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Castaways Backpackers

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207 Sheridan St, Cairns, Queensland 4870 Australia

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Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.

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Traveller (47)

Room & Suite (8)

Dining (6)

Payments made by partners impact the order of prices displayed. Room types may vary.

About

4.5

Excellent

304 reviews

#5 of 100 in Cairns

Location

Cleanliness

Service

Value

Property amenities

Free parking

Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)

Pool

Vending machine

Bicycle rental

Darts

Airport transportation

BBQ facilities

Parking

Wifi

Outdoor pool

Shuttle bus service

Baggage storage

Non-smoking hotel

Shared kitchen

Shared lounge / TV area

24-hour check-in

Express check-in / check-out

Laundry service

Self-serve laundry

Room features

Air conditioning

Housekeeping

Separate dining area

Separate living room

Kitchenette

Room types

Non-smoking rooms

Family rooms

Good to know

HOTEL CLASS

HOTEL STYLE

Budget

Languages Spoken

English, Italian

304Reviews6Q+A35Room tips

Reviews

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Mochipro wrote a review July 2020

24 contributions11 helpful votes

Great base for adventuring around Cairns

I had an unforgettable experience in Cairns, and it all started at Castaways. The staff are absolute gems, incredibly helpful, relaxed, and friendly. There aren't many hostels where you see the owner (Wayne) socialising with guests... He even took a number of us out to Walsh's Pyramid for spectacular views of the coast and mountains... Thanks Wayne! Highly recommended for solo travellers as the layout of the hostel means you can't help but congregate and socialise, and the staff know the region very well, so knowledge sharing comes easily and you'll always feel welcome. There's two kitchens, one outdoors, replete with a BBQ, a pool to relax by, pool table, and an upstairs patio to chill in if you need it. The only downside was that I had to leave, but will be going back to stay again for sure!…

Date of stay: June 2020Trip type: Travelled

Helpful

.ia wrote a review May 2020

Lizard Island, Australia4 contributions

Home away from home

Great atmosphere and great rooms. It feels like one big family. Would stay there again and again whilst in Cairns. Lots of restaurant choices within 200m of Castaways. Great pool table. Wayne, owner, is a gem and has so many interesting stories.

Date of stay: May 2020Trip type: Travelled

Helpful

Olivia wrote a review Feb 2020

1 contribution

AMAZING!

Me and my boyfriend got into Cairns after travelling up the east coast of Australia. Our first hostel was castaways and we loved it so much we stayed for a week. When we arrived we booked a 3 bed dorm and the owner put us into a nice room and also gave us special treatment by not putting anyone else in there with us which we were very grateful for. We wanted to go onto the Gt Barrier Reef which Wayne (manager/owner) recommenced us to go onto the best one to dive and snorkel - the company also picked us up outside the hostel. This was probably the best experience we have been on since staying in Australia. It’s nice being able to play pool and table tennis in the evening and socialise with the other guests and staff. 20 minute walk into the town, 2 minute walk to a bottle & food shop. Friendly and clean place to stay! Highly recommend!…

Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled

Helpful

Response from CastawaysBP, Owner at Castaways Backpackers

Responded 22 Feb 2020

Hi Olivia, So great to hear we made your experience in Cairns wonderful, thank you for taking your time to write a lovely review. Wayne and the rest of the castaways family wishes both you and your boyfriend happy travels! Hope to see you again if you choose to visit Cairns in the future. Thank you for staying with us. Kieran :)

Tillyb1998 wrote a review Jan 2020

Clayton le Moors, United Kingdom75 contributions29 helpful votes

Good value for money with a chilled out vibe

Upon arrival we were greeted by the owner at reception who had no issue in storing our luggage as we arrived before check in, he kindly showed us around the small but homely hostel and showed us to our rooms. The room itself was exceptionally clean and offered a spacious mini fridge, a double and a single bed (we only expected two single beds so this was a nice surprise) and there was also space to hang our clothes with hangers provided. The room had a ceiling fan which worked perfectly fine and additional air con was $1 which lasted for 3 hours but it cooled down the room very quickly and seemed to keep us cool throughout the night. Whilst the location of the hostel itself isn’t in the centre of Cairns (approx 20 min walk away), we didn’t mind this so much as it meant that at night it was quiet and we could get a good nights sleep. The toilets and shower rooms were again very clean and also very spacious - not your typical cubicle but had more of a homely bathroom vibe. The kitchen was fully equipped, very clean, and offered free amenities such as tea and coffee, as well as other dried goods which other backpackers had left. I would recommend this hostel to someone who is perhaps looking for a quiet hostel - especially if you’re staying for a prolonged period of time as it did feel very homely and safe. …

Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled

Helpful

Response from CastawaysBP, Owner at Castaways Backpackers

Responded 22 Feb 2020

Thank you for taking you time to write such a nice review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed your time with us. Happy Travels :)

Brigitta T wrote a review Nov 2019

4 contributions8 helpful votes

Great place to be!

Awesome hostel with nice staff and a very kind owner. It was my first hostel during my first trip to Australia and I felt very comfortable and familiar. The rooms are nice and clean like the bathrooms. It's easy to get to know with the other poeople. I would definetly come back. Thanks for this amazing start, you made my trip to Down Under!

Date of stay: November 2019Trip type: Travelled

2 Helpful votes

Helpful

Response from CastawaysBP, Owner at Castaways Backpackers

Responded 22 Feb 2020

Hi Brigitta, We are glad to have made your first stay in Australia! Thank you for writing us such a nice review. Wishing your safe and happy travels. Kieran :)

Christina wrote a review Oct 2019

Cairns, Australia1 contribution

Friendly; Homely; Lovely!

