HI - Ilha Grande - Holandês Hostel

HI - Ilha Grande - Holandês Hostel has a lovely location surrounded by trees and foliage -- it is a bit further away from the village than many other hostels and guesthouses, but if peace and tranquility is what you crave, this is the place for you.

The Location

Your may find the given directions difficult to follow, as many of the roads here lack signage. Also, we would not count on assistance from the tourist information office, as it appears to be unmanned at all times! However, the easiest route would probably be to turn left as you leave the ferry terminal, walk along this road until it ends, continue to walk a short way along the beach until you reach almost the end of shops/restaurants. Here you will find a road that leads to the right -- take this road and at the top you will see another HI Hostel, turn left here and continue along the road until you see a blue church (the hostel is sign-posted from here). Take the road that leads down the right hand side of the church and follow the little lane until you come a small wooden bridge, cross here and follow the path up until you see the Holandes Hostel. There is a sprawl of buildings here and the reception area is not sign-posted, but just head up and to the left and you should find it easily enough.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The dorms (single-sex only, no co-ed), are quite nice, however not very roomy, but the bunks are good (tall enough to sit up straight on the bottom bunk) and the mattresses and pillows are comfy. The dorms are lockable by key and there are lockers in which to keep valuables although they are not big enough to accommodate a large backpack. There is no air conditioning but dorms do have fans. Each room has an en-suite bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower -- the water pressure is fine but the water is warm at best. You will find a substantial list of rules in the dorms but they do not seem to be strictly reinforced. The private rooms here are very nice -- they are small individual cabins, each with its own bathroom and a mini-fridge.

Common Spaces

There is one common area next to the kitchen which has a couple of long tables and chairs, a TV, and a DVD player -- however guests may find that the common area is used more frequently by staff than anyone else! Whilst there is a bar, this is not the most sociable hostel, it is fairly quiet and perhaps geared more towards couples and families although this may vary depending upon the season. The guest kitchen is tiny but there is an oven/hob and a fridge/freezer available for guest use if desired -- there is also a filtered-water dispenser. There is no Wi-Fi and only one computer terminal available for guest use at no extra charge. The hostel does offer a laundry service for an additional fee and the premises are protected by security cameras.

Summary

Although the hostel description mentions a free welcome Caipirinha, this appears to be an empty promise! This minor gripe aside, this quiet hostel offers clean, tidy, and cheap accommodation in a beautiful setting.

— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
March 2009