Warning: this hostel is infectiously funky (Calypso Inn Backpackers Resort (Cairns))

Member Name: aylawarner

Product:	Calypso Inn Backpackers Resort (Cairns)
Date:	22/05/09 (66 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Absolutely everything

Disadvantages: A little far out of town if you want to walk but the free bus service makes up for that

Out of the many hostels in Cairns, Australia, we opted for Calypso Inn Backpackers Resort due to the low prices and the brilliant website and pictures which made it look like an amazing place to stay. And I am so glad we did choose this place as it was probably the best hostel we stayed in in the whole of Australia.

The resort is pretty big and has a range of air-conditioned rooms from dorms (both unisex and mixed), twins, singles and doubles. We decided to book a double room so that we could have a bit of privacy and relaxation in our last stop on the East Coast, and the room cost us $54 a night which was around £24, and you also get a slight discount if you have a VIP backpackers card. The hostel is a little way out of town, about a 15-20 minute walk, but there is a free bus service from the hostel which goes in and out of town every hour. When we arrived in Cairns I rang the hostel's free phone number from a payphone and they came out to pick us up straight away.

As soon as we walked in, we could feel the relaxed yet happy atmosphere. The reception area is large with 8 computers, a sofa area and loads of travel and tourism information. The staff were immediately very warm and welcoming and made us feel at home right away. When they showed us to our room, we walked past a gorgeous looking swimming pool and through the bar and restaurant area which looked really inviting. We stayed in 2 different rooms on our week stay here, as we visited Port Douglas for a couple of days in between, and both rooms were really lovely - basic with just a bed and side cabinets but all you needed as you won't be in your room very much in such an action-packed town like Cairns anyway. The rooms were decorated in many very bright and cheerful colours to match with the funky atmosphere of the place.

We had shared toilet and shower facilities which were very clean and we never had to wait to use them as there were plenty enough for everyone.

Zanzibar, the hostel's bar and grill restaurant, served excellent food and a great environment to spend the evening in, with music, TV, a pool table and lots of other games. A $9 all you can eat buffet was on offer every night with each night serving up a different theme of foods from around the world. We never actually tried the buffet but the food did look very delicious and it was excellent value. Breakfast is served in the morning where you can pick up anything from cereal, toast, fruit or a full English brekkie.

If you prefer to make your own food there is a kitchen and, although small, there is never many other people using it and there are enough kitchen utensils to go around. Another great thing that put this hostel above all the others was that they had an oven which I hadn't seen in any other hostels we'd stayed in and I do love my frozen food! There is a small supermarket about a 5 minute walk from the hostel where you can pick up your own supplies.

The swimming pool was gorgeous, filled with bright blue water, lit with underwater lights and surrounded by tropical plants and palm trees. The whole place really did look like a tropical paradise. The entire hostel is very bright and is portrayed as being a funky and fun place to stay and it really was.

As I said above, the reception area was filled with travel and tourism brochures and leaflets for all the many things there are to do in and around Cairns, including Great Barrier Reef trips, bungee jumping, Cape Tribulation rainforest trips, and even stretching as far out as Ayres Rock tours. You can book up anything with reception and they were always very happy to help us out in anything we asked. I can't say enough how helpful and friendly they were and this just added to the whole brilliant vibe of the hostel. I even asked one member of staff if there was a good tattoo shop in Cairns, as she was telling me about one she'd recently had done and I wanted to get one. She recommend the best place and showed me where it was on a map and, in the end, I couldn't thank her enough. I have never seen such a clean and perfect tattoo shop and, compared to some other dingy little rooms which just about pass for tattoo parlours, this was like a hospital it was so sterile! Plus the tattooists there were amazing - I don't think I'd have got it done if I'd have gone anywhere else.

I would, without a doubt, stay in Calypso's again. Everything there was just perfect and gave us a wonderful stay in Cairns. The whole place and the service felt like so much more than just a hostel and we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves in this little piece of heaven.

Summary: Proabably my favourite hostel in the whole of Australia