Ubuntu Backpackers
8 Cherry Street Wavecrest Eastern Cape, Jeffreys Bay 6330 South Africa
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Avg. R 472 /night, 12/5 - 12/6
R 599
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R 472
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4.5
#4 of 6 hostels in Jeffreys BayLocation
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African Ubuntu is situated in the heart of South African surf-country, Jeffrey's Bay, and caters to fun-loving people looking for an epic yet affordable base. Its a mere 100m to the beach & magical Supertubes, and there are great wave-views from around the house. Whether your dream be flying down the line in perrrfect surf at the point, watching lions on a game drive, or simply collecting seashells on our dolphin-rich coast, we aim to turn your dreams into treasured memories.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Yoga classes
Free breakfast
Beach
Game room
Car hire
BBQ facilities
Wifi
Bar / lounge
Horseback riding
Billiards
Table tennis
Non-smoking hotel
Shared kitchen
Shared lounge / TV area
Sun terrace
Laundry service
Room features
Kitchenette
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Business
Quirky Hotels
Location
8 Cherry Street Wavecrest Eastern Cape, Jeffreys Bay 6330 South Africa
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 54 out of 100
54
Port Elizabeth Airport
63.4 km•
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Car Hire
12 Restaurants
within 1 kilometer
2 Attractions
within 1 kilometer
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Detailed Reviews
I had such an amazing time at African Ubuntu. The place is great and the people are really nice. If you're coming to Jeffrey's - bay make sure to stay there and get ready for a good time! Lekka mate 🤙🏻
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Six stars Ubuntu. Always loving. NEVER changing family of friends. Feel at home every time I stay with you. Thanks for awesome hospitality and always caring for every guest the same way you would a family member .Blessings..Awe .Keep it up.!!
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Date of stay: June 2016Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
After months of traveling the coast spending time at various places up and down the S.A coast and being treated as a number as oppose to a guest it was nice to finally land into a place that provides just that, with an amazing vibe to the place with great staff and a warmly home feel that i think we forget as travelers, the surf has been so good everything u need can be reached by foot, and the amazing ocean views that go hand in hand with afternoon braii's or hearty meal cook ups each night along with a beer and some good company, safe to say you will be missing out if you dont pull in here and enjoy the comforts and pleasures of this place!
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Date of stay: November 2012Trip type: Travelled solo
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We chose Ubuntu carefully based on reviews and photos, but were very disappointed. Having backpacked all around the world, I know a good hostel when I see one... and this isn't one. The place has a friendly vibe and some nice features, but everything feels grubby and tired.
We'd booked a private twin room. It was so dingy and dirty that we avoided putting any of our stuff in cupboards or on the floor. The room was situated between the main bathroom, the kitchen area and the lounge, so hoping for any quiet was ridiculously optimistic. The corridor directly outside our door was also apparently the perfect spot for people to stop and chat loudly in the early hours, so that was nice. You always get inconsiderate people in hostels, but some of those who made the most noise were staff.
The kitchen counters were unpleasantly sticky, in keeping with the rest of the hostel, and I'd strongly suggest you travel with your own mug, as all of Ubuntu's are dirty, chipped or distinctly lacking in handles.
With a serious clean-up and some TLC, Ubuntu Backpackers could be great. And if it was, guests might be more inclined to keep it that way. As it is, I can't bring myself to recommend it unless you like your accommodation grimy/shabby/unloved, have a penchant for bad jazz music, and/or are too stoned to care.
We'd booked a private twin room. It was so dingy and dirty that we avoided putting any of our stuff in cupboards or on the floor. The room was situated between the main bathroom, the kitchen area and the lounge, so hoping for any quiet was ridiculously optimistic. The corridor directly outside our door was also apparently the perfect spot for people to stop and chat loudly in the early hours, so that was nice. You always get inconsiderate people in hostels, but some of those who made the most noise were staff.
The kitchen counters were unpleasantly sticky, in keeping with the rest of the hostel, and I'd strongly suggest you travel with your own mug, as all of Ubuntu's are dirty, chipped or distinctly lacking in handles.
With a serious clean-up and some TLC, Ubuntu Backpackers could be great. And if it was, guests might be more inclined to keep it that way. As it is, I can't bring myself to recommend it unless you like your accommodation grimy/shabby/unloved, have a penchant for bad jazz music, and/or are too stoned to care.
