Hostels hostels hostels….. Other than ‘are you travelling up or down?’ ‘where are you going next?’ and ‘where are you from?’…. ‘what hostel are you staying in next?’ will be one of your most asked questions whilst you are travelling in Aussie. Lucky for you, the East Coast is FULL of some sick hostels to crash out in during your trip.
We’ll be sharing with you:
- How to book a hostel..
- Making pals in hostels…
- The do’s and dont’s of hostels..
- How to be cash savvvvvvy
The RatPack crew have popped together their ULTIMATE hostels on the East Coast, we’ve been there and stayed there and now sharing our tips with you…
Click images to see more.
The best spots to stay as a backpacker
Hostels are a travellers best friend when it comes to meeting absolute legends that turn into travel buddies and having crazy experiences that you’ll never forget.
Trust us, you will learn some cracking drinking games, how to drink goon, witness some strange concoctions in the kitchen and you’ll see some hilarious drunken antics…. {We won’t talk about the streaking around a hostel in Agnes Water after a competitive game of drunken Jenga!}.
Australia is FULL of hostels, in the majority of spots you will be spoilt for choice of good quality hostels in great locations, with awesome facilities, events and good value for money. We love hostels in aussie because you’ll bump into the same faces up/down the east coast and will become pals with a lot of legends!
The best hostels
Cairns
Hostel: Mad Monkey
Vibe: Super Social
About: Be prepared to have a lot of choice of hostels in Cairns, it’s a backpackers paradise {when you visit you’ll see} we’ve bounced around a few of the hostels and love Mad Monkey. It’s got a great social vibe with loads of events on in the huge outdoor bar area, we’re talking pub quiz, beer pong & they even have free pancakes for brekkie >> yewwwwwww!
Magnetic Island
Hostel: Base Magnetic
Vibe: Party
About: This little slice of paradise is a hostel like NO other, you’ll honestly be surprised that this place is a hostel. It is right on the beach with its own pool, huge bar, and the rooms are set in little huts in the lush tropical grounds.
This place is renowned for its awesome night time entertainment…. Boozy bingo being one of them, get involved and get up to the bar for happy hour or for some of the epic food. We offer an epic package that includes your return ferry transfer, 2 or 3 nights accom and we’ll even throw in a few vouchers yewwwwwww….
Airlie Beach
Hostel: Magnums
Vibe: Tropical party hostel
About: This place is set out in a jungle theme and each room is in a little shack, expect to see bush turkeys, parrots, possums and a couple of spiders around the place! This place is surprising because even though its chilled…. It has its own bar and nightclub attached to it which create some pretty hilarious nights before or after your Whitsundays trip!
Agnes Water/1770
Hostel: Cool Bananas
Vibe: The most chilled of all things chill
About: This is without a doubt one of RatPacks absolute faves when it comes to our vibe… This little surf town is abit of us and Cool Bananas hostel is all about that relaxed chilled pace, were talking hammocks everywhere, cosy common room, campfires with someone playing the guitar. The crew that work at this spot are legends and can help you organise surf lessons and how to see this epic little town.
Noosa
Hostel: Nomads
Vibe: Proper Party
About: The ultimate Fraser Island after party hostel… If you head out on the Nomads Fraser Island Tour, we can hook you up with $10 a night stays at this legendary spot in the heart of Noosa. By staying here before & after your trip, you’ll get extra time with the legends on your tour, we promise that you won’t want to miss the after party, at the Nomads very own bar KB’s.
The hostel is basic but is in a great spot and provides a good time!
Hostel: Flashpackers
Vibe: Luxury
About: This spot is epic and is for the flashpackers amongst us {clues in the name!}, you’ll be impressed by the up market quality of the facilities here and how awesome the crew are! The hostel is a beauty and has a pool, the best kitchen we’ve seen in a hostel and the room facilities are great. These guys have a shuttle bus from the bus station and they put on loads of events throughout the week inc. BBQ, cheese and wine, all you can eat pizza & movie nights.
Brisbane
Hostel: Summerhouse
Vibe: Super Social
About: Located just near the transit centre (roma street) is Summerhouse, we love this cosy hostel and not just because it has a rooftop with epic views of the city, they host so many events inc. BBQ, Cheese & Wine, Movie nights, Pub Crawl & even a talent show {rumour has it Miss Sophie Wilks won this one night…..}.
You’ll become part of the fam in this place and the location is awesome for exploring the city and the next neighbourhood Caxton, if you get time check out an event at the Suncorp Stadium just next door.
Surfers Paradise
Hostel: Bunk
Vibe: Super Social/ Party
About: This place is right next door to the greyhound so walking time is minimal yewwwwwwwww. This hostel is in the middle of Surfers Paradise and is super modern inside, each bed is a little pod so privacy is the one here.
The common area and pool is stylish and they hold events like BBQ, drinking games and you can get involved with a huge bar crawl with all the hostels in the town.
Byron Bay
Hostel: Backpackers Inn on the Beach
Vibe: Super Chill
About: This cruisy little spot is right on the main beach of Byron so if you want to get on the surf, enjoy being on the beach and be close to town then this is for you!
