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Karioi Lodge Reviews
Verified Reviews by our Community
Great Place
Awesome place to stay. Friendly and helpful staff with a great location if you want to get away for a while.
Karioi Lodge is situated in the middle of the surrounding rainforests. It has a campground on the premises, and also has a nice one-hour bushwalk starting right at the office building.
The Location
The hostel is about a fifteen-minute drive from the town of Raglan. It is situated in a nice rainforest area and surrounded by nature. A shuttle bus is offered to the town and the beach daily. They also have their own surf school.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The backpacker rooms are four-share rooms. All of them have electric heaters, duvets are provided free. The furniture and also the bathrooms are a bit timeworn, but everything is very clean -- no cobwebs or dirt anywhere. The hostel consists of four buildings lined at the edge of the mountains, so you will have to climb some steps to get to your rooms. The bathrooms are in the buildings, however you can only reach them by walking around the building. Toilets and showers are separate for males and females. In front of the rooms you find a common porch with lots of tables and chairs.
Common Spaces
The hostel has two kitchens, which are very clean, and offers fridges for your food storage along with plenty of kitchen stuff you can use. Next to the main kitchen is the common room which has a pool table that you can play for free; computers for internet usage; a big TV with SKY; and nice, comfy couches. They also have a large dining room table where you can eat your meal. If you walk down the driveway for some minutes and then up the mountain you get to "inspiration point," a nice lookout with benches where you can watch the sunset over the ocean. The hostel also has a sauna -- ask reception to turn it on in the evening.
Summary
You can rent bikes at the reception or book your surf classes there, and they also have maps for the bushwalk behind the hostel. Stray buses stop at this hostel every other day, so on those days it will get a bit noisy in the common areas. There is no cell phone reception. If you have a car or if you just want to get away from it all, this is a good place to stay. There are also many surfers staying here.
Wonderful bush lodge!
Great rooms, made up for you when you arrive. They are plain but that's all you need. From your balcony you can see the water, which is a beautiful addition. The owners have made an effort to restore natural vegetation to the area so its in quite dense bush. The zipline and lowropes course are fun for afternoons when you don't go down to the beach, and there are hammocks to lie in and walks to do. Kitchen is large and it seemed there was always a movie on and people socialising. Internet is reasonably priced. The best thing about it was just the vibe -- the staff, the surroundings, and the type of people that stay there make it an awesome, laid back stop over. I wanted to never leave!
this place rules -- stay for the pizza! go hiking, surfing, whatever, there's tons to do around the lodge, and the owners are some of the coolest folks i met in the country, expat americans i believe. can't say i blame 'em for sticking around, they put together a truly memorable place. go there, then go there again and again.
This Lodge is amazing. I think I have never slept in a more beautiful place than this. It was like a paradise. Lovely.
There is only one word to describe the Karioi Lodge hostel... paradise. I was supposed to stay for only one night, but I just couldn't make myself leave and ended up staying for five nights. Especially during low season, with only a couple of people around, it is a small paradise. I loved it. The staff are so friendly, the surfing is great and so is the sauna after a good day of surfing. I could (and would if I had the time) probably spend a couple of months there without getting bored. A must-do when you visit New Zealand.
Cheers
Derk from the Netherlands
Raglan is a beautiful and peaceful coastal town, famous for its surf but less visited than you might expect. Karioi Lodge is located in the heart of native bushland, just a few kilometers from the town centre and a short coastal walk away from the beach. It is the perfect retreat for a few days' relaxation away from the usual chaos of the backpackers' world. Part of the Raglan Surfing School, Karioi is essentially an outdoor activity centre, used by various different groups including international students etc. However, dorm accommodation is available as well as self-contained lodges.
The dorms and facilities here are quite basic but perfectly adequate. Often, there is the opportunity to join in a group-meal in the evenings, where fantastic food is available at a reasonable price. BBQ and traditional 'Hangi' meals are a popular choice. Alternatively, a kitchen is availble for self-catering.There is also recreation area/dining room with a pool table, sofas, TV and video library, music system and internet access.
But you wouldn't come here to sit indoors - enjoy the beautiful surroundings by taking a short bush-walk up the nearby hill or through the forest. There is also an extremely popular 'flying fox', offering the perfect chance to relive your childhood! For the best experience ever, have a go at night when it is pitch-black apart from the faint glow of the glow-worms that line the path. Magic! For the more adventurous, there is the chance to take part in a surfing lesson at reasonable cost. Alternatively, the surf school has a small hire-centre on the beach where you can hire surfboards, boogie boards, wetsuits, and fins, and get on and do your own thing. Back at the lodge, there is a ropes course and indoor sports hall (free of charge). There really is a lot to do here while enjoying the great Kiwi Outdoors.
Description
Location and Contact
Location
Map
Address: 5B Whaanga Road, Whale Bay, Raglan, New Zealand
Karioi Lodge is listed on the following booking sites:
Not listed at HostelworldWebsite
www.karioilodge.co.nz
Facilities and Amenities
Family-Friendly Hostel
Solo Traveller
Bedsheets
Luggage Storage
Parking
Wi-Fi in Lobby/Commons
Bike Rental
Towels
BBQ Grill
Book Collection/Exchange
Cable TV
Clothes Dryer
Credit Card Payments
Entirely Non-Smoking
Gameroom
Hair Dryers
Hot Showers
Kitchen
Laundry
Lounge Area
Movie Library/Rental
Pool Table
TV
Wheelchair Accessible
Pet-Friendly
Service Animals
Checkout: 10:00 (10 AM)
Curfew: No Curfew
Lockout: No
Minimum Stay: 1 night
Open Dates: All Year
Reception Hours: Summer 8am-8pm Winter 9am-5pm (roughly May-Oct)
Size: Large (60-100 beds)
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