When I first arrived in Australia, I didn’t think twice about booking mixed dorms. I’d stayed in hostels before, they were usually the cheapest option, and when you’re backpacking on a budget every dollar counts. Female-only dorms were often a little more expensive, so I convinced myself it wasn’t worth paying extra.

After spending nearly 2 months backpacking Australia and staying in both mixed and female-only dorms, my opinion completely changed.

If you’re wondering which one to choose, here’s my honest experience.

Why I booked mixed dorms

The answer is simple: money.

Sometimes there was only a $5 difference, other times it was closer to $15 or $20 a night. Over several months of travelling, that adds up quickly.

I told myself I’d rather save that money for experiences instead.

And to be clear, I never had any horror stories in mixed dorms. Nobody made me feel unsafe and most of the people I shared rooms with were lovely.

But I slowly realised that choosing the cheapest dorm wasn’t always giving me the best backpacking experience.

I always slept better in female-only dorms

This was probably the biggest difference I noticed. Whenever I stayed in a female-only dorm, I genuinely slept better. Maybe I just got lucky, but they always seemed quieter and more relaxed.

People were generally more considerate when coming back after a night out, there seemed to be fewer people crashing around at 2am and —although this definitely isn’t scientific—I encountered far less snoring.

When you’re moving every few days and spending most of your time exploring, getting a good night’s sleep becomes far more valuable than saving a few dollars.

Looking back, I think I underestimated how much your hostel room affects your overall trip.

Making friends felt much easier

One thing I hadn’t expected was how much easier it was to meet people in female-only dorms.

As a solo female traveller, I found there were usually more women travelling alone than there were solo men in mixed dorms. That meant conversations happened naturally. Someone would ask if you wanted to grab breakfast, head to the beach, do a hostel activity or cook dinner together. Some of the nicest people I met in Australia were women I shared female dorms with.

Of course, you can absolutely make friends in mixed dorms too—I did—but I found the female dorms naturally attracted other solo travellers looking to connect.

Are mixed dorms unsafe?

In my experience, no.

This is something I worried about before I arrived in Australia, but I honestly never felt unsafe because I was staying in a mixed dorm. However, I did do things to make myself feel safer. For example I always chose the top bunk as it made me feel safer being higher up out of harms way.

Australian hostels generally felt well-managed, social and full of other backpackers (although less than I’d hope which I talk more about here).

That doesn’t mean every hostel is perfect, and everyone’s experience will be different, but safety wasn’t necessarily the reason I ended up preferring female-only dorms.

It simply came down to comfort.

Is paying extra worth it?

At the time, I would have said no. Now, I’d probably say yes.

When you’re budgeting for a long backpacking trip, it’s tempting to choose the cheapest option every single time. But sometimes paying an extra $10 a night can genuinely improve your experience. Better sleep. A more comfortable environment. More opportunities to meet other solo female travellers.

Looking back, there were definitely nights where I wish I’d just spent the extra money.

So which would I recommend?

If your budget is incredibly tight, don’t stress about booking mixed dorms.

I stayed in plenty, had some great experiences and would happily do it again if I needed to save money. But if the price difference is relatively small, I’d choose the female-only dorm almost every time. For me, it wasn’t primarily about safety.

It was about sleeping better, feeling more comfortable and finding it easier to make friends with other women travelling solo. Those things ended up making a much bigger difference to my backpacking experience than I expected.

Before I went backpacking Australia, I assumed mixed dorms and female dorms would be pretty much the same.

Technically, they are. But after trying both, I found the overall atmosphere in female-only dorms suited me much better.

If you’re travelling solo for the first time, especially as a woman, I’d recommend trying both and seeing what works for you.

You might end up loving mixed dorms.

But if you’re anything like me, you’ll probably find yourself happily paying the extra few dollars for a better night’s sleep and a room full of future travel friends.

Enjoy your Travels!

Em x

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