Posts by : Izy Berry

Before I went traveling I had never stayed in a hostel. I had the idea that a hostel was a seedy place to stay and the only time you’d choose one was when you couldn’t afford anything else. I imagined uncomfortable beds and dingy bathrooms. The idea of staying in a hostel was really unappealing, until I actually did and really enjoyed it. Now I recommend hostels to anyone who is planning travel. In some parts of the world they are not so practical, for example in smaller  cities in Asia, such as Ubud, you’ll be much more likely to find guesthouses than hostels. So sometimes it is not possible to stay in a hostel, but when it is it can be a really great experience.

Hostels, like the tourism industry, are evolving. Particularly in modernized cities, you will be likely to find trendy and cool hostels. I’ve noticed that the difference between a high-end private room in a hostel and a low-cost room in a hotel is usually just the price tag. During my time in Lisbon I stayed at a really great hostel called Downtown Design Hostel and wanted to use it is an example to show you what hostels are really like.

Convenient Location:
Because hostels are almost always smaller than hotels, it’s much easier to put them in central locations. The Downtown Design Hostel is in the perfect location; most of the central tourist attractions were within walking distance, which in turn saves you money on the metro. But above and beyond that, there was an amazing view of Praça de D. Pedro IV one of Lisbon‘s most important squares. Not a bad view to enjoy while you’re sipping on your morning coffee.

Rooms:
When staying in a hostel it’s often possible to choose between a private room or a dormitory. When I was traveling in a group of four, sometimes we would book out a dormitory and it would be like our own private room. If you’re traveling in a couple, private rooms tend to be great value as for a few more euros/dollars per person, you can enjoy the comfort of your own room. If you feel like splashing out a little more, often you can find yourself with a private bathroom, too. If you’re traveling solo, sharing in a dormitory might be the best option for you, both in terms of cost, but also to meet new people. When I first started traveling I used to pick the largest dormitories available, not just because they’re usually the cheapest, but also because it meant I would be likely to meet the most people.

Kitchens:
Almost every hostel I’ve stayed in has had a kitchen. There have been a few exceptions, but I’d say around 90% of all the hostels well equipped with decent kitchens. They are usually stocked with at least the basic cookware and utensils. Often there is fridge and sometimes there are spices, oils and condiments; it varies widely between hostels. Having a kitchen means that you’re able to prepare easy, healthy and cheap meals while on the road.

Social Areas: 
This is probably my favourite thing about hostels, is the fact that they encourage you to be social and to make friends. In order to achieve this, there’s usually an abundance of comfortable common areas to hang out in. Downtown Design Hostel in Lisbon had the most comfortable couch I’ve ever sat on, coupled with a giant tv (handy for watching the olympics) and a computer with internet for the guests to use. There were tables and chairs scattered around, too. When you’re traveling alone, these common areas can be seen as places of opportunity – you can meet new friends to travel with, or talk to different people about the places you’re going to get suggestions of what to do. This is probably one of the main reasons that I prefer a hostel over a hotel, because it is so much easier to meet new people.

Friendly Staff:
Because hostels are generally smaller businesses, it is not uncommon to have the owners actually working in the hostel. This leads to a really personal experience, because they go the extra mile to ensure you really enjoy your stay. Hostel staff generally tend to be younger people and sometimes fellow tourists are employed during the busier months to help out. This is really great because they are happy to give you their opinion on the best thing to do and the best places to eat. It’s much more personable than the service you get in an average hotel.

Who Stays In Hostels? 
Really, it varies so much depending on the city or the particular hostel. But in the hostels I’ve stayed I’ve seen entire families with young children, old people, business people, couples, pregnant ladies, interns, and fellow backpackers. Families and business men tend to have their own rooms, but everyone else I’ve seen in dorms. Now that the standards of hostels are rising, I think there will be an increase in families who are taking advantage of their incredible value. The majority of people staying in hostels are still young backpackers, which is great if you’re looking to meet other backpackers.

Hostels are great value for money, so long as you make an effort to pick the right one for your needs. I always check out the reviews on the booking sites, just to read what other travelers are saying about it. When I was picking a hostel for Lisbon, I spent a bit of time reading the reviews and looking at the photos to ensure that I was picking the best hostel in Lisbon – and I ended up having a great stay. If you’re in Lisbon anytime soon, be sure to check it out.

Have you ever stayed in a hostel? If so, where has your favourite hostel been?

