Riverfront Backpackers

Pretty bad experience with the manager (Leon). I was told to bring cash to pay, and when I said I only had card, I got a lecture about how “when traveling you should always have cash.” It felt unnecessary and quite rude. You don’t expect to be spoken to like that over something so simple. The next day, he approached me again about payment, even tho I paid the night before. Overall, it left a bad impression — not a place I’d feel comfortable dealing with again.

Riverfront feels more like someones home than like a professional hostel. There was barely anyone staying there. Only one other person who luckily was very nice, otherwise I would have felt very spooked and unsafe. The location is very far off and the neighbourhood, I was told, isn't safe. The house feels like a big old mansion, with dark wooden walls, personal items and decoration everywhere, generally it's quite dark. The bedroom also felt like a private bedroom, and there was no bathroom on t...

This place is fine if you need a quick place to sleep. Don’t expect any vibe or amenities, just a simple bed. Far away from attractions. Needs updating and more modern facilities. This is definitely not a hostel if you’re a backpacker.

This hostel is abit run down and far from any restaurant or shops so all guests are required to plan ahead for their meals and buy it on their way there. There wasn't much vibe while I was there so I decided to cut my stay short and appreciated the host being really understanding and even dropping me off at the new accommodation.

The house is really nice. Moreover, the river view is stunning and the area seems safe. Unfortunately, a few aspects that we didn’t like were the cleanliness of the place. The bathroom has not been cleaned at all (it seems in ages) and was really disgusting.The house only had carpet and in our room were a lot of stains on the floor and I’ have a house dust allergy and couldn’t stop sneezing. Aside from that, the mattresses in our room were worn out and it wasn’t exactly pleasant to sleep...

Die Unterkunft liegt sehr abgelegen und ist auch erstmal schwierig zu finden. Die Volunteers waren super nett, sowie auch der Besitzer. Die Küche wirkt nicht sehr einladend, wobei alles Nötige da ist. Es gibt leider keinen Aufenthaltsraum, nur die Terrasse außen.

Endroit très agréable et calme. Dommage qu'on nous déconseille toujours de se promener seule à cause de l'insécurité. L'endroit invitait à la promenade.

The hostel is absolutely beautiful and you just have a cosy vibe there! And I would also like to recommend a trip to the township childcare program „Imama“, where the staff also helps you to get there safely! It was a very special and touching experience!

Bedankt voor alles heb immens genoten van mijn verblijf!

Wir hatten das Premium Zimmer und fühlten uns wie in einer amerikanischen Südstaatenvilla

The hostel is absolutely beautiful and you just have a cosy vibe there! And I would also like to recommend a trip to the township childcare program „Imama“, where the staff also helps you to get there safely! It was a very special and touching experience!

Bedankt voor alles heb immens genoten van mijn verblijf!

Pretty bad experience with the manager (Leon). I was told to bring cash to pay, and when I said I only had card, I got a lecture about how “when traveling you should always have cash.” It felt unnecessary and quite rude. You don’t expect to be spoken to like that over something so simple. The next day, he approached me again about payment, even tho I paid the night before. Overall, it left a bad impression — not a place I’d feel comfortable dealing with again.

Wir hatten das Premium Zimmer und fühlten uns wie in einer amerikanischen Südstaatenvilla

Magical place. Had the best time! Extremly kind staff. Perfect if your looking for a little get away close to the city.

Beautiful Hostel, quiet and lovely to hang out at the river

It was a super chill and awesome stay. Great place and such a nice, friendly, caring owner!

Had a great stay. The location was splendid, and locals living nearby were extremely nice. Had a surfing lesson, which was exciting and saw a whale. Holy cow!! Also had some meals prepared by a wonderful cook, who was extremely accomodating. This is no 5-star restaurant, but the skill in whipping up delicacies with few ingredients was noteworthy. Addo Elephant park was also a great excursion. Saw a female lions with her cubs sauntering by and almost had a heart attack, noting her muscles and siz...

Great place to stay, very quiet and safe neighborhood. Also had a great surfing expierience with the host, which ended in swimming with the dolphins. Can only recommend this place and would book any time again.

Sitting on the veranda at Riverfront is a dream. There is a permaculture garden and permaculture principles are used to water the plants. It can be reached by train. There are no shops nearby. Mark was very welcoming. The cleaning and gardening staff is great. We helped planting trees. Mark introduced us to a home of disabled people where he is organising a participatory self sufficient permaculture garden. At Riverfront we met other local people from South Africa and had a braai at the river ...

This place is fine if you need a quick place to sleep. Don’t expect any vibe or amenities, just a simple bed. Far away from attractions. Needs updating and more modern facilities. This is definitely not a hostel if you’re a backpacker.

I really enjoyed my stay there. It was relaxing, the neighborhood felt safe, and the locals were really kind. It was a welcome respite from the chaos of the center. I ate well (they serve breakfast and dinner) and Mark does surfing lessons. Cool vibe. Will come again.

Riverfront Backpackers is a hidden gem! Mark, the owner, gave me the incredible opportunity to learn how to sail—an experience I’ll never forget. He also taught me to surf, which was just as amazing. The atmosphere is peaceful and away from city noise. Clean, cozy beds, hot showers, a fully equipped kitchen, and a beautiful garden with fruit trees. Being by the river is a bonus. Staff are super friendly and always willing to help! Riverfront Backpackers is epic—don’t miss the sailing!

This hostel is abit run down and far from any restaurant or shops so all guests are required to plan ahead for their meals and buy it on their way there. There wasn't much vibe while I was there so I decided to cut my stay short and appreciated the host being really understanding and even dropping me off at the new accommodation.

Place has a lot of character being a 100 year old house. If you want to relax far away from the hustle it’s a great place. It is all self catered with no restaurants or grocery stores nearby.

This is the ideal spot if you want to visit addo. I booked a tour with the owner and other guests self drived. I loved my stay here. The view onto the river is beautiful and a great place to chill have have a morning coffee. In the afternoon I took the opportunity to take the free stand up paddleboards out on to the river and saw a flock of flamingos. Definitely coming back!

A beautiful place to calm down and relax

Ich habe eine richtig schöne Addo Elephant National Park Tour in einem coolen Surfer- VW Bus gebucht und war begeistert! Alle Mitarbeitenden sind total freundlich und hilfsbereit. Die Lage ist unglaublich schön, sehr ruhig und direkt an einem Fluss. Ich hatte eine total schöne Zeit in der Riverfront Unterkunft! Ich kann’s nur weiterempfehlen :))

We urgently needed a hostel so booked this place extremely last minute. The staff were all super kind and welcoming to us and we loved our dorm room. Wish we had more time to enjoy the river view.

I extended my vacation at Riverfront Backpackers because I was lucky enough to meet the locals who treated me like I was a part of the neighbourhood. I felt like I fit right in. I will definitely come back due to the warm atmosphere.