Editor Pick
Maui YHA Kaikoura - Best View in Any Hostel
- December 17, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Red Mezz from Inverness, Scotland
Kaikoura as a town is a pretty compact place, and though it rates highly on many travellers To Do List, there are only a few things to do in town outside of enjoying the scenery.
Luckily, enjoying the scenery is a profound thing in this coastal Pacific town, and there is enough view to keep you happy through out your stay, even if you don't take to any of the pricey tourist things to do.
When we arrived in Kaikoura our first stop was at the Adelphi Lodge in the centre of town. On paper the place looks great, even if it was a bit pricier than other hostels we stayed at. But it quickly became apparent that it was much less than it was cracked up to be and after one night there we cancelled our stay and moved to a different place.
We drove along the coast a bit, looking for another place with in our budget (all hostels in New Zealand) and stumbled onto the YHA.
As you will find it you read my review on the New Zealand experience, there is a vast difference in quality between the YHA and BBH system in New Zealand. In my experience the YHAs are - if not the cheaper of the two - certainly better maintained. You are pretty secure in what you will be getting in any YHA, and everyone we saw or stayed in while in the country was very clean and neat and they all offered pretty much the same thing.
And though this isn't always a good thing when you are looking for accommodation, in the minefield of cheap hostels, some notion of what you will get for your money can be a huge relief.
And of all the YHAs that I saw - the one in Kaikoura is my favourite.
It's true that it's nothing flash inside. It's pretty basic - with no big tricks, but it's very clean, very neat and run well. It's got an ample kitchen filled with spices and things left by other travellers that you can use while you are there. The staff were very good - and did all that you need. And happily there was a pretty good variation in the travellers that came there. Unlike other hostels we stayed in which seemed to be nothing but European and Asian student travellers. In the YHA in Kaikoura there were guests of all shapes and sizes - something I find rather important in a hostel experience.
But easily - easily the best thing about the Maui YHA is the location. Located slightly out of the town centre (about a 25 min walk) right on the coast the view from the hostel is amazing. Both in the kitchen area and in the seating outside you get an absolutely incredible view of the sea, the coast and the purple mountains that surrounds the town.
If you are in the market for a double or twin room with shared facilities - request room number 14. It has a spectacular view.
It's also worth mentioning that just around the corner (though best reached with a car if you have one) is a seafood BBQ that is somewhat renowned in Kaikoura as the only place to get any reasonable seafood. It's also run by a very interesting couple, and the food is pretty tasty.
And just about a mile from that is the seal colony where the NZ fur seals lay about the rocks and you can wander amongst them for free - a very cool experience.
From journal Whales, Seals, and the Stunning Purple Mountains of Kaikoura