Travel in Europe is just different to Asia. Being a first world nation means we have all those comforts and luxuries we’re used to, clean water, flushing toilets, and a high standard of living. But with those conveniences, it seems we’ve constructed another thing; walls. I can’t decide whether it’s because people are too busy living their own chaotic lives, or whether it’s because developed worlds are just less friendly, but there are bigger walls between tourists and locals in Europe. It’s a lot harder to find yourself welcomed into their world, particularly in Western Europe.
 

One of my favourite things about travel is meeting locals. Although Europe has a lot of charms, history and amazing sights, I feel myself yearning for that openness and warmness that South East Asia presents you with. I’ve spent a lot of time in Europe, while loving it, “sort of” wishing I was in Asia. I guess I’m just missing those special people, with giant smiles, that welcomed me into their lives.
 

When I was in Lisbon I was riding a very busy tram, it was crowded and filled to the brim with tourists and a few locals. I had a comfortable seat, that had taken me a while to earn. A little old lady, who was maybe 70 or 80 got on the tram. I was shocked as she moved down the tram, no one got up to offer her a seat. So, as soon as she approached me I sprung up and offered her my seat. She thanked me with one of those entire-face-lit-up smiles. As she went to sit down, she gently pulled me in close and planted the biggest kiss on my cheek. It was a brief, but lovely, moment where I felt a little more connected to an actual Portuguese person (a rarity in Lisbon).
 

As I start planning my next adventures, for 2013, I’m going to work my plans around places where I imagine there are less barriers between people. I want to meet locals. I want to fumble in a foreign language. I want to share smiles and giggles with complete strangers. And above all, I want to see a little more of their world and in turn learn a little more about my (wider) world, too.

I spent a day in Sintra, just a short train ride out of Lisbon and it was absolutely charming. Little cobblestone streets, a beautiful old castle and it was very unpretentious. A day is probably long enough to enjoy Sintra, but it’s certainly worth a visit and the views from the hike up to the castle are really something special. I wasn’t supposed to be in Lisbon as long as I was, but it was so difficult to leave. The next time I’m in Europe I’ll definitely be dedicating a lot more time to Portugal, I’d love to explore both North and South of Lisbon, especially the beaches.
 

Now I’m back in Spain for a few days, before I embark on my adventure to Africa – I’m so excited!

I’d never been to Madrid before I decided I wanted to move here. Somehow I just knew I’d adore it. Madrid quickly rose to the top of my favourite cities, at least in terms of places I’d like to live, rather than just visit. Six weeks was only enough to scrap the surface of Madrid, I know there’s so much I haven’t seen, so many churros left uneaten and so much tinto de verano to be consumed. Oh well, next time, because I know there’s going to be a next time. 

In no particular order, these are my favourite things about Madrid:

The Markets

Mercado De San Antonio y Mercado De San Miguel markets are my favourite. The first two photos are of San Antonio’s market and the third is of my favourite tasty treat from San Miguel. Both are trendy, high end markets where you can eat very socially. They’ve got quite a different feel to them, so I’d suggest making time for them both. Mercado De San Antonio is in Chueca, one of my favourite areas of Madrid. It is the “gay area”, so of course more beautiful and trendy than all the rest of Madrid. There’s some great cafes, restaurants and bars lining the metro station there. The walk from Chueca down to and through Tribunal is awesome – the whole area just oozes cool, especially down the side streets just past Tribunal station when heading towards Gran Via. There’s also an awesome weekend market on at La Latina metro station.
 

Sangria y tinto de verano

This one’s simple. Yum. I don’t think there are many things that provide better value in life than a bottle of sangria that costs a whopping euro fifty. Especially when that classy plastic bottle of sangria is taken to your favourite drinking spot, in the park. I probably spend about 20% of my time in Madrid at Templo De Debod drinking sangria or some other cheap Spanish beverage. While in some ways it’s hard to avoid the seedy side of drinking in a park, the Spaniards do well to make it fun. On any given night you might see in this park a combination of the following: people playing drums, a “punk rock cult” reunion, people making the future spaniards, people being drenched when the sprinklers turn on at 3am (haha, suckers), a group of people practicing tai chi and a man who looks exactly how I imagine jesus to. 

Parks 

I didn’t even know Madrid had giant parks, let alone how many there are. Because Madrid is so, so, so far away from a beach, parks get a sort of beachy vibe to them. It’s not uncommon to see people sunbathing in their bikini in a park. My two favourite parks in Madrid are Templo De Debod which is my favourite evening park (it’s a wonderful place to watch the sunset) and Retiro. Every time I go to Retiro I’m always surprised by how big it is and each time I visit I seem to discover a little more of it. It has it all; beautifully groomed grounds, an abundance of fountains, a large lake in the middle that you can paddle boat in, areas to roller blade, more fountains, venders and artists and lovely shady areas where you can avoid the forty degree plus summer heat. 

