04-25-2018 03:40 PM
Am a frequent traveler and i backpack to travel new places most of the time even when i get two days of leave or holidays .
One of the major challenge i face during backpacking is accommodation . Till a couple of years back i was only dependent on some budget hotels for stay even though i never liked them due to the condition and maintenance of those .
During 2016 i came to know about Zostel model of hosteling during my MBA .I was shocked how highly many people talked about it .Initially i though even theses places will be filled by non tourists due to their low price tag and the main purpose zostel may go in vain , but i was wrong
I slowly understood that Brand Zostel is just like how backpacker hostel works in countries of Europe.While earlier i struggled finding decent guesthouses or budget hotels in the middle of night but zostel changed my way of staying while backpacking .This way it changes travel in India in a big way
First i wanted to know for myself how zostel turns out in real and how it feels like .Immediately i packed my bags and went to Jaipur for solo trip .Zostel Jaipur is just walk-able distance from famous Hawa mahal .I had my booking for 2 days stay and shown my booking mail to receptionist after the formality process . receptionist took me around the zostel and explained all facilities and shown my bedding area in 6 bed Mixed Dorm room.Few interesting information & facilities are like below :
Now coming to the main topic, as per my experience Zostel is not just a hostel for travelers but it is all about social experience .What started as a " cheap lodging for travelers " has evolved. Now some times a villa on rent on airbnb can be at same cost as zostel if not cheaper but you might not make any friends .Staying at Zostel was much part of a backpacking experience and it allows us to connect to more fellow travelers
One more interesting point : SOLO Female travelers
I know for my self during many discussions that for solo female travelers safe accommodation is a major issue and Zostel had a step ahead in solving this . As per zostel statistics they had hosted more that 75000 + happy female travelers . They offer female only dorms which is not usual in hostel industry .
Since from my first visit to zostel Jaipur in 2016 to till now i had gone to few more zostels like zostel in Agra , udaipur ,Chennai , Delhi , Goa & most recent to Mumbai !!. Experience at all these places is very good and when ever i enter a zostel my excitement for travelling further increase due to feel from fellow zostelrs .
Recently zostel had started a program called passport which costs for INR 500 with which we get basic discounts at all zostels and some perks .
Link for zostel website : lwww.zostel.com
I hope my story helps fellow backpackers.
04-28-2018 04:27 AM
That's a great write up Gowtham2005 🙂
Moustache is another hostel brand that gets rave reviews on Trip Advisor.