Lebo's Backpackers in Orlando West was a delight - an unexpected oasis down a dusty street. Even as you turn the corner, your first glimpse will stir up some forgotten happiness.
The walls are splashed with jaunty murals and a seemingly infinite row of bikes stretches down the pavement, waiting to be picked for a bike tour.
Across the street, a small community park doubles as the hostel's outdoor restaurant, with tables and gazebos, plus a bar and a fire pit, where the potjies simmer and the tourists - muscles aching but spirits lifted from their recent ride - queue to load their plates with pap and chicken, beef and veg stews.Inside the property, a rambling house has been converted to a labyrinthine hostel, with a communal kitchen, toilets and showers.
There are bunk beds and private rooms with double beds. Up on a platform above the central courtyard is the "treehouse", where two tents wait for someone to crawl inside - or pitch your own.
But it's the communal chilling space that is the most charming.
Wattle fencing has been used to break up a large open area into intimate corners, with booths for couches and coffee tables, an honesty bar, a snug little alley where they light a fire at night, and a round table in the middle of it all, where everyone who comes here seems to congregate.As night fell, considering Soweto's reputation for being a scary place, did I feel safe? Pretty much - at least, no less than anywhere else in Jozi. The staff go to some lengths to be subtly protective, I thought.
After sundown, when we're still sitting in the park, one suggests we might feel more comfortable inside. He has made a fire, he says. When we move, he quietly closes the gate.
Later, when we hear a series of loud bangs, the bartender says it's fireworks. He later admits it's gunshots. Apparently, local police are paying tribute to a fallen colleague by firing into the air. It's no big deal.It's the sort of place you can't help but stay a while, chat to some strangers and travellers and probably leave with - at the very least - a few more Facebook friends.Whether you're a foreigner or a local, it's worth spending a night here. Go with an open mind and open heart. You're bound to go to sleep with a smile.
PLAN YOUR TRIP
Rates are R100 per person per night camping (in your own tent); R185 per person per night in the dormitory; and R450 per room per night in a private double. See sowetobackpackers.com...