Art 

There’s so much art in Madrid, especially around Tribunal. If there’s even an inch of spare space, it will be plastered in a poster or some kind of gorgeous street art, even windows are not spared and turned into quirky pictures. Beyond the street art there’s also some great museums that are often free, including Prado and Sofia. I was fortunate enough to be in Madrid while the Photo De Espana was on and got to enjoy a number of free photography exhibitions, lucky me!
 

I will look back fondly on my time in Madrid. I think these past six weeks will embody me as a mid-twenty year old senorita, living half way across the world, stumbling in Spanish, all while falling in love with a different culture and country. I walked around the streets last night with a little pang in my eyes,  if I had blinked too suddenly a few tears would have fallen. I know when I board my bus for Lisbon tomorrow, there will be an ache somewhere inside of me, a little, loud part of me that doesn’t want to leave Madrid. I’ve written before about missing things and the weight of it all. Thankfully I have the allure of adventure and fresh travels to pull me away, else I might never leave. There’s also two handsome men waiting for me at home, one of them is my brand new, little Nephew! I’m officially a member of the “aunty club” now. 
 

And so it begins, my latest adventure the wrong way home.
 

Have you got any Summer (or Winter) adventures planned? I’d love to hear them!  

I hated Laos – with a strong emphasis on the ending of that brief sentence. I remember my mug, “intrepid” face as I met people in Northern Vietnam, after spending a little over a month in Thailand and Laos I was a self proclaimed backpacking expert. In the usual conversations with new, one-night-friends, some of them would mention their travel plans to Laos and I’d scoff “ha! I wouldn’t even go back there, it was awful”. Almost two years on, I was scrolling through my photos of Laos and I really failed to find evidence of what I hated so much. Maybe because I’d only taken photos of things I loved, or maybe because there wasn’t really that much I didn’t like about Laos.  Maybe I had just made a mistake.

One of my favourite bars in Asia, Utopia bar

It’s hard, when you travel to new places, not to pigeon hole them. Hoi An, one of my favourite places in all of Asia, became the better version of Luang Prabang and Prague is the much more beautiful and charming sister of Bratislava. In the beginning of all my travels, I was so set on finding my new favourite place, that I forgot to take places as they were. I never arrived in a new city or country with a fresh mind, instead my mind was clouded with comparisons.

Like sniffing ten different perfumes in a row, with nothing to break them up  my senses were overwhelmed.

I needed to find my travel coffee beans.

I needed to cleanse my travel palate: I needed time. [Tweet This]

When I think back to all that I hated about Laos, trivial things come to mind. I didn’t like the food, the horrible food poisoning I got in Vang Vieng, the coldness of the people and while tubing was fun, I hated the tackiness of it all. Drunk, barely clothed westerners using one of the most beautiful rivers I’ve ever seen as their boozy playground. In the dodgy cafes, there was a constant stream of Friends and Family guy reruns and it felt like a place entirely built for disrespectful westerners to get annihilated. But, there was so much beauty there and I am sure there is so much to discover.

After leaving Laos, almost two years ago, I swore that I would never return. There were better places to go, I was certain of it. But now, after so long away, there’s a part of me who is curious if I returned, would I feel the same? As a slightly older, hopefully wiser person, maybe I could find the sparkle there that I perhaps overlooked. So many people loved Laos, and honestly, I wish I had too.

Have you been anywhere that you’ve sworn not to return?

I’m also curious to hear what other people thought of tubing. I had such mixed feelings about it.

I was laying on my bed before, thinking about my upcoming summer adventures and how different traveling is for me now, as someone who’s been to twenty four countries, almost always alone. Not many people on this blog know this, but I always wanted to travel. When I was nineteen and in my second year of University I had saved almost enough money to go on my big overseas experience (that’s what we call a gap year in New Zealand). While family commitments made it more difficult for me to go, it was probably fear that held me back. Fear of the unknown: What if I made no friends? What if it all cost way more than I thought? What if something terrible happened?

I had enough “what ifs” in my head to paralyse myself from doing anything. 

