Opinions SALTY JACKAL SURF SCHOOL Swakopmund

Definitely the best hostel I have ever stayed at. Beautiful place, super cozy + a very VERY helpful and adorable team. It is authentic and well organised. In addition to that you never get bored thanks to the activities the team organises every week. I had such a nice time here and I would recommend it to everyone!! (+++ my food did not get stolen here during my 9-nights stay, contrary to other hostels I have stayed at ;))

One of my favorite hostel I had the chance to visit in my travels. I highly recommend it.

Had high expectations for this hostel based on previous reviews but I think we had unfortunate timing. The young woman who checked us in was extremely rude about wanting to get to her plans later that evening (even though we had arrived 30+ minutes before her shift ended). She rushed through the tour and explanation of the hostel in about 3 minutes and it felt like she was trying to shoo us out of her way. We stayed in the door room and while the space was nice and the beds were clean and comfortable, the room was quite dirty. There were multiple old, dirty cups laying around and food that clearly needed to be thrown away. The 3 other guests had splayed their entire belongings across the room leaving minimal space for my friends and I to even put our bags down. The staff from the hostel went out that night and came back at 3:30am SCREAMING outside the house/dorm room for over an hour. The staff member who was working the following morning was clearly extremely hungover and laying on the couch with headphones in and took a bit of arousing to get him to assist us with check out.

Not necessarily a huge problem, but the bathrooms are not connected to the dorm room and you have to walk outside the room and then back into the house to use the bathroom. Just would've liked to know this detail before booking.

I didn’t stay at the hostel but joined the surf guiding for a week and it has been just great ???? Viktor, the surf guide, is incredibly supportive, encouraging, and just a real hype person. For whatever level you’re in he sees potential improvement but also smaller progress and is able to give you a really good and confident feeling on the water.
Marta, who is the manager, really has her stuff together and has been suuuper helpful, especially when I first got in contact with them and wanted to plan my trip a little.
Everything is really well organized while at the same time all employees and volunteers are being super friendly and fun to be around.
Just two things that could use some improvement are the quality of longboards and the pricing strategy for people joining for more than 5 days. There is a pack for 5 days but afterward I had to pay the full price again for the next days, which is a bit unfortunate.

Other than that: all good, really lovely people - had a great time. Missing it already ????

We stayed here for three nights and since it was our first hostel we were inexperienced and somewhat unsure of what to expect. But on the first day already we were warmly welcomed by the staff, got told about all the things to do and places to visit, they organized tours for us, and we had our first surfing lessons with them. We booked 1 dorm bed and 1 private room and were very pleasantly surprised by the accommodation, in both rooms. We also had a big Braai (BBQ) on our last day and left the hostel with new friends made. We couldn’t be happier. Must visit place in Swakopmund.

The staff are absolutely amazing and accommodative, they are very friendly, always smiling and always ready to help. The location is very safe and secure, encountered no problems and I could get anywhere in town because it very accessible. The condition of the place and its facilities are very satisfactory and so was my room, very comfy and I had a very good view. I definitely recommend Salty Jackal Backpackers and definitely would come back again.

We had such a wonderful time at the Salty Jackal!! The staff makes you feel right at home and the hostel overall has such good vibes. It’s clean and comfy and is in a great location. We took our first surfing lessons here and it was soo much fun!! I’m already planning my next stay here so I hope to see you in the future, hopefully for longer than just one night this time :)

What a wonderful, wonderful group of volunteers and hostel. Marta, Victor, Jack, Melinda, and Julia really made this place just super awesome. This place is a must-go if you want to get a great experience of Swakopmund. They have this great book of activities you can look through to make the most of your time there, I'd recommend e-mailing them in advance to see what's available. I'm always gonna come back here whenever I'm in Namibia. Their dogs are so adorable!

We had such a great stay. Sadly only one night but we will be back for a longer stay. Lovely volunteers and pets ???? ????. We also took our first surf lesson here and it was amazing.
If you need a comfy place to stay with lovey people and great vibes, I would highly recommend #saltyjackal264 #staysalty

Absolutely perfect. A backpackpackers done right! Clean, kind, quiet, accommodating, helpful, organized. A really great place to stay! Thank you!

My surfing lessons with Victor were great! Every session we would start with learning more about the ocean and waves. He gave me good tips on what I need to focus on, was encouraging, and was able to discuss the mental aspect with me. You could see how much fun he has teaching others how to surf, which made it even more fun to learn. Thank you!

