The Big Blue Marble Newsletter: Sample Article

Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.
Gustave Flaubert

Youth Hostels Aren't Just for Youth Anymore
February 2001

What comes to mind when you think about youth hostels? For many, the image is college aged, beer guzzling vagabonds stuffed to the gills in dirty dormitories.

While this may be true occasionally, it doesn?t jive with my recent experience in Honolulu, Hawaii. For the first eight days, I stayed in a fairly spacious room with only three other roommates at an AYH (American Youth Hostel) at Waikiki Beach. We shared a common bathroom. The staff kept the bathrooms, lounges, and lobby clean. My roommates were all quiet, friendly, reasonably clean, and respectful of my property. There was no alcohol allowed. There was a fairly even mix of men and women who stayed in separate sex rooms (the women said they felt very safe there).

In the remaining six days, I roomed at another AYH next to University of Hawaii. It contained several large rooms with twelve bunk beds each with its own bathroom. The facility was generally quite clean (most of the cleaning was done by fellow hostellers who exchanged their labor for their rent). In the middle of the property was a lushly landscaped patio where the hostellers met to swap stories and relax.

I met a diverse group of people at both hostels including Mike, a 50?ish doctor from Maui who stayed at the hostel to relive his college days at the University of Hawaii; Steve, an affable , twenty five year old man funding his trip around the United States (he had just completed a tour of each of the America?s fifty state capitols) as a part time bus driver in Colorado and Alaskan tour guide; Sarah, a retired teacher from Michigan whose eyes glistened as she recounted her travels around the world (including Ecuador, Venezuela) camping in train stations; and several 30?ish Britons who sold their high priced London real estate to fund an extended sabbatical trip around the world (the British had recently passed a law that required employers to keep jobs open if employees wanted to travel, take care of a sick relative, study, or raise a child).

This diverse group quickly became my temporary travel buddies. I ate meals with Steve and took a round the island tour (led by the extremely knowledge former owner of the Waikiki hostel) with Sarah. I still keep in touch with both by e-mail.

Are the people I met at these hostels typical? Evidently, they are. While I have never seen a study of hostellers, The Australian National Institute of Tourism conducted a study of ?backpackers? in 1991 (the term ?backpacker?, outside of the USA, is used to describe travelers who don a backpack and travel, work, or study abroad usually for at least a couple months at a time). The study found that these backpackers were as diverse as the youth hostellers I met in Hawaii. The only common characteristics of Australian backpackers was that they quit their career to travel around the world (40%) or study in Australia (33%) and that more than half had finished a college education. Otherwise, the backpackers were from a wide range of incomes, ages, and professions.

While most people stay at hostels to save money, I stay there to meet people. Nowhere else are you able to meet so many travelers from different countries, ages, and income group in one setting. Ultimately, it is the people that made my experience even more magical and memorable than a $500 a night luxury hotel room elsewhere on Oahu.

• The Waikiki and University of Hawaii hostels are part of the American arm of International Youth Hostels. A complete list of hostels is available on-line. All International Youth Hostel prohibit alcohol and all accommodations are segregated by sex. Some even have curfews. Most are closed for certain periods of the day. You are encouraged to make reservations beforehand (this can also be done on-line).
• In the USA most hostels cost between $12-20 a night per person (The Waikiki Hostel for example is $17-20 a night and the University of Hawaii Hostel is $14-16). In Europe, the costs are usually around $20-35 per night. In Latin America, Asia, and Africa there are not many hostels and the costs are not that much cheaper than staying in a hotel (typically $6-$15 a night). Hostels are, however, a great choice for cheap accommodations in a few expensive cities like Singapore and Hong Kong.
• There are also several privately owned hostels available. Many are like college dormitories with lots of partying and noise. Some are quiet and laid-back and make an excellent alternative to the rigidity found in some International Youth Hostels. If you want to party, I have heard that staying at the Banana Bungalows in Los Angeles, Honolulu, etc. can be a lot of fun.
• All hostels vary in terms of comfort, price, and environments. Thankfully, there is an independent guidebook series that contains excellent reviews of both private and International Youth Hostel accommodations. The Guidebook Series is entitled Hostels (USA, European Cities, etc ? it varies by destination): The Only Comprehensive, Unofficial, and Opinionated Guide.
• At most hostels, you can also rent a private room. Typically, the costs are a little less than a comparable room elsewhere but they are not cheap ($50 a night in the USA, for example).

• This is a sample article from the FREE Big Blue Marble Newsletter about my (Paul Heller) trips around the world, meeting along the way others who share the pursuit of following their dreams to travel and live in another part of globe. The newsletter also features many tips, program reviews, and other useful information gathered from the road to help you become a participant rather than a spectator in the daily life of distant corners of the planet. If you'd like to subscribe to the newsletter (and my Postcards from the Road), please send me an e-mail or fill out your e-mail address in the space indicated on the left side panel of this website.
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