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Date of stay: December 2016Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Seriously, this place was awful. After a 15 hour drive down the East coast from Pinetown, all we wanted was a nice quiet evening to rest. We specifically looked for a place that had good recommendations, but we couldn’t have been more disappointed. No idea where the majority of reviewers got their rose-tinted spectacles, but we weren't given any.
To begin with, when we arrived some guy was coming out of a gate with a bicycle. He was completely out of it. We asked if this was Ubuntu, and he nearly fell over (maybe from drugs or from sheer bafflement at the difficult question). He replied that he didn’t know. We saw him inside later on heartily chatting to the other guests, so I’m guessing that he did, in fact, have a pretty good idea what the place was called. Maybe just a bad memory then. He did let us inside though, so that was nice. It turned out to be Ubuntu after all. The receptionist wandered through after a while, and was either just as confused or was half asleep. She was entirely disinterested in showing us around, and mumbled her way through the ‘handing over the keys’ ceremony. She did show us upstairs afterwards, where about twenty people sat on the balcony smoking and drinking and listening to the most hideous jazz music I’ve ever heard. And I’ve heard a lot of hideous jazz.
We opted not to join the other visitors, deciding instead to shower and head to bed. Our room was small, with no view at all, and situated right beside the kitchen and one of the bathrooms. This allowed us to listen to each and every guy who delighted in urinating directly into the centre of the bowl, creating a brief yet disgusting waterfall effect – just not quite tranquil enough to lull us to sleep. The shower was adorned with a sign indicating ‘please keep showers to under 5 minutes’, a reasonable request considering the water shortages plaguing the country at that time. Only one problem though: the water took about four minutes to get hot. That was after I managed to wrestle the shower door closed (or something like closed). After a quick shower I dried, desperately hoping I didn’t drop my towel onto the urine-soaked floor. Hygiene standards at Ubuntu are not a thing.
Back in the bedroom, we prepared for sleep. ‘Clean sheets’ is about the best thing that can be said, even if they were full of holes. The pillows were practically folded newspapers. No fan in the room either, to help with the heat. We tried to sleep, which didn’t happen – even after only an hours’ sleep the previous night (in Durban, where it was simply too hot even with a fan) and a whole long day of driving. First we listened to the party upstairs. Not only was the music turned up, but whistling and singing were added by the guests. This continued until well after midnight, as did the stink of cigarette smoke wafting into the room. People talked loudly as they marched up and down through the passage past the room, until at around 0:45 it finally started quieting down. And then all of a sudden a group of people decided to start cooking in the kitchen right next to the room. They talked and laughed and clanged pots and plates, and machines whirred and pinged. The loudest machine was some idiot’s iPad, which was turned on to top volume for a football match or something. I asked them to keep it down, which they thankfully did attempt to do (and vaguely succeeded). At 1:20 a dog barked. I have no idea where they were hiding the animal.
After finally falling asleep at around 3am, we were woken at 6:30 by people chatting as they used the bathroom or started making breakfast. The final straw was that on our one and only day there the internet crashed, and it was announced that there would be no access for at least another day.
This was by far the very worst hostel I have ever stayed in. Would definitely not recommend it to anyone aside from hard partying, die-hard surfers who don’t care about sleeping or hygiene.
Other observations: Quite a few parking spaces outside. Breakfast is wholly unimpressive (toast and jam). The walk to the beach isn’t too far, but lined with vagabonds and feels very unsafe. Beach itself is lovely.
To begin with, when we arrived some guy was coming out of a gate with a bicycle. He was completely out of it. We asked if this was Ubuntu, and he nearly fell over (maybe from drugs or from sheer bafflement at the difficult question). He replied that he didn’t know. We saw him inside later on heartily chatting to the other guests, so I’m guessing that he did, in fact, have a pretty good idea what the place was called. Maybe just a bad memory then. He did let us inside though, so that was nice. It turned out to be Ubuntu after all. The receptionist wandered through after a while, and was either just as confused or was half asleep. She was entirely disinterested in showing us around, and mumbled her way through the ‘handing over the keys’ ceremony. She did show us upstairs afterwards, where about twenty people sat on the balcony smoking and drinking and listening to the most hideous jazz music I’ve ever heard. And I’ve heard a lot of hideous jazz.
