I arrived early in the morning and went to reception to leave my bags and go for a wander and was told I should come back around 12 to get in the room. I got back around 11 and sat by the pool and at 11:30 Anna came over with my key card and told me I could go to my room (she did the same with a few other people too so it was lovely she remembered us all) it was a nice touch that she went out of her to find us and give us keys. ||||The hostel at first appearance looks slightly run down but my goodness I was so surprised by how clean everywhere was. There was always multiple staff/volunteers around the hostel cleaning up and it showed. The kitchen especially was the cleanest most organised kitchen I’ve seen in terms of hostels so that was a massive bonus! ||||‘Uncle’ is one of the volunteers here and is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He took a few of us to Emily gap one day on his break, then another time to the Telegraph station. Another evening he did a talk with us to teach us all about Uluru before we took a tour the next day, so we could appreciate it in the eyes of the aboriginal people. It was such a nice touch to get to speak to someone so knowledgable on a personal level. ||||I would definitely recommend staying here if you are in the area, you won’t regret it. All the staff are super friendly and chatty, and the outdoor cinema is a nice authentic touch...
Read moreThe YHA Alice Springs was my base for two nights whilst I visited West MacDonnell Ranges and rested to travel to Kings Canyon. The dorm was quiet with only 4 beds occupied in total so it was value for money. The beds are comfortable, with sheets and blankets provided. There are bright LED lights next to each bed which is useful but tends to be brighter than the ceiling light so you might wake up guests if you leave early morning, so best to pack the night before and use your phone if you can. Car parking is an extra $10 per night. The guests tend to leave the kitchen a little dirty in the evening after cooking so you need to clean up before you can cook. It is cleaned each evening so it is relatively clean early morning for breakfast. Plenty of dishes and utensils etc. available for use in the kitchen. There is a swimming pool which is nice to cool off in during the day if your base is Alice Springs. I left my suitcase on the bed with a note to store in the luggage room as I would return here later on and it was kept safely. I'd happily...
Read moreThe building is basic, not something fancy or new but big enough and have everything. Swimming pool for summer, cozy lounge area for winter. The best part of this hostel is people. Run by a couple with good heart. If you are a solo traveler like me, do not worry they’re always there for you. Even people staying there are kind and friendly, who turned to be my best friends now in Alice. There’re many backpackers staying so good place to get connection or travel information around the are. You can easily find a travel buddy to visit Uluru with if you’re looking for one. There’re quite a few older mature people staying there as well, which I liked as well. Depending on who’s staying the atmosphere always changes but most of the times it’s chill, occasionally young people drinking at night and can be loud, but I think it can happen everywhere anyway.
Thank you so much for your hospitality and kindness A & A! Thank you for your hardwork to keep this place safe and clean. I’ll see you...
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