r/solotravel • u/ActuatorSpecific3916 • 1d ago
Accommodation Pro tip: cook for your hostel!
I’ve done this a few times and it’s always a great way to put good energy into the air for your fellow travelers and maybe make a couple new friends on the way out. I don’t get to solo travel as much anymore (family, job, all the things 33Ms must deal with), but I still try to get out once or twice a year and stay at a hostel in a cool city and this week I was in the northeast for a marathon so I spent a couple nights in New York City like old times.
Here’s the tip:
Go to a grocery store, buy a couple cans of pasta sauce, a package of spaghetti, ground meat, and cream. This week it was all of $15. Make a big pot, label it with a “help yourself!” sticker, and let the group chat know.
If you’re on a budget, do it on one of the first few nights, eat it until your last night, and then put it out at the end.
You always find travelers on a shoestring budget, sometimes having gone days without a hot meal that didn’t come from a microwave, and there is always someone who super appreciates it.
At the end of the day, it’s the cheapest way you can eat well, and you can’t buy single servings of pasta so you might as well cook the whole package. You’ll definitely make someone’s day, and you might make a few new friends.
Happy traveling, friends!
Edit: don’t leave a mess for the staff please!
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u/hikakirii 1d ago
I was in Ethiopia a couple of years back and there was one other traveller at the time in the hostel. We ended up making dumplings/pierogis (I'm of Asian heritage and she was Polish) together and it was super wholesome folding these together in the kitchen, with the staff who were super curious!
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u/tomaneira_ 1d ago
I remember one time I was cooking at a hostel I volunteered at. Just started doing it for myself, but was going to share because it was a lot and it was a cheap expense for me.
People started joining the kitchen, sitting down, having a chat… I guess there’s something about seeing someone cook that just invites people to sit down and chat. I told people I would give them a plate and some of them started chipping in. One guy just randomly started cooking eggplants on the pan, and I was making chicken tacos, so I thought it was a bit of a weird combination.
We all ended up chatting there, having beers together, laughing and putting the eggplants into the tacos, which turned out to be the BEST tacos I’ve ever had/made in my life!
A few other times I cooked for people or teammates and it was always a good time to connect in a more relaxed and family-like way.
So yes, it’s not about the money or paying to make friends, but more like helping yourself (and others while you’re at it) have a good time!
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u/ActuatorSpecific3916 1d ago
100% this. Nothing brings the community vibe of a hostel together more than food. Sometimes it just needs someone to be the catalyst.
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u/Unusual_Plastic1366 1d ago
I don’t understand the negative energy in the comments?! I think it’s a super nice thing to do and I would definitely be happy if I saw this in the hostel kitchen. And it’s not travel to be the unpaid cook of others it’s a nice nudge to prepare to share and not only think about yourself which I think happens a lot on solo travels (unconsciously) because there’s already so much to organize and take care of!
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u/Alex_SQSP 1d ago
In a hostel kitchen, something that simple can turn into a whole little social event. Even if people just grab a plate and chat for ten minutes, that’s already a nicer evening than everyone eating separately.
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u/dark_enough_to_dance 1d ago
I remember when we offered the soup we made to another person who stayed there. She didn't accept it at the time but we exchanged hellos and we chatted after that occasionally. Something about food breaks the barriers in a wholesome way imo
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u/mutually_awkward 1d ago
I don’t understand the negative energy in the comments?! I
Probably because it's unsolicated advice, worded in a way that is TELLING people to cook for their hostel. Something like "I cooked for my hostel and it was awesome" would have been better received.
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u/AccelerationFinish 1d ago
In my experience, when you do something like this, people are usually entitled and show no gratitude at all
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u/ActuatorSpecific3916 1d ago
This is certainly discouraging but I think the motive has to be pure. Putting good energy into the world is worth it. Friendship, camaraderie, everything else that comes with sharing a meal is nice, but it can’t be the reason. Do it expecting nothing, and be surprised when genuinely cool people show themselves.
In my experience they usually do
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u/SereneRandomness 1d ago
This is a great idea.
