Mixed Dorms

Spaghetti Girl - could you provide a bit more detail, what do you think will honestly happen to you, that won't happen to a young male travelling alone ????

i don't really understand this question either and i have stayed by myself in many many mixed dorms - i would have thought single sex dorms are more unusual

mix dorms are usually the rule rather than the exception, no? Everywhere I travelled, it was rare that they had separate dorms. IT's fine, there's a lot of travellers by themselfs in SA, and a lot of single female travelling alone. I did it for a month, never had any trouble of whatever sort

I always stayed in mixed dorms (though haven't done so in SA) - never any problem at all. The only time I could remember being a little less at ease was when there was only one other person with me, in Turkey. Normally there are lots of people in a dorm and thats really very safe.

OP, def understand your concern coz I was the same. But so far I've been quite lucky with getting good roomies. You can get some seriously dodgy ones! I've had a friend have a girl come onto him in the middle of the night! Sooo.. guys.. you do get dodgy situations. Just don't look completely lost and if you are THAT paranoid, stay in a single room. Or ask to be put in a room with more girls than guys. I did request that when I was in a dorm in SA, and they either gave me other girl roomies or couples.. which was fine.

yebo, as safe as everywhere else in the world ;-)

seb

I can see where you were going with this OP, I had the same sort of concerns...but mine where along the lines of
Will I be able to sleep through the snoring... Will others be able to sleep through mine!
Cause apparently since I broke my nose 6 mths ago, I now snore!! :( Which devestated me!! sniff
So that was my only worry which is why I have gone for single rooms...bit more expensive I know, but hey.... I won't get hassled for my snoring lol

T

Lol T. Either I've always been put with roomies that don't snore or (more likely) I sleep like a rock and don't hear a thing. My last roomies were telling me what they do when they're put in with roomies that snore.. some throw things at them, some shake the beds (if they're sharing a bunk), or try to wake them up somehow..

I am very surprised at this thread. When I used the Youth Hostels (YHA or HI) in Europe 40 odd years ago, the only time I came across mixed dorms was at a hostel near Paris, and that was because it was winter and too expensive to keep the separate dorms heated. In Spain at the time, many hostels were seperated - you did not even sleep in the same bulding as the opposite sex. What really is amazing is the extent to which South Africa has changed over the past few years. Not too long ago the thought of having mixed dorms would have been an anathema - a very definite no-no.