This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Hoedspruit.
Hoedspruit ("Hat Creek" in Afrikaans) is a small town of around 5,000 inhabitants and home to a South African air base. It provides good access to Kruger National Park, Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre in Kapama Private Game Reserve, as well as Blyde River Dam. There are also Moditlo, Ndlovumzi and York Nature Reserves within a short drive. The town is also surrounded by private game reserves, which offer mostly up-market lodges and are the reason for the dearth of accommodations available in the town. Hoedspruit is little more than a crossroads town. It is located at the foot of the Small Drakensberg mountains on the east side of the Blyde River Canyon.
There are no hostels in the town, but there are a few hostel-type inns and motels in the vicinity which are accessible via private transportation. Otherwise, the hostels are not easily accessible via public transportation. Traveling to and from these accommodations would entail asking fellow guests or staff members for a lift to Hoedspruit. Hoedspruit has a couple of shopping malls with supermarkets, international bank ATMs and internet cafes, making it an important commercial hub for tourists and residents of the area. It also serves as a rest stop for onward travel.
As a regional centre, if you can get to Hoedspruit, it's very handy for onward travel. Head to the four-way junction north of town by Lebamba shopping mall where most transportation from elsewhere stops en route to other final destinations.
Written by local enthusiast for Hoedspruit hostels
LondonroadMa