Backpackerz BUZZ: Issue 61

This issue, we’re looking at the cream of the crop in the world of hostelling with the best hostels, gear and more. There’s a lot to do and see out there, here are just a few of the things you shouldn’t miss.

TOP 5: “Is That a Hostel?” Hostels

HI-Château Bahia, Pointe-à-la-Garde, Québec
L’Auberge Château Bahia is situated on the shore of la Baie des Chaleurs in Quebec’s Gaspésian Peninsula. You can catch a glimpse of the bay from the top of one of the hostel’s turrets. Yes, turrets. The hostel is built like a castle, complete with dorms in pointy towers. Sleep at the top of a turret and eat a free pancake breakfast in the banquet hall. Just try not to joust with fellow guests.

HI-Busan, Arpina Youth Hostel, South Korea
Sure it’s got dorm rooms, but this hostel also has business rooms, a banquet hall, a bar, a restaurant, a lounge, a sports centre (with a pool and a driving range), a massage room, a cultural centre, a gym, an in-line skating rink, a rock climbing wall and a barber shop. Oh yeah, and you can get a wake-up call, too (if you ever find time to sleep). A night in a dorm room starts at about $24.

HI-Chapman & Skeppsholmen
This hostel comes in two parts – a regular building and a 120-year-old tall ship. The boat is reportedly the third oldest surviving iron-built ship and has been used as a hostel since 1949. The ship was recently towed away to undergo renovations and is scheduled to return for the new year. Bring oranges, matey!

HI-Brumund, Norway
You’ll definitely get a room with a view at this hostel——a log-built treehouse, atop a 200-year-old pine tree. It’s only 30 kilometres from Lillehammer, but it’s in the middle of a forest, where you can fish, bike and watch the stars at night. It’s a small hostel (with room for only five) and there are few other amenities here, besides a small kitchen, an open fireplace and a stockpile of firewood. When you live in a tree, you don’t need much else.

HI-Puerto Rico, La Barquita, Ecuador
This hostel looks a little bit like Noah’s Ark with a Beatles’ haircut. Run by a Swiss family, the hostel is on the beach between the cities of Guayaquil and Manta. On the top deck of the boat, you’ll find the restaurant and bar, covered by a shaggy thatched roof. Surrounding the main boat are smaller buildings that include 11 separate private cabins and three dorm rooms.

TOP 5: Hostel Misconceptions

“I’m over 60 – hostels aren’t for me!”
One look around any HI hostel will tell you a very different story. If you’re over 60, you may not be in the majority, but you will certainly find guests of all ages staying at hostels, including the young and young at heart.

“Hostels are for homeless people”
Indeed, some homeless shelters out there are known as hostels. HI Hostels, however, fall under the category of ‘budget accommodation’— geared toward international and non-local travellers and adventure-seekers! You’ll see everyone from students to professors taking in the hostel vibe.

“Hostels just have endless rows of bunk beds”
If you’re after the cheapest bed in town, a dorm-style room may be for you—but these days, this will usually mean sharing a room with only a handful of other people. Many hostels also have private, hotel-style rooms available as well, which allow for some privacy while still benefiting from the usual hostel perks.

“You have to do chores to stay at a hostel”
Although you are expected to clean up after yourself (duh!), you will definitely not be required to scrub any toilets. In its infancy, hostelling did involve general cleaning of the facility by all guests. These days this practice is only found in a handful of remote, international hostels.

“Hostels are boring”
This one couldn’t be further from the truth. Hostels offer a uniquely social experience and plenty of opportunity for interaction with others, and many offer weekly group activities that bring strangers together for a hike or just a beer.
—Stephanie Hillhouse, Member Services

TOP 5: Best Travel Inventions Ever

Vibrating Alarm Clock
When you have an early flight, no one else in your room wants to know about it. Rather than waking up an entire room full of people with the standard air-raid siren on most travel clocks, opt for a vibrating device. Put it under your pillow (or tape it to your face) and it’ll give you and only you a bit of a shake to get you going in the morning.

Quick-Dry Towel
These lightweight, super-absorbent towels are a must-have travel accessory. They take up a fraction of the space of a normal fluffy towel and dry way faster. They’re deceptively efficient – what looks like a flimsy piece of fuzzy fabric can actually absorb many times its weight in water and won’t take all day to dry.

