Zebra Crossing Backpacker

Just got back to the UK after a trip to South Africa with my boyfriend – three days of which we spent at Zebra Crossing in Cape Town. We LOVED it. Thought it was great value for money. A fantastic location: turn left out of the entrance and you're within easy walking distance of the bars and clubs on Long Street, and the Bo Kaap area, which is one of the most photogenic places I've seen. Turn right, and you can go up towards Tamboerskloof, which has lovely little restaurants like the Miller's Thumb and Manna Epicure, and great bars as well. If you go further up the hill, you end up at the foot of Table Mountain. It's also really close to Kloof Street – brunch, vintage clothing shops, bars and restaurants, etc. We were really spoilt for choice in terms of eating, drinking and shopping. As for the hostel itself, it was super friendly, and had a relaxed and quiet feel to it. We've been to backpackers before that have been full of people arriving drunk and banging doors etc., so we wanted somewhere chill, and this really fitted the bill. It has its own little cafe (run by the lovely Bronwen, who Emiel enjoyed getting to know when he got his morning coffee) and indoor and outdoor communal spaces, and we found ourselves looking forward to getting back there in the evenings after long days of sightseeing. Facilities were great, and well managed by Doniel and team, with a communal kitchen and more than enough toilets and showers. The room itself was clean and cosy (and had a great view of the Lion's Head, because we were on the first floor), soundproofing seemed good, bed was comfortable and bedding was perfect for the season. Oh, and, always important in a city you don't know well, we (and our belongings) felt safe and secure. We're hoping to return to Cape Town soon, as it's a fabulous city – and when we do, we'll definitely be booking in here again. Thanks to the staff (and residents) for making our stay such a happy one!

Of the three months I spent in South Africa (studying English), almost half of the time I stayed at Zebra Crossing. I arrived at the hostel without speaking one word of English, and yet I felt comfortable and welcomed from the first moment! You were part of my story in this incredible country that is South Africa, and I can only thank you for your love and attention! The Hostel is impeccably clean (bathrooms, rooms, common areas), great Internet connection, and is strategically located close to the city's main tourist attractions (Table Mountain, Lion's Head, Kloof Strett, Long Strett, etc etc), supermarkets, English schools, restaurants... From there it is also easy to reach the beaches and get to points further away from the city center. At first I chose to stay there, because from the reviews I understood that it was a quieter place, with no night parties in the common areas, and it is exactly like that, calm and peaceful, BUT (obviously) it does not prevent socialization / fraternization between guests - I met dozens of cool people (of different nationalities, ages and lifestyles)!! It was one of my best choices in South Africa =)

Clean! Beautiful views! Close to all amenities! Friendly staff! Comfy beds! Communal kitchen to make your own food. Lovely cafe to enjoy coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner. Beer also available. Feel part of a family. Parking space available! Travel centre onsite. Wifi throughout. Shared lounges with book exchange. By far the best budget traveller's lodge in Cape Town! Highly recommended!

Loved staying at this hostel. Very centrally located and the staff (Doniel , Brownyn and Arthur) were terrific and very helpful. Would definitely stay here during my next visit to Cape Town.

This is best place in Cape Town. It’s cheap, charming, clean and the staff is helpful and friendly to a degree long beyond expectations! Bronwyn has her own cafe and is the most magnificent woman! We eat breakfast there every day. We are traveling with family and a group of 42 students and would never go anywhere else. Braai at the hostel is also worth joining!

I stayed at the backpackers for a month during the period of June, the staff is very friendly and the backpackers very clean. There is two managers who work there, Daniel is very good and professional, but the other manager in opinion lack any kind of managerial skills, very unprofessional, knows nothing about Cape Town,has outbursts with some of the other quest, have no people skills. He is very unfriendly, he is only nice when he wants something from you. I am actually writing this review in a nice way, and leaving out allot of details. In my opinion he thinks the backpackers belongs to him, I think he should come down to earth and be an employee, and look after his quest a bit better. I know it’s a backpackers and not a five star hotel, but there should be at least some kind of hospitality. Because of him, I will never ever stay at that backpackers again, and allot of the other quest I spoke to agree with me 100%. It’s not my business, but if I was the owner I would really look into it.