What's it really like staying in a hostel?

So I've told you what it's like living in a campervan, but what about living in a hostel? The first month of my trip was spent going from dorm room to dorm room and sleeping in a room with up to 10 different people each night. So what is it really like?


Privacy
This is a pretty big downside to staying in hostel rooms. They are designed to be a base for travellers who want to go out and explore, though of course with differing schedules, you can almost always be sure that someone will be in the room at any one time. You're living in a confined space with up to about 11 strangers. It's not a place to keep up your normal bad/awkward habits from when you're at home, you can't run around naked, or throw your smelly undies everywhere. But I can guarantee that at some point someone will have sex in your room while you're trying to sleep. Make sure it's you.

Security
Lockers or under-bed lock boxes are usually provided, and are a good idea to use to store your stuff. Make sure you bring your own padlocks or buy one from the hostel at some extortionate rate. Pretty much the whole world has access to your room, and with people coming and going so often, things can certainly go "missing". Keep your valuables safe, and don't presume everyone in there is friendly and innocent once you've been living with them for 2 days.

Party Pumper
Where's me jumper? I stayed in 2 different hostels in Melbourne. XBase is the one that the STA Travel package will send you to, and they have many locations throughout Australia. It was pretty much the epitomy of everything I hate and everything I was when I was 18. Having said that, it's an excellent place to go if you like to party, get drunk and meet new people who are also drunk. There were cheap drinks and different questionable events being held in the bar every night. Let's just say, bingo night wasn't suitable for granny - I'm sure poor old Agatha would be flabberghasted to see honourable young people humping on the floor every time the number 69 came up. We also stayed in Habitat HQ hostel down the road, and then I remembered that I don't really hate people that much. Habitat still had events on every night, but these were a lot more chilled out and enjoyable for the 22-going-on-40 year olds like me. Pub crawls, quiz night, free barbeque, live music - it's a nice place to come and meet fellow backpackers especially if you're travelling on your own.

Meeting new people
This is the upside to a hostel. You share a room with like minded people from all over the world who generally share a passion for travel. It's a great place to find travel buddies for your onwards journey, and in some cases life-long friends. Most people will be friendly, bubbly and excited, and it's always helpful when they've been the places you're going, and you can exchange tips and find out the best places to visit. Of course you get your fair share of weirdos too. We encountered the German guy that kept losing his job, the Swedish guy that puked all night, and the old racist Aussie woman who blamed the Germans when she was evicted from her room by the hostel management when she thought it was for permanent residency.

A plethora of smells
I don't know why sleeping people smell so bad but oh my goodness. At HabitatHQ, Joe and I worked as housekeepers to earn free nights, and each room had a different level of stench depending on who and how many were living in there. My room was fine thanks to the friendly couple that had been living in there for a month and liked to keep it in order. The evenings change to an overpowering mix of Lynx Africa, Rihanna Rogue Love, Impulse Musk, hairspray and toothpaste as people get ready to go out. Not as distasteful as ass and sweat, but still not great if you prefer breathing.

Prices and facilities
A hostel dorm room costs about $30-40 (£15-20) per person per night sharing with 5 other people or more. If sharing with less, it can sometimes be more expensive. A private room with double bed would cost around $60-80 (£30-40). So what do you get for that price? Generally you get all this:

• A bunk bed and lock box 
• Ensuite bathroom or clean, hot shower/toilet block down the hall
• Shared kitchen with fridge/freezers, hobs, ovens, utensils etc
• Limited wifi
• Opportunity to partake in free events
• Tourist spot advice and booking
• A common area with sofas and possibly a TV
• Experience of a lifetime

So, I've made out that living in a hostel is terrible. Well it's not that bad, if you want to see what it's really like, watch the 2005 film "Hostel". If you have any scary, funny or inspiring hostel experiences let me know in the comments!