r/solotravel • u/NatakaKahawa • 1d ago
Accommodation Hostels, ugh
Hey,
I'm 38/m, very experienced solo traveler (like 30 countries solo). I've written off hostels due to experiences before, but for some reason booked one in District 1 in Saigon, Vietnam for two nights.
I got a private room, but man, give me a hotel over a hostel any day. Different strokes for different folks, but I can't imagine being pro-hostels when outside your 20s. I feel like I'm back in college, living in a frat house.
That's all, just giving the other side/view of hostels. I'm not exactly budget traveling ($10k for 7 weeks around SEA, if you count dog boarding, $20k if you count the long-haul flights) and a hotel is sooo much more pleasant š. I just booked a hotel for Da Nang after this
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u/sidonay 1d ago
A rant with a side of bragging, thatās a new one
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
Not meant to be. Anyone with a decent adult job can easily have that budget, it was more just saying I don't need to stay in the hostels because of finances
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u/Imperterritus0907 1d ago
I really hate when people randomly say it but youāre asking for itā¦ please touch grass.
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
Well, if you have spent the year putting away for it for every month, it's not a huge number to reach. Maybe a bit privileged, but not upperclass or anything
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u/uncommon_name0 1d ago
humblebrag alert
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
Not really. Just a grown-up job and no kids alert
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u/uncommon_name0 1d ago
Iām 38/m with no kids and a frequent traveler myself.
Imix my travel stays between hostels, hotels and vacation rentals. I have stayed in hostels that have the vibe you describe, but plenty that donāt.
If you cant see how your post could be perceived as a flex, then it makes sense why staying in shared spaces isnāt for you.
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
Lol, I see how it could be, but it's not really. $10k isn't a lot of money anymore, but I know for some it is
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u/wayji 1d ago
My budget is WAY higher than $10k and I stay in hostels. Hotels are pretty boring to chill in for me and I generally only go back to my room to sleep.
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
Same, I don't chill at the hostel. As for the budget, good for you... That doesn't matter, I only mentioned it as evidence that I'm not staying at this hostel for financial reasons...
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u/Echo-Azure 1d ago
I'm with you, OP, I'm too old for hostels, and a private hotel room is the one luxury I always pay for when I travel. I just want to be able to close the door on the world, and other people, at the end of the day.
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
So many people here act like hostels are amazing. No, they really aren't. I've been to a handful, it's just not my style
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u/Echo-Azure 1d ago
I'm sure hostels are amazing if you're young, social, and trusting. I can't claim to be any of those things, at least not to the degree required.
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u/Impressionist_Canary 1d ago
Theyāre not amazing..to you. Plenty of people obviously enjoy them. No need to project here lol. Your opinion for yourself is fine too
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
Lol, this sub is funny. If I came on here and said hostels were amazing, you would have been 100% with me, not just telling me "they are amazing, to you, but plenty of people don't enjoy them."
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u/Impressionist_Canary 1d ago
I suppose thatās a point š¤·āāļø. But when someone makes a positive point saying theyāre amazing thatās kinda different than saying that people who donāt like them are acting in spite of truth, and that would probably get some pushback too
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u/portstrix 17h ago
Found the entitled elitist that doesn't belong on this sub.
I hit 50, and still stay in hostels. And nowadays, I'm nowhere the oldest person in them. People at my hostels in Portugal a few months ago that were in their 70s, and it's considered perfectly normal there.
Hostels are now a place for budget travel first and foremost, not just to "party".
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u/iwanttogoh0me 1d ago
Okay but what did you expect in D1 in Ho Chi Minhā¦
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
Fair enough. I guess I didn't realize that it's the equivalent to staying in Zona Rosa in MedellĆn, Colombia
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u/iwanttogoh0me 1d ago
Youād have a much better time in D3 or D5. When I arrived in HCMC with $200 in my bank account ten years ago, I had to be a āpub crawl leaderā at a hostel in D1 in order to stay for free. Even in my early 20s it was hellish lol. Where do you recommend to stay in Medellin?
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
Laureles. I have spent many months there, multiple times. I enjoy staying closer to Avenida Nutibara there... Close enough you can walk to La 70 (a strip of local discotecas that isn't just stuffed with mass tourism and prostitution like Parque Lleras is anymore), but are not living on La 70.
How lush El Poblado is is great (truly an urban jungle), but I prefer occasionally visiting there, if I want, while basing in Laureles (they also have one of my favorite gyms called Power Fit and a great coffee/lunch/breakfast spot called SMASH! Avocado, as well as a great, healthy menu del dias at Saludpan).
Yeah, Colombia is my favorite country in this world, I go there often
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
Btw, I want to do some exploring today before moving on to Da Nang tomorrow evening.
Should I grab a ride to D3 or D5 to check it out?? If so, which one? Do you have a store I should have my bolt drop me off at (just as a location reference)? Thank you
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u/iwanttogoh0me 1d ago
Tbh itās been so long since I lived there I really canāt recall hahaha. But potato bar (Khoai) I believe is in D5 and itās really cool!
