Suresh Sampath stayed in hostels during her summer 1998 trip through Mexico. But one mistake in Isla de Mujeres left Sampath without any Kodak memories from his six weeks of traveling.
“I got my camera stolen with all the film,” he said.
Sampath said he felt safe at the hostels where he stayed, but he recommended that travelers use a locker with a lock to secure their belongings, instead of making his mistake and not safeguarding their possessions.
“It’s your fellow tourists that are more likely to rob you,” he said.
But the University senior said staying in hostels has a number of benefits — from inexpensive accommodations to meeting fellow travelers and going with them on daily excursions.
The International Resource Center, located in the EMU’s International Lounge, will be offering a “World Travel 101 Workshop” for interested novices and experienced travelers alike to learn about safety and travel tips. The presentation, which begins at 7 p.m., will be hosted by volunteers Talbot Wallace and David Schargel with Hostelling International — American Youth Hostels.
Schargel said hostels within the United States are one of the “best kept secrets” in the U.S. travel industry, but he said the presentation will address more than just hostels and what they have to offer.
“The ‘Travel 101’ workshop is about how to stretch your travel budget,” Schargel said, adding that the free workshop will identify the basics about passports and visas, as well as how to pack, what to bring and personal safety.
“It’s not just wearing a money belt,” said Schargel, 37, who also serves as a historian leading walking tours in Portland.
He said Wallace will supplement the presentation with pictures and equipment he used on a one-year trip around the world, from which he recently returned.
The presenters will address how to reserve a cheap flight and transportation tips such as exchanging money in the United States before heading to a foreign country.
“We’ll go over how to be a responsible traveler — how Americans should behave in other countries,” he said.
There are more than 4,500 HI-AYH hostels in 34 countries, which all must meet a certified style by providing accommodations such as lockers, private rooms and a shared kitchen.
Schargel said hostels were originally intended to be used by youths, orientated toward education, but now they house travelers of all ages.
“Reservations are highly recommended during the summer months,” he said.
However, travelers should prepare for any surprises, such as off-season festivals. In November while traveling in Germany, Schargel said a traveler could probably find a hostel to stay at without a reservation, but during Oktoberfest in October, it’s simply not possible.
International Resource Center Coordinator Anne Williams said a “revolution of travel” has changed with the Internet, and now reservations at hostels can be made completely online.
Larry Neal is a member of the HI-AYH’s board of directors as well as an associate professor in the Office of the Provost. Neal said he’ll be bringing his “Exploring Leisure” class, in the Human Development Department, to the informal workshop.
“It’s a way of alerting students to the expertise in the world of inexpensive, clean travel destinations,” he said.
Williams said students can also visit the IRC for more information about traveling and the related international programs offered on campus by visiting http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~irc or calling 346-0887.