Backpacker Buzz

If you’ve visited Japan, then you know that they’re already living in the future. The Japanese have renewable energy, fuel-celled vehicles, ASIMO (the world’s most advanced humanoid robot), and let’s not forget umeboshi, the pickled plums that cure hangovers.

And now, they have virtual reality. Read more »

Backpacker sophistication doesn’t come from knowing your hostel etiquette (don’t snore, don’t borrow other people’s soap, don’t fall asleep on the dorm room floor, ect). It doesn’t even come from chatting with three different people in three different languages at one time. That’s merely child’s play.

Achieving backpacker prominence really comes down to one thing: know your beer. Read more »

Put up your hand if you’re “stuck” in Europe this summer with nothing but your backpack, an iPad (smeared with fingerprints), and a Europass.

Life’s a drag, isn’t it? But don’t worry – you’re not alone out there. Droves of backpackers are hopping trains across Europe in search of the next party.

You see, there’s comfort in numbers. Read more »

Along with millions of other people, I loved reading Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. In the third book, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, it's mentioned in passing that a hostel on Långholmen (an island within Stockholm) has been booked for one of the characters. On impulse, I looked it up, and I'm pleased to say that the hostel in question, housed in a former jail, is a Hostelling International hostel. Read more »

Tree houses date back to way before you had one as a five-year-old, traditionally being used for survival or religious purposes.

But you're right, there is something about being suspended among the foliage that sparks that childlike wonder and now you can combine it with the joys of hostelling in Norway. Read more »

If you're not into the sport part, the World Cup also offers a bit of inspiration for your travel list. Almost all of the countries competing in this year's tournament have HI hostels at home, which just goes to show how extensive the network is.

There are some good deals in these countries over the summer. Just don't pick your destinations based on how well their teams do this year. Greece really is a nice place. Read more »

Going on safari in Kenya is often associated with high costs but it doesn't have to be that way. We always say your HI card can get you deals all over the world, and that includes Kenya. You can save up to 15% on budget camping safaris in Kenya and Tanzania that'll pick you up right from HI-Nairobi. Read more »

Hostels are some of the most eco-friendly accommodation options out there. Check out a few ways hostels are helping the planet in Norway, Iceland and New Zealand. Read more »

Today's the day when the world seems to focus on all things Irish. Over on the Emerald Isle, the beer flows during this unique public holiday, but Ireland can be kind of a dreary place in mid-March. What if we told you you could celebrate this public holiday on the beach, sipping your Guinness from the comfort of a beach lounger, maybe with a little paper umbrella in the top and no one would question you? Read more »

The Hostelling International family is pretty eclectic - with hostels in unique locations like tall ships, former prisons, castles, tree houses and lighthouses. But we recently added a new one to the brood and if you're visiting Sweden any time soon, you could spend the night in the world's first airplane hostel. Read more »