We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about the coolest youth hostel they ever stayed in while traveling. These are some of their best recommendations from around the world...
1. Casa Elemento, Colombia
Nestled in the mountains above Minca, Magdalena, Colombia, the Casa Elemento hostel features a 20-person hammock over a cliff and a swimming pool with a view, and organises daily tours into the surrounding jungle and countryside.
The hostel costs about £7 / $11 / €10 per person per night in a mixed dorm, and you can book it here.
Submitted by Emily Dellit, Facebook
2. Container Hotel, Malaysia
As the name suggests, this Kuala Lumpur hostel is made out of recycled shipping containers. The whole place is inspired by green architecture: and the Japanese concept of "Kyosho Jutaku" – which according to its website means "living in style on a tiny footprint". The hostel also offers bike rentals for traveling around the city in vintage style.
It costs about £7 / $11 / €10 per person to stay in a mixed dorm. Book it here.
Submitted by Alyshia Amalia Meidhani, Facebook
3. Buccaneers Backpacker Hostel, South Africa
Located by the sea in Chintsa, South Africa, Buccaneers offers everything from cottages for whole families overlooking the sea to dorm-style rooms for backpackers. Chintsa boasts a 7 kilometre-long beach perfect for surfing and kitesurfing, as well as horseriding and safari adventures.
It costs about £8 / $12 / €11 a night to stay in an 8-bed mixed dorm, or £7 / $11 / €10 to stay in a 12-bed mixed dorm. You can also get tents and private rooms for not too much more. Book here.
Submitted by Natalie Dickson, Facebook
4. St Briavels Castle, England
This hostel in Lydney, Gloucestershire, is your chance to stay in an actual 800-year-old castle. The castle features a walled garden and beautiful courtyard, which you can mope about all day pretending you're a melancholy princess doomed to wed a gnarled old lord instead of your roguish lover. Or just hang out and think about history – King John used the castle as a hunting lodge in the 13th century.
Get a bed from £20 / $31 / €29. Book here.
Submitted by maeveshan
5. Onomichi Guesthouse Anago No Nedoko, Japan
This lovely hostel in the city of Onomichi is shaped like an eel and has a cafe with an elementary school theme. As if that weren't enough, the hostel also has a beautiful Japanese garden to chill out in, or you go out and explore the city's historical temples just 10 minutes' walk from the hostel.
Stay in a dorm for about £15 / $24 / €22. Book here.
Submitted by Piecesofalice
6. Baby Bush Lodge, Zanzibar
The Baby Bush Lodge is located on the eastern coast of Zanzibar by the gorgeous Kiwengwa Beach. This spot is perfect for snorkelling, diving, swimming with dolphins, or just chilling out and eating fresh fish all day long.
Get a bed in a dorm for £14 / $22 / €20. Make a booking by emailing babybushlodge.zanzibar@gmail.com.
Submitted by amberd4b70d04c6
7. Flipflop Lounge Hostel, China
Besides having incredibly strong Instagram game, the Flipflop Lounge Hostel offers a beautiful and budget-friendly stay in Chengdu's historic shopping district, just 10 minutes from the city's bar district. The hostel also has a weekly dumpling competition, and the winner gets beer!
Book a mixed dorm bed for abaout £5 / $8 / £8 here.
Submitted by elliew4557ed60c
8. Under The Coconut Tree, Vietnam
This hostel in Hoi An, Vietnam offers the perfect combination of a quiet beach, nightime bonfires, and home-cooked food. You can stay in a dorm or a beach hut bungalow if you're feeling fancy. It's a hard place to leave once you used to lazy bike rides through the countryside, visits to the old fishing village, and afternoons spent relaxing on the sand.
Book a room in a mixed dorm for about £6 / $9 / €8.50 here.
Submitted by Hannah Harding, Facebook
9. Makuto Guesthouse Backpackers Hostel, Spain
Makuto Guesthouse in Granada serves up delicious vegetarian food on the cheap, which you can digest in one of its colourful hammocks or up in the hostel's amazing treehouse. The hostel offers walking tours of the historic city and other daytime activities, and at the end of the day you can sit back and relax with sangria and mojitos.
