On my most recent trip to Australia, I stayed in a huge variety of different accommodations, from very basic hostels to private apartments and everything in between. Without a doubt, one of my favourites was the Rambutan Hostel, Townsville for facilities and value for money. Read on for a full review.
About Townsville
Generally seen by most as simply the gateway to the very popular Magnetic Island, Townsville is a city with a lot to offer travellers. It is considered by locals to be the unofficial capital of North Queensland. We were lucky enough to actually have a friend from Ireland living there who gave us a tour of all the best spots.
We ate fish and chips on the Strand and saw the city lights from Castle Hill, and were very sorry that we hadn’t booked to stay longer as there was so much more that we could have seen and done if we’d had another day or two.
The Location
The location of this hostel is ideal for anyone arriving in town by bus or on the ferry from Magnetic Island. We took a taxi as we didn’t realise how close it was, but according to this Rome2Rio search, it’s just a 7 minute walk. So for all the thrifty backpackers trying to avoid bus and taxi costs, it’s perfect.
The Room
Rooms at the hostel are all located at the roof level, arranged surrounding the pool and bar area, each with it’s own separate entrance.
We booked the basic twin private and it definitely was basic, with bunk beds which we dressed ourselves with sheets given to us on check-in. This is pretty normal practice in many hostel dorms, but it was the only time we had to do it in a private room throughout the entire trip.
The bathroom was pretty standard with toilet, wash basin and a wet-room style shower. I mean wet-room in a very literal sense; once the shower had been running for a minute or thereabouts, the entire bathroom started to resemble a small lake.
All that being said, both the room itself and the bathroom were clean and the beds were comfortable which was really all we needed.
Essential Backpacker Facilities
For any hardcore backpacker, one of the most important considerations is the standard of the cooking and washing facilities. There was a pretty impressive kitchen which we admittedly didn’t use. There was also a really nice lounge area for hanging out, plus a separate area with washing machines and dryers.
Bar and Food
This is where the Rambutan starts to really impress. As mentioned earlier, the bar is on the roof level with the pool and guest rooms. This provides some pretty impressive views of Townsville from the area of the bar alongside the street.
Lunch and dinner are served in the bar and the selection on offer, although obviously not fine dining, is high quality bar food. The prices are a little higher than typical backpacker meals, but so is the quality. We had lunch there when we arrived, fries topped with tender pieces of beef, chopped chillies, and cheese sauce. Simple but freshly made and very tasty.
There were a couple of swings at the bar and a cocktail happy hour for that holiday feeling (swings plus happy hour, what could possibly go wrong…?). There is also a cafe in reception serving breakfast which we unfortunately didn’t get around to sampling.
The Pool
Like the bar, the pool area meets a much higher standard than I would generally expect from a hostel. Surrounded by sunbeds and cabanas with comfy seating and TV screens which were free to use, it was an oasis in the northern Queensland heat and just what we needed for a lazy afternoon of relaxing.
There was also a little pool bar/kiosk, although this did not open at any point during our stay.
The Cost
We paid roughly AUD80 for a basic twin room, dorm beds start around AUD27 and the standard double, which looks a little fancier than our basic room costs around AUD120. Excellent value all round, considering the high standard of the facilities on offer.
For a solo backpacker on a budget, the dorm bed option is a great way to have some really nice hostel facilities without breaking the bank.
The Verdict
The verdict was a huge thumbs up from both of us. We only stayed one night but really wished we had booked for longer so that we could continue exploring Townsville and enjoy chilling out some more. Without a doubt, one of the best hostels I have stayed at in Australia.
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