goStops, Agra
Walking distance from the Taj Mahal, a rooftop restaurant, movie evenings, walking tours, drop to the Taj for sunrise, colourful rooms and quirky wall art! Get all this at a very affordable price when you check into Agra’s first hostel which appropriately is themed on love. There is table tennis and a foosball table in the common area. It has four kinds of rooms – a private suite, six bed dorms (mixed and female) and an eight-bed dorm.
Address: 121, MMIG, Taj Nagri Phase 1, Agra
Moustache Manali
The location cannot get better. It is close to the river, has an excellent view of the snow-capped peaks and is walking distance to all the not-to-be-missed cafes and eateries of Old Manali. It is beautifully lit up in the evenings and the food at their own cafe is something you would not want to miss, especially at the price they offer. There are electric bikes on hire and at times they organise events in the common area where guests can mingle around.
Address: Clubhouse Road, in front of Old Manali bridge
Jungle, The Hostel Crowd, Goa
This is a world apart from your typical hostel experience in Goa because you’ll be surrounded by a jungle and stay in an old Portuguese house. No, it is not Old Goa or Panjim, but Vagator that we are talking about. They have yoga mornings, barbeque evenings, rooftop movie nights, and breakfast and Wi-Fi is on the house. They serve some really good coffee at the café Bombay Coffee Roasters.
Address: 486(2) Vagator Beach Road, Vagator, Goa
Bunkyard, Udaipur
Chai is on the house at sunset and so are the views of Lake Pichola sprawled out in front of you at the rooftop terrace. But if you would rather sip beer, they have that too. The dorms are dedicated to different music genres like rock, Bollywood and Jazz. It is close to Lake Pichola and most of the monuments that may be on your itinerary. Bunkyard regularly organises events like yoga sessions, parties and social evenings.
Address: 23/165 Lal ghat, Udaipur
One thing is for sure – you will never get bored at this award-winning hostel. They have two activities daily which make you bond with not only the travellers but also the city. Think games nights, food tours, sunrise and sunset tours, night walks, pub nights, cooking classes and more. Apart from this, there are musical instruments, a television, books and carom and other board games in the common room and a foosball table on the rooftop. The dorms are colourful and the wall art is all Rajasthani. Breakfast is available for Rs. 150 and you can cook a meal too.
Address: First Floor, 85-A, Rajamal Ka Talab, Chandi ki Taksal, Opposite Tourist Police Station, Jaipur
International Travellers Hostel, Varanasi
Better known as ITH, this hostel is an ideal place to stay if you want to be away from hustle-bustle of the ghats in Varanasi. It offers all kinds of accommodation – from a basic tent, dorms, single rooms to even a family cottage. They have an in-house bistro called Dhyan which offers vegetarian and vegan food, though it is a bit on the expensive side.
Address: C-32/4, Vidyapeeth Road, Varanasi
The Mansion 1907, Mysore
When you stay here you won’t get the feel of being in a hostel. Of course you’ll be staying in dorms and sharing bathrooms, but apart from that the building itself is more than a century old. Built in 1907 according to Vastu architecture, you will stay in what looks like a heritage building. There is a small kitchen, daily yoga classes and cycles on rent. It is about 1km away from the Mysore Palace.
