Hostels of Asia

Stamps Backpackers in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Each bed was in it's own cubby with a curtain
and bedside table

Hostels often carry a reputation of being unsafe, unclean and just overall weird, especially to those who come from countries where hostels aren't as common (aka America). However, for travelers on a budget hostels are a great way to save some money while still having a safe and cozy place to sleep each night. I've stayed in my fair share of hostels throughout Europe and Asia with my most expensive being $20/night in London and my cheapest being $6/night in Bangkok.

WH Hostel in Bangkok, made up entirely
of shipping containers

There are a lot of factors when it comes to judging a good hostel including bedroom sizes, bed comfort, atmosphere, cleanliness and location. For me one of the most important factors is function and convenience. I appreciate hostels who acknowledge that their main clients are twenty-something year olds living out of suitcases. Some of my best hostel stays have included free towels, cheap laundry, cheap or free breakfast and good layouts in the bedrooms and bathrooms. Newer hostels are doing a much better job at making their accommodations practical, such as having outlets for each bunk, providing safes or luggage lockup for each bunk, and having good shelving and storage in the bathrooms. My most recent hostel in Kuala Lumpur had an ensuite bathroom and changing room for our group of 12 to share. Knowing it was just the 12 of us using the bathroom (as opposed to a whole floor of strangers) we felt safe and comfortable leaving clothes hanging in the bathroom and our toothbrushes near the sink. This hostel also provided shelves for those on the top bunk, so I had a place to keep my phone, book and water during the night. Many hostels are also getting good at accommodating electronics. It's becoming more common for each bunk to have their own set of outlets and their own reading light, these bunks often come with curtains as well, making it a little easier to feel cozy and keep things dark while going to bed. 

Personal outlet, light and lockbox for each bunk at
Twenty5 Hostel in Kuala Lumpur

There's a hostel and bedroom for practically any traveler. Many hostels offer single or double rooms incase you're not jumping at the chance to sleep in a room of strangers, and they also offer all female or all male dorms. There are party hostels which cater towards rowdier groups and often have a bar inside the lobby and offer chances to join in on bar crawls each evening. I've stayed at hostels that have clubs in the basement and host beer pong competitions each evening and I've also stayed at hostels with a strict "quiet zone" rule at night and I have even stayed at a few that don't allow any alcohol on the premises. 

I do my research before staying somewhere new, and I almost exclusively book from Hostel World, which gives honest reviews and ratings from previous guests. In all of my years of hostel stays I've never felt unsafe or uncomfortable in any situation and honestly when it comes to traveling alone I'd much rather sleep in a room of strangers as opposed to staying in a hotel alone where no one would be able to help me if something happened. Because of hostels I've done free walking tours, learned new card games, participated in bar crawls, got educated on local foods, had epic New Year's parties and met countless people from every corner of the world.