I snobbishly thought I was too old to stay in hostels, but it turns out there's something rather depressing about staying in nice hotels alone. Most of the time they are full of what appear to be smug couples who aren't open to meeting new people. Same goes for overly snazzy restaurants. Hostels however are the opposite. They're full of solo travellers and everyone is keen to meet new people. I had the best three days exploring Udaipur with a girl from London who was my bunk-bed neighbour.