After my first visit, which was a 1 night stop on a bike trip, I was sold. I took my wife and kids there for a 1 night stop and they were sold. So much so that my wife decided to host her birthday weekend away there with friends and family. Now they are all sold. Amphitheater Backpackers is a visual delight and ticks all the right boxes, and more, for a let loose getaway from the dull drums of normality. The staff are efficient, energetic and friendly. The accommodation and all facilities are spotless and well maintained. The bar, with jacuzzi l, climbing-wall, sauna, steam-room and and and will trap you in there for many pleasant hours. Which is perfect considering the beverages at hand. The restaurant on site never failed to meet any of our expectations, and the venue is situated in close proximity to other eateries in the area, so you won't be left wanting. The owner has poured 23 years into this gem and you can experience it all. Highly recommended.

I honestly wouldn’t recommend the place to anyone based on my experience. Their service is poor and one of the workers with tattoos at the bar gave me and my family attitude for days we couldn’t even enjoy our stay there. The speed points had a problem and she couldn’t even tell us that in an appropriate manner. We bought ciders and she did not even bother to ask if she can open for us yet I saw that she asked another customer (white) that came after me if she could open for them mind you we didn’t even have bottle openers with us as we were guests there… on the chalets there are no soaps or towels you have to go and ask for them ..the bartender even had the audacity to come confront us when we complained that she’s drinking beer while busy with us as customers and what makes it worse is that the manager was the one giving her alcohol so when the manager came to attend to our complaint it wasn’t easy for us to lodge our complaint seeing as they are all friends ..we understand that it was Christmas and people wanted to enjoy their day but it shouldn’t be at the expense of our happiness..there was really no need for her to ruin our Christmas just because she feels that since we’re of the same colour she should just speak with us anyhow and not even be welcoming to us. I’m very dissapointed whereas we were looking forward to staying there at your Backpackers.

Very nice place to camp. Lovely open grounds with some trees and beautiful views. And you still have access to all the facilities. We were there during the rugby world cup and got to watch the game in the lovely lounge although it was a bit crowded the vibe and atmosphere are great . Met many interesting people. The beds were super comfy in the rooms . Showers are a bit finicky to use as the hot water is provided via gas .. but showers were adequately clean and super hot . Will definitely visit again. My one and only gripe was that our uncooked braai meat was stolen from the communal freezer on our 2nd night there .. not only ours but other people's stuff at the campsite as well.. this is however out of the hands of amphitheater backpackers as there is easy access to the premises 🤷 . I would suggest keeping it in the car in a cooler box overnight just to avoid any unpleasantries. Unfortunately there's not much they can do about this . Other than that I really love it here and yes will definitely be visiting again .

Amphitheatre Backpackers: We visited this amazing backpackers spot in July. The rooms are well equipped, clean and neat. The staff are very friendly and helpful There is a Restaurant and Bar on-site. There are also activities like hiking, a pool table, a lounge area and loads of space to walk around and explore. The views are magnificent. The food is also really good. Highly recommended spot.

Great backpacker lodge. You need to be aware that this is for backpackers and manage your expectations. The rooms and facilities are clean and functional but not too fancy. The service was great. We did the day trip in Lesotho and the guide was great! The backpackers do seem to care about the community. There can be a lot of noise from the common areas, especially during the weekend (locals and tourists partying).

If you're reading these reviews and the reactions given to them, and you're thinking "Wow, management here seems really aggressive and awful, but surely they won't be like that to me if I stay there?" It is exactly as bad as it seems. Consider this your warning.

Not the same place we stayed at 2 or so years ago, it has changed a lot. Use to be a backpackers but has since turned into the locals get together spot for partying and drinking chasing away the visitors that are staying there. Bartenders attitude doesn’t help the place and they ran out of various drinks and mixers whilst we were there and just never replenish anything. Drinks have gotten seriously expensive and the place has lost it's appeal all together.

I love this place and have stayed here several times. I've attended Smoking Dragon twice and another music festival as well, but that is a different experience entirely, so my review will focus on the lodge under non-festival circumstances. I have camped, and stayed in at least three different types of room and they are all wonderful. I have never been disappointed with the amenities. The communal kitchens and bathrooms are clean and in working order. An excellent holiday destination for singles, couples, families, young and old. The food at the restaurant is delicious. Cocktails are unfortunately only served after 5pm... Maybe 5:30... Maybe 6... Maybe not at all. That is probably my only complaint. Give me my cocktails, please. I had an absolutely incredible hot stone massage. The pool is lovely as are the lawns for kicking a ball around. It's nice to go down to the dock and put your feet in the water and say hi to the cows. The view and location of this place is phenomenonal. If you want a really relaxing holiday, stay here.

