Mindsigh

NZ Christchurch – Cokers Backpackers hostel review

Posted by Jerry on November 6th, 2007 — Posted in Journal, Travel

The online reviews were mixed, so we had no real idea what Cokers Backpackers hostel, located at 52 Manchester Street Christchurch NZ, would be like, so here is my take on it. I recommend it highly 🙂

One thing that became clear for me is that one’s experience of a backpacker’s hostel has much to do with the other guests.

Cokers is clean, comfortable and centrally located. The staff are friendly and knowledgable. There is internet access for a small fee, and there are two card-operated phones. There is no lock-out or curfew – the main desk is open 24 hours a day (handy for late night flights into Christchurch). The kitchen closes at 11.00pm each day for cleaning.

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The kitchen is well equipped with 3 stoves, microwave, 2 toasters, 4 sinks and a walk-in fridge. There is also a good supply of crockery and cutlery, and there are bag-sized pigeon-holes for your food (just mark it with your name, room and date of departure). The dining room has a book exchange and there are two TV rooms. And for the drinkers there is a pub in the same building – which has a folk club every Sunday.

The place is brightly painted with murals and NZ yellow, and the aphorisms written on the wall give positive messages.

The double room was clean and equipped with a basic but serviceable en-suite with a clean toilet and functional shower with good hot water. Towels and soap were provided and there is a cheap supermarket about 5 minutes walk away.

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We met people from Germany, the US, Singapore, Denmark and from the next suburb from us! Most were pretty considerate and everyone shared readily of their experiences in NZ. Talking with the other travelers is a great way to learn more about traveling on a budget.

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