Fatima's Place Hostel

Maputo

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Address	1321 Avenue Mao Tse Tung, Maputo Mozambique Map
Price	DO EMAIL/CALL US FOR MORE INFO! Check Current Prices by Date Here

Location/Contact

Details

This is a Hostelling International (HI) hostel. A membership card isn't required, but an extra fee will apply for non-members. You can get a membership card before your trip here.

This is a VIP hostel. Show your VIP Backpackers membership card for a discount at check-in.

Description

Features

Kitchen
Lockers
Bar
Lounge / Common space
Food/Restaurant
Book Collection/Exchange
Washing Machine (laundry)
Clothes Dryer
Travel information provided
24 Hour Free Hot Showers
Currency Exchange

Ratings & Comments

2.8 Average from 16 Ratings

This is an open forum, and unlike other hostel guide websites we don't censor out the negative comments.
We can't validate the legitimacy of comments posted on this site—so take what you read here with a grain of salt.

Comment by Roelie, RSA

October 2008

Unfriendly, corrupt, and badly situated
We stayed there a few times and every time we were told that there were no dorm beds available, which turned out to be a lie. We were also forced to pay for an extra night after our taxi broke down and we couldn't get there before 12 to remove our luggage. We spoke to Fatima herself and she just shrugged and walked away.

Comment by Jess, USA

September 2008

Place to Avoid
I stayed here in September 2008. I've stayed at backpackers throughout Southern Africa, and Fatima's Place in Maputo is the least welcoming and dirtiest place I've stayed. In addition, they tried to charge us nearly double the price listed in a 2008 backpackers guidebook. The staff were not friendly, except for one nice lady. We arrived at night and there were a bunch of random locals hanging out in the lounge, and we had to search for someone to check us in, who did so with such reluctance you would think it was Chinese water torture. He would not look me in the eye or respond to my questions. The old men who guard the gate are nice. But the showers are dirty because the owners are too cheap to buy decent shower curtains or redesign the bathrooms so it's possible to shower without pouring water all over the floors. Had to search for toilet paper. Our double room was pretty clean except for a dead bug under the pillow. But the dorm rooms didn't look very clean. This place has potential -- I like how they've planted bushes and plants in the garden, and it has a cool funky design in general. But the whole place just needs a rehab! If you don't have a car and need to stay in city center, grit your teeth and bear Fatima's.

Comment by Johanna Larsson, Sweden

August 2008

Unfriendly staff, impossible to sleep
If you want to get some sleep, Fatima's Place in Maputo is not the right place to be. The rooms are right next to the party area and the music was going on all night. The staff were very unfriendly. You could almost get the feeling they disliked all their customers and rather saw there were none so they could just hang around and do whatever they wanted to do. We arrived there just to find out that they hadn't booked us for that night as promised, and when trying to get help you would get the silent treatment and the bored look in their faces trying their best not to completely ignore you. If you're up for a party though, I'm sure that place works. Another thing, don't go with the expensive taxis outside of their place, when you can easily take a local bus at a very cheap price (and then the bus gives you the entertainment of riding local buses as well)!

Comment by Liam, UK

February 2008

Interesting
I am not sure what Fatima uses as her hiring policy but it is extraordinarily hit and miss. On my way up to Tofo I stayed here, mainly because I have stayed at base before and am not a huge fan of the place, and the staff member behind the Reception/Bar was quite possibly the most useful person I have ever encountered at a backpackers anywhere in the world. Ended up sitting up chatting with him and a few others until the early hours and he remained friendly and helpful throughout. On the way back however, if Fatima ever reads this it was night duty 15th and 16th day duty guy on those days was the useful guy from arriving in Moz, I arrived at 5 p.m. to find an empty Reception/Bar. After asking others I was pointed to the guy sitting in front of the TV so I asked him if he had space and he said he would be right with me. Twenty minutes later (when the show he was watching finished) he strolled over to actually help me. He then sat himself down again and I watched a dozen or so other people turn up and receive similar treatment. The following evening the same guy disappeared off with a blond woman at 7pm and reappeared at 2 a.m. just coming back to lock everything up and presumably head back to bed again. People arriving simply had to figure out for themselves which dorms had space and forget about any bar service. The following morning, same shift, one of the cleaning staff ended up taking over reception as he had not reappeared.

Comment by kia

May 2007

Fatima's place is ok but not really great -- just a basic place to transit. the only thing I wanted to underline is the fact that the staff propose to arrange a taxi bus to Inhambane-Tofo for 450MTn and it's 250 if you do it yourself to Inhambane, and then in Inhambane you can find public buses which drive you to Tofo for 10MTn.

Comment by kirsty

January 2007

i spent a few days here in december 2004. as a seventeen-year-old girl who had never traveled without parents, i found the place a fantastic adventure. if you expect five-star quality then don't book at a backpackers. if you want fun, adventure, excitement, and a bit of a laugh then i say go for it! the staff were very friendly, and although things might not be done quite how they should be, people just have to relax! It's an experience and one to remember. i'm going back again for sure! for those that don't enjoy it, maybe next time try to relax and go with the flow -- have a little fun!

Comment by Kate

November 2006

Lovely place with very friendly people and great atmosphere! I enjoyed it a lot.

Comment by Chris Williams

November 2006

I stayed here for three nights in the dorms. The place is relaxed and friendly. This may mean that things are done slower than some customers like to have but you have to get into their speed and just relax. I enjoyed my time here -- if there's anything you need, the owners will deliver it for you, just relax and it will come. I recommend this place if you want to chill. Don't expect five-star hotels from a hostel and then complain about it. This is exactly what you expect from a backpackers hostel.

Comment by old hippie

August 2006

Fatima's is the oldest backpackers in Africa -- I have been coming there for years and it is the only backpackers that from the outset has employed local people that grew up with the backpackers. They are really nice, efficient, and knowledgeable about Mozambique and they do their best to keep you safe in a town that is growing unbelievably fast for africa. I have seen big improvements which makes me feel that my money is going to the right place.

Comment by Unimpressed

August 2006

Terrible experience. Management was negligent and rude. The location wasn't great -- long walks away from areas of interest. Showers and toilets were backed up, and they overbooked doubles so that we had a lot of disgrunted couples doubling up in the dorm. We woke up in our eight-bed dorm with at least twenty people in there. Just avoid Fatimas or anything associated with it at all costs.

Comment by Leanne

August 2006

aboslutely horrible accommodation. they didn't respect our reservation for a double and put us in a sixteen-bed dorm. half the bathrooms don't work, the kitchen is small, and it's far from the centre. don't stay here unless you absolutely have no choice whatsoever.

Comment by Aurorra

November 2005

Incredible place with incredible people! The staff are very nice and I spent a very nice trip in this town thanks to them!

Comment by Viasen Soobramoney

October 2005

Five stars for dirty rooms and insect infestation. A couple of hot chicks. You get used to the conditions after two days and then you make the most of your stay. Oh, and they have a dog that was impregnated by the turtle.

Comment by Naomi

April 2005

Very skanky but with outside space. Monica is lovely, but Fatima's is for old-style hippie backpacking. And if you plan to lounge in Mozambique it's fine - just low standards.

Comment by Anonymous

January 2005

The toilets don't work and there's no hot water. I saw illegal camping, rude staff, and customers using drugs in full view of others. This place is not clean, and it's an incredible rip off on Forex. There were attempts to misinform customers about Maputo tourism activities in order to monopolize the trade. It looks like a number of hobos found shelter here and they prey on the customers. I can't believe this wasn't made public before.

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