We have yet to experience staying in one of the rooms at Amphitheater Backpackers, but we have camped here twice now during the Smoking Dragon / Connexion festivals. The camping grounds have enough space, the camping bathrooms are always clean, the camping kitchen facilities have enough of everything you need. As well as a shared fridge and a shared freezer. The view is incredible! And there is a dam to chill in and a few walking trails.

This place is special. It has an incredible view of the whole wide amphitheatre, and a great vibe and kitchen and bar. Including amazing facilities for campers. The staff are lovely and very keen to help and organised a great day hike to Tugela Falls for us which was spectacular, and our guide was brilliant, also with our 2 kids. Evenings in the bar with great music, cold beers, pool table and bouldering wall were also very special.

The backpacker's lodge is perfectly situated for exploring or adventuring in the Berg, with glorious hikes, adventure activities, and horse riding close by. The venue itself is lovely. It's a work of art, with afro eclectic art and décor, the rooms are well thought out and super comfy with lovely beds and clean bedding. The bathrooms are clean and once you master the hot water level in the shower, it's a dream! The views are lovely. The staff are friendly. The food is divine. The facilities are fab. It is such good value for money and I highly recommend it. We'll be back again, and again!

The best way I can describe this place is “super vibey”. There’s a form of accommodation for everyone - from pitching your tent straight on the grass overlooking the mountain range to comfortable dorms. My only critique would be that the communal kitchen places can get a bit dirty (but that’s to be expected when you’re sharing with a bunch of other guests). Otherwise they have a lekker bar, a pool and they serve delicious pizza!

It's one of our favorite vacation spots. We just love the atmosphere, and the team is always very welcoming and friendly. Special gems are the rock climbing wall, the jacuzi, sauna, and pool.

Be sure to skip this place at all cost! When we arrived mid day, there was a massive party going on hosted by people that did not stay at the lodge. People were intoxicated, loud, harassing the guests and the place was heavily understaffed. We left after not feeling safe anymore; people took pictures of us and followed us to our cottage. The staff agreed to give us a refund and we left. Once we followed up on it a week later by phone, they were very aggressive, called us racists and denied our refund. We lost our money but leaving this place was the best decision ever made.

Way over priced rooms for what you get. Rump stake was terrible tough (taai x10) for R180

Not a good experience at all! Wanted to show friends of ours how beautiful the campsites and scenery is but wat met by lots of noise from a group if ladies that was so drunk, lady at reception was not friendly at all, felt very unwelcome. With an attitude like that they will loose lots of guests!

What a stunning place, and so much to do in the area!! I did 2 awesome tours - one to the highest waterfall in the world, and one to Lesotho. The guides were so sweet, informative, and took care of everyone amazingly :) I was travelling alone, and the awesome staff helped me to organise all my transport and anything else I needed during my stay (including one of the best massages I have had in a loooong time, Lebo has such healing hands! She does it in the rooftop of the lodge, so you don't even need to go anywhere!). The bar area was really fun, and I met lots of people there during my stay, including very friendly local people from the area which I find quite unique for a backpackers! Definitely try the food as well! I could've eaten the whole menu... Also ask about the cannabis bar, you wont be disappointed ;)

1. When we walked in the room, it had a sewerage smell. We couldnt remove the smell and had to sleep in it for 2 nights. Horrible. 2. The room was full of insects, we killed 3 cockroach-like animals and 2 very hairy caterpillars. 3. The rooms were not cleaned at all. Not when we arrived at first and not in between. Bed was full of hairs and other small dirty stuff. Between the day they made up our bed. But they didnt clean anything. Bed was still full of hairs. 4. We had to wait 40 minutes for breakfast and 30 minutes for dinner while nobody else was waiting. Food was rather simple/okay. Half of the menu not available. 5. Jacuzzi was in the bar, pool was not that nice, everything else is just basic. 6. Rooms were overall old and dirty. Definitly would not recommend and I would recommend a tent over this. Marketing and pictures look good, but its deceiving!

