Great hostel, very clean and comfortable rooms.

We had a double room with en-suite which was as nice as a hotel!

Great kitchen facilities.

Good location for beach and ushaka marine world.

Wifi is fairly pricey and un-reliable...

Staff could be much more helpful about tours and attractions etc.

It seems many people have differing opinions of this place. Someone I know called it “shady” but I did not feel that it was at all shady. The crowd is really a mix of young college students, older tourists, NGO workers on a tight budget, and European travelers. I found the vibe was really great and it was nice to meet and even socialize with other guests at the backpackers. I think we met people from Germany, England, Canada, and Mexico along with other Americans.

The area where HH is situated, right next to Ushaka Marine world is fairly safe, though a girl coming back alone at night ( not a smart move anywhere in SA) was accosted and chased by a man when we were there. This is a rare occurrence. There is a safe for locking up valuables and the door has a buzzer, CCTV camera, and code access. There was no security guard in sight, which was a bit confusing. Still, my buddy and I did not feel unsafe. It’s HIGHLY advisable to take a metered taxi at night or the People Mover rather then walk back to your hostel.

As with most backpackers, Happy Hippo has a fairly open layout of lounge areas and clustered rooms. There is an internet café and a rooftop bar, but no food on the premises as it is self-catering. A kitchen with a fridge is there for you to use and tea and coffee are free ( coffee snobs like me can even use their coffee-maker). Need a quick bite to eat but don’t feel like walking over to Ushaka ? Grab a snack at Engen or a meal at Vic’s Bar, a Portuguese bar and restaurant opposite the backpackers that has insanely good Calamari. Rooms were clean ( Banana Backpackers is just plain DIRTY) with comfortable beds and lockable doors, the bathroom was also clean. The bar upstairs is a nice place to relax, but can be a pain to deal with if you room is underneath as the noise is only slightly contained. All in all, it’s a nice, cheap, and laid back place for the budget traveler. If you are looking for something more upscale and out of the city centre, use Hippo Hide in Berea.

Nice place and special thanks to Lynette the bar tender! Awesome stay in Durban!

An OK backpackers but the local manager is quite useless, doesnt care for guests at all & spends most of his time on his mobile phone chatting.