Hostel Name: never@home
Address: 107 Main Road, Green Point, Cape Town, South Africa
I stayed at never@home hostel in Cape Town, South Africa. I booked it for its location in Cape Town and its high review ratings.
I didn’t do much research when it came to the best area to stay in Cape Town, and I was a little concerned about booking a place in a dodgy part of town. It turns out that most of the backpacker places are in Long Street, which is a long street in the CBD lined with bars and restaurants. If you are looking for the biggest backpacker area then that is the street to be.
Having said that I’m glad I didn’t know that because I enjoyed the location of never@home, and I may not have thought to explore this area if I wasn’t staying there. I picked it because it is about a 10-15 minute walk from the V&A Waterfront. The only thing I knew about Cape Town was of stunning photos of the waterfront with Table Mountain in the background.
Getting to never@home from the airport was a breeze, which also made my stay easier. There is a bus service from the airport that goes non-stop to the Civic Centre in central Cape Town. From there you transfer in a secured bus terminal to the Waterfront bus and you are there in two stops. The hostel is about 5 minute walk from the Stadium bus station (the same stadium where the World Cup was held).
The hostel is big and clean and feels like a well-run travellers hub, with information on things to do and plenty of maps.
I got a 4-bed dorm with outside bathroom. My bed was comfortable and there is a large locker under each bed. Each bed had a personal reading light, but the light takes up the spare power outlets, so I ended up unplugging my light so I could charge my phone.
The bathrooms were clean and tidy, and well ventilated.
Breakfast is on offer at the restaurant that is attached at the back of the hostel. A continental breakfast cost 35 Rand ($2.20 USD) and was a buffet-style, so help yourself to cereal, fruits, yogurt, toast, orange juice, and tea and coffee. Such great value that I didn’t get the cooked breakfast option.
The hostel is above Rocomamas hamburger restaurant and I went there as well. Main Road in Green Point is a pretty cool area, and there are lots of other eateries and cafes within walking distance. For self-caterers the hostel is next door to a Spar supermarket and there is also a Woolworths a few minutes walk away.
To get to the CBD it takes about 30 minutes to walk, or you can get the same bus I mentioned previously.
In terms of wifi you get given a voucher for 1GB of data, which expires in a few days of issue. I burnt through my voucher in two days so they gave me another one. The wifi worked in the common areas and in my room.
Overall staying here was a good introduction to Cape Town. Book the never@home hostel online or search for more hostels and hotels in Cape Town.