An amazing spot to get away from it all and fully enjoy the Drakensberge - wonderful staff, great commodities and nice dorms. Great for hiking, birding and relaxing outdoors. I really enjoyed my stay here. A car is recommended, if you want to do some sightseeing and get to hiking spots. They offer guided tours with a minimum of 3 people.

This could be one of the most amazing hostels in south africa. The place looks beautiful. There is a nicely decorated Bar area, there is a large Pool, a beautiful balcony with nice views on the mountains, the rooms are all creatively decorated. So far the good parts that show all the potential of the place. Unfortunately it seems that the place is having a hard time at the moment and as a guest you can feel that. When we visited end of March 2023 we were nearly the only guests on the premises. The staff was not really friendly. We did not feel welcome when we arrived. Instead of giving us advice where we could hike own our own as we wished, they only tried to sell us their own Tour. Our room was quite dirty and smelled a bit. The bed sheets had stains and dead mosquitos were on the wall. The restaurant had only half the options available. Over all I hope that more guests will visit and that this will make the Staff friendlier. Because this place has so much Potential!

What a beautiful festival grounds, plenty of open space, lovely grass campsites, large communal kitchens. Which is all amazing besides the amphitheatre staff, it takes forever to check in, Bar and reception staff are extremely arrogant and never wanted to help, even with simple requests... More Bathrooms and more trees would be fantastic on the campgrounds... All in all a ok festival destination...

Perfect place for a relaxed stay. You can choose between a pool and the dam for a cool-down on hot days. Staff is super friendly and the food is excellent. Don’t miss to try one of the cocktails - African Mojito is a good choice ;-)

Such a beautiful and relaxing place. The staff was very friendly. We did the hike and it was getting very late, there was a really nice lady who took the time to call and check if we were okay and got our food prepared before the kitchen could close. Excellent service, definitely recommend 💚

The place is a bit dirty and worn out. The staff is great and the common areas are cool, but it's not worth the price for me

I loved every minute of my stay. Staff friendly Food good Atmosphere amazing Views excellent. Accomodation oerfect Clean

We camped on the lawn as Roof of Africa participants. There was enough space, electricity is available but you need a very long extension cord to reach the campsites. Good take away or dine in food is available from the restaurant. Unfotunately there are no ablutions or running water for campers which is an issue, hopefully this will be resolved.

Sensational... The perfect place to spend a few days during our Drakensberg trip. The setup and facilities are fantastic - well-equipped and spacious. The vibe and atmosphere - immersive, a great sense of inclusiveness. Doesn't matter what age, gender, race, nationality. You feel respected, celebrated, and welcome. The no-nonsense bar and food menu is all you need. The decor and general aesthetic - local x eclectic. Loved everything and can't wait to come back. Thank you Team!

While the location was great, the service was really poor. No hot water on arrival, fix temporary for a while and again nothing. Known problem with the gas geyser yet no attempt to find a peemenant solution. Also shared kitchen facilities lacking enough utensils and cutlery and not the clearness to make one feel comfy. Further, too noisy during the late evenings, into early mornings, without the facility manager controlling inconsiderate guests (a group went mad, revving their motorbikes)

The place to be in Drakensberg! We originally booked one night here and ended up staying for a week as we loved the place. Ilsa the manager welcomed us with an open heart and made us feel at home, she gave us all the tips we needed too. The location is ideal to get to any hiking trails in the area. Would recommend to anyone.

What a fab backpackers. Very close to by to many trails and recreational spots. Awesome facilties to enjoy whilst you're there. Great for a little getaway.

The rooms are so filthy! The pillows smell like they haven't been been washed in years. The pillows are also so dirty they made my face break out. The floor was dirty upon arrival. The shower and basin taps don't look like they get cleaned. The room truly smelled so bad. Not worth it.

Great place to stay to visit the Drakensberg area. Food (dinner and breakfast) was good, and service very nice! We did the day hike with them and our guide was very very nice and helpful. Highly recommended!!

Third time I've stayed here. Really lovely chalets. Good food. Music a bit loud and not my taste but that's personal. Staff are really lovely, great African hospitality.

Amazing place to stay for hiking and exploring the area. They have comfortable rooms, the beds were really nice, breakfast was delicious, laundry service available too, great wifi in the common area. Would definitely recommend to others and would stay again!