Which Bunk? Sydney Harbour YHA, Sydney, Australia

Since this blog is primarily about travel, and in particular budget travel, I thought I would begin a series of entries about hostels and my reviews of them.

When I first started travelling the globe  on my own dime when I was 22, I had just finished university and though I had worked three jobs to buy my round the world ticket and fund my overseas adventures, I still was by no means rich. So I decided that I would, for the majority of my time away, bunk down in hostels to save some dough. By now, at age 28, I have stayed in close to forty hostels all over Australia and the world and can definitely tell you a thing or two about #hostellife.

 

Yup, that's me!

And so begins the first in what I hope is a very long and ever returning series of blog posts I have decided to title ‘Which Bunk?’. Today’s entry will be about one of my favourite hostels in Australia – Sydney Harbour YHA (check out their official page at http://www.yha.com.au/hostels/nsw/sydney-surrounds/sydney-harbour/ )

I have stayed at this hostel at least a dozen times over the years, and now, as a commuter, whenever I want to be near the pulsing heart of Sydney, I book myself in here the night before I jet off on a trip for work. The location of the Sydney Harbour YHA – on Cumberland Street in The Rocks, Sydney’s historic maritime heaven of a suburb - could not be more perfect. It is so close to the harbour you can practically feel the chug chug chugging of the ferries and the pittering pattering nerves of the bridge climbers in your bones. The location is simply top notch.

A first timer to this hostel might see on a map that it is incredibly close to Circular Quay Station and think it’s even more perfect than it looks online. This is one point I have to warn my readers of though – it is close to Circular Quay train station, and for the budget savvy traveller this is ultra-convenient, especially with the tourist friendly train network that Sydney has, but one thing I want you to remember is that The Rocks is hilly. Not just hilly, but full of stairs. Old, steep, wheeze inducing stairs. And the rest of it is intricately paved, cobblestone-y streets. It’s the most beautiful suburb but let me tell you from experience, lugging a 25kg suitcase up those stairs – which you will do if you walk from Circular Quay station to the hostel – is no fun. Alternatively you can walk from Wynyard station, which has less stairs but just as many hills.

But upon arrival all your grunting and huffing and puffing up the stairs will be worth it when you see what a gem this hostel is. Open only since 2009, the hostel is still new enough to sparkle, and everything is in good working order, modern and not worn down by decades of travelling folk using and abusing its facilities.

The hostel is set a top an archaeological dig site, so wave hello to the children on school excursions that you will undoubtedly see almost any day of the week. Head on inside and rejoice at the sight of a lift – only true backpackers can understand the heavenly luxury of having a lift in your hostel! – and then, on the first level an airy and open reception area that branches off into a massive kitchen and dining area. On another branch on this floor you can also find toilets and showers (a god send for those who need them before you’re allowed to check in or after you’ve already checked out), a room full of lockers of varying sizes for hire and walls upon walls upon walls of brochures and information every backpacker will want to have a scan over.

But let’s get down to the nitty gritty shall we? You want to know if the rooms have bed bugs and if the bathrooms are clean and if this is a party hostel or not right? Well the answers to those questions are no, yes and no, in that order. This hostel is pretttttyyyy big, so accommodates large groups as well as solo travellers. It is not uncommon to come across school groups, girl guides and big families. Since the ages of guests staying here varies so much, Sydney Harbour YHA is not really a party hostel. It’s pretty tame and relatively quiet (unless you get those school groups screeching around in the hallway outside your dorm late at night, which does happen) and if you’re looking for fun wild times with your dorm mates, I’d head down to Bondi or somewhere instead.

You can book a variety of sizes of rooms, but I have only stayed in 4 bed or 6 bed dorms myself. These are pretty spacious, and each bed comes with its own locker (easily big enough for even the biggest of suitcases/backpacks AND with a power outlet inside so you can charge your phone or camera without worrying it’s going to be stolen) and a little lamp and power outlet right next to your pillow. The best part though, is that all rooms have their own private bathroom. This isn’t anything grand or huge, but it still means you don’t have to leave your dorm and tramp down the hall or to another floor entirely to use the loo or have a shower. And again, because this hostel is so new the bathrooms aren’t grotty. Think glass walled showers and enough hooks and rails on the walls for everyone.

The six bed dorm - the other bunk is just out of
shot to the right

 

I have never come across bedbugs at any hostels I’ve stayed at (thank god!), but I do believe by 2015 most hostels have stamped them out with the forbidding of the use of sleeping bags, and by upping the prices of your stay so that they can afford to provide you with newer linens and mattresses. A few fellow backpackers have told me of places they’ve stayed that had bed bugs and I have always found these to be in out of the way places, old and very, very cheap. If the price for a bed in a hostel dorm seems to be too good and too cheap to be true…well, there’s a reason for that. Get my drift?

Also on offer at Sydney Harbour YHA is a previously mentioned kitchen – well equipped and organised (and with a free food fridge – every poor travellers favourite thing!), internet, laundry facilities and a TV room. By far the best part though (along with the in dorm bathrooms and killer location of course) is the roof top terrace. Head on up here and relax on a sun lounge, eat your breakfast or dinner at one of the picnic tables or simply stand at the railing and take in the stunning view. Both the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge are visible from the rooftop (yes there’s a reason they sell New Years Eve packages at this hostel!) and it’s almost as good as walking the miniscule five minutes down those stairs again and seeing these famous feats of architecture up even closer!

 

So backpacker friends, this hostel gets 5 stars from moi. It is so close to so many of Sydney’s attractions, the facilities the hostel provides are of a very high standard and there are no bedbugs. What more could you ask for? It may cost you a bit more per night than other hostels in Sydney, but let me tell you, there are no cockroaches in the showers (unlike SOME Sydney hostels!) so it’s worth it.

 

Have you ever stayed here? Leave a comment and let me know! Don't forget you can follow me on Instagram @brindabella24 and Twitter @Brindabella24 !

Jorgs
 

PS - while you're at this hostel, walk the 3 blocks
towards the harbour and get some pancakes from
Pancakes On The Rocks - they're amaze!