Hostels In India

Hostel as a stay option in India?

First thought pops out as messy dorm rooms crammed with bunk beds and 20-somethings queuing for the shared bathroom.

Well... Gone are those dull and dingy dormitories of yesteryear, hostels nowadays offer cosy beds, essential facilities (like free Wi-Fi, lockers etc), private rooms with ensuite bathrooms, funky decor and the warm vibe of a boutique hotel for a fraction of the price. As an added bonus, you also get to interact with like-minded travelers!

Hostels definitely aren’t just for solo travelers or for backpackers on gap-year trips anymore. Overture of Boutique hostels has created a buzz among travelers as they are more in the budget, give you the leverage of using your saved money for yourself. Such hostels offer usual comforts of a hotel, along with some bonuses certainly missing in hotels: mystique personality and a social environment.

Opting to stay in a nice hostel rather than a hotel will entirely change a trip experience, rather it would be a social traveling experience.

Maybe you’re unsure as to the proper etiquette or general atmosphere of staying in a hostel, however "Travelers" in hostels are frequently more interested in meeting other travelers. Hostel common areas encourage lingering and socializing. Believe me, you’ll have the best time, they do organise interesting get-togethers, travel-talks, parties, pub crawls, yoga classes and other social events, always active and packed with activities! In years gone by, ﬁnding a hostel in India was no easy task, but nowadays hostelling is ubiquitous and you’ll see new joints popping up everywhere. In some cities you can bag yourself a colour popping, artsy hostel for less than INR500 per night, making India a hotspot for travel junkies on a low budget. Whether you want to explore the majestic temples of Rajasthan or soaking sunset on a beach of Goa or Kerala, you can be safe in the knowledge that you won’t break the bank when it comes to ﬁnding somewhere to stay.

Here are some good hostels in India...

Banjara Hostel- Udaipur

If watching the sunset from a panoramic rooftop with an ice cold beer is your idea of heaven then Banjara Hostel is THE place. Pristine white rooms, an epic free buﬀet breakfast and divinely hot showers are all on oﬀer here. If you can muster up the energy to leave the relaxing private bedrooms then the location is unrivalled – close to the winding alleys of the old town, multinational restaurants and the Pichola lake. If staying in is more your thing, you won’t go hungry with the impressive array of traditional and western dishes up for grabs.

Zostel Pushkar /Zostel

Pushkar is a sleepy city which beneﬁts from a slower pace of life compared to its Rajasthani neighbours. Zostel is the best place to soak up the mellow vibes – but be warned that you’ll probably end up extending your stay so that you can take it easy for just that little bit longer. Yes, you heard that right! Zostel not only provides a bed to sleep in, but a private room too, a restroom to relax in, free WI-FI, cable connections, game rooms, tea and coffee facilities, AC for the hot places, Lockers, housekeeping, a guest kitchen for travellers who like to cook, stylish furniture, big open spaces that are kept clean and they serve up yummy food in their cafe. The price range is affordable for the amenities and awesome environment that they provide. The private rooms are spacious and the huge beds will ensure that there are no ﬁghts over space during the night. The staﬀ go above and beyond to make sure your stay is unforgettable – with organised tours, helpful advice and engaging conversation. Make sure you don’t forget your swimming cossie as this hostel has its own private pool! The price range for a stay at the dormitory begins at INR 600 and go up to INR 2000 for private rooms.

Moustache Hostels - Jaipur

Another shining star is, "Moustache Hostels" another hostel chain low on budget and amazingly portrays fun! Their culture is the amalgamation of uniquely curated events that environs laze vibes and help you cut from the monotonous mundane schedules. Among India’s hippiest hostels, Moustache has a bright, beautiful decor inspired from local traditions and handicrafts.They are creative, interactive and passionate. Spacious common rooms loaded with music systems, buzzy board games all you have to do is lay back and binge into books you love. Private rooms, tourist information centre, tourist depots a multi-cuisine rooftop restaurant, heritage walks, food tours, yoga sessions,movie nights and what not at straight cut-price (starting from) INR450! In order to cater to such a diverse crowd, Moustache Hostel try their best to provide an inclusive environment for all travellers who may seek travel for reasons of their own.

