Backpacking culture is picking up momentum in Kerela and it is delightful

Ranjan8 months agoleave a comment104 views

It was the last day of the Kerela trip and we have been invited to attend a weekend party at another hostel in which we didn’t even know anyone. But since we all were backpackers eventually, we decided to go anyhow. And it turned out to be one of the best weekends I have ever got to spend in a backpacker hostel.

There was a singer who was taking requests for the songs he would sing next. There was a guitarist (in fact, It was me) who was just strumming carelessly and a few rookie dancers twisting their waist, legs, and hands in the funniest way possible, and a few onlookers joyfully enjoying all of this.

I always adored backpacking. Therefore, I always try to book my stay while traveling in one of the backpacker hostels. You relish the ambiance usually these hostels have, also save money as you only use a bed rather than an entire room, and most importantly, you get to meet people having the same enthusiasm for traveling as you do. Everyone, there has different stories to share and carries different perspectives about life.

For instance, while my stay at Zostel Kochi, I got to talk to Nisheet who was extremely passionate about illustration. Even while his brief stay at the hostel, he could not refrain from picking up his Ipad and digital pencil to draw something. The illustration is his fervor, although, for survival, he is doing a full-time job and like all of us — he also was confused, out of two options, whether he should choose a job which was paying more or the one which seemed good from a career prospect.

The very same day at the same premise, I did explore Jew Town in Fort Kochi with Prince. He was from Jaipur and after talking to him, I came to know that he had come to Kochi to meet a girl, whose love proposal he had rejected three years ago, but now he is filled with remorse and willing to meet the girl face to face with sheer intent for atonement.

While staying in a hostel called Funky Art Beach house, in Alleppey, I got to talk to the hostel owner, who was almost out of funds to run the dormitory, following being hit severely by the Covid pandemic and its impact on tourism and was trying with all his might to revive the hostel.

At the Lost Hostel in Varkala, after talking to the guy who was managing the property, I got to know that, I met her mother two days ago in an art cafe while strolling in Jew Town in Fort Kochi. She was the one who made and served us the refreshing Iced tea there.

At HostelExp, in Varkala, the hostel owner, Abhimanyu was the most hospitable and genial person I have ever met. He went out of the way to make sure, we are extra comfortable. And was very eager to take feedback and further implement those to ameliorate his backpacking hostel.

I find it really delightful to see backpacking culture shaping up for the better in India. I have always looked forward to staying in a backpacker hostel on all the trips I have been on, solely because of all the cheerful vibes and atmosphere it radiates and the interesting conversations I get to have with the people from all sorts of different backgrounds and ethnicity, having completely different experiences of life than me.