast and some general sailing instruction and safety guidelines, as well as activities related to the sea such as snorkeling and surfing, to name only a couple.
While there are several stationary and motor-powered boat hostels, currently there are only a small handful of boats that could be considered sailboat hostels. This is a new kind of adventure, taking the spirit of international backpacker travel to the sea.
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