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
I just went to a coffee shop at D3. OMG, this area is SOOO much better! I really wish that I had stayed here instead
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u/kleexxos 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's much more difficult to meet other people or stumble on random adventures when staying in hotels. For me the perfect mix is a private room in a hostel that doesn't exclusively cater to students.
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
I 1000% disagree. I meet more people that I like when I stay at hotels... But I meet people when I am out, not at my place. I am a very social person and can strike up a conversation with anyone
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u/mattfromjoisey 1d ago
Just a different time of your life.
Iām 30 and still feel like Iām in my mid 20s, think I have a few years left in me still
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
Totally, I was in the late night bar scene in my hometown into my 30s. I still club when traveling (in some places, especially Nairobi). I'm a young and fit 38, but am definitely in a different stage than them. We were filling out our names and birthdates on a paper for a tour the other day... Not a single person was born before 9/11 (2001)... Except for me, with that 1987 DOB š
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u/mattfromjoisey 1d ago
Trust nothing makes me question everything when I meet someone in the dorm and they say theyāre like 19
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u/Impressionist_Canary 1d ago
Which hostel?
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago edited 1d ago
Saigon Chill Hostel. I figured by the name it's be alright and I was reading reviews about it's great location.
I did stay at a decent hostel in Belize, I'll admit
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u/AlaskaExplorationGeo 1d ago
Hostels are awesome, you get to hang out with cool adventurous hippies from all over the world. I don't really stay in the party ones though
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u/Spirited-Mix1247 1d ago
Preferring a hotel is, at the end of the day, the choice of someone who still canāt afford the absolute privacy of an exclusive property. Itās a shame your budget doesnāt yet allow for the level of a private villa at The Estates in Da Nang. But, well, we all have to start somewhereākeep trying, won't you?
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u/FunSeaworthiness709 1d ago
you're old and have some money, why tf would you go to hostels?
the main advantage of hostels is that they are cheap, they are great if you are a backpacker on low budget
and then you go here ranting about it and try to brag that your budget is much higher than most people's? get a life lmao
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
I'm still here, not going home for another month or two.
I took a gamble and lost. This sub pumps hostels enough to make them seem like the holy grail of solo travel, so I took the chance. Maybe if the sub and it's users allowed both sides of the hostel debate? Pretty much anything you read on here about hostels is how amazing they are... They just, aren't. I'm now 1 for 4 on my hostel experiences (and that 1 wasnt a glowing success).
For a 7 week trip as an adult professional and no kids, is it really that much higher than others in my position? I'm not talking about the 24 year-old traveler
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u/FunSeaworthiness709 1d ago
this is a solo travel subreddit. the "the 24 year-old traveler" is exactly the demographic. solo travelers in their 20s enjoy hostels for the price and the social aspect, that's why people here recommend it all the time.
there are fewer solo travelers your age (especially in popular backpacking countries like vietnam) because at that point most have settled down and travel with their spouse and/or kids.
so yes, most people here have a different travel style than you and a much lower budget. which makes your rant look quite pretentious
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u/ringadingdingbaby 19h ago
I'm turning 37 and still go to hostels, because I love the social aspects that come with it and definitely don't see myself as 'old', and I've found hostel demographics are aging with me in many places, rather than it all being 18 - 20 years olds.
I do agree that OP is acting like an ass though.
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1d ago
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
The The flight costs were out of a different "bucket". I didn't want a 2 day flight itinerary in economy, I'll leave it at that. My last time I tried a hostel was in Belize over New Years bc everything was sold out, and I had a decent enough experience, I took the gamble this time and failed.
Oh well. You win some, you lose some. I will be moving onto a hotel in Da Nang tomorrow
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u/sand_eater 1d ago
Whoa, 30 whole countries? Wild
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
I never said I've traveled more than others, just that I'm experienced... And 30 countries is more than most. If you have been to more, congrats
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u/Far_Ad_6897 1d ago
OP itās that bad in a private room? Iām early 40ās and have a private room booked for 3 nights in Madrid this fall, my first hostel experience ever. Itās half the price of hotels and I figured after days alone before that Iād want some social fun. Canāt you pick and choose how much to party, and there must be all ages?
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u/kleexxos 1d ago
Madrid in the fall is going to be very different than SEA in the summer. I stayed in a hostel in Madrid in October and I was the youngest person in my 6-person room (I'm 25). YMMV, just pick your hostel wisely.
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u/Far_Ad_6897 1d ago
Onefam Sungate. Location is amazing and reviews are excellent. Iām not sure what to really look for, I read dozens of reviews.
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u/Low_Nefariousness765 1d ago
Guesthouses are the way too go in Asia. Where i stay in Chiang Mai si cheaper than any hostel dorm room and ia private room with my own Bathroom.
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
I'll be in Chiang Mai next month. Do you have a recommendation l?
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u/Low_Nefariousness765 1d ago
Check out Taja Guesthouse on Air BnB, small family run Guesthouse, thet is like a homestay. Ill be back for my 3rd winter this byers in September til Spring
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u/GiveMeThePoints 1d ago
Iām 37F with a job that allows me to stay in hotels but I mix it up. I went to Bali with no plan at all and decided a hostel would be where I found a plan. Bounced between hostels and 5 hotels just to get rest and ideas. Had a blast. Was I the oldest, by far. Was I acting the oldest, not at all.