They have hammocks everywhere, a pool and its everything you’d hope to get from Byron Bay!
Hostel: Cape Byron YHA
Vibe: Super Chill
About: This spot is located right in the middle of town and a 3 minute walk from the beach. It has a real tropical chill vibe to it, the pool is surrounded by palm trees, hammocks and fairy lights >>> all about the Byron vibe.
These guys put on great events and make it really easy to meet others, they even do pancakes for brekky a couple of times a week.
Sydney
Hostel: Sydney Harbour YHA
Vibe: Epic views
About: You’ll be absolutely mind blown by the view from the rooftop of this hostel, you have the best view of the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, and Circular Quay, trust us you’ll get quite a few cracking panos up here!
This hostel is based on an archaeological site and caters for backpackers, families and groups, so expect a mixed crowd in this spot.
Hostel: Sydney Central YHA
Vibe: Super Social
About: This hostel has undergone a makeover and when it comes to a beautiful looking hostel this one fits the bill yewwwwwww.
You’ll love the look of this place, it even has a rooftop with a pool & sauna. You’ll also find a cinema with a free popcorn machine << that’s what we’re talking about!
The crew organise events such as BBQ, cheese and wine & pub crawls so you’ll make friends in no time!
Melbourne
Hostel: Space hotel
Vibe: Flashpacker central
About: If you like things a bit fancy and prepared to pay a little bit more then check out Space in the centre of Melbourne! This is the hostel of all hostels as it has a beautiful rooftop with the best views of the city with an 8 person hot tub, not only that but it has a legit cinema, gym and a hilarious bar downstairs. You’ll be really impressed by this spot and will find yourself keep extending and extending……
About the Author: Sammy
with RatPack Travel?
5-Star Google Rated
From our RatPackers
Ryan did an amazing job and guided me through the alternatives of different campervan rentals and helped me to find what suits me for my trip
Planning a huge trip is always a daunting experience but George managed to make the whole experience stress free and enjoyable. Everything from start to finish was personal and easy! Booking with RatPack is like being on the phone to a mate. Super informative, really friendly and we got an amazing deal. All you can ask for really. Thank you RatPack!
Huge thank you to RatPack Travel! We left it pretty late to book our campervan for Tassie and couldn't find many affordable options ourselves. I spoke to Gregg from RatPack on Whatsapp and within 10 minutes he had found us a great vehicle at an amazing price. We've just landed in Hobart and found out we've been upgraded to an even better van at the same price!! Will definitely be recommending RatPack to everyone I know who is planning to travel and see Australia the proper way! Thank you Gregg! ❤️
My booking experience was such a pleasure and quite unique. I assumed I’d be dealing with computer generated prompts but instead had 2 calls with the lovely Anna who worked with our tricky time difference (I’m in Qatar) . Within 24 hours she secured me a great deal on the van that would work best for me. Can’t wait for my December adventure and couldn’t recommend RatPack Travel enough!!
Ryan was very helpful top bloke 👍👍
Super schnelle und gleichzeitig sehr persönliche Abwicklung der Buchung. Anna war sehr freundlich und bei Fragen stets erreichbar. Macht das buchen super easy, sehr guter Service!
I had an incredible experience renting a van with them for my road trip in New Zealand. Ben was exceptionally helpful and made the whole process smooth and enjoyable. We had a pleasant chat, and they were accommodating when I needed to make changes to my booking. Highly recommend this rental company for anyone exploring New Zealand! Can’t wait to get in the road.
Cannot recommend these guys enough!! We recently booked our 3 week holiday in NZ. We would be lying if we said the process of looking for a motorhome/campervan was easy. We spent days tossing up options that hardly met our budget. After a few days of stressing out like a pair of lunatics we came across RatPack Travel, lo and behold they were the saviours we desperately needed! We hopped on a call with Chris and got chatting. Within the hour we locked in a spacious motorhome (with insurance) that met our budget - WE’RE SO STOKED!! We wholeheartedly recommend RatPack Travel to any future holiday makers out there looking for a fast, reliable and friendly service! THANK YOU CHRIS!!! ❤️🔥
Haven't started my journey yet so can't say much but so far the customer service specifically from Ben has been incredible and he was able to find me a great deal and I'm very excited.
A huge thanks to George and Jenna for a great service! Kind, accomodating, and effective!
Anna has been really helpful and made sure I got the best deal for my last minute booking. She made it really easy as I had nothing to do, except for answer questions and review the details to confirm the booking. She was very professional and also answered my questions and gave me tips. The service is free for users as they get paid by the rental company. Thank you to Sammy and Tammy as well for finding a solution for me :). Will recommend your services.
Super helpful and friendly staff. They helped me plan an adventure with my dog in a rental camper and got the best deals. Thank you Ryan F and RatPack.
George was super helpful. He got us the absolute best deal and saved us so much money on our van!
Gregg was great to work with! Made the process so smooth and effortless!
These guys are lifesavers! Needed to book a van for ten days right before arriving in Australia and they did all the heavy lifting finding the van! Huge thank you to Anna for being incredibly friendly and helpful - RatPack is the best!
