Outside one of the prettiest hostels I have ever stayed at in Miraflores (Lima, Peru)

My first ever hostel experience at Generator Hostel in Cope--I stayed in a 8 bed Mixed Dorm aka co-ed. (Copenhagen, Denmark) — My first ever hostel experience at Generator Hostel in Cope--I stayed in a 8 bed Mixed Dorm *aka co-ed*. (Copenhagen, Denmark)

In my last post, I went over everything you need to know about hostels (you can find it here). The thing is, being a cheap place to stay isn’t the only reason why hostels are my preferred accommodation when traveling (especially backpacking). Aside from that, there are so so many reasons why you NEED to stay in a hostel NOW to really experience a traveler’s life.

I stayed in my very first hostel in Copenhagen, Denmark on my first ever solo trip in Europe, and I have to say it definitely made my experience so much better. Since then, this is the only way I travel. While I realize I probably will not be staying in hostel dorms for the rest of my life, traveling this way has made my trips so much better and has truly allowed me to experience a nomadic lifestyle.

There is just something about hostel living that teaches you valuable life lessons, such as the fact that most of the time in these kinds of places, you own only what you can carry. That the world and people are much kinder and nicer than you think. And true good experience doesn't always have to come from luxury.

A beautiful cave hostel with such a homey feel that was only 16 euros a night! (Santorini, Greece)

The courtyard of a very homey hostel I stayed at in Lima

So here are 9 reasons why you need to stay at a hostel now:

My friend Cat and I with our new friend Megan that we met during our hostel in Lima and hung out with throughout our time there

It is the easiest way to make new friends
- People always ask me why I continually choose hostels over Airbnb’s or hotels when I can easily afford the latter. Other than cost, one of the easiest reasons is the fact that I am very much so a social butterfly. I thrive so much off of meeting new people and making new friends and hostels are the absolute perfect places to do this!
- When I traveled solo for 2 months, I depended on this to not feel lonely and to not always do activities alone. The best part? Pretty much everyone you meet in hostels are from all over the world. People always ask me how I have so many friends in so many different countries and this is mainly why!
It is way cheaper
- This is pretty much the most obvious reason. Here is my mentality: most of the time when I am traveling, I am only in my bedroom to sleep. I’m in a new country to explore it so why spend so much money on a bed I only use 5 hours a day when I can splurge that money on food or a fun, more memorable excursion?
- I’ve gotten hostels as cheap as 6 USD and it has provided me with the same basic things I would get at an Airbnb or Hotel. Maybe not as fancy, but it gets the job done!
Organized activities/tours
- In a new city alone and want to bar hop? Or even sightsee? But scared to do it alone? Well here’s your solution! Most hostels do bar hop tours or free city walking tours so you can still have fun without fearing doing it on your own!
You can be as social or as shy as you want to be
- While I am a social butterfly, I definitely have days when I don’t feel like socializing (#extrovertedintrovert) and would rather hide away for hours and read a book. That’s the best part about hostels. If you don’t feel like socializing on any particular day, simply hideout in your room (during the day, most of your roommates are gone) and come out when you’re ready to socialize again. Since other hostel dwellers do this too, they’ll know not to bother you!
You can cook your own food!
- I mentioned this in my Everything You Need to Know about Hostels post, but one of the cool things about hostels is that the majority of them have a kitchen. If you’re on a really tight budget and can’t spend a lot of money on eating out, you can save so much money by doing this.
  When I was living on $20 a day at one point, this definitely saved my life. I spent about $1 a meal.
The closest thing you can get to a “local” perspective/experience as a tourist
- Most hostel staff are locals and most of the time the people in your hostel have done what you are going to do or want to do. Unlike hotels or Airbnb’s you get firsthand advice from locals or people who have already experienced it.
  Fun Fact: My friend Cat and I ended up riding ATV’s through the Sacred Valley in Peru instead of taking a cab there because a couple guys we met that had gone before us suggested it was a better option. It ended costing almost the same, but was so much more fun!
Nightlife is way more fun in a hostel
- If you want to truly experience the nightlife of a new city, there is no better way to do it than at a hostel. As I said in the last reason, hostel staff are typically locals so they already know the best places. If not, a lot of hostel dwellers are young travelers and most of the time want to party till dawn, so there you go!
It feels a lot more like home
- Hostels are super cozy and homey. Most hostels pride themselves on being a “home away from home”, so you can expect just that. If you are traveling long-term, this is the best way to combat the feelings of homesickness.
You meet like minded travelers
- One of the biggest reasons why I love to travel is because I often times find people that think the way I do. That have a similar perspective on life and experiences like I do. And that crave to see the world and what it has to offer just as much (if not more) as I do. While there are a few people at home I can go to for this, it is far and few in between and you definitely do not encounter as much as you would while traveling. Hostels are the perfect nesting ground for these kinds of people!