At this point in time I’ve travelled to 42 different countries in the world. 38 of them solo. I’ve travelled for long periods of time and shorter periods of time.

The reason I can afford to travel so much?

I mostly stay in dorm rooms.

Yes I know, I’m 32. Although I do enjoy going out I’m not the same party girl that I once was. However if you choose the right dorm room, budget travel can be both cheap and fun. Staying in dorms is a great way to make new friends and find out information about the place you are travelling in.

In the past I stayed in mixed dorms, mostly because they were all that was available. Thankfully we now have the choice over a mixed dorm or a female dorm in most hostels now. I always choose the female only dorm, here are my reasons why:

I want a good nights sleep

One thing that I’ve noticed from my many years of dorm experience, is that men snore a lot more and a lot louder than any woman I’ve come across! Most nights that I have stayed in a mixed dorm I’ve had to put up with some sort of snoring, be that slow, raspy snoring or full on fog horn snoring. I’ve heard it all.

Yes, I’m fully aware that females snore too, but it happens a lot less often, and with slightly less sound than an A380 taking off.

Usually I’m fine in a female dorm if I put in my earplugs and put on my mask.

 

I want to feel safe

When booking a mixed dorm there is no guarantee about what type of people will be staying there. Many are just friendly, budget travellers like me but I’ve had a few experiences with men in dorms that have made me decide that it’s not safe enough for me.

When I was in Munich there was a loud, obnoxious guy at the hostel bar who just wouldn’t leave me alone. I got so desperate that I actually walked up to a gang of girls and pretended to be their friend. Luckily it worked and the guy backed off. After a good night with new friends, I went to sleep in my mixed hostel room.

I woke up and immediately locked eyes on that very same creepy guy. He was staring at me intently and was just in his boxer shorts. I immediately woke up, grabbed my bag and switched rooms.

Another time I was in Koh Phi Phi at the best rated hostel. I was staying in a 4 bed dorm. It was me and a gang of 3 Italian men. The men seemed friendly enough. One night I was dozing off to sleep when one of the Italian men jumped in my bed and started kissing me. I screamed at him and threw him across the room, his mates woke up and they promised to keep him under control. My trust had been lost and I just couldn’t sleep. The next day I moved to a private room and caught the worse food poisoning of my life, but that’s another story entirely.

When I travel, I want to feel safe. I just don’t feel safe when I’m sleeping with random men in my room. I have met many great friends in mixed dorms but as I’ve got older, I’ve realised that I’d rather pay a bit extra for safety, and just make friends in the common room.

Mixed dorms rooms smell

One time I was in Hanoi, Vietnam. I was staying in a $5 a night dorm in a central area. I woke up and was suddenly hit with the most peculiar smell. I actually thought there was a dead animal in there. It turned out to be one guy with filthy clothes stained with sweat and emanating a thick smell of stale booze. It was probably the most rancid smell I’ve ever smelt. I moved to the other side of the room but the smell was still there…

I’ve stayed in other mixed dorms where the men were just as pungent. Some of the more budget dorms have had men who have been living in then long term too, more like a homeless shelter than a hostel.

I like to get changed where I want

Unfortunately, a woman can’t just get changed in the middle of a mixed dorm. Some men might think it’s an invitation for something more. I remember shuffling to the toilet to get changed when staying in mixed dorms. I can’t be bothered with that. I’d rather just get changed in the room without feeling self conscious or that someone was watching me.

Once I was in a mixed dorm in Sydney Australia. I was wearing a nightdress and I had pulled the covers off myself whilst I was sleeping, so the whole dorm was getting an eyeful of my boobs. If It was a female dorm I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid, but I felt so embarrassed because I was in a mixed dorm.

There is a greater chance of an empty dorm

Do you know the reason why female dorms are more expensive? It’s generally because it’s a lot harder to fill them in low season. I’ve had the pleasure of staying in dorms with just 1-2 others or sometimes I’ve even had the whole dorm to myself! A private room for the price of a dorm! Result.

I feel more confident

All travellers have experienced it. It’s 4am and someone feels like it’s the perfect time to start packing their bag. They have also decided to forsake packing cubes for plastic bags. Hallelujah!

In a female dorm I feel comfortable enough to tell them to pack outside, be quiet, turn off the light ect. In a mixed dorm I wouldn’t feel as confident. Men usually don’t like being told what to do by a woman, whatever their age.

I don’t want to share a room with couples

One thing I’ll never understand is why couples choose to stay in dorm rooms. About 99% of the time a private room is exactly double the price of a dorm bed. I’ve met many decent couples in dorms, but many more who feel like the dorm is their own personal love hut.

I stayed in a dorm in Krakow in Poland, a super cheap destination. It was just myself and the couple in the room. They went out of their way to make me feel as uncomfortable as possible. Snuggling, touching, kissing, sharing a bed, all whilst I was in the room. I just don’t get it…

So there you have it, 7 reasons why I prefer to stay in female only dorms. Do you agree with my points?