Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
Another post, another thought.
I usually like to stay at hostels when I travel. It is, in my opinion, the best way to see a new country, meet other travellers, and save on costs. I have loved most hostels I have stayed at, even the grottier ones.
But one thing I cannot travel without nowadays, is a pair of earplugs. Besides a passport which is crucial, and money without which travel is impossible, I think a pair of earplugs can be added to the repertoire as well. In most cases, if you are travelling in Asia, no matter how nice your hotel room is, you are going to be stuck in a situation where you have to put on some earplugs and let go of all of the numerous noises that are filtering in from the outside.
Roosters crowing at all hours of the day, the noise of honking traffic and souped up cars and motorbikes that are way too loud, drunk people yelling and singing, the sounds of people having sex way too loudly, temples bells' ringing and chanting, and so much more.
If you are a light sleeper like I am, and it's hard enough to stay asleep after you fall asleep, then, you need to be careful to ensure nothing disturbs your sleep. Earplugs are the key in this situation, even if they might fall out during the night, a pair of silicone foam earplugs are the best things on this planet.
Put them on and sleep like a baby. No noise on the planet can get through them. And a bit of background noise is always good for sleep. It's the Goldilocks rule - too much noise is too much, too little noise is too little, we need something just right.
That's my recommendation, especially for newbie travellers. Earplugs are cheap. But they are literally the best things you are going to purchase before you go off on your travelling sojourn.
Let me know how it goes for you.
Travel is the elixir of life for me and I couldn't possibly live without it. I wonder if it's the same for you?