Packing lightly is a thing of the past
As the old fashioned, traditional backpacker becomes a figure from the past, the 21st Century flashpacker is emerging as a tech savvy traveller who doesn’t leave home without their modern day gadgets safely stowed in their wheelie suitcase.
According to a recent survey commissioned by Hostelworld.com, the number one hostel booking website, today’s traveller is no longer willing to carry their worldly possessions in a backpack, but are more likely to take a wheelie suitcase when staying in a hostel.
The survey results also revealed that nearly nine out of ten people won’t go traveling without their mobile phone, over a quarter of travelers pack their laptops and 72% are plugged into their MP3 players or iPods.
These flashpackers also show many key characteristics, they now eat out as opposed to eat in, fly to their chosen destination, and take a taxi from the airport to their hostel rather than the local bus or train service.
With the flashpacking trend continuing to rise, high end hostels are meeting the demand by providing equally tech-ready accommodation that caters to the needs and wants of the flashpacker. Communal bedrooms and bathrooms have been pushed aside for private accommodations, WI-FI/Internet access is becoming a hostel essential and MP3 travel guide downloads are increasingly popular (and available for download from the Hostelworld.com site).
The survey also highlighted that most travellers nowadays trust online reviews over and above the traditional guidebook recommendations.
Colm Hanratty, editor of Hostelworld.com says ‘“Many of today’s travellers want the hostel experience but with the extra modern comforts, at a budget price. A large number of hostels now offer a unique range of accommodations and top-rate facilities which they can enjoy from as little as £8 per night. Today’s hostels aren’t what they used to be - the people that stay in hostels are changing and modernising, as are the hostels themselves.â€
With so many travellers unable to log-off from home-life when setting off on a once in a life time backpacking adventure, it’s easy to see that ‘escaping it all’ is becoming a thing from the past. So Hostelworld.com has come up with some great suggestions to help travellers take it back to basics and escape the modern world, just a few precious hours…
1
Get into the water!! Diving into those turquoise seas is the easiest way to escape the mobile left on dry land and will drive home the reality that the chilly UK is a millions miles away!Try swimming, snorkelling and diving off the tropical Fijiian islands to experience a multicoloured water wonderland! Why not stay at the Beachouse on Fiji’s Coral Coast, beds from £10 a night at www.hostelworld.com
2
What easier way to relax than to loose yourself with a good book on a deserted beach. After the busy beaches of the holiday hot-spots, it’s a dream to come across quiet, stunning beaches with that ‘undiscovered’ feel!Grab an equally chilled-out friend, a good read and take some time out. Where more perfect than the quiet beaches along the coast of Western Australia. Start your adventure from Broome, staying at Beaches of Broome, beds from £15 a night at www.hostelworld.com
3
Ditch the social networking sites for an evening and make new friends the old fashioned way at your hostel. Why not experience one of the world’s most sociable hostels – the Wombats City Hostel Vienna.With first class comfort and cleanliness combined with a packed party bar, Wombat´s is perfect for those looking for a friendly environment, with plenty of people to chat to. Beds start from £16 a night.
Hostels around the world are enjoying a surge of popularity as owners revamp and re-style them into trendy, sociable accommodation. Hostelworld.com, the company behind the survey, are currently leading a campaign to redefine the word hostel, urging dictionaries to scrap current definitions that a hostel is either for homeless and destitute people or just for workers, students, or youths.