Cape
Town BACKPACKERS Hostel | African heART
|
Backpackers Hostel Cape Town | Budget Accommodation
Observatory Cape Town Kapstadt
South Africa
guestbook
FEEDBACK
"This was the
best hostel we stayed at in our two weeks in S.A. The
staff were amazing and actually checked in with us every
day to see what our plans were and provided extra information
on where to visit ensuring an amazing time. The hostel
was charming, super clean, beautiful greenhouse-like bathroom
with rainshower heads. Free internet, fully stocked kitchen
and free light breakfast. This was the first hostel we
encountered where the staff actually made sure we were
having a great time." - Kyle, Canada
"For value for money, location and character I don’t
think you could get better. It’s in a friendly hippyish
area with restaurants and bars near by, but not so near
that you would be disturbed by any noise. I loved the
Afro chic decor and artwork in all the bedrooms and corridors.
If you are considering staying at African Heart my advice
is go, you wont regret it." - Aimmee, UK
"It's a really nice place to stay and good way to
start the new year with friendly people. See you next
time in Cape Town!" - Alex, FR
"Thanks for having us, the showers are SOO pretty,
you guys rock!" - Gen, Chris & Frans, OZ
"African HeART is Jamie and Liz. Jamie and liz are
African HeART. They put their soul in it and a lot of
love and presence.
Facilities are great and spotless from rooms to kitchen.
Home (like we like to call it as a long term travelers
)is closed by any facilities: airport, bus or train to
town or groceries....and information
Don't miss a great stay in Cape Town, experience African
HeART and their owners like we did
and have a Safe travel..." - M&D
"Very nice place, good design details" - Rudy, CHE
"Amazing energy about this place..." - Eva, HOLLAND
This Cape
Town Backpackers Lodge offers afro-chic
accommodation at affordable rates that include FREE
internet access and a FREE
breakfast! Located in the funky Observatory with
a great selection of bars and restaurants all within walking
distance, 'OBZ' is a cultural centre of Cape Town
with many creative's choosing to live in its bohemian
atmosphere under the gaze of Table Mountain, and a short journey
into the city centre is easily done by car, train, bus or
minibus taxi.
The Lodge is run by a team of experienced traveller's
and we are focussed on superior service in a relaxed,
friendly environment that hopes to be your perfect
start to your travels throughout this amazing part of the
world.
African
Heart Backpackers
uses creative, innovative concepts in decor and design,
creating a unique accommodation experience in the beautiful
city of Cape Town. If you like spotless bathrooms, funky
decor and an ambient vibe... tell
me more...
location
: OBZ
Nestled at the foot of Table Mountain, Observatory, or
'Obz' as its known to the locals, is a melting pot of
people, culture & art. Closest stop
to the Airport and with a wealth of easy public
transport options, Obz is the most
centrally located area of Cape Town with easy
access to all the joys the Cape has to offer...
tell me more...
overland
tours
The overland experience of a life time, go off-the-beaten-track
adventure travel in Africa. Make friends for life &
meet like-minded people, explore the countries and their
wildlife, experience the people and their culture.
African heART
Adventure Centre
books trips to; The Kruger Big 5 | Desert Explorer | Lesotho
& Drakensberg | Kilimanjaro Trek | Okavango and
Chobe Trail | Zanzibar & Serengeti | Namibia | Victoria
Falls & Malawi | Discover Mozambique | Cape Town
to Victoria Falls Exploring Ethiopia | East African
Adventure tell me more...
volunteer
work Volunteering
while backpacking is a great way to travel and give
something back to your host country. African
heART are
founder-members of an amazing Volunteer Initiative, that
gives more, does more and helps more... tell me more...
travel
tips &
other useful info
Planning a trip to South Africa can be alot more effective
with some REAL useful info. From personal experience and
guests advice we have compiled this section to help you
have the best possible trip in SA :) tell me more...
Check out this great video put together by guest Vinny of his month in Cape Town
Why
is Cape Town such an awesome backpacking
destination? Here's
6 reasons...
