Skeleton Beach Backpackers

The staff are kind and fun, the coffee is delicious, and the place is beautifully decorated. From here you can watch amazing sunsets, reach the beach on foot in two minutes, and walk easily to the huge spar or food lovers market. They arrange tours and have lots of ideas for things to do, which made travelling here easy. The WiFi was slow for a few days while I was there. They said the signal issue affected the whole country and did everything they could to fix it. I also liked the respectful quiet time at 10pm. It meant I could relax and enjoy some peace in the dorm.

The room was in a terrible location, and unfortunately it had no bathroom door. There wasn’t good ventilation or reliable WiFi in the rooms either. As a remote worker, I had to carry my laptop to the breakfast and reception area whenever I needed to work. One of the volunteers interrupted me during a meeting with a client to tell me to respect quiet time because it was 10 PM. I had to mute my mic. I told her that if they expected me to follow the rules, they also needed to provide good WiFi. Nobody had told me about quiet time after 10 PM, and we hadn’t seen that part of the policy. The volunteers seemed completely detached from the staff, and you could feel the difference. We also asked for an early breakfast because we had to leave early. They weren’t cooperative and didn’t seem happy that we asked for sandwiches. By coincidence we cancelled our early departure plan, but otherwise I don’t think they would have made them.

The breakfast was great, and the room was clean. The staff were friendly and helpful, too. I stayed three nights in a single room and was happy with it. My car felt secure in the parking area, which is enclosed by an electric fence.

We paid N$190 per person each night to pitch our tent in the garden, with breakfast included: toast, butter, marmalade, cheddar, boiled eggs, cereal, tea and coffee. The kitchen worked well, as did the other facilities, and the WiFi was fast. The volunteer staff were lovely and even brought us extra blankets for the cold nights. You can walk into town in 10 to 15 minutes. They also arrange day trips to nearby attractions. We'd highly recommend staying here.