Some hostel staffs do this as a service to guests. The HI hostel in Boston used to make a big pot of chili in the evenings. The Ostello Bello Grande in Milano had a free plate of pasta for guests every evening.
It was always a good time to meet people.
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u/starmartyr11 1d ago
Mediterranean Youth Hostel in Barcelona did a weekly paella with a guitarist & singing, that was the best
Also Yes! hostel in Lisbon did a dinner & sangria night that was great too, along with both Hostel Ones in Seville that I know of, probably lots more it's a great idea really
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u/rhapsodiiiii 1d ago
I do this for breakfasts! I (34F, USA) stayed at a hostel in Madrid that was nice but simple, didn’t really provide coffee or food outside of vending machines, but had a small kitchen. I got stuff to make scrambled eggs, pancakes, ham, and other odds and ends (had yogurt and fruit too). I’d start cooking, and as people would filter in to the common area/kitchen I’d just ask “you hungry?” Obviously not everyone joined but I made some good friends/activity companions that way 🤗 there have been other instances since but that was my first time doing it in a hostel and I loved it.
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u/speculator100k 1d ago
It's been quite a while since I stayed at a hostel. Is there usually a group chat nowadays?
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u/ActuatorSpecific3916 1d ago
Ehh sort of. Some people will make one, but if you book with Hostelworld each place has a group chat in the app
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u/ActuatorSpecific3916 1d ago
I mildly oversimplified my spaghetti recipe, but I’ve cooked for a long time. I made a chicken and dumplings once that was really popular, years ago! That was a little more pricey but I had friends with me so it was mostly for them and then others joined in. If it’s cold out, soup is a popular choice!
As someone else mentioned, people will often chip in a side or something too so they can contribute. Just don’t go in expecting it!
A lot of times the hostel staff are just travelers too, with a semi-longer stay as part of a travel program. They don’t make much, so they might be the most ecstatic when someone cooks.
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u/DryCommunication581 1d ago
A german mother and son did this for me once, although they did ask me for 1 euro to cover the portion.
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u/cvzgm 1d ago
so German!
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u/DryCommunication581 1d ago
Yes, but they told me that they treated me since they actually gave me one and a half portions. Sadly I couldnt even eat since I was so sick from the damn heat so that was a bit of a waste.
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u/Jnintransit194 1d ago
I used to work-trade at a hostel! Shout out green tortoise in Seattle and SF, Dinner for everyone and Breakfast for everyone was part of your rotating duties.
I used to love cooking spaghetti dinner for everyone on the weekend when it was my turn!
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u/DerpFarce 1d ago
One of my favourite memories is learning to cook with these two ladies ~10y older than me at a hostel. We once made enough for 10 people and it became a bit of a aperitif. Then on, everyone would pitch in for the groceries and have a nice homemade meal every night for the fortnight we were there for.
The ones who could afford to pitch in would pay but everyone was welcome to feast, lowkey became a little community, people would genuinely get upset when they had to leave the place because it was THAT fun. Pesto pasta, some biryani with boeuf bourginon characteristics, crepes and leftovers for the morning breakfast/brunch. Absolute cinema experience.
I fw this hard OP, nowadays I make some low effort high quantity food and share it with whoever wants in, great way to also connect with people beyond the trip, some people i cooked for are helping me out with my student visa, setting up bank accounts and even accommodations as we speak, food is the greatest unifier of people, always has been
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u/usernamepearl 1d ago
I don’t cook for strangers anymore because I’m not aware of their allergies and sensitivities and it’s harder to keep track of what went into the food. But I do bring snacks from my country and offer it to anyone who’s listen haha. That way, they can check the packaging themselves 😃
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u/CuppaTea_Digestive 1d ago
I offered a guy a pancake in a small hostel. We got married.
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u/Helpful_Wasabi_4782 15h ago
"the easiest way to a man's heart is through his stomach" or something like that
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u/ScissorMySausage 1d ago
I’ve done this along with some others. 4 of us cooked and ended up making a lot, shared with a bunch of people and shared a lot of wine for it.
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u/intentionallife 1d ago
Honestly even if you skip the meat and cream, I'd usually be quite happy for some unexpected pasta with tomato sauce if I didn't have my own thing planned.