Three years later, I went through a breakup and I was so upset with life that all the “what ifs”  seemed to matter much less. And finally:

I got to a point in my life where I realised that regret was scarier than trying [Tweet This]

When I first boarded that flight to Phuket, Thailand, booked only a few days prior, I was nervous and anxious with worry. But there was a little part of me that was excited, a twinge of “I can’t believe I’m doing this” and a spoonful of “fuckyeah!” (excuse the language, but it’s fitting). Walking out of the airport gates I was bombarded by local Thais trying to offer me inflated prices and lies. “No no, the bus to Patong will not be here for 2 hours, only 60 baht more and you can take private van”. I breathed a deep sigh and soaked in all of the difference of my surroundings. Suddenly, an Australian couple who had been traveling Thailand for a few weeks, took me under their wing “Don’t worry, the bus will be here soon” and within minutes of walking out of the airport, I learned my first travel lesson:

You will hardly be alone – of course if you take yourself to some remote island, enter a vow of silence and glare at anyone who tries to make conversation, then you will wind up alone. But for the most part, on my travels, throughout South East Asia especially, I had to make a solid effort to be alone. Here and there I would take a day out, just to watch my favourite tv shows, eat ice cream in bed and have a little mental space. It can be intense hanging out with someone all waking hours and then sharing a room with them at night. But the cool thing is, you will make tons of friends and meet new people. Still anxious about being alone? Read my post on how to travel alone. 

It’s good to be alone, sometimes – if you are like me you will be eager to have interactions with local people. Almost all of the special memories I have with people who aren’t tourists overseas has been when I was alone. You’re more approachable, than compared to a big pack of foreigners speaking in packs. The flip side of this is you’re also more aware of your surroundings. Ever been shown directions to somewhere, but been so lost in conversation you hardly noticed? This happens when you’re traveling, too. I notice that usually my photography is much more interesting when I’m alone because I keep myself entertained by taking more photos. 

Don’t take pictures of everything – living in the social media generation there’s this need to have everything online. “How will anyone know I was kayaking around Ha Long bay at sunset if I haven’t uploaded 15 pictures and updated my location?” – well, does it really matter? Some of my favourite memories I have no photos of, which in some ways is a little sad, but it just means that I was too busy enjoying the moment to stop, grab out my camera and start snapping away. Pick your battles; actively think about what moments you want to document with your camera and which you want to savor just for yourself.

You should pack less than you think – when I first arrived I had all my nice, normal, expensive clothing filled to the brim of my backpack. After a few days in Asia my whites were no longer white and my clothes were no longer nice. I could have easily bought a few items and purchased all my clothes in Asia and they would have been much more weather appropriate, and cheaper. On the same line of thoughts, you don’t need a money belt or silk sleeping bag, most people never end up using theirs. I would say that for me personally a microfibre towel has been essential. 

Most travel insurance does not cover riding scooters or motorbikes – when I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand,  a friend and I went to a motorbike rental place that was suggested in the Lonely Planet as a good, honest place. We both tried to rent a scooter, but both were rejected because we’d never ridden one before, the owner said “he didn’t want to feel responsible if we ended up ruining our holidays”. Never mind the fact that we didn’t have Thai drivers licenses. Originally we were a bit frustrated, because surely we’d be awesome at riding one, but then we thought about it – if he was prepared to turn away business and fresh Baht, he must have been concerned for our safety. Recently I read about a New Zealander who had insurance and had an accident (not his fault) while on a motorbike and wound up in hospital with a big bunch of bills – an easy way to ruin your holiday. Read your policy properly. 

Expect something bad to happen – I don’t mean you should freak yourself out over something terrible happening, but chances are something annoying, bad, or frustrating will happen at some stage. Maybe you’ll miss a bus/train or flight, maybe your camera will get broken when you are drunk and accidentally run into the ocean, or maybe you’ll be like me (I hope not) and be stabbed while someone tries to rob you. Either way, shit life happens. The biggest thing to remember? It could happen anywhere, I bet it could happen in your home town. In a way I’m almost glad I was attacked because it was awful (almost my worst-case-scenario) and you know what? I’m fine. I dealt with it, it was a bit scary and intimidating but now I’m past it and I feel that I’m better prepared to deal with things in the future. 