Power Converters and Adaptors
A global currency would be about as useful as universal voltage, but that’s not happening any time soon. If you’re going anywhere where the locals zap things with more or less than you do at home, a power adaptor is quite literally a powerful tool. The adaptor allows you to plug your device into a foreign outlet. Many newer electronic devices have a built-in power converter, which adjusts the voltage of the device to suit the new outlet. If the converter is not built-in you can purchase an external converter to use in combination with the adaptor.

Modern Backpack
Once basic canvas sacks attached to heavy external metal frames, the average expedition-style backpack has come a long way over the years. Now you get choices galore. Front-loading panels, adjustable hip and shoulder straps, zip-away straps, detachable day packs, built-in camel packs, lightweight internal frames – these are all available in a variety of durable, waterproof fabrics. The glory of these advances is that you can now find a backpack that does exactly what you want it to do (besides carry itself around).

Compressor Bags
These plastic, vacuum-sealed bags can be stuffed full of soft things. Then, you roll the bag up, forcing excess air out and when you let go, the air doesn’t get back in. This works great for that bulky sweater you just have to bring along, or your favourite travel pillow. You can fit more in your bag, which might mean more weight, or you could just get a slightly smaller pack than you’d think.

TOP 5: UNESCO World Heritage Sites With Hostels

Banff and Jasper National Parks, Canada
Banff is Canada’s first national park and Jasper is the largest in the Rockies. Together, they contain some of the most stunning landscapes in Canada, and even the world. These parks, along with the others that make up the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, became a World Heritage Site in 1984. There are 12 hostels spread throughout the area, in the towns of Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise, as well as various wilderness hostels tucked into some of the most serene spots.

Hoi An, Vietnam
Hoi An was added to UNESCO’s list in 1999 to honour its rich architectural fusion of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and European influences dating back to the 16th century. Once a major trading post, the small city now caters primarily to tourists. Its status as a World Heritage Site means its winding narrow lanes and Chinese-style shops have largely been preserved. HI-Hoi An, Thanh Van Hostel is centrally located and a short jaunt to the Thu Bon River.

Blue Mountains, Australia
The Great Blue Mountains area in Australia’s New South Wales is known among botanists for its rare and diverse species of eucalypt vegetation. Other rare or threatened species of plants can also be found in the region, which is made up of eight protected areas. Located about 110 kilometres west of Sydney, the Blue Mountains YHA is in the town of Katoomba. Once you’ve explored the eucalypt, go discover the area’s mountain biking, hiking, abseiling, canyoning, caving or 4WD tours.

Old City Dubrovnik, Croatia
This ancient city persevered through a massive earthquake in 1667, to rise as a powerful trading point on the Mediterranean Sea. After the city suffered damages from armed conflict in the 1990s, UNESCO added it to their World Heritage Sites in Danger list (see inset). Thanks to major restorative projects spearheaded by UNESCO, the city has now been removed from the list. HI-Dubrovnik is only 900 metres from the old city centre where you’ll find cobbled streets, marble-paved squares, ancient churches, palaces and monasteries.

Carcassonne, France
Carcassonne is a historic walled city in southern France where some form of a fortified settlement has existed since the pre-Roman period. Today, it’s a huge medieval town, with an intricate system of defenses surrounding a castle, cathedral and other buildings. A significant restoration project was undertaken to preserve the site after it narrowly escaped demolition threats in the late 19th century. HI-Carcassonne is located within the walled city, walking distance from the main castle, theatre, basilica and jousting grounds.

TOP 5: Hostel Features that Make You Cheer Inside

• Electrical outlets in lockers (or close by)
• Plentiful free food shelf
• Individual reading lights
• Free Internet
• Fluffy duvets

World Heritage Sites in Danger List
Along with its list of World Heritage Sites, UNESCO keeps tabs on heritage sites in danger. This list includes 30 sites threatened by specific dangers, like rapid urban or tourist development, armed conflict or serious disasters, among others. A few of the sites on the list:

• Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
• Garamba National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Dresden Elbe Valley, Germany
• Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Philippines
• Abu Mena, Egypt

Find out more at whc.unesco.org

TOP 5: Island Hostels

HI-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec
Canada isn’t exactly seen as an island vacation destination, but with coasts along three oceans, there are thousands of Canadian islands out there. Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine (Magdalen Islands) are in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The small archipelago is closer to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia (and even shares their time zone) but is technically part of Quebec. The islands are lumps of green hills, red cliffs and stretches of rugged coastline. HI-Îles-de-la-Madeleine is a converted research lab with easy access to the beach and the island’s laidback outdoor activities.

