One of the most unexpectedly beautiful places in all of South Africa is the Drakensberg area. It’s a mountain chain in the northeast part of the country (it’s that green strip next to Lesotho in the map below) that I’d never heard of before my arrival on this continent. But it’s absolutely majestic and I can’t recommend it enough. Over the next few posts I’ll share images of my day trips into Lesotho and the nearby Amphitheatre hiking trail, both of which are major highlights of this country for me.

But today I’ll start with my arrival at Amphitheatre Backpackers just north of the Drakensberg — I’m staying here because a fellow traveler recommended it and it’s conveniently a stop along the Baz Bus route, a mid-way point between Durban and Johannesburg. Here are some of the views from the bus:

I love this panorama — we pass by it several times (on both days en route to Lesotho and the Amphitheatre hike) and I take photos out the window every time because it’s so pretty. We never have a chance to pull over for photos so I’m rather desperate to capture this beauty on camera.

Sleepy passengers relaxing on Baz Bus:

We arrive at Amphitheatre Backpackers by mid-day. Our arrival tour includes an impressive briefing of the three day trips offered here via power point presentation (I happily sign up for two of them and in retrospect wish I’d stuck around longer to do the third). Here is a view of the Amphitheatre hike on a clear day — we climb to the very top:

I anticipate staying in a dorm room but the only empty bed is an upper bunk (okay, fine) with NO ladder (not fine). I return to the front desk and ask for another room — it’s not safe to catapult myself to the upper bunk, not to mention it’s super annoying for the person in the lower bunk when I climb on their bed to reach my own. The front desk balks at first (“I swear there’s a ladder”) but I took the photo below to show there isn’t. They have other dorm rooms that are completely empty but they aren’t willing to open them up for just one person (me) when they have space here in this room.

So I decide to camp instead. There are safari tents available for about the same price as the dorm bed (around $13) and this way I’ll have my own space. The bathrooms are nearby and there are plenty of lounging spaces inside where I can charge my devices and hang out until I want to go to bed. It’s actually a perfect solution and I prefer it to the dorm rooms.

Since I’m paying for a single bed they could stick another solo traveler in here with me, but fortunately that doesn’t happen and I get my own tent for all three nights. The mattress is comfortable and the blankets are warm. It rains pretty hard one day but the inside of the tent stays dry.

Speaking of the common spaces at Amphitheatre Backpackers, here’s a tour — it’s a pretty sweet hostel. A bit of a party vibe, but things are mostly calm the nights I’m here. Plus it’s big enough that I can easily find space to chill out away from the noisy bar area.

Here’s a great view from the upper balcony of the main building, overlooking the pool:

Entering the bar area:

Lots of space to hang out and chat over a drink:

There is even a hot tub. Like, immediately next to the bar. It’s closed during the day but they refill it every night.

And there’s a rock climbing area right near the hot tub. So that when you’re drunk and overheating from the hot tub, you can attempt to climb a rock wall. Sounds like a fantastic idea. At least the flooring below is cushioned?

Needless to say, I avoid this bar area altogether and still have a good time at Amphitheatre Backpackers. So if partying isn’t your scene, don’t give up on this hostel, because it’s still a pretty rad place.

Here’s a quieter spot above the bar for chilling out and accessing wifi (which you have to pay for and, as expected, is slow):

Another neat nook:

Here’s the upper level above the dining space — I spend most of my time relaxing here and not many other people wander up.

And this is the dining area, with a stage for entertainment (a local guy plays guitar on the first night):

I have to get something off my chest. I really like this place, but their dinner policy is bullshit. They charge about $12 to eat the group dinner (that’s the only price level — it’s a 3-course meal). There are no other food options in the evening. This place is in the middle of nowhere so if you want to avoid paying $12 for dinner then you have to bring your own groceries with you from Durban or Johannesburg to cook in the communal kitchens. I know what you’re thinking — “Twelve bucks isn’t too expensive” — but for South Africa, it is. Consider this: that price is about the same as it costs to stay here overnight in a dorm bed or safari tent. Shouldn’t accommodation be cheaper than dinner? For comparison’s sake, the group dinners I enjoyed at other hostels that are similarly remote (like Coffee Bay or Cinsta) cost around $5 per person. This place does offer breakfast and lunch a la carte off of a menu so there are various pricing options for those meals, but for dinner it’s just one main dish so you better hope it’s food you like to eat (the menu changes each night but it was generally meat based with a pasta dish for vegetarians).

So for the first night, I thought ahead and ordered an extra chicken sandwich with fries at lunch and then reheated it in the communal kitchen for dinner. On the second night I ate instant noodles that I’d picked up from a petrol station that afternoon while returning from our Lesotho day trip.

For the final night I splurge on the group dinner that costs the equivalent of an extra night of accommodation. But it is pretty tasty — filet of beef with a mushroom cream sauce and side of potato with veggies. Plus soup and dessert.

One memory I will always associate with Amphitheatre Backpackers is a REALLY intense thunder storm that happened on my first night here. I was working on my laptop in the communal kitchen when a lightening bolt struck the property — like, right outside the main building. I have never jumped so high in my life. The power went out immediately.

When you consider the terrain of this landscape, I can see why the lightening targeted this spot — it’s the only place around for miles.

Despite a few less appealing aspects (the party vibe and expensive dinners), I still love Amphitheatre Backpackers. I was able to carve out an experience here that fit my travel style. And the best part about this place is its proximity to nearby highlights like Lesotho and Drakensberg hiking — more about both of those in the coming days. This hostel offers frequent and reasonably priced day tours which makes staying here easy. And since the Baz Bus runs along this route, it’s convenient to get to.

More tomorrow!