Arts Factory Backpackers Lodge

I recently stayed at this hostel just outside Byron town centre. The location is great. It definitely has a subtropical environment (including mosquitos!) but is located a 5 minute walk to town and just next to the brewery (which has happy hour 5-7pm every day plus decent food), the Arts Factory cinema and Buddha day spa. The hostel itself is definitely a hippy haven but where its beginnings were firmly rooted in the hippie community, it is more of a backpacker haven these days. They have great activities such as drumming, bushwalks (educating people on the local bush tucker), talent nights and trivia. There is also a bus that goes into town regularly. Upon arrival we were shown to our room by a vague Dutch girl who didnt really know the answers to any of our questions (not sure if it was the girls fault or a lack of any real training). The place is run, of course, by various backpackers and probably major points are lost on the cleanliness of rooms and particularly ...read more

Great backpackers if you're a hippy and like sleeping in Tee-pees. About the same number of mosquitos as hippies in this place but still worth four stars as it's got a cinema, bar and a swimming pool.