Amazing area
Geographically the greater Cape Town area is an incredibly
beautiful and diverse landscape. The landmark and natural
wonder of the world, Table Mountain, is the centre-piece of
the city. The mountain stretches from the Cape Town City bowl,
40km down to the southern point at Cape Point, flanked on both
sides by the Atlantic ocean and the False Bay. The mountain
itself is very beautiful, with green forests covering much of
its slopes with excellent hiking trails and routes, enjoyed
also by climbers, mountain bikers and (after a good rain) mushroom
pickers. Along the Atlantic coast of Cape Town there are an
array of stunning white sand beaches, from the touristy Camps
Bay, hip Clifton and more low-key Llandudno to name a few. Beware
though, the water is very cold year round thanks to the icy
Benguela current coming up from the South Pole, but when its
30 degrees celsius on the beach, the cold water is very refreshing!
Cape Point Nature Reserve is a popular backpacker place to visit,
with great views stretching out to the infinity of the Atlantic.
Further round the scenic route there is the ever-popular Boulders
Beach, home to a large colony of free-roaming penguins swimming
about and preiodically leaping from the massive granite boulders.
There a few backpacking
options in Simonstown, close to Boulders, but many will
prefer to stay in the quaint villages of Kalk Bay and Muizenberg.
The former offering great bars, restaurants and some quirky
little shops, whilst Muizenberg is home to the longest uninterrupted
stretch of beach in the city (17km). Muizenberg is very popular
with backpackers wanting to learn to surf, and there are a wide
range of Surf Schools offering lessons and board rentals. Furthe
north from Cape Town is the West Coast, which stretches all
the way up to Namibia, but about 20km north of the Cape Town
city bowl are some excellent beaches such as Big Bay, with the
postcard view of Table Mountain across the waters. The beach
is popular with families, kite-surfers and is becoming increasingly
popular with the discerning backpacker as it generally lacks
the crowds and inflated egos of the Camps Bay jetset beaches.
Heading inland a few clicks the landscape flattens out before
rising again into mountains, and its here you'll find a vast
array of winefarms that have made the Cape famous among the
world of winelovers. The regions of Stellenbosch, Franschoek
and Wellington have over 100 wine farms between them, and we
run special backpacker tours to do winetastings on a selection
of the estates.
Friendly,
laid-back people
One of the reasons Cape Town has such a special
place in many backpacker's hearts is her people. A veritable
melting pot of cultures, languages and origins, the people
who make up Cape Town generally all share a love for a relaxed
way of life. Cape-Tonians are generally friendly, courteous
and easygoing in nature (of course there are always rotten
apples, but are the exception rather than the norm. Cape Town's
population is made up of a mix of Xhosa, Afrikaans and English
cultural groups, with many sub-divisions occuring depending
on which area of Cape Town you are in. The 'Cape Coloured's'
are a delightful group of people descended from Malay traders,
and they have a very unique dialect that is something that
can only be heard to be appreciated. But Cape Town is made
up of much more than locals, with many Europeans choosing
to have property here and enjoy the fantastic climate, plus
the many African neighbours who come to Cape Town in search
of work and a better life. All together we form the people
of Cape Town, and we love this place :)
Excellent
tourism infrastructure
Cape Town is by far the best set up for Tourism out of all
South African cities. Cape Town Tourism is a very active organisation
working to promote our city, and give backpackers and other
travellers the best possible experience. The city is currently
upgrading its transport networks to be in line with international
standards ahead of the FIFA World Cup, but is well equipped
with buses, train services, minibus taxis and private metered
cabs(see
our Transport section). The open top Cape Town Explorer
bus is a great way for backpacking travellers
to see the main sights of the city without having to fork
out for major tours, and has the great advantage of being
a hop-on-hop-off style ticket. There is a very wide array
of accommodation for tourists, with an especially high amount
of Backpacker Lodges which also double as Information Desks
and Tour Booking agents. The backpacking
industry has been instrumental in promoting Cape Town, and
has a lot to do with the thriving adventure tour industry
in the City and surrounding areas, whether its wine tours,
abseiling Table Mountain, Cape Peninsula Scenic drives, surfing
and kitesurfing schools, skydiving, you name it, Cape Town
quite possibly has it.