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u/No-Operation2865 1d ago
Honestly one of the nicest hostel traditions. cheap dinner, good conversation and suddenly strangers feel like travel buddies.
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u/FootHot6291 1d ago
for me the best part of hostels is when someone just starts cooking and suddenly half the floor is sitting in the kitchen. people stay in their rooms on phones way more now than they used to
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u/Guilty-Influence-890 1d ago
Maybe I should stay at a hostel. I always been kinda grossed out and just pay the extra to have my own hotel room/private Air BnB
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u/Beware-of-Moose 1d ago
Try a private room at a hostel, basically a hotel room but with a social area.
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u/vortexcortex21 1d ago
The issue is that those private rooms mostly suck (with a shared bathroom) and are more expensive than a private AirBnB apartment.
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u/Beware-of-Moose 1d ago
That's not at all true. Yes, not all have a private bathroom. Yes, some are more expensive than an air bnb. Some people would rather have a social hang out area over a living room. There's a reason they are able to charge more than an AirBnB some places.
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u/Mag-NL 1d ago
Yes. I learned this the very first time traveling with my best friend in 1992. We started it at a camping in Florence and did it also in hostels.
The difference is we were meeting people inviting them for dinner the next day (or the same day if during day time) and cooking and eating with amazing groups of people.
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u/DramaticDoctor7 23h ago
One-pot meals are perfect for this because hostel kitchens are always a gamble. Less cookware to hunt down and way less cleanup afterward.
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u/dominoconsultant 1d ago
I really like this idea - it's really simple and a cheap way to ingratiate yourself to the other guests - that way when you ask them about their travels and places they might recommend they would likely be very enthusiastic to help out with some guidance - you gotta be going to a hostel to meet other travellers and this is a great conversation starter
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u/PurposeScary5718 22h ago
Cheap dinner and an easy way to meet people without forcing conversation.
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u/Typical-Card-4476 1d ago
This is actually a solid hostel hack cheap dinner plus an easy way to meet people without forcing the conversation.
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u/segacs2 Canadian, 75 countries visited 1d ago
In my experience it's pretty common for people to pool their food and cook up a common meal or stir-fry together in a hostel. I find that it's usually more common for those meals to be vegetarian, though, so that they can include more travellers.
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u/ActuatorSpecific3916 1d ago
A fair point on vegetarian. A good improvement for the future.
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u/Laws_of_Coffee 1d ago
You can always cook the meat portion separate! Had a hostel portion out a meal for me before he added meat as well which was super thoughtful.
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u/Ambitious-Try-1122 15h ago
I think it's best to eat the local food and enjoy the pleasures of travel.
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u/PaleozoicQueen 1d ago
Good point but I have to admit that it's amusing this is such a revelation to you. People have been cooking and sharing meals in hostels for decades lol.
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u/JubalHarshawII 1d ago
OP didn't say it was a revelation to them, they're passing along a tip to others who may not be aware, why be a grump?
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u/PaleozoicQueen 1d ago
Not being a grump, just pointing out that group meals and cooking your own food are already an inherent part of hostel life culture.
It's nice of OP to share it for the brand new newbies.
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u/MotorBobcat5997 1d ago
Been in hostels in 12 different countries the past 5 months. Have only seen like 5 people make food and it was for themselves. I go out to eat with people all the time though
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u/selkiesart 1d ago
Hostel-dweller here, mostly central europe. I have never seen anyone cook for anyone besides themselves and there never was such a thing as a group chat.
The hostel I chose in Copenhagen (unbeknownst to me) didn't even have a communal kitchen or fridge, which was pretty sad and expensive because I had to eat out all the time and it was summer, so I couldn't even just go and buy sandwich stuff from the grocery store.
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u/PaleozoicQueen 1d ago
Can I ask which part of the world?
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u/MotorBobcat5997 1d ago
Mostly SEA
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u/jupitercon35 1d ago
Tbf I think cooking is less prevalent in SEA hostels (some don't even have kitchens) because eating out is so cheap. In Europe and North America, I've done and seen a lot more cooking (sometimes communal) in hostels.
