Kanga House Backpackers

I found this hostel because I couldn't find anything else. It was not very clean, and the commons rooms not very comfy. It's fairly quiet, the staff is very friendly, and you have good views, but I wouldn't recommend going here.

Stayed there about two weeks, until the time when it was almost burned down/someone jammed the doorlock. The "door mugging" thing must be new. when I was there it was just the lock. Better than the bedbug infested place down the road though.

I stayed here a few years ago now and had an amazing time! The people we met were wicked and we had the coolest night out in Kings Cross on Christmas Eve. There are heaps of good night clubs and pubs in the area, (and some good greasy food on offer for the walk back to Kanga!). Yeah it is a little dodgy but it's not that bad (don't leave the hostel without shoes on your feet though). The views are fantastic and it's in a good location, a 30-minute stumble from the city, and you can sit in the sun with a cold beer in the courtyard. I have some great memories from this place and I wouldn't trade them for anything! The staff were flexible and the prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is wicked. Just don't drink too much of the nasty Coolibah Christmas punch!

The views are fantastic, but that's about all it has going for it. It has tiny dorm rooms (not enough room to swing a cat, let along a big rucksack). The free Internet is so slow it's not worth trying, and you are only allowed to use it for a few specified hours a day. Kings Cross is an interesting area, but the streets don't feel safe and there are a lot of strange drunken people around at night. Don't do it, people.

This is a great hostel. It's pretty cheap and it has an amazing atmosphere. It's a great bunch of people who stay in this type of friendly hostel.

Ah, Kanga House . . . I had only intended to stay five nights but I met some cool people and ended up stopping here for three months, over Christmas and New Year's! It's not the most modern of hostels, but it's a friendly place with a free weekly BBQ in the back garden. It's ideally located if you want to socialize in Kings Cross, and it's right by the train station, so there's easy access to the city and the beaches. It's also a short walk from the Botanical Gardens, which made it easy getting home on New Year's Eve. The rooms were fairly dingy and in need of a makeover, there were a few bedbugs to contend with, and the kitchen was always crammed at dinnertime. Security was not that good, either. The showers are good though, and overall I enjoyed living here over the summer.

New management,yippee. This is a great place to stay. It's close to everything; the beaches and the city are 10-20 minutes away. There are great harbour views from some of the rooms. I can say that the place is rather old, but very much loved. Free breakfast and internet are included, and they have real friendly staff. Go and give it a go.

I stayed at this hostel in late Nov. 2003 and I have this to say about staying in the Kings Cross area...don't. Don't even think about it. If you want to be near there, take the train and visit; do not stay in the area if you like things like sleep, no crazy people following you, not staying across the street from "Striperama" (I'm not even kidding), or sheets that may have been changed that year. The hostel, besides being in a terrible area, was dirty enough to warrent the drunkeness engaged in by staff and visitors alike. The pics on this page must be from some time ago, and notice none of them are at night, when drugged up, drunken people are waiting to mug you outside the door. The door locks are wimpy and you can hear street whoring from the window; but alas, that part may just be Kings Cross.