Affordability
Whilst not as cheap as it was 10 years ago (where is?) Cape
Town is still pretty cheap by international standards. We
have excellent food, both in restaurants and in many supermarkets
and farmers markets. An average restaurant meal around the
city will cost you around R60, which is about £5, or
$10. A beer at a bar is going to set you back a whopping R15,
little more than a euro! Backpackers
still offer the best value for accommodation, with the
standards continually being raised, and often you will find
a better quality stay in backpackers than you would in a hotel
for twice the price. Rates vary, but on average a double room
in a Cape Town Backpackers
will cost you around R350/night (£30), and dorm beds
average around R120 (£10). The tours that are most popular
with backpackers and independent travellers go from R150-R500
depending on your chosen adventure.
Great
nightlife Cape Town rocks! Regarded by pretty much
everyone in South Africa as the party capital of the country,
there is such a great choice of music style and venues around
the city. Long Street in the CBD is 24hrs madness, a bit seedy
at times but always has something going. The student hub of
Observatory and its Lower Main Road has a great selection
of clubs, bars and poolbars, plus some eclectic arty cafe's
offering something to nibble while watching the characters
on the street outside. Stellenbosch has a blossoming rock
scene and with the University in the same town, it can be
very festive! There are a lot of live music venues, and in
summer Cape Town has some great Festivals
that run over a whole weekend and are a great way to get out,
camp under the stars and listen to an array of music, from
Rock to Trance to Jazz.
Student
Town
Need we say more! Cape Town is very much
alive with students, both local and international, studying
at the two major Universities of UCT (University of Cape Town)
and Stellenbosch, plus the many private colleges that focus
on advertising, arts, design and film production. Many European
students have started to choose Cape Town
as the destination to spend 6 months to do an internship,
or part of the course, and they bring a relatively new element
to the vibe, focussing largely around Observatory and Rondebosch
to be close to the Uni.
"You
always feel welcome there. The staff is very helpful and
the hostel itself is like a small peaceful island in a busy
city." - Anja, Germany
"On of the best hostels we stayed in SA! Clean, quiet
and secure. Very friendly and helpful staff. Be prepared
to spend some money on transport (taxi at night) since it's
located a bit outside the city centre. Observatory is though
a nice area with shops and restaurants near by. " - Catharina, Norway
" The
hostel itself is full of little touches that set it apart
from others. Lovely beds, rooms decorated with cool ournaments,
cozy vibe etc etc. It also attracts the right kind of people.
" - PokerPro, UK
"It's a beautiful hostel in a beautiful city" - Tyler & TingTing, US
"Beautiful and charming boutique hostel which has so
much more personality than many of the big hostels. Very
good kitchen which has a fantastic communal table. The rooms
are fantastic and beautifully finished. Service was welcoming
and helpful. Perfectly situated for the vibrant Observatory.
Well worth trying out this area as opposed to the typical
tourist traps. Thoroughly recommend." - Reg, UK
"I was soo lucky to find African Heart. I never thought
I would find such a nice place when I arrived to Cape Town.
The owners, Liz and Jamie, are very friendly and helpful
and the house is beautifully decorated, clean and quiet.
The beds are comfortables with beautiful linen and the kitchen
is well-equipped and situated on the second floor and has
a big window with a panorama view of the mountain. It is
located one block away from Lower main road in Observatory
where you can find a lot of small, nice and cheap bars and
restaurants. One block to the other direction is Main road
where you can take the minibuses into the city center for
5 rand, a few block in the other direction is the train
station with trains to Cape Town and Simons Town. I would
dearly recommend African Heart to anyone going to Cape Town.
Especially if you like to experience something more than
the city center and Long street." - Lisa, SWEDEN
Site
summary for http://www.backpackersincapetown.co.za
- African Heart BackpackersHostel-
Friendly Backpackers accommodation in Cape Town's Oberservatory. Close
to Cape Town airport, UCT, City Centre, Newlands Stadium
cape
Town Backpackers Hostel | Backpackers Hostel in Cape Town | Backpackers
Accommodation Observatory Cape town
