The dictionary defines a hostel as "a supervised, inexpensive lodging place for travelers." That's a good start, but here's the rest of the skinny.
Hostels
- Put you in contact both with travelers and locals – make new friends you didn't know you had
- Are for men and woman, old and young, rich and poor – all that matters is that you're a traveler
- Prove that good accommodation doesn't have to cost $300 a night
- Can be found anywhere, from big cities to the countryside to teeny islands that don't even get dots on the map
- Help you save money so that you can spend it on things more important than where you sleep
- Give you social and sleeping space, and often have cooking facilities, internet access, info on where you are and what's around, backpacker tour bookings, maps, informal "libraries", Australian accents (there's an unofficial traveling law that says there must be at least one Aussie per hostel per day), just to name a few other offerings
- Are awesome.
That's a bit more comprehensive. What it boils down to though, is that hostels are another means to having your trip, your way. They aren't a bottled-up, wrapped-in-cotton-wool condensed version of home; they are a vibrant and mellow mish-mash of people from all over, mixing right with the locals and their ways and means of life and living. They are much, much more than a place to sleep, and can be a distinct part of your trip, not to mention the source of more than a few stories and experiences.
Need reasons why you should hostel? No worries. To find out more about hostels and hosteling, and to check out and book hostels online, just work your way through the links below.