KATOOMBA, Australia – We settle into our room before checking e-mail, lounging on comfy couches and grilling steaks for dinner. We trade stories and play cards with travelers from around the world.
This was life in a youth hostel, the sort of place I thought I had left behind in my youth.
In my post-collegiate travels around Europe, I had stayed at all manner of hostels and remembered them principally for their institutional bunk beds, curfews and showers that I would not venture into without wearing plastic flip-flops.
Now, in my mid-30s, my boyfriend and I were preparing for a five-week trip to Australia. Knowing we couldn’t afford to stay in charming bed-and-breakfasts for 35 nights straight, Paul suggested youth hostels. I was skeptical, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions we made.
Some hostels were better than others. And we did mix in a few B&Bs. But by the end of the trip, I was a believer.
They offered easy opportunities to meet other travelers, lots of information about goings-on in the area and well-stocked kitchens to cook our own meals.
For a little more money, but still much less than a motel or a B&B, most offered private rooms with double beds, sometimes with our own bathroom, although it’s essential to book ahead of time to get these spots.
Every so often, we saw someone older than we were. It turns out youth hostels are not just for youth.
Sydney
Our trip began in this most beautiful of cities at the 550-bed Sydney Central YHA. Like many of the best hostels, it is affiliated with the International Youth Hostel Federation, which sets standards for its members, and which we joined before leaving.
Unfortunately, it was peak season – Christmas combined with the Southern Hemisphere’s summer vacation. Even though we booked online in advance, we waited too long and no double rooms were available.
So I stayed in a four-woman dorm room with two bunk beds; Paul was in a six-man room ($24 a person per night). My roommates were perfectly nice. We each had a locker so I never worried about my stuff walking away.
We were two of only a dozen guests over age 30.
A colorful chalkboard in the lobby listed activities around town. A wall of brochures brimmed with ideas for outings. Stuffed couches and chairs, perfect for reading or waiting for friends, overlooked the lobby. A small rooftop pool beckoned. Next door was a YHA travel agency, ready to book the next stop.
The large kitchen, with counter space for nearly a dozen cooks, was clean and well-stocked with pots, pans, plates and cooking utensils. A shelf in the refrigerator and one with dry food were marked “free food,” left by previous guests.
Katoomba
From Sydney, we headed west to the Blue Mountains, where we found stunning sun-soaked canyons dotted with eucalyptus trees whose oils contribute to a blue haze that gives the region its name, the famed Three Sisters rock formation and lovely towns with art galleries and charming cafes.
We also found our favorite hostel of all, the Blue Mountains YHA (at $55 per couple). We booked in time to get our own spotless room, which came with private bathroom (or “ensuite”).
For a nominal fee, we used the onsite computers to check e-mail. And for a refundable $7 deposit, we could borrow a movie to watch on a big-screen TV. We saw “Groundhog Day” with an American couple and their two children.
We also heard a presentation about area hikes and trips and we were enchanted by the idea of a guided “bush walk,” a trip we might never have heard about on our own. We signed up and loved it.
We bought dinner at the grocery store around the corner: steaks, which Paul grilled in the hostel’s courtyard while I made a salad in the kitchen.
Byron Bay
The hostel at this seaside town, a yoga-infused hippie mecca that draws sunbathers and snorkelers, was the closest we came to what I expected out of hostels. The average age of the guests couldn’t have been more than about 23; the outdoor hallways and pool felt like college dorm meets Melrose Place.
I knew this spot wasn’t for grown-ups when they made us leave a $4 deposit to get a plate, mug and silverware. Otherwise, apparently, people would steal them.
We couldn’t get our own room, but this time we were together in a five-bed unisex room ($23 per person). We befriended our roomies, a young Swedish couple.
And while the courtyard pool did strike me as pickup central, it was a great place to soak up rays.
Hervey Bay
We stayed at the Colonial Log Cabin Resort YHA ($36 per couple) on our way to Fraser Island, known for its clear blue lakes and dingoes.
There’s not much to recommend Hervey Bay itself, and at first we were put off by the institutional decor of our room – painted cinder block walls, bed and nothing more.
But the common room had a jukebox, a pool table, computers and a restaurant offering affordable, virtually gourmet dishes. We wondered why the chef hadn’t found a more upscale outlet.
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