The Write Way Around: Traveling Tales

My travels throughout Asia saw me sleeping in dollar dorm beds that sometimes would offer me views of worldly gems like the Himalayas right from my window and other times would offer me chances of contracting some type of hideous disease or virus. It was always hit or miss, but nonetheless I never paid more than say 7 dollars for a bed (though in Bangkok I was a flash packer and paid around 14).

I knew going into New Zealand that my trip was going to be expensive despite any help or benefits that came my way through work opportunities, but an average price of 27 dollar dorm beds every night became ludicrous and downright frustrating.

I stayed in New Zealand for a total of 36 nights, two of which saw me do hotel reviews and get free accommodation and one of which I spent couch surfing.

I spent at least 900 on lodging alone on my trip throughout New Zealand – almost as heartbreaking of thinking the rent money I wasted living in Sydney for two years rather than trying to save money for traveling by living at home in New York. Not okay.

Because I traveled with Stray, and because so many of my stops in New Zealand were just for a night where I arrived late in the evening and left early in the morning, it was more difficult to couch surf than I anticipated. I also had to take into the account that I was working to freelance deadlines and constantly trying to blog, which meant that I was not the most social of people throughout my trip and sometimes could not be bothered with trying to get to know people I did not already know. (That sounds horrible, but it is true.)

Throughout the North and South Island, I stayed at a variety of hostels, some of which are chain hostels like the YHA or Nomads and others that are independent, small hostels.

Though chain hostels like the YHA are always a decent option because you know what to expect when you book a bed, I prefer to look for the smaller hostels that are run by families and locals.

Here is a list of my five favorite hostels that I stayed at whilst traveling New Zealand.

Wanaka Bakpaka – Lake Wanaka, South Island

Advantages: With bay windows that look out onto Lake Wanaka, this hostel was a gem for my last three days in New Zealand that were plagued by a cold front and saturated with rain. I specifically picked this hostel with just one look at the site, as I knew if there was anywhere that I would be able to sit back and get my writing and work done, this was the place to do it.

The kitchen was a clean and cottage-inspired kitchen stocked with plates, bowl, pans and all, and there was free coffee and tea available all day – a major plus. My room was a four-share dorm room had an incredible view (which sadly I did not take a picture of) that was easily the best room in the entire hostel.

The hostel crowd was good, and most people chilled out in the lounge area and read books each night. The people  who worked here were all friendly and outgoing, and this was a family-run hostel, which made it feel a little bit like home when on the road.

Disadvantages: The internet was not purchased by the hour but instead by the data limit, and given the amount of work I was doing and things I was downloading, I found I ran out quite often and reverted to using my phone as a hotspot. Though my room had a great view, it was on the smaller side and lacked ample amount of plugs, which is always something I take into consideration when traveling. If there are not enough plugs in the room to share amongst the backpackers, then things do not get charged. No bueno.

All in all, if anyone is headed to Wanaka, hands down I would suggest staying at Wanaka Bakpaka. At first when I looked at it on the web I found it too good to be true for a backpacker’s budget, but it most definitely is my favorite hostel in all of New Zealand.

Crash Palace – Rotorua, North Island

Advantages: Owned by a local Kiwi named Chris, Crash Palace felt like exactly that: a palace. The price per bed is mouth-droppingly cheap, and the rooms are beyond spacious. I could have easily thrown a college party in one of the dorm rooms and still had space for more. There are enough power points (re: plugs) to charge electronics for the whole of New Zealand, and the beds were so magnificent I felt like I was sleeping on a cloud.

The people who worked in the hostel were incredibly chill, but they were also libraries of advice on the best things to do and see in whatever time you had in Rotorua. The hostel also had a hot tub, and I do not think it carried with it the stigma of what certain hostel hot tubs (or pools) carry. This was not necessarily a party hostel but instead offered a chilled out vibe and a place to kick back, whether it was the free Friday night barbecue or hanging out in the lounge for some free popcorn and a movie.

The kitchen was small but stocked up and always immaculate.  That being said, there was another kitchen on the second floor of the hostel, but because I was staying on the first I never really made the journey up there. Also available were free pasta and rice to make for dinner.

Crash Palace also runs its own charity aimed at helping underprivileged children in the Rotorua area to keep them on the right path, providing them with access to music, art and travel experiences. If you join the hostel’s $35 mud bath tour run by the owner Chris, all of the proceeds go to charity.

Disadvantages: The only real disadvantage I can think of is that the wifi at Crash Palace was not free UNLESS YOU BOOKED ONLINE, which I learned afterward.  Additionally, Rotorua is a bit of a smelly town given all the geothermal activity bubbling beneath its surface, so that makes the hostel a bit hit and miss for those who can not always stomach it. Last but not least the backyard is somewhat modest, so that might be a make or break for some people who like to relax outdoors, but it is still a good atmosphere for socializing.

