Take a long trip to share a kitchen…

When you’re exploring some remote stretch of the planet, it can be nice to have access to a warm meal and clean sheets at the end of the day. And unless you’re the burly loner type, it’s also great to kick back at the end of a long day and swap tales around a fire, or even an old VHS copy of The Incredible Journey. Sound a bit too much like a bizarro family Thankgiving? Well, actually it’s a common scene in hostels around the world, of course they all have there own local flavor, and I usually pass on the movie screening.

So where are some of the truly remote, far-off hostels that offer a welcome, cozy home to share with friendly folks after a hard day’s adventure? As usual, the hard-working, hostel-frequenting BnA folks have a few ideas that you can check out here. I’ve also listed a pair here; one from my own travels and another from the colorful tales of others:

The Talkeetna Roadhouse / Talkeetna, Alaska (pictured above)- Ok, so I’m a bit biased listing one of my former haunts, but the historic building on the corner of Alaska’s “funkiest town” is as authentic as they come. The breakfasts here are amazing, the staff and clientele friendly - you’re bound to meet a gang of jovial Europeans or Japanese preparing for their next ascent of McKinley in the morning.
Remote isn’t a word often associated with England, but the Black Sail Hut will make you work for your bed. The hostel is only accessible by foot. Here’s the skinny:

“Black Sail is a legend, famous for being a remote and isolated shepherd’s bothy at the head of Ennerdale, accessible only on foot. This location provides great access to the surrounding fells: Great Gable, Pillar, Red Pike and Steeple to name a few. It’s on the Coast-to-Coast walking route and is renowned as a base for enjoying the mountains of the Lake District.”