HI-Corfu Travelers Inn, Greece
Corfu is an Ionian Island off the western coast of Greece. With 217 kilometres of coastline, the island is made up of mountains and beaches. HI-Corfu is located on Agios Gordios Beach. There’s no shortage of island activities—from quad safari tours, kayaking tours and hiking among olive trees in the mountains to scuba diving, boating and snorkelling. There’s even a beach bar and restaurant serving low-priced drinks and Greek meals.

HI-Easter Island, Chile
Chile’s Easter Island is most famously known for its moai, the unique stone sculptures that date back to 1250. HI-Easter Island, Kona Tau Hostel is in the town of Hanga Roa, one block from the main avenue. Besides the famous moai, the island also has one of the richest collections of petroglyphs in Polynesia. Back at the hostel, you’ll find a big veranda with a guest barbecue and a yard with papaya and banana trees.

Magnetic Island YHA, Australia
Magnetic Island is just off the coast of Townsville, Queensland. It’s a popular backpacker stop—not surprising considering the sort of hostel you’ll find there. Bungalow Bay YHA has a series of A-frame bungalows, an on-site bar, a hammock-surrounded pool, an Asian Wok and Curry House and even a wildlife sanctuary where you can hold a koala or a crocodile.

HI- Vårdö, Åland Islands, Finland
The Åland Islands are between Finland and Sweden. The archipelago consists of more than 300 habitable islands, of which only 80 are currently inhabited. HI-Vårdö, Bomans Gästhem Hostel, on the island of Vårdö, was named Finland’s Hostel of the Year in 2007. The rural hostel grounds include a restored farmhouse, a newly built hostel and two cabins.

TOP 5: Things Not to Bring Along

Plastic Shopping Bags
Just because the sun hasn’t yet risen and you can’t see the glaring stares of your roommates, it doesn’t mean the dorm room isn’t filling with the frustrations of every single one of them. It is entirely impossible to touch a plastic grocery bag without making it crinkle. And when that happens in an otherwise dead silent dorm room, it’s enough to make even the deepest of sleepers wake up with an inexplicable desire to yell at you. Yes, it’s nice to keep your stinky socks separate from your clean clothes, or your sopping wet bathing suit away from your pyjamas, but don’t ever, for the sake of those around you, put these things in plastic bags—the loudest polymer-based product in the world.

Hair Dryer
At home, air-dried hair just isn’t a concept many can consider without a shudder. When you’re travelling, going without a hair dryer is one of the best ways to really separate yourself from life at home, and truly feel like you’re in a foreign land (with sometimes foreign hair). This bulky device takes up valuable space in your backpack, will rarely find an appropriately placed electrical outlet and does the exact same job that the wind is ready and willing to do for you. Toss your hair into a ponytail or put on a hat and get outside.

Luggage on Wheels
For businessfolk around the world, the wheeled suitcase is a brilliant invention. For the backpacker who traipses around off the beaten track, from the top of the bunk to the bottom, on trains, planes, buses, boats, bikes and by foot, a wheeled suitcase is the least effective method of personal effects transportation. Your wheely suitcase won’t fit in the locker specially sized for backpacks, it won’t do well in those multi-level hostels without elevators and it certainly won’t fare well as you make your way down the hostel’s gravel driveway. Shake the sand out of your hair, not your suitcase wheels.

Fanny Pack
Thankfully, this once fashionable little number is almost obsolete, despite revival attempts in bizarre fashion circles. If you’re still considering them a convenient travel accessory that lets you hold your valuables close to your bladder, think again. The average fanny pack is rarely available in non-neon shades, and it inevitably screams “I’m not from here!” no matter where you go. For the security-conscious of you, fear not. The modern-day money belt serves the same purpose, but fits under your pants, thereby avoiding any unnecessary citations from the fashion police, and keeping your valuables even closer to your bladder than ever before.

Expectations
Your old boyfriend or girlfriend isn’t the only ex you never want to travel with. Leave your expectations at home. Don’t even bring just one or two of them. You’re on the road to explore and you can’t fully appreciate what you find if you’ve already decided what it will be like. Leave your mind open and your experiences will fill it.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 at 10:23 pm and is filed under Hostelling International. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site. Add to del.icio.us.