We opted not to join the other visitors, deciding instead to shower and head to bed. Our room was small, with no view at all, and situated right beside the kitchen and one of the bathrooms. This allowed us to listen to each and every guy who delighted in urinating directly into the centre of the bowl, creating a brief yet disgusting waterfall effect – just not quite tranquil enough to lull us to sleep. The shower was adorned with a sign indicating ‘please keep showers to under 5 minutes’, a reasonable request considering the water shortages plaguing the country at that time. Only one problem though: the water took about four minutes to get hot. That was after I managed to wrestle the shower door closed (or something like closed). After a quick shower I dried, desperately hoping I didn’t drop my towel onto the urine-soaked floor. Hygiene standards at Ubuntu are not a thing.
Back in the bedroom, we prepared for sleep. ‘Clean sheets’ is about the best thing that can be said, even if they were full of holes. The pillows were practically folded newspapers. No fan in the room either, to help with the heat. We tried to sleep, which didn’t happen – even after only an hours’ sleep the previous night (in Durban, where it was simply too hot even with a fan) and a whole long day of driving. First we listened to the party upstairs. Not only was the music turned up, but whistling and singing were added by the guests. This continued until well after midnight, as did the stink of cigarette smoke wafting into the room. People talked loudly as they marched up and down through the passage past the room, until at around 0:45 it finally started quieting down. And then all of a sudden a group of people decided to start cooking in the kitchen right next to the room. They talked and laughed and clanged pots and plates, and machines whirred and pinged. The loudest machine was some idiot’s iPad, which was turned on to top volume for a football match or something. I asked them to keep it down, which they thankfully did attempt to do (and vaguely succeeded). At 1:20 a dog barked. I have no idea where they were hiding the animal.
After finally falling asleep at around 3am, we were woken at 6:30 by people chatting as they used the bathroom or started making breakfast. The final straw was that on our one and only day there the internet crashed, and it was announced that there would be no access for at least another day.
This was by far the very worst hostel I have ever stayed in. Would definitely not recommend it to anyone aside from hard partying, die-hard surfers who don’t care about sleeping or hygiene.
Other observations: Quite a few parking spaces outside. Breakfast is wholly unimpressive (toast and jam). The walk to the beach isn’t too far, but lined with vagabonds and feels very unsafe. Beach itself is lovely.
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Date of stay: December 2016Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
They ask me for a deposit on the amount of 40rand and didn’t gave me back because there was no one in the reception when I check out. I have to leave the keys on the desk and waited for someone to arrive for 30 minutos and no one arrived. On the day before, I told that I would have to check out at 7am and they said that it was ok, that would be someone there to receive the keys and give my deposit back (40 rands). No one was there. So I couldn’t get my money. I sent them an email, asking for a refund, and they didint even answer it.
In additional, the room was pretty dirty, the shower was disgusting and the towels were dirty. I don’t recommend this hostel for anyone.
In additional, the room was pretty dirty, the shower was disgusting and the towels were dirty. I don’t recommend this hostel for anyone.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2017Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nice comfortable hostel within walking distance of the beach, restaurants, and grocery stores. Breakfast consisted of cereal, bread, jam, butter, coffee, tea, etc. Surfboards and wetsuits available. Nice backyard and porches with comfortable seating for lounging around.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2017Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What started as a fairy tail ended as a nightmare....
To begin, via the phone a certain room rate was discussed. Due to the unfinished room, the owner offered a discount. At arrival, no staff seemed to be informed about this. We spoke to the manager (who was very disrespectful) and she insisted on us leaving, if we would not pay the normal price. Noisy staff. When we talked to them about it, the response was 'we make noise, we apologise and we make noise again' (while laughing). The room only had dirty mattresses on the floor, no curtains, dust was everywhere, cans of paint were in the bathroom and the shower was filled with swimming clothes of the staff. When we arrived at the hostel after a night out, the manager started screaming at us. The breakfast was horrible, dogs walking everywhere, dog poop everywhere, garbage laying around, not working gate.
In short, awful place, unfriendly staff, terrible experience.