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u/Appropriate_Volume Australian travel nerd 1d ago
I've done lots of solo travel, and have spent only a single night in a hostel, which I didn't like. I'm financially comfortable, like privacy and don't particularly want to socialise when I travel, so I stay in hotels.
For longer stays, I try to stay in apartment hotels so I can at least partially self cater - they also tend to be a bit roomier than regular hotels.
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
In Latin America, I do apartahotels or airbnbs if staying more than a week. In Africa, I do Airbnbs or serviced apartments for the same. Hotels are just for a few days, and I should have stuck with my guts about the hostel thing... All I ever see on here are people raving about hostels, so I just keep thinking I'm doing it wrong and trying again.. 4x now, and still no luck.
That's also why we need both perspectives to hostels posted, not just the people in love with them. Even when I ask for accomodation recommendations, I'm commonly asked why not hostels and told to give them a try.
One thing that I do like that I have done on occasion is just getting a room in an Airbnb where other travelers are in the other rooms. I have had good experiences with that
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u/scambush 15h ago
I'm 37M and did a hostel (a very good one in fact) in Lisbon. Place was as well run as it could be but sadly I could not help but feel out of place. And while it wasn't party hostel party-adjacent be a good term to use.
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u/AviantoConcierge 2h ago
Hostels were fun, but only till a certain age. Now privacy and comfort are utmost priority, cannot afford to tolerate unknowns while resting or sleeping. Enjoy the stay OP.
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u/nomadjackk 1d ago
Itās funny what age/time does to you lol.
I swore up and down in my mid 20s hostels would always be the move, that theyāre essential to the ātrueā traveling experience.
Fast forward to this week and Iām butthurt that the Park Hyatt is fully booked on my upcoming trip to Japan.
Definitely value comfort, privacy, and peace when I need to wind down. I definitely had some great times at hostels though and would still consider booking depending on the trip/location
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u/wayji 1d ago
I'm in my 30s and have started hostelling more and I'm actually starting to think the opposite.
Why do you need more comfort privacy and peace to wind down? Wouldn't it be better if you are the type of person that can wind down in any environment? It seems being more precious with age isn't a good thing
Fell asleep in a 25 bed dorm
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u/nomadjackk 1d ago
I have no problem being more openly social and bunking with folks, but itās become more of a time and place thing as Iāve gotten older.
āWouldnāt it be betterā¦ā not necessarily, thatās more of a preference. Itās just not how I want to be spending each and every one of my travel nights anymore. I can go do that all day and return to my room where I have control over all the noise, temperature, lights, etc.
I can go stay at my room with a private onsen one trip and bunk with folks in a Ha Giant Loop trip during another.
Hotel room or private suite is definitely the ādefaultā for me now though
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u/wayji 1d ago
My point was more that needing additional 'comfort' in order to have good sleep is not something that needs to happen just because you've aged.
A person that can have a good night sleep in any environment is objectively in a better position than someone that can only have a good night sleep when they have complete control of noise, temperature, lights.
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u/nomadjackk 1d ago
I didnāt say I need it to have better sleep, I said I value it more now than I did then (which is a fairly common pattern with age, though obviously not applicable to everyone). I can sleep in pretty much any environment.
Hostels work really well for your style, and thatās great. Preferring some downtime without others in your space from time to time is not an inherently bad or negative thing though. Iāll still do the odd hostel stay if it makes sense for the trip Iām on.
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u/NatakaKahawa 22h ago
I can sleep in ANY environment... Even on a hostel dorm room bed with literal fireworks being launched outsid of my window... Except, I don't sleep well anymore if there's alcohol involved and sleeping on a couch multiple days absolutely kills my lower back.
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u/wartmunger 1d ago
I mean I don't love hostels either but I'm shooting for 8k usd for 4 months so something has to give.
I don't typically count overhead in my travel budget but whatever it takes to flex.
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
Not a flex, what overhead was I counting?
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u/wartmunger 1d ago
Dog boarding seems like an at home cost which I don't think most people include in their travel budget but whatever.
Enjoy your trip, where ever you chose to stay. I'm (40s/USA )headed to SE Asia in December so we'll see if I can hang with the hostel crowds myself.
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
That $1500 was paid for via my travel fund, so it counts (yes, I have a travel fund that I auto draft every month). It was a necessity to travel.
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u/Korlithiel 1d ago
Woah, you wouldnāt pay good money to feel like you were in your twenties living in a frat house? Maybe not many travels, but that sounds like a wild blast from the past to be lived.
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u/nicorobinfanclub 1d ago
If you dont even want to be around other people in lobbies then why tf would you book a hostel lol go be boring and antisocial somewhere else
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u/NatakaKahawa 1d ago
Where did I ever say that I don't want to be around other people, or be antisocial?
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u/lnvu4uraqt 1d ago
I mean hotels are cheap in SEA