Tiki Lodge Backpackers

Breakfast is very, very basic but will fill your stomach for the day and a very nice gesture that is included in the price. From a hygienic point of view probably better to provide little sachets with jam, nutty spread, and honey to avoid people dipping their knives in the jar after licking their knives......Also, some travelers seem to find it hard to share the jars and like a private breakfast surrounded by the food provided by the hostel. More a question of the attitude of travelers rather than staff. The hostel does have a beautiful view across the lake to enjoy your breakfast. The beds are comfortable enough to have a good night's rest. Tip sleep in the top bunk, those mattresses are slightly firmer because of habit for travelers trying to score the bottom bunk. Taupo is not that big and everything is within walking distance, including Huka falls, which is a lovely walk along the Waikato, don't take the mountain bike trail. There is a separate walking track following the river passing free hot pools

Closing the kitchen and lounge at 10.30 seems to be a bit early. In this day and age with smartphones etc. it would be awesome to have a little pouch on the dormer bed to store the phone for the night. I would have loved to give a perfect 10 for the stay but cleaning could be improved with a more regularly check of kitchen and bathrooms during the day. Being a traveler for 2 years now I know how difficult it is for some fellow travelers to read and in my experience, a clean kitchen is only achieved by staff jumping in on a regular basis by cleaning up what is left on the bench by ignorant fellow travelers.

The location was great! The town is very cute with a beautiful lake and great walk to the falls. I loved how clean the hostel was and the huge kitchen - like two kitchens really. Everyone had space to prep and cook. Very convenient.

The mattress was a bit thin in the middle. I could feel the wooden slats underneath it (and I'm quite light)

The views over the lake are amazing.

There were a lot of mosquitos at night, but I would not say that this was directly fault of the hostel.

Clean, comfortable, convenient, great amenities and shared spaces, stayed here again when I passed through a second time because I knew it was reliable