Jolly Boys- and my two cents on hostels.

When our bus finally pulled into Livingstone that first night, I was ecstatic. Twelve hours on an African bus is no pleasure cruise.

We piled off, slung our backpacks on, and found a place to sleep for the duration of our stay in Livingstone. I was quite pleased with what we ended up with.

Jolly Boys. It was a hostel/campsite place that offered cheap, decent accommodations and rather expensive (considering what it cost to eat outside of the hostel) but delicious breakfasts. I think I ordered the french toast twice, and I wasn't ever disappointed. I slept in a bed in a co-ed dorm-style room the first night, camped the next two nights. Slept great for all three. 

They did a nice job of keeping the place looking nice. Plus, it had a lot of great spaces where you could just relax.

The Commons Area--
i.e. where I finished The Help (great book).

Spent a lot of time on these stools too. 

I actually really enjoyed staying there. I've never minded staying in hostels. To be completely honest, I kind of like hostels. Obviously, some are better than others--do your research and you'll almost always end up at a semi-decent place.

Here's why hostels are so cool. I like the kind of people who stay in hostels. Obviously, there's always going to be a few nutjobs, but usually, hostels are full of friendly, adventurous people. They also tend to be budget-conscious and practical. And they're never hesitant to give you tips on what to do/what not to do/what to watch out for/where to prioritize. It's easy to exchange stories, make friends. It's nice-- makes traveling a lot more interesting and fun.

Sharing a room with ten to twenty other people is honestly not that bad. For the most part, I've found that people are very considerate. It probably doesn't hurt though that I have no problem falling asleep and staying asleep. Headphones are nice, if you've got them.

Bathrooms are always an interesting factor. Some are pretty nice, others are pretty gross-I just try to get in and get out as fast as possible. Whatever. If you have flip flops and hand sanitizer you'll probably feel better about everything bathroom related.

I've never had anything stolen while in a hostel. I usually lock my luggage shut and then lock my pack to the bedframe, especially if I'm leaving it and there aren't any lockers. I sleep with valuables in my sleeping bag. I don't flaunt anything. You know, the basics. It's fine. If you're staying in a hostel, you're probably not carrying a lot that's super valuable to begin with anyways.

Hostels are simple. Not fussy. But they've got the basics. And that's all you're paying for, which I like. Who cares about the coffeemaker and the blowdryer anyways?

As far as I'm concerned, hostels are great- it's the kind of stuff cheap travel is made of. Even in Livingstone, Africa.

I know, I know.
It's cheesy, I'm cheesy- it's true.

To be quite honest, I wish there were more of them here in the States.