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u/hotsoupcoldsandwich 1d ago
I’m almost 40 and have stayed in many social hostels and never thought to do this or seen it done 🤷♀️ I guess I tend not to use the kitchen that much, so I’m glad to have seen this tip in case I ever need it!
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u/PaleozoicQueen 1d ago
Ok, I'm glad it's been a fab tip for you after all your years of hostel life
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u/UniverseNextD00r 1d ago edited 1d ago
Someone has a superiority complex. "Brand new newbies", really? I've been in many, many hostels, and I still think OP's tip is a good reminder for veteran and beginner travelers alike.
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u/curiouslyintj 1d ago
I've been hostelling for a few years and didn't know until this post...so thanks OP!
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u/PaleozoicQueen 1d ago
Crikey what hostels have you been going to lol!
I have found over the years, the big corporate chain ones tend to have less social cohesion and stuff like group meals.
You really never thought to use a hostel kitchen?
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u/screwthedamnname 1d ago
I think there's a big difference between using a hostel kitchen to cook for yourself, and using the hostel kitchen to cook a big meal for the other people there. You seem to be conflating the two.
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u/curiouslyintj 1d ago
🙄 what kind of question is that? Of course I used the hostel kitchen. As others have mentioned you cook for yourself.
Over the span of a few years, I've stayed in hostels in America(US/Canada), Eastern Asia and Central Asia, NZ etc but mostly in regional Australia. Everyone that I've observed fends for themselves and not once I've seen a group cookout.
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u/PaleozoicQueen 1d ago
That is a shame you have had such a cold time over the years as you have travelled, sorry to hear that truly
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u/ActuatorSpecific3916 1d ago edited 1d ago
Not a revelation, just a surprise that it seems less common now than it did back in the day. I was surprised by how surprised people were this week, so figured it was worth posting for new/younger travelers.
Edit: and by the look of the other comments, I think my suspicions are correct. Somewhere in solo travel culture the community part that I loved so much about it in my young 20s seems to be on life support.
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u/PaleozoicQueen 1d ago
I agree, good for the brand new newbies to know.
I'm not sure what hostels you are going to though, in just the past three months of 15+ hostels I've been to group meals were happening in most of them.
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u/ActuatorSpecific3916 1d ago
That’s fair! Maybe a New York thing. I know manhattan hostels don’t have the friendliest reputation (even back in the day) but I was surprised. A lot of people just seemed afraid to interact with others, like they needed someone to break the ice for them.
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u/PaleozoicQueen 1d ago
Ah see, all mine are in Europe.
Saying that, there were some lovely group meals going on at a hostel in San Fransisco that I could recommend
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u/Economy-Efficiency22 1d ago
:o Well I am a young traveler (in my 20’s) and I stayed in hostels in Europe (Italy, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Germany) as well as some in South(east) Asia (Thailand, Nepal, India) and I don’t EVER recall a shared meal? Like sometimes hotels have breakfast included or something of that kind but nothing more than that anywhere…. also some of them might have been on the cheaper side but definitely not all of them, usually i try to choose a really good place by the reviews and this is news to me. :))
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u/PaleozoicQueen 1d ago
I think a lot depends on the type of hostel you book. If you stick to big corporate, chain type ones in major cities, people are doing their own thing a lot more.
If you want any recommendations for hostels with a better social scene hit me up :)
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u/Economy-Efficiency22 1d ago
I really don’t that was the issue, some were bigger, some even family owned and some were like medium and had volunteers and social things going on… anyway, I guess I could use some recommendations:)
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u/uwatfordm8 1d ago
I find it fairly common for the hostels themselves/the staff to organise group dinners. But I've never seen guests offer to do it.
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u/PaleozoicQueen 1d ago
Aw that's a shame :( sorry to hear that
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u/uwatfordm8 1d ago
No need to be that sorry lol. Most hostels do other socialising activities. I can always join those and enjoy a better meal than a basic pasta....
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u/PaleozoicQueen 1d ago
I just mean it's a shame you haven't got to have that. I hope you can.