Accents on the Park - Nelson, South Island

Advantages: Though at first I felt somewhat like this hotel-meets-hostel was something out of a horror film (it feels more old than quaint), this ended up being one of my favorite hostels in New Zealand, and the town of Nelson easily became of favourite of mine as well. Its somewhat darker decor and hotel feel can be slightly off-putting at first, yet the people who work here are as friendly as the day is long, and this is a family-run hostel, again making it all the more homey.

What I like most about this hostel was that it had a little terrace at the front on the second floor near to my  room, giving me one of the most perfect places to sit in the quiet and get my work done while sipping on a glass of red wine.

The kitchen is downstairs and is decently big, but the area to eat in is much larger. There is fresh, homemade bread each morning at breakfast free for guests, but sadly I never jumped on the bandwagon and soaked up the freebies. There is also a cafe downstairs; however I never ate there given my budget restrictions. There is a barbecue that my friend Jake and I cooked steaks on one night (best night of my life), and the backyard is quite charming to sit back and relax with your meal.

Oh and last but not least, the shower was amazing. Hot water and water pressure as strong as a waterfall.

Disadvantages: SLOW INTERNET. This one killed me. Most of the time I used the internet from my phone because the internet was painfully slow, and guests were only given one hour free (which is actually a lot in New Zealand). The rest had to be paid for.

Raglan Backpackers – Raglan, North Island

Advantages: Raglan Backpackers is a friendly hostel with a small-town feel. I stayed there only for one night, and instead of a dorm room I shared a room with a friend of mine. It was a generous size and perfect for the two of us, our backpacks and all the electronics we wanted to charge. We had french-style doors that opened up onto the courtyard of the hostel, where there were hammocks, a jacuzzi (this one I did not go in), a small garden and a sauna.

Another advantage to the hostel is that kayaks could be rented our for free, but only lake kayaks. Kayaks for the ocean came at a fee. They also organize surfing trips, and boards can be rented out for around 30 dollars or so and come with a free lesson. I was not about to go surfing in 15 degree water, so I passed.

The hostel kitchen is another cottage-inspired kitchen with a window that looks out onto the water and makes for a relaxed and lighthearted atmosphere amidst all the backpackers trying to cook at once.

The location of Raglan backpackers is perfect, but the town was no more than one street, which makes it difficult to be in a bad spot.

Disadvantages: I really could not say that there were any disadvantages. We arrived at around 4 p.m. and left at around 8 a.m. the next day, doing nothing but having a chilled night and taking it easy. Again, paying for the internet gets old, so it is unfortunate that Raglan Backpackers does not have free wifi, but no where in New Zealand does.

Chateau Franz - Franz Josef, South Island

Advantages: Where to even start with Chateau Franz. A British couple that joined me back in Waitomo on my abseiling tour of the caves recommended that I stay at Chateau Franz, and so I followed their advice. I opted to stay in a four bed dorm, which was quite spacious and fortunately a room that I ended up having all to myself! The bed itself was cheap, around 25 dollars, and so I was pretty happy to basically pay 25 dollars for a private room. Normally as a solo traveler I like a room with other travelers so that I can meet people to hang out with; however, I had too much planned activity-wise for FJ, and not to mention one day I spent crippled over in bed feeling beyond ill.

Additionally, the hostel did free breakfast in the morning that consisted of cereal and toast along with coffee and tea. There was also free soup and bread for dinner each night, and naturally as backpackers are always on a budget, there was always a line come dinner time. Nonethless there was enough soup to go around, but the bread did not always make it to the end.

Last but not least the the mecca of Chateau Franz: the hi-speed and FREE….FREE….FREE wifi. The amount of work I got done in Franz was incredible simply because the internet never let me down.

The icing on the cake was that there were also free hair dyers and straighteners for rent, not that I really cared all that much. My mind was elsewhere from trying to look semi-decent.

Disadvantages: I can not really say that there were any disadvantages to Chateau Franz. Had my room been full, the power points would have been an issue, because there were only two that worked and they were beside only one of the beds. That meant that charging things would have been difficult. Additionally, the refrigerator was quite small, so I found that it was often difficult to find room to store the few things I did want refrigerated.

All in all, Chateau Franz made my life incredibly easy during my three days in this small little town on the West Coast of New Zealand.

Honorable Mention:
Mount Cook Backpacker - Mount Cook, South Island

Advantages: Mount Cook Backpackers was another hotel-meets-hostel that was somewhat confusing but clean, spacious and comfortable. The biggest plus to Mount Cook Backpackers is that half the hotel faces Mount Cook – one of my favorite places in New Zealand – offering guests a stunning view of the mountains by day and an even more enchanting view come nighttime when they are illuminated by the stars and the moon.

Disadvantages: Half of the hotel has rooms facing the beautiful Mount Cook whereas the other half – where my room was – has rooms facing a car park (re: parking lot). That sucked, because all the rooms were the same price – view or no view. There were not enough power points in the room for four travelers all looking to charge their electronics, so that always gets messy with everyone needing to charge things. Again, the internet was not free, but the biggest grievance is that the kitchen SUCKED. There were hardly any pans, pots and the like to cook with, so that meant rushing to cook dinner and get a headstart before everyone else.

*Please note that the photos for this post were taken from the Internet.