To begin, via the phone a certain room rate was discussed. Due to the unfinished room, the owner offered a discount. At arrival, no staff seemed to be informed about this. We spoke to the manager (who was very disrespectful) and she insisted on us leaving, if we would not pay the normal price. Noisy staff. When we talked to them about it, the response was 'we make noise, we apologise and we make noise again' (while laughing). The room only had dirty mattresses on the floor, no curtains, dust was everywhere, cans of paint were in the bathroom and the shower was filled with swimming clothes of the staff. When we arrived at the hostel after a night out, the manager started screaming at us. The breakfast was horrible, dogs walking everywhere, dog poop everywhere, garbage laying around, not working gate.
In short, awful place, unfriendly staff, terrible experience.
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Date of stay: February 2017Trip type: Travelled with friends
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I really enjoyed my stay here at Ubuntu in Jeffrey's Bay. I was in a dorm style room with a bunch of other friends on their bunk beds. Very basic, but they had wooden lockers if you need to securely store your items. Besides my dorm room, the whole house feels quite home-y. Ubuntu also has a good number of clean bathrooms and you can rent a clean, fluffy towel for only R30! Wi-Fi at Ubuntu only works for up to 8 guest at a time, which sucks but hey you're on vacation, get off the internet!
The food the staff made for dinner was great (chicken potjie & braai) and they offer free basic breakfast in the mornings until 10:30am. They had an upstairs area with a balcony that also had a nicely stocked bar where you could take a drink and pay for your tab at the end of the stay. There were plenty of areas to relax, read a book, or lay down in their hammocks outside. The only thing I wish that Ubuntu has was a more direct path to the beach, as it is a bit of a walk. Do go shopping if you have time here for some nicely discounted surf gear and clothing at the Billabong/RVCA/etc. factory shops!
If you're in Jbay and all tired out from surfing, go visit the waterfall/foofy slide (zipline), a 15-20 min drive on a farm. It was one of the highlights of staying here.
The food the staff made for dinner was great (chicken potjie & braai) and they offer free basic breakfast in the mornings until 10:30am. They had an upstairs area with a balcony that also had a nicely stocked bar where you could take a drink and pay for your tab at the end of the stay. There were plenty of areas to relax, read a book, or lay down in their hammocks outside. The only thing I wish that Ubuntu has was a more direct path to the beach, as it is a bit of a walk. Do go shopping if you have time here for some nicely discounted surf gear and clothing at the Billabong/RVCA/etc. factory shops!
If you're in Jbay and all tired out from surfing, go visit the waterfall/foofy slide (zipline), a 15-20 min drive on a farm. It was one of the highlights of staying here.
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Date of stay: February 2015Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: spring for a double room or private room
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The crew at Ubuntu has really made all of us feel at home this past week! The facilities here are all great, and clean. There's a pool table upstairs, with ice cold beers waiting to be pulled from the fridge and sipped on the balcony, which houses a braai place and great view of the surf! Every night there's something decent going on, with great music and surfing movies in the background. There's a tv room with stacks of couches, an outside chill area with hammocks, and free wifi all over the house. All of the guys here surf and like to have a lekka, chilled time with the guests. Everything is in short walking distance and there's tons of fridge and cupboard space for food. You can cook up a storm in the kitchen, or sometimes Darren and the guys cook a tasty home cooked meal with the likes of a potato bake and fish. There's free breakfast every morning and you can help yourself to tea and coffee at any point in the day.
This is unquestionably the best backpackers I've been to - I'll be coming back here for sure!
This is unquestionably the best backpackers I've been to - I'll be coming back here for sure!
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Date of stay: June 2013Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: All rooms are great. There are private rooms and dorms, both of which I've stayed in and...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PRICE RANGE
R 472 - R 599 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaEastern CapeJeffreys Bay
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Ubuntu Backpackers
Which popular attractions are close to Ubuntu Backpackers?
Nearby attractions include Supertubes (0.5 km) and Play in JBay Adventure Centre Day Trips (0.5 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Ubuntu Backpackers?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Ubuntu Backpackers?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, a lounge, and barbeque facilities during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Ubuntu Backpackers?
Conveniently located restaurants include Nina's Real Food, Die Kospot, and Gisters Restaurant.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Ubuntu Backpackers?
Yes, guests have access to yoga classes during their stay.