Hostel review: Noosa Backpackers Resort

By Bobbi Lee Hitchon // 30 April 2010 // Comments: 1 // Related Categories: Hostels, markets, noosa, relax, Things to do, tour

Noosa Backpackers Resort in Noosa proudly boasts that it’s not a party hostel, but a place where travelers can chill out.

With a strict no BYO policy, a hostel bar that closes at 10 p.m. and the nearest bar or club closing early as well, it’s easy to slip into the hostel’s mood. Walking under tall palm trees and along frilly ferns to enter the hostel, guests can release any travel tensions and lounge by the pool or under a shaded area with a good book. Rest easy on the hostel’s comfortable beds, get what is probably a much needed shower in its large and squeky showers and catch up with family and friends in its internet cafe, which they offer at reasonable price for Auastralia ($1 per 15 minutes).

For those who aren’t ready to settle down just yet, time in Noosa doesn’t have to be spent on R&R only. The area has lots to see and do as well as attractions that are exclusive to it, such as Emundi Markets, Noosa Heads and Noosa Everglades, one of only two everglades in the World.

Location

Staying in the middle of the action in Noosa isn’t exactly a good thing. Most Aussies visit the beach town to escape the noise and congestion of their home towns. Noosa Backpackers Resort is in the perfect spot to live up to its town’s reputation.

Located on Willam Street, the hostel is not directly inside of any of the three, major attraction areas in Noosa that form a spread-out triangle (Noosaville, Main Beach and Noosa Junction), which provides guests with privacy as well as peace and quiet at night. Located almost in the middle of a common backpacking route from Sydney to Cairnes, the serene hostel is an ideal pit stop for travelers that need to catch up on sleep and prepare for the rest of their trip.

Only a five-minute walk from Noosa River and Noosaville, the secluded hostel is surrounded by placid waterways as well as an array of international restaurants. Walking along Gympie TCE, the main road in Noosaville, patrons will find everything from Spanish tapas to pad Thai.

For those that want to reach more than what exists in a five-minute walk, the hostel offers a courtesy bus with six stops all around Noosa from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. People that want to wander even further out, the hostel is a block away from a bus stop on Noosa PDE which offers buses outside the town to Emundi Markets and more.

Staff

Following the hostel vibe, patrons will want to leave this place in the same mood as the staff. Always offering a smile and direction, it’s a treat to chat with them at reception, on the courtesy bus or at the bar. Made up mainly of Australians, most are Noosa locals rather than backpackers passing through. Their local knowledge comes in handy when looking for specific things like good Thai food at affordable prices or where the best fishing spots around the area.

Vibe

Patrons can relax in a peaceful environment, but still be sociable. While there aren’t any goon-driven parties at this stop, there is still a small bar, cafe and a few common areas where travelers can meet up. It’s almost like the “Cheers” of hostel bars. Guests grab a drink and sit on benches in the hostel courtyard getting to know everybody’s names.

It’s a place that really embodies Australia’s “no worries” motto. Everything from food to laundry is within reach and affordable. Guests can cool down by a small pool or take a nap on lounge chairs in a quiet shady corner of the courtyard, where the sun peaks through as the trees sway. There’s no pressure to constantly be touring, but there is plenty to see and do for those that want to.

Price

With 4-8 bed, shared dorms at $A29 per person, per night, double and twim rooms at $A67 per room, per night and discounts for VIP members, it’s affordable accommodation, especially by Noosa standards. Between its high-end stores and posh world-cuisine restaurants, Noosa is not exactly the cheapest place by backpackers’ standards. Luckily, the hostel offers a few things that can make its guests receive the full Noosa experience without paying for it.

Surfboards, bodyboards and kayaks are free to hire at the resort. It’s practically connected to Global Cafe, which offers a variety of yummy dishes (try the coconut brownie) and a special deal for backpackers. People staying at the hostel can get a pizza and pot of beer or glass of wine, cooked by the Cafe, but served at the hostel bar for $11 from 5-6:30 p.m. This isn’t just a warmed-up, frozen pizza either. The pie, which can feed two, is freshly made and comes with a choice of toppings (go all Aussie and try a pizza with bacon and eggs).

Overall

After a month or so of backpacking, some people may actually need this stop. Between the hostel's mood and it's endless and clean facilities (kitchen, lounge, laundry, internet room and outdoor areas), backpackers can take a minute to pause, recharge and repack their lives. It’s easy to slip into the hostel’s relaxed mood and hard to leave the beautiful Noosa area.