Winterdodgers Backpackers and Campsite

We booked here just completly random an hour before we checked in, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions of our trip. The hospitality was amazing, aswell as the location. There is also a perfect beach nearby, that the host will tell you about. If you love the outdoors and want to be immersed in nature, this is the place to be!

It's a fantastic base from which to explore a magnificent area. Both staff and guests were friendly and welcoming. Most activities are out doors based but there are at least 3 communal areas to hangout if the weather turns.

The weather was incredibly hot due to a heatwave, which wasn't too bad as the beers were cold. However next time I will bring my portable fan with. The access roads are only suitable for high clearance vehicles and a 4x4 is essential for exploring the area. If you dont have your own you can get a shuttle to the lake/beaches for a nominal fee.

We liked how remote we were, no signal or wifi gave us the opportunity to disconnect and unwind properly. The perfect blend of living in the bush but can drive only 30min to get to the beach. It was the ultimate best of both worlds.

Unfortunately the booking stated that our room will have a fan and mosquito net but we did not have that. We did not even have a light or any power in our room (to a degree, we can understand this, but we would appreciate this being stated beforehand so we can be prepared). We were completely unprepared because what was stated on our booking of what would be available was not. We also had to ensure we start our own fire to ensure we have warm water. Upon arrival, the manager stated that it would be kept lit for us to ensure we have warm water when we want to take a shower. However we found out this was not the case and we needed to make our own fire to shower, the manager then proceeded to take a shower with the warm water we made and removed the coles that we left lit so the other couple could take a hot shower. The wood we left next to the "donkey" to use the next time we wanted to make hot water was removed. Instead of giving us recommendations of where we can go and explore, we were told multiple times that we will not be able to go to certain places because we will get stuck or it will not be a nice experience (we went to the places we wanted to explore anyway and found the negative information given was not true). We should rather stay at the backpackers and spend time with the manager and his volunteers. Where I can understand the intention of creating a community. We book in at backpackers to have an affordable place to sleep, eat, and clean ourselves. The rest of the time, we want to go and explore the whole area and make our own memories. The overall cleanliness of the facilities was not acceptable or very sanitary. Our room door's lock broke upon arrival, and we were told it would be fixed immediately, and it was never fixed or replaced as promised. The Jojo tank above our room also overflowed and flooded our room. Luckily, we didn't leave any of our belongings on the floor.

This thing of yours it's a scam , first you know that network coverage is problem and yet ,you don't disclosed it and you not visible ,I spent the night on the car while I paid I couldn't bath, I couldn't sleep properly and I couldn't eat coz your place wasn't found.

You are scamming people that's all , no phone numbers to call or you call and found out from your customers when they don't pitch or make arrangements on their pick ups since you know that there is no network when you get on the certain side .you are so cruel

Reminded us of our worldly youth travels. The teen couple enjoyed it too. Bargain for a cheap getaway. The hosts are great. Away from hustle and bustle of city and society. Enjoyed the thrill of skidding on the dirt road in our low profile sport car and getting stuck so we could be rescued by the host :) Was a lovely experience in the middle of nowhere.

Not recommended for regular or sport cars. 4x4's only! 15km+ of dirt road and puddles after Mbazwana.

I like the location and rustic atmosphere

A small fridge and a bit more space in the room

I enjoyed the unique experience. Using an outdoor bathroom was fun. Hardly any cellphone reception allowed our family to connect on a deeper level. It is a mind reset experience. Go with no expectations and an open mind, and you will come back a brand new person. Pieter and his crew were such a pleasure to be around, Thank you for making our trip so special!

There isn't anything I can think of right now

Loved the atmosphere

Peter was exceptional and even gave us advice for our trip! We were treated like king, and everything was done to make us feel at home. You can go there with your eyes closed!