Hostel Interviews

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Carolynn Stanford

  1. Current Age?
    25

  2. Nationality
    South Africa

  3. Where do you live now?
    London, England

  4. Occupation
    Graphic Designer

  5. When it comes to travel accommodation (but leaving out crashing with friends, family or people you meet on the road), how often do you stay in hostels?
    Sometimes a hostel, sometimes a hotel or B&B, etc

  6. Where have you hosteled?
    Asia, Europe

  7. Would you stay in a hostel again on future trips?
    Yes

  8. Why or why not?
    It's cheap and excellent to hook up with others if you're travelling alone.

  9. Out of all your experiences hosteling, what was your:
    • Best Moment
      Kuala Lumpur - realizing the 2 fit blokes I just met were sharing a dorm with me *yippee*

    • Worst Moment
      My bed in Ireland smelt like urine when it warmed up... *vomit*

    • Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
      Not having somewhere to lock up personal stuff in a dorm

    • Biggest surprise?
      Places were clean and the bathrooms weren't horrifying

  10. Do you ever book any of your hostel accommodation in advance?
    Always

  11. Why or why not?
    Usually stay in hostels in cities - just like to know I have somewhere to go with a heavy bag - if it's crap then I can go hunting without the 16kg macpac!

  12. Who is the most memorable person you met in a hostel and why?
    Family of Attapsana in Kuala Lumpur - they were so amazing and welcoming and kept feeding me evening meals and apologizing because they didn't have anything that was specifically vegetarian. I had a stop over in KL so went to visit them again ,and they fed me and let me shower and everything... just such wicked people!

  13. Why do you stay in hostels, as opposed to other types of accommodation?
    Cheap, and very helpful for hooking up with others when travelling alone.

  14. Is there a hostel you'd recommend to other travelers? If so, what is it and where?
    Attapsana, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

  15. What is the biggest myth people have about hostels and hosteling?
    I've been really lucky with the few hostels I've stayed in, but I have heard horror stories of filthy beds and dirty bathrooms... *yuck*

  16. Why do you like to travel?
    It's just such a big world with so many different cultures and landscapes, it's a crime not to broaden your vision!

  17. What is your advice for other travelers wanting to stay in hostels?
    Check them out beforehand - I checked Attapsana on your ratings and it seemed to fare well - would have been a bit better if people could make comments. Someone had scored them at 20% on every aspect, and that nearly put me off, but *thank heavens* it didn't! Just would have been good to know why they had problems and if those things mattered to me.