Book a spot in a basic mixed dorm from about £14 / $22 / €19 here.
Submitted by Sammi Egan, Facebook
10. Surf Hostel Bidart, France
This laid-back hostel on the coast in Basque country has "surf" right in the name. Basically, for £26 / €38 / $41 you get a bed, a breakfast, a board, and a bus pass to get you to nearby Biarritz. That should be all you need for a surfing holiday!
Make a booking by emailing surfhostelbidart@gmail.com.
Submitted by Christine Baird, Facebook
11. Firehouse Hostel, Texas
This Austin, Texas hostel serves up the American dream by way of booze and live music, all in the lovely setting of a historic firehouse. You can also book excursions through the hostel to go tubing on the river or beer-tasting at a local brewery.
Book a spot in a mixed dorm for £25 / €35 / $37 here.
Submitted by Sarah Kator, Facebook
12. Kex Hostel, Iceland
This beautiful Rejkavik hostel may have the strongest 'gram game in the whole world. Seriously, this joint is so classy that you can get a HAIRCUT on premises, to help you blend in better with all the pristine Icelandic scenery and clean-cut citizens of this wintery island nation. The hostel also hosts live music and other events, so you can hang out inside on days when you're not taking a dip in the Blue Lagoon...
Book a bed in a mixed dorm for £24 / €34 / $37 a night here.
Submitted by Ntybnd and Ryan Reid, Facebook
13. Albatross Backpacker Inn, New Zealand
This colourful hostel in Kaikoura offers its guests plenty of art supplies and musical instruments to keep you busy when you're not out exploring the natural glory of New Zealand. Plus, you can borrow a bike to get to a nearby SEAL COLONY, so really, what are you waiting for?
Book a bed in a 4-bed mixed dorm for £14 / €20 / $22 here.
Submitted by Susie Faria, Facebook
14. Generator Hostel, Ireland
Generator is actually a chain of beautiful hostels all over Europe, but its Dublin branch comes highly recommended...and it's right next to the Jameson distillery, for a convenient whiskey fix.
The hostel has a two night minimum – book a bed from £37 / €50 / $57 per night here.
Submitted by mollicles
15. Hostel Uppelink, Belgium
What better way to take in the historic city centre of Ghent, Belgium, than from inside one of its oldest buildings? Hostel Uppelink offers a clean and beautiful stay in the heart of town, and kayaks or bikes to rent for the day.
This hostel also has a two night minimum. Book a bed in a mixed dorm for £16 / €22 / $25 a night here.
Submitted by ursap
16. Ipanema Beach House, Brazil
This gorgeous hostel by the sea in Rio de Janiero is the perfect spot for a budget Brazilian getaway. Hang out on the beach, take a dip in the pool, or take advantage of one of the Beach House's many activities on offer – everything from hangliding to football matches to samba parties.
The beach is yours for £16 / €22 / $25 a night (with a two night minimum). Book here.
Submitted by elliew4557ed60c
17. Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel, California
Escape to the Northern Californian coastline with a stay at the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel near Half Moon Bay, with lodgings inside (you guessed it) a historic, still-operating lighthouse originally built in 1875. The hostel is near several beaches perfect for surfing and swimming, and it also has a great espresso bar.
Book a bed in a single-sex dorm for £20 / €29 / $30 a night here.
Submitted by cathrynb2
18. Home Lisbon Hostel, Portugal
Lisbon has plenty of wonderful hostels, but the Home Lisbon Hostel is one of the first and oldest...and it features a kindly old woman ("Mamma" – the owner's mother) who cooks delicious homemade meals for guests. What more could you want?
Book a bed from £19 / €26 / $30 a night here.
Submitted by vanessar44d104e0b and jms902802
19. Casa Tranquilo Hostel, Costa Rica
The Casa Tranquilo Hostel can be found near the village of Santa Elena, Monteverde. Its helpful and friendly staff make fresh banana bread in the mornings, and you can chill out all day in the hostel's many hammocks.
Plus, you could meet this chill-ass sloth.