Recommended by our friends we (my partner and I) checked in without hesitation and we were not disappointed. We had initially planned to stay in Cairns only for a few days but we enjoyed Castaways that much we stayed for 2 weeks (reluctant to leave when we did). The owner made you feel immediately at home, as did the staff. They took the time to get to know you and were very helpful and accommodating - you felt like you were staying with friends within a matter of minutes. The facilities are good. We stayed in one of the private rooms with bathrooms within close reach. The bed was comfy, the room was clean - I like having my own space and I found there was ample space in the room as well as throughout the hostel. Want some quiet time? No problem. Want to socialise? No problem; pick and choose the environment you want as you want. I especially respect their rule of ‘quiet after 10:30pm’. They also provide loads of information on local tours/activities. My partner and I went on a trip to Cape Tribulation with the hostel; it was like a lovely family day out! On the way we saw crocodiles and ate ice cream (they even brought along sandwiches and drinks). If you are looking for home away from home; this is the place to stay. Thank you so much Castaway’s! (We will be back in 2021 when we return from New Zealand!)…

Date of stay: September 2019Trip type: Travelled

Helpful

Response from KieranHut, Owner at Castaways Backpackers

Responded 10 Oct 2019

Thank you for the lovely review. I'm glad to hear you and your partner enjoyed your time with us. I wish you happy travels and hope to see you again.

Jordan Clark wrote a review Oct 2019

21 contributions1 helpful vote

Home Away From Home

We arrived in Cairns with the intent to just stay for a couple of nights and then make our way south. We ended up staying in this hostel for 2 weeks! My girlfriend and I absolutely fell in love with it, it’s so relaxed and everyone is so friendly! They also have a hostel dog (bonus points) Castaways has loads of information on what to do in Cairns. We went on a trip with the hostel to see some crocodiles up in the Daintree Rainforest, they drove us, brought sandwiches and drinks and we stopped at a ice cream place. It’s literally like staying and hanging out with one big cool family at this place, from the moment we arrived we felt like we were part of it! It’s really good for couples since there’s double room options, there’s a pool table, games room, cinema room, 2 kitchens, hammocks, a pool and heaps of toilets / shower rooms that are all cleaned daily. It’s lovely to walk across to the esplanade and walking into town that way, don’t worry, if you’re lazy they provide a shuttle bus for you! I highly recommend this Castaways, it’s my home away from home and I will be back! …

Date of stay: September 2019Trip type: Travelled

Helpful

Response from KieranHut, Owner at Castaways Backpackers

Responded 10 Oct 2019

Hi Jordan, I'm glad you felt apart of the Castaways family during your stay and thank you for taking the time to give us such a nice review. We all wish you the very best with your future travels. Kind Regards, The Castaways Family

Jblz wrote a review Oct 2019

34 contributions9 helpful votes

Less than average.

It was the cheapest accomodation available that night.if i had known how bot that great it was i would have booked some place else. The location is not great, it wasn"t really clean, the kitchen was a mess and the showers were not numerous. The pillows were brown and moldy, same for the matresses At least the front desk clerk from Argentina was really nice an knowledgeable about the area. Pay the extra 4 or 5 $ and stay at a place a bit nicer, that's my opinion. 4/10 wouln't recommend.

Date of stay: September 2019Trip type: Travelled

Helpful

Response from KieranHut, Owner at Castaways Backpackers

Responded 3 Oct 2019

Hi, Thank you for you time to write a review. I'm disappointed to hear you didn't enjoy your stay. We try to make it clear of our location and offer the shuttle for who ever wishes not to walk. I am surprised to hear about the mattresses and pillows since we completely replaced the lot only just over a year ago now as it's important for our guests to have a clean, safe and comfortable sleep. We do clean each of the areas daily however sometimes after we clean it can become dirty from other people using the area. If at anytime you think an area is unaccetable and needs attention we appreicate being told then so we can attend to the matter straight away instead of hearing about it in a review weeks later, wish we could have helped during you stay. Happy Travels.

Antonia Sophie wrote a review June 2019

1 contribution

Super friendly environment

Had a lovely time at castawya backpackers. The owner was suoer friendly as well as very helpful. The hostel was also very affordable, which makes it perfect for anyone on a low budget. Would always recommend.

Date of stay: June 2019Trip type: Travelled

Helpful

Response from KieranHut, Owner at Castaways Backpackers

Responded 3 Oct 2019

Thank you for the review and I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your time with us.

Amber J wrote a review June 2019

3 contributions

Just like a second home

I was gutted that I couldn't stay here longer. Castaways Backpackers really felt like a home away from home, which is such a nice feeling after going from hostel to hostel all the time. Every wednesday Wayne takes everyone from the hostel on a night out. The atmosphere was so nice. He even recommended a homestay place in Denpasar, Bali where I'm staying now. I would come back in a heartbeat. This hostel is a place with heart and soul and that's unfortunately not very common anymore. Let's cherish it and let's all go there! Thanks Wayne for running such a wonderful place.

Date of stay: June 2019Trip type: Travelled

Helpful

Response from KieranHut, Owner at Castaways Backpackers

Responded 3 Oct 2019

Thank you for the kind review Amber, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your stay with us and I'm sorry it has to end. If you do come back please reach on to us directly. Hope you enjoyed your time in Bali. Safe travels

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