The Kraal Eco Lodge
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Wild Coast Mpande, Port St Johns 5121 South Africa
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About
#5 of 14 Speciality lodging in Port St Johns
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The Kraal Eco Lodge is one of those rare finds along the Wild Coast. We are situated in an exclusive cleft between two hills facing the Indian ocean. From anywhere at the lodge you can witness the morning routine of our local superpod of dolphins. Established 20 years ago with nothing but an idea to build a self sustaining, eco-friendly lodge that runs and eats from a successful perma-culture garden. Knowing that idea's don't build themselves, we rolled up our sleeves and built our dream from the ground up. If you get the chance ask Dillion, the owner, about anything to do with living self sustainably, grab an ice one from the bar, and enjoy the knowledge shared. We live and work by a simple ethos, don't be a doosh, be lekker. It's simple and easy to remember so please, #goodvibes only.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Public wifi
Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room
Bar / lounge
Beach
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Airport transportation
Non-smoking hotel
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Shuttle bus service
Laundry service
Self-serve laundry
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Room features
Room service
Kitchenette
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
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HOTEL STYLE
Quaint
Charming
Location
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Contact
Wild Coast Mpande, Port St Johns 5121 South Africa
Getting there
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My partner and I stayed at The Kraal for a week just before the high season started in mid-December. Calling it a backpackers hostel feels like a disservice because it is so much more. It is an incredible get away oasis overlooking the ocean. They are very much off the grid, so my partner and I were preparing as much as we could for our week-long stay. Dillon and Max were very accommodating and let us ride along when they went into town for groceries one day and let us use the wifi on the sunny days when there was enough charge on the solar panels. Some small benefits of staying there before all of the people during high season came! We couldn't ask for better dinners. Dillon has been a chef for many years of his life in both South Africa and Europe. One night we had a whole…
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Date of stay: December 2017
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I could honestly move here. This backpackers is incredible! They are currently in the process of tarring the roads which makes the drive there a lot easier and faster, but still watch out for rouge cows, sheep, goats and dogs. However, the last 3 km or so are not tarred and are therefore quite bad, we still managed to get there in one piece driving a VW Polo, but a 4x4 is a smarter choice. The backpackers itself is amazing, they are very sustainable and do a lot of recycling. There isnt really any Wi-Fi unless you request it, they only use it for very important things. They also don't have plug points so make sure you're devices are charged before getting there. We were planning on camping when we arrived and the owners right hand man, Max, let us sleep. In one of their tents…
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Date of stay: December 2017
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When me and my friend arrived at the Kraal, we didn't know what to expect, but it has been the greatest two nights of our whole trip. The two people that are running this backpacker are lovely, funny people who really care about the environment and the well being of their guests. One of them even helped me get out of a situation in Port St.Johns with the traffic police a week after we stayed at The Kraal. The food is simply awesome. We had pizza, fish and a chicken that was running around the houses just a day before we ate it. After waking up from the sounds of the waves, we ate Oysters with lemons while watching the dolphins swim in the sea 100 meter away from us. During the day, we took a kajak down to the river and saw a bit of the beautiful nature that surrounds this place.…
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Date of stay: July 2017
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I can understand that some people would be nervous to take very young kids here. Yes, it's in the middle of nowhere. Yes, it's off the grid. But guess what? This is the one place where my kids (ages 3 and 5) did not whine and complain about being bored, where they did not whine and complain about there being nothing to do, where they did not whine and complain at all. There are so many interesting and unusual knick-knacks, so many chickens to chase, a great mulberry bush with tasty berries, the beach and the river close by (where all they needed were big sticks to draw in the sand; entertained for hours), the chess board where they could play chess with their own rather special rules, friendly dogs to play with, etc. etc. They still talk about The Kraal, and they especially miss…
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Date of stay: September 2016
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+1
If you are ever in the area, you should definitely stay here. Dylan, the owner, went out of his way to make us super comfortable. He's such a cool and genuine guy. His place is the most eco friendly place I've ever been to and I've been to many! It's was so pleasant to spend time here. You can watch pods of dolphins jumping and riding the waves right from the lounge area. As a matter of fact, you should go out of your way to visit. If you do, you will continue to go back as I too plan to. Thanks again for all your kindness and generosity Dylan!
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Date of stay: August 2016
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FORMERLY KNOWN AS
The Kraal Backpackers
LOCATION
South AfricaEastern CapePort St Johns
NUMBER OF ROOMS
7
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