Backpacking in Los Angeles

On the face of it, Los Angeles is dominated by one thing and one thing only: Hollywood. This is the home to the silver screen in American terms, and as such it’s the destination for hordes of young hopefuls who flock to its various neighborhoods with clockwork regularity, each looking for fame and fortune of the type only LA can deliver.

In reality, this only tells half the story. Hollywood is awash with as many failed actors and actresses, as it is stars and celebrities. And LA is equally awash with as many non-cinema related attractions as it is with film-fan fodder.

Backpacking here is a gratifying pursuit – one that rewards effort and perseverance with hidden things to do, surprisingly excellent beaches, and, of course, those all-important elite parties. From the Los Angeles hostels to the museums that line its streets, everything here is geared up to provide the incoming visitor with a good time worthy of the cinema screen itself.

Hostels

One of the first things to get sorted when planning a trip to L.A. is choosing which hostel to stay in. There are many great Los Angeles Hostels, each offering comfortable surroundings, an alluring atmosphere, and a resolutely affordable nightly rate.

Stay Hotel is one such example. A boutique budget accommodation option, it offers a variety of different types of room (all fitted with a pleasingly minimalist simplicity) so as to exactly fit your desires. Bonus features here include free wifi throughout the building, and a restaurant that does a great line in all-American dining.

USA Hostels Hollywood is another excellent option. A place that courses with fun and friendliness, amenities here include twice weekly comedy nights, tea and coffee on tap, and high-speed wireless, all of which come completely free.

The Banana Bungalow Hollywood, meanwhile, is a self-confessed ‘super-cool’ hostel located in the very midst of Hollywood itself. The hostel is located in the shell of an old motel – don’t worry though, this is no Hitchcockian or Lynchian house of nightmares. Rather, the motel has been renovated into a designer’s dream that pays retro homage to the golden era of the cinema.

Sights to See

It’s simply inevitable that you’ll explore film related attractions in LA. As such, one of the first things you should do while in the city is get yourself down to the Mann’s Chinese Visit. This is the epicenter of Hollywood. It showed the industry’s first ever silent film, and today it marks the beginning of the Oscar’s famous red carpet.

Another great site is the Warner Brother’s Studios. Tourists here can take a gold-buggy tour around the production house’s many sets, and maybe even catch the latest sitcom or next big film being shot.

Away from the film world, the Getty Museum is one of LA’s standout attractions. A modernist campus featuring some of the world’s greatest artwork, the Getty Museum warrants days of stunned exploration. Aside from the art, there’s also a well-cultivated set of gardens here in which to sit, draw, read, or simply contemplate.

Another thing to do in Los Angeles is simply walk the downtown district. Here you can see the two sides of Hollywood: the glitz and the glamour, and the fallen and the downtrodden. It’s an important reminder to what this city is – a maker, and a breaker, of dreams.