Nomads Fat Camel Hostel / Backpacker

The evening meal here is free, tasty, and a real bargain. If you’re very hungry, you can make it a big meal for just 3£, or get a large meal with a drink for 5£. There’s one kitchen for every couple of dorms. I had a very positive stay at this hostel and would come back. The only drawback was that there were no lockers in the room.

The location is great, and having a shared kitchen is a nice addition. We knew the private room had no window and shared a bathroom, and weren’t expecting much for the price, but the room reeked of mildew. It was so poorly built that we could hear everything, and light came through the walls between the room and the semi-connected bathroom. The common rooms also had no windows or good ventilation.

It’s a centrally located, affordable hostel, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The rooms are laid out differently from other hostels nearby, with private kitchens and bathrooms shared by three or four rooms, so it felt a bit more intimate and comfortable. They also serve a snack meal at 7 pm each night in the bar next door. I’d recommend staying here.

The small dorm rooms had enough space, but our shared four-bed room had only two lockers, and one was broken. The small kitchens and common areas on each floor were great. There was also a huge common area on Level 1 where my friends and I could get out of the cold, charge our phones, and sleep a little. Reception was staffed 24/7, and the staff were friendly. I’d stay again. I was there for two nights over the Easter long weekend. It’s a nice but old hostel in a fantastic location, close to everything, including bars and clubs. I arrived at 6am at the wrong hostel because Nomads has two locations one block apart. A staff member kindly redirected me. The downstairs bar was disappointingly closed on Good Friday, which was understandable, but also on Easter Sunday. Maybe that had to do with NZ drink sales laws, but it was still disappointing for a hostel.