Too cheap is a rip off – the only scam that I believe I fell victim to, was a very common one in Thailand. Usually for a tuk tuk you should expect to pay around 80-150 baht for a ride, depending on the distance, time of day and how many people are in the tuk tuk. On my first day in Bangkok, clouded by a smile only a Thai could offer, a friend and I took got into a tuk tuk with a driver who had offered us a ride for only 20 baht. I laughed to myself, finally I had cracked into the “real” traveling and no longer was I paying inflated tourist prices – screw you Lonely Planet, I’ve found a new level of shoestring travel. It was early in the morning, we were hungry and all we wanted was a cheap restaurant. After a few minutes drive, the tuk tuk stopped – we were expecting some cafe or a bakery, but were greeted with the doors to a silk shop “please please, just look five minutes, if you go in I get a voucher from the Thai Government for my fuel”… I was not in the mood, especially not at this hour! After some conversation, we stormed off – refusing to pay our fare. We were quite lucky, I’ve read countless stories about experienced travelers who have been scammed by tuk tuks. If it’s too good to be true, well, it’s a scam. 

Be GRATEFUL when the locals speak your language, or try to – numerous times I’ve heard other travelers complain about how poor the English of some hotel/hostel staff in some developing country is. I’ve let out my fair share of frustrated sighs when my questions are being met with confusion and time is not on my side. But whenever this happens, I pause and think about how well far this person would get trying to speak Thai/Khmer/Vietnamese etc in New Zealand. They wouldn’t even try, because they would be met with frustration or anger and would probably be ignored. How privileged am I, as an English speaker, to travel the world and more often than not be met with at least someone who speaks a little English in their country. 

I’ve said it before, but I’m going to say it again: my only real travel regret, after almost two years of travel, is that I didn’t start traveling earlier.  

Want to read more? Read my Eight Little Travel Tips or  Eight Things You Shouldn’t Do In Asia

What have you learned traveling that you wish someone had told you before you first letf? I’m sure there’s plenty of things I haven’t thought to include here. Share in the comments below, I’d love to read some. 

After doing my post on the places I’d live, I decided that I should share with you all the countries I’ve visited. No where on my blog have I posted the list of countries and I figure if you’re looking for advice or suggestions, it would be helpful to know where I’ve actually been. Rather than just post a list of countries, I’m going to try to post only ONE thing that was my stand out favourite from that country (I might fail in some regards). 

Australia – Taking a ferry from Sydney harbor to Manly beach, I never tire of that trip

Hong Kong– Visiting the big Buddha statue  & Po Lin monastery

Belgium – Eating chocolate covered waffles while shopping in Antwerp, actually all things chocolate here

The Netherlands – Biking around Amsterdam while filling up my basket in the markets and walking around the Red Light District

France –  Romancing in the little seaside town of Honfleur with the most lovely little harbor that I’ve ever seen

Thailand – Trekking through the hill tops of Thailand and hanging out with elephants way past midnight

Laos – Lounging around in Utopia cafe in Vang Vieng with new friends

Vietnam – This is a tie between Sapa, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An

Cambodia – No surprises here, volunteering at New Futures Organisation in Takeo

India – A random conversation with a young street kid that resulted in me inviting him and his sister and cousin on a lunch date

United Emirates – Finally standing below the tallest building in the world and craning my neck up and up

Singapore – The night safari and having a friend’s friend take me out to the markets and trying all the food

Indonesia – A tie between being almost alone with two new friends in Borobudur or the sunrise on Gili Tragawan

Malaysia- The view of the Petrona towers from Sky Bar  

Czech Republic – All the castles, pivo and the visiting the deliciously ginger-bread-like town Telc

Berlin, Germany – The art, especially the East Side Gallery 

Hungary – A river cruise down the Danube river in Budapest, or the “recycled” clubs

Austria – The Kunsthistorisches museum  in Vienna (amazing) and seeing pandas at the zoo

Spain – The view from the top of Mount Urgell in San Sebastian and the area around Tribunal in Madrid

Switzerland – Sunset over Lake Zurich, while passing by on a train

Slovakia –  The medieval castle: Devín castle, just outside of Bratislava

England – Walking through Hyde park when there’s a pinch of sunshine & shopping on Oxford street

America – Hands down, Coachella festival – absolutely incredible and the landscape around there is breathtaking, too

Mexico – Taking a ferry ride around Ensanada’s harbor and then finishing the day at a vineyard 

Portugal – Riding the old tram throughout the city as it barely manages to make its way up steep hills. 

Morocco – Being taken to a Berber village by a local Moroccan man my friend and I met while complaining. 

Bulgaria – After writing Sofia off a city I would never visit again, I met two wonderful travelers and found a little boutique cafe. 

Croatia – Visiting the beautiful, clear and ridiculously green Plitvice Lakes

Turkey – Watching the sunset over the Blue mosque

I’ve managed to fit this all in in the past two and a half years and what an incredible time. 

I’m curious if you’ve been to any of those countries too, what your highlights were? Maybe I’ve missed out something really special!