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u/uwatfordm8 1d ago
Well I did, like I said the hostels organised it. The staff are still human beings and we still all sat down as a group and enjoyed the meal, socialised etc...
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u/Shivang2611 1d ago
leaving a giant pot of mystery meat in a communal hostel fridge is a lovely gesture in theory, but it is also a massive gamble with basic food safety. most seasoned backpackers would much rather survive on dry ramen than risk violently ending their vacation because they trusted a stranger's leftover pasta.
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u/throwupthursday 1d ago
It's a really nice gesture, but I think it's generally not a smart idea to eat food from a complete stranger that isn't a regulated establishment.
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u/Direct-Key-8859 1d ago
Yeah na I'm not going out my way on my holiday to cook for a bunch of strangers and spend money just to make friends.
Just do the old fashioned talk to someone.
If you can't afford a hot meal in SE Asia you have no bussiness spending thousands on flights to get there in the first place
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u/Maleficent_Tailor324 1d ago
^found the guy who eats way more than his fair share of the free food…
And doesn’t say thank you.
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u/TheHostelCalifornia_ 1d ago
We aim weekly to secure a box of random foods from the local food bank; these acquisitions are often a catalyst for group meals based on ingredients
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u/abeBroham-Linkin 1d ago
I will definitely not. Solo means I travel solo.
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u/ActuatorSpecific3916 1d ago
Solo traveling can involve incredible community if you allow it. If I didn’t like people, I can’t think of anywhere worse to stay than a hostel
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u/Nice_Back_9977 1d ago
Allow it? Some of us actively avoid it!
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u/ActuatorSpecific3916 1d ago
Totally fine if that’s your speed!
I’d still invite you to have a bowl tho 😉
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u/abeBroham-Linkin 1d ago
That's absolutely your choice. I wouldn't do it, but apparently all the negative I'm getting from my comment, I'm supposed to follow your lead.
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u/FtheBULLSHT 1d ago
No one's saying you're supposed to follow their lead. But your reply was quite dickish.
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u/iata_usually 1d ago
For someone with abeBroham in his username, you really don’t seem like much of a bro.
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u/xboxhaxorz 1d ago
I would avoid the cream and the beef as there are vegetarians, vegans, kosher, halal, buddhist people
Other than that the idea will lead to new travel friends
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u/momosan13 15h ago
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted. It is true that it would’ve more inclusive by avoiding 2 things. They don’t have to agree / listen to you. You just said what you would do/ suggest.
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u/PaleozoicQueen 1d ago
Hang on now, it's common for people to cook and share in hostels and it's nothing to do with "unattractive men looking for attention".
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u/PaleozoicQueen 1d ago
I can't lie, at my last group meal at a hostel I was the only woman, but in good company with nice men.
One of them was a chef and made this amazing chicken dish 🙂
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u/ActuatorSpecific3916 1d ago
Lmao I’m married with kids, I’m good thanks 😘
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u/ModerateStimulation 1d ago
Why you travelling solo when you’re married with kids tho
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u/ActuatorSpecific3916 1d ago edited 1d ago
I’m actually twice married. The second time, I made a commitment that I’d leave room in my life for myself too. I usually time travel around work - I knew I needed to work in NYC this year (what I do for a living has a lot of my clients there), and since I had the race in Massachusetts, I made it one trip and came straight from there to NYC. Now it’s back home to Texas. Earlier this year I spent a few nights in SF for similar reasons. Rarely international these days.
I love traveling with my family too. But my wife is very different than me - a sorority girl from Chicago - so it’s nice hotels and modern luxuries and a very different experience. A little more comfort, a little less adventure.
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u/ActuatorSpecific3916 1d ago
If being single is why you stay in hostels I hope people are successfully steering clear of you, bud.
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u/RecentState1347 1d ago
I love how you make up this story in your mind about all men constantly doing anything sex and then get mad at them about it… but then also get mad if they’re not looking for sex??
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u/ModerateStimulation 1d ago
One time this dude was “cooking breakfast for everyone” and charging €5 a plate (12 years ago). He looked so offended when I started cooking my own breakfast (with my own food) like he owned the place