READ MORE: ROAD TRIP TO RAJASTHAN

Vedanta Wake Up - Varkala

Inspired by their hostel experience during a backpacking trip in Australia, Vedanta Wake Up! was started by two IT analysts in 2011 with the first hostel being set up at Fort Kochi. The hostel chain gives highest priority to ensuring a clean, comfortable and secure stay for travellers. In addition to this, the USP of these hostels are their wonderful locations. The one at Varkala has a spectacular seaside location, bamboo huts and a palm-fringed garden dotted with hammocks!

goSTOPS - Varanasi

A known name in the hostel world is "goSTOPS". It has a boho-chic decor, vibrant and vivid airy rooms, a movie library, just lay low by yourself or be socially active here, your call! Other than a shared kitchen the hostels has dormitories and private rooms,come with free wi-fi and air conditioning, common activity lounge with foosball, pool tables, mini-amphitheater etc. They have it all from events to activities. The hostel also organises heritage tours and movie nights for guests. They have sweeped in with the strategy of lower edge-cutting price, starting @INR359.

Construkt - Bangalore

Construkt a different concept altogether. Gave hostel another meaning. It is a startup venture in the tech-oriented city of Bangalore. This hostel caters to the requirements of a diverse set of professions so you may meet artists and techies under the same roof. The owners coined the term ‘hackpacker’ to address tech entrepreneurs who frequently travel in search of new ventures and need a motivational environment to breed new ideas. The hostel is a 3500 square foot, multi storey house in Indiranagar. Expect well fashioned interiors, 4 bedrooms and a kitchen along with a common living and dining area. Internet and fresh linen are included in the startup friendly pricing. Above all, this hostel is a medium to connect and collaborate with people sharing your beliefs in business. Indiranagar is Bangalore’s most upcoming neighbourhood with a plethora of restaurants and bars.

Bedrock Boutique Hostel, Goa

So if you’re in need of a nice place to stay and a private room, well, reckon this as a top choice for the best hostel in India with private rooms.

The rooms here are preeetty plush, to say the least, even the dorms are all new and chic and make you feel, like, why can’t all hostels be this nice? Also, the location is proper near to the party areas in Calangute but far enough away that you don’t hear any of the ruckus.

KNOW MORE ON: HOW TO REACH GOA

Swan Hostel- Jaisalmer

Camel safaris are the name of the game in Jaisalmer and the 9.5 rating for this hostel suggests that once you’re done with wobbling along on a camel’s back, there’s no better place to set yourself back down onto two legs. Free chai at sunset, musical themed rooms and views of Jaisalmer’s fort from the rooftop restaurant all make for a great stay. Dorm beds start at less than INR500 and you can wrangle a private for just INR2000.

Hoztel Jaipur

For coﬀee lovers and conversation hunters – Hoztel Jaipur is the one for you! Privacy curtains, under bed lockers and powerful showers make this hostel a solo backpacker’s dream. The staﬀ will do their absolute best to make your experience in the city one to remember – from crafting you the perfect artisan espresso in the morning to taking you on tuk-tuk tours around the city. If that’s not enough, Hoztel’s rooftop comes alive at night with travelers from all over the world, making it the perfect place to unwind from a day of craziness in rollicking Jaipur.

Not all hostels are created equal!

Don't be disappointed if there is no TV in your room or if there is one that, doesn't have HBO or any premium channel. Hostels do attract a younger crowd, so, if your room is adjacent to the bar or common area, you may have to deal with late-night noise.

Unlike chain hotels with headquarters based far away, possibly even overseas, hostels are more in tune with the local neighborhood. Many of the hostels in India were started by former travelers who wanted to settle down and build a business without losing touch with the travel world. These experienced business owners know how it feels to be far away from home. In short, they understand what travelers need.