On staying in dorms
- Thread starter redstone
- Start date
when you go out, bring them along, when you check in the dorm, use them as your pillow... one for your head and one for you to hug... that'd be pretty safe...
That depends on the quality of your hostel doesn't it?
The cheaper you go, the more messy the destination, the more you need protection.
If you are afraid yet wish to live cheap then you may need this:
http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_room=3&_action=detail&id=49
for all my clothes, don't care.
want to steal, let them steal.
for my camera, i use my billingham as pillow.
no.
some will have a locker room, but i don't trust that. 8 hours during bedtime, or even 3, is more than enough for someone to happily rummage through the entire locker with the know-how to break the simple locks that are used for such.
I also went through the phase of considering dorms as accomodation to save on expenses, in the end, I stuck with cheap budget single rooms for peace of mind.
It might be worthwhile to ask for discounts at certain places if you really want to stretch your budget.
It might be worthwhile to ask for discounts at certain places if you really want to stretch your budget.
I second the idea of a single room in a hostel with attached bathroom if possible. You pay more but you can get comfortable in the room to rest and prepare for your next day's journey. Unless you are travelling in a group that can occupy the whole dorm...
I disagree with the single rooms mentality.
I have been backpacking for more than 10 years. I am a lone lady backpacker and living in dorms was one of the best ways to know people and find travelling companions. I still have a number of good friends that I knew when I travelled years ago and we are still friends after 10 years. Thoroughly enjoyed some good conversation i have with individuals.
When you travel, regardless whether you staying a dorm or a single room, you have to learn to protect yourself and valuables. Be street smart. Keep your expensive belongings with you at all times. Don't expose them unnecessarily. Apart from your cameras or netbook, i can't see if there is anything really expensive that you need to bring.
This world needs a little trust. Believe it or not, I have travelled China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Europe and Australia, I have been lucky and never get my stuff stolen. Just need to be alert of any suspicious pple. However, if you have do lose something, u just have to accept it. I heard of fellow travellers that have lost his entire backpack in the train station to a robber.
Backpacking is about exploring the unknowns, knowing a little more in depth of the place you go, experiencing a more local lifestyle, communicating with people you learnt to trust and travelling the off beaten tracks. Open your heart and you will take in more than you can imagine.
Enjoy.
I have been backpacking for more than 10 years. I am a lone lady backpacker and living in dorms was one of the best ways to know people and find travelling companions. I still have a number of good friends that I knew when I travelled years ago and we are still friends after 10 years. Thoroughly enjoyed some good conversation i have with individuals.
When you travel, regardless whether you staying a dorm or a single room, you have to learn to protect yourself and valuables. Be street smart. Keep your expensive belongings with you at all times. Don't expose them unnecessarily. Apart from your cameras or netbook, i can't see if there is anything really expensive that you need to bring.
This world needs a little trust. Believe it or not, I have travelled China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Europe and Australia, I have been lucky and never get my stuff stolen. Just need to be alert of any suspicious pple. However, if you have do lose something, u just have to accept it. I heard of fellow travellers that have lost his entire backpack in the train station to a robber.
Backpacking is about exploring the unknowns, knowing a little more in depth of the place you go, experiencing a more local lifestyle, communicating with people you learnt to trust and travelling the off beaten tracks. Open your heart and you will take in more than you can imagine.
Enjoy.
Where are you going by the way?
Like Vietnam, they don't have a lot of dorms but rooms are cheap. Cambodia is similar. China, there are some quality dorms - limit to 4 -6 pple per dorm, the probability is less. England, hopelessly dirty and expensive. Paris, similar as well. Australia, there are limited ones and they are pretty dirty too.
Think I better planned my trip to Laos now, my feet and heart are itching.
Like Vietnam, they don't have a lot of dorms but rooms are cheap. Cambodia is similar. China, there are some quality dorms - limit to 4 -6 pple per dorm, the probability is less. England, hopelessly dirty and expensive. Paris, similar as well. Australia, there are limited ones and they are pretty dirty too.
Think I better planned my trip to Laos now, my feet and heart are itching.
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You have valid points.
I take a single room as a just place to sleep at the end of the day and where I can dump my valuables (camera, laptop etc) without having lug it around 24/7.
Not staying in dorms doesn't have to mean being isolated from the other travelers, staying in less swanky hotels or even homestays can also allow for easy interaction. There are also many other chances for interaction, on local public transport, eateries, tourists attractions etc, all we need is to make the effort to reach out, regardless of which accommodation we choose.
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when staying in dorm-style accomodations , I ALWAYS bring along my own lock for the locker.... eg Abloy because these locks are not only strong..... its also almost impossible for even a trained locksmith to pick open...... and they last forever .... plus lifetime warranty
Any would-be thief is going to have to literally tear the entire locker apart just to gain access .....$20-30 i think from most hardware stores
AVOID those $1-$3 type Triple Ring, Phoenix, Globe etc etc el-cheapo brands .... just look strong but essentially useless
ABLOY PADLOCKS
Any would-be thief is going to have to literally tear the entire locker apart just to gain access .....$20-30 i think from most hardware stores
AVOID those $1-$3 type Triple Ring, Phoenix, Globe etc etc el-cheapo brands .... just look strong but essentially useless
ABLOY PADLOCKS
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while what you say is true, not everyone has "make many friends and talk to many people" on their agenda.
some pple like me for instance cannot stand the noise that other folks make whenever they come into the dormitory late at nite. will wake up and cannot sleep again.
You have valid points.
I take a single room as a just place to sleep at the end of the day and where I can dump my valuables (camera, laptop etc) without having lug it around 24/7.
Not staying in dorms doesn't have to mean being isolated from the other travelers, staying in less swanky hotels or even homestays can also allow for easy interaction. There are also many other chances for interaction, on local public transport, eateries, tourists attractions etc, all we need is to make the effort to reach out, regardless of which accommodation we choose.
Agreed with wherever you stay, you will still meet pple.What I really mean is that at some point of the trips, it is good to be in the dorms. I personally prefer to stay in dorms if possible and will stay single room if budget and feel like having the space. It is all flexible.
However, taking a single room doesn't necessary means it is safe. My rule is I never left my valuables in the rooms. Cos you never know who is going to come into your room. Whether they are just cleaners or whoever have a spare key, especially in a 3rd world country.
Anyway, to me, a room /bed, it is just a place to spend the night. At some points, you may meet some lovely people (which i have) and it is just worth trying if anybody out there haven't.
It's best to stay in the safety of your HDB flat if you are afraid to talk to/meet fellow travelers. I just came back from a great hostel experience in Chengdu - met lots of nice folks and most of them are not your typical penniless backpackers. In the evening, almost everyone whips out their own iPhones and notebooks to update their travel journals, upload photos etc. My mobile phone was pickpocketed OUTSIDE the hostel so I actually felt safer inside the hostel with fellow travellers.
Best advice so far! :thumbsup:
Best advice so far! :thumbsup:
The last time i traveled alone and stayed in a common corridor shared bathroom, some banana off the shower heater and i was left naked with the cold water. :angry:
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