Our Tips For Long-Term Hostel Living

It’s hard to find a sense of home when you’re traveling abroad for an extended period. You bounce from one destination to another and have to adjust to the different customs of each place. Even if you manage to find a town you love enough to stay for a while, it can still be challenging to make it a place you’d be happy to call home. The least you can do is to find a semi-permanent place to stay where you can create bonds with your roommates that you can consider as family.

If you’re looking to book a hostel for a long-term stay, here are some tips to make your experience worthwhile:

Remember that a hostel is not a hotel.

First things first, you have to keep in mind that a hostel is not in any way a hotel. With a hotel, you are provided with items like toiletries, coffee, and tea, while hostels don’t. You have to get used to not being tended to, and you have to learn to respect communal spaces like the bathroom and the kitchen. You’re essentially only paying for your bed. Everything else in the facility is for sharing.

Be friendly to other backpackers.

The key to making your stay more memorable is befriending other backpackers like you. You were also once a newbie like them, so imagine how uneasy they might feel having to stay at a place where they’re not familiar with anyone. Be welcoming and friendly to them and make it a point to answer any questions they may have. You never know, any of them just might become a friend for keeps.

Don’t buy too much stuff.

Having to haul around too many of your belongings is too much of a hassle. You don’t want to spring for an expensive postage bill when you’re forced to send some items back home. It’s easy to keep buying things, but remember that you also have to carry them from Point A to Point B. It’s best to keep your stuff to a minimum to avoid any transport issues.

Leave your hostel from time to time.

You might get stuck in a rut of going out, coming home in the wee hours of the morning, and crashing until you’re ready to head out again. It gets tiring, and it eats up the opportunity to actually explore the town you’re in. Make it a point to leave the hostel in daylight to engage in fun activities other than work and partying. It will make your stay much more memorable.

Don’t stay too long.

Once you settle into a comfortable routine, you might find everything monotonous. Don’t let yourself feel stuck in one place for way too long. If you’re already starting to feel antsy, check if you already have enough to move on to another place. Once you’ve reached your goal, you’re free to leave and head to a brand new destination.

Long-term hostel living can be challenging, but when you follow the tips above, you can make it much more bearable. If you’re planning on backpacking in Phuket and need a hostel, book a bed with us today!