The Hostelz.com Review
The main reason for staying at Orange Elephant Backpackers is the close proximity of Addo Elephant National Park. This means that guests usually have a particular interest in wildlife. They are generally quiet, friendly, and from a wide range of age-groups.
The Location
Orange Elephant Backpackers is in a rural location on Highway R335, Main Road, Addo, eight kilometers from the main entrance to the National Park. It is easy to find by private car, and there is ample free parking on the property. Guests who wish to prepare their own food are advised to purchase it in a supermarket before driving all the way to Addo, which is a village with little by way of facilities. The remoteness of the site might be a problem for those without their own transportation, who would usually have to arrange a tour including the National Park. It is possible by prior arrangement to arrange a shuttle from Port Elizabeth, which connects with the backpackers’ Baz bus.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The sleeping accommodation is located in a family house and consists of a mixed-sex dorm with individual non-bunk beds and private double rooms, all of which share the one bathroom with a possible risk of congestion during peak periods. In addition, there is camping on the lawn for travelers with their own tents. There is also a separate free-standing bathroom, which is convenient for campers. There is space to change in the shower area, and there are hooks for clothes and soap dishes. The bathroom in the family house offers guests a choice between a shower and a bath tub.
The dorm is not usually kept locked, but the main entrance to the house is locked at night. Provided management remembers to arrange this, a side entrance to the kitchen remains unlocked to enable early-rising campers, for example those wishing to visit the National Park as soon as it opens at 6 a.m., to prepare an early breakfast without disturbing those guests who are still asleep.
Common Spaces
The hostel is clean, comfortable, and well-maintained and gives a cheerful impression. There is a spacious, comfortable lounge in the family house with a television set but no reception, only DVDs, some of which appear to have been stolen by previous guests. There is a large selection of books and tourist literature and a book exchange. The impression given is that the family recently vacated the house, leaving everyday articles such as their photo album behind.
There is a well equipped kitchen with stove and microwave oven. A few hundred meters away next to the highway is the bar, restaurant, and reception area, where guests can order meals and drinks, and there is also a pay-as-you-go internet computer. Smoking is not permitted in enclosed spaces and does not generally present problems for nonsmokers. There is ample inside and outside seating, and there is never much in the way of loud music or other noise. In any case, any music could not be heard from the house where the sleeping accommodation is located. Since the reception/bar/restaurant area does not open until 9 a.m., guests departing early are required to settle their accounts the previous evening.
Summary
In view of the reasonable rates, the reasonable standard of accommodation, and the convenient location close to Addo Elephant National Park, a stay at this hostel is recommended.
The Location
Orange Elephant Backpackers is in a rural location on Highway R335, Main Road, Addo, eight kilometers from the main entrance to the National Park. It is easy to find by private car, and there is ample free parking on the property. Guests who wish to prepare their own food are advised to purchase it in a supermarket before driving all the way to Addo, which is a village with little by way of facilities. The remoteness of the site might be a problem for those without their own transportation, who would usually have to arrange a tour including the National Park. It is possible by prior arrangement to arrange a shuttle from Port Elizabeth, which connects with the backpackers’ Baz bus.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The sleeping accommodation is located in a family house and consists of a mixed-sex dorm with individual non-bunk beds and private double rooms, all of which share the one bathroom with a possible risk of congestion during peak periods. In addition, there is camping on the lawn for travelers with their own tents. There is also a separate free-standing bathroom, which is convenient for campers. There is space to change in the shower area, and there are hooks for clothes and soap dishes. The bathroom in the family house offers guests a choice between a shower and a bath tub.
The dorm is not usually kept locked, but the main entrance to the house is locked at night. Provided management remembers to arrange this, a side entrance to the kitchen remains unlocked to enable early-rising campers, for example those wishing to visit the National Park as soon as it opens at 6 a.m., to prepare an early breakfast without disturbing those guests who are still asleep.
Common Spaces
The hostel is clean, comfortable, and well-maintained and gives a cheerful impression. There is a spacious, comfortable lounge in the family house with a television set but no reception, only DVDs, some of which appear to have been stolen by previous guests. There is a large selection of books and tourist literature and a book exchange. The impression given is that the family recently vacated the house, leaving everyday articles such as their photo album behind.
There is a well equipped kitchen with stove and microwave oven. A few hundred meters away next to the highway is the bar, restaurant, and reception area, where guests can order meals and drinks, and there is also a pay-as-you-go internet computer. Smoking is not permitted in enclosed spaces and does not generally present problems for nonsmokers. There is ample inside and outside seating, and there is never much in the way of loud music or other noise. In any case, any music could not be heard from the house where the sleeping accommodation is located. Since the reception/bar/restaurant area does not open until 9 a.m., guests departing early are required to settle their accounts the previous evening.
Summary
In view of the reasonable rates, the reasonable standard of accommodation, and the convenient location close to Addo Elephant National Park, a stay at this hostel is recommended.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
March 2010
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