It was a great time at the salty jackals! The people there make the place so special. The surf lessons with Victor were perfect. We learned so much and had so much fun. The equipment is really good too. It was just fantastic. Thank you so much for everything and hope to see you again :)

Einfach top
Man fühlt sich wie in einer kleinen Familie. Immer wieder Aktivitäten, zusammen kochen, essen, surfen und chilln einfach super. Und sauber

I had a great time staying at the Salty Jackal for five days. I have done many surf trips, but usually avoid surf camps in favor of doing my own thing. I decided to take advantage of the guiding at Salty Jackal because I would rather make friends to surf with.

The vibes were great, the staff were all very friendly. I felt right at home after the first day.

I only had one minor complaint; I wish the surf taxi was better advertised. I showed up with my own boards and wetsuits, and I am pretty proficient surfer. I mainly wanted the guiding for the social aspect. I ended up paying for the full guiding/coaching twice before I realized there was an option just to pay for the transport. The coaching/guiding cost includes boards and wetsuits. There wasn't an obvious alternative if you just wanted the guiding, but were otherwise self-sufficient.

I still think the price I paid in the end was worth it. I had good waves every day, the guide/coach was awesome, and I really enjoyed surfing with the friends I made at the hostel. I am sure I will return someday, and I will just remember to ask for the surf taxi up front. While we didn't have to drive very far to surf, I don't think it would have been easy to find some of the spots on my own.

Victor, the surf coach, is great. He is an absolute ripper, but also laid back and encouraging. I appreciate that he was stoked always, regardless of surf conditions. Marta, the acting manager during my visit, is a great host and very helpful. She is very good at her job. If I owned a surf camp, I would try and convince her to manage it.

I already miss all of my Salty Jackal friends! Hope to be back soon.

-Your friend in the South

My stay at Salty Jackal in Swakopmund
was absolutely wonderful! Despite it being
just one night, I had the pleasure of
meeting and connecting with fellow
travelers from various countries, each with
their own fascinating stories and insights
on traveling through Africa. The surf
classes with Victor and Marta were a
highlight of my stay-- both of them are truly
amazing people
The accommodation spaces and outdoor
living areas provided the perfect
environment for fostering connections and
making new friends. I thoroughly enjoyed
my time at Salty Jackal and would definitely
visit again in the future. Highly
recommended for anyone looking for a
vibrant and welcoming atmosphere in
Swakopmund.

Loved my week in Salty Jackal, felt like home!
And surf sessions were perfect thanks to these kind instructors

Didn’t stay at the hostel but had five fantastic surf lessons with Salty Jackal. Man I ate a lot of sea water but man was it a lot of fun. My instructor Victor gave such valuable advice, always making sure I felt safe despite some big big waves rolling in. I really feel like I learned a lot - thank you!!!

A very friendly place that feels more like home than your usual hostel. Would highly recommend. You'll be met with adorable lovely dogs there. The only note I have is that there isn't enough bathrooms for everyone. If you're in a room with no bathroom, you'll spend quite some time waiting especially in the mornings.

Would definitely recommend for travellers on a budget and are seeking an great stay.

很棒的Hostel！距离镇中心很近，工作人员很热情，特别是来自意大利的青年非常耐心提供指引????

Great place with an awesome vibe. Rooms are clean, people are friendly and the surf instructor had some great tips for me to improve my surfing. Definitely the best place to stay if you want to do a bit of surfing in Swakop.

We had the most amazing time at this hostel! The staff was so inviting and kind, shout-out to Hans and Clara for going above and beyond for us! So many activités were offered and at reasonable prices! Everything is in walking distance! Maria made sure the place was welcoming, and Ollie was a great surf instructor. We recommend this hostel as it is by far our most favorite hostel we’ve ever been too. We recommend a stay here with the highest regards!

Amazing place, one of the highlights of my Namibia itinerary.
Very social place, incredibly easy to get in contact with other travelers and of course with the amazing staff. Many social events like braai nights in the garden.
Comfy rooms, very clean, good breakfast, well equipped kitchen.
Surfing was perfect for beginners like me or also advanced surfers - there are enough spots close by.
Thank you Clara, Mayra, Annabel, Oli, Maria, Hans for making my stay perfect!

Fantastic friendly and welcoming staff (and guests), lovely rooms, relaxed vibes and a great, central location - all in all an absolutely brilliant place to stay!

I have been there twice now and will go again. I am not a hostel kind of person and ended up there by accident. What a lovely accident - I love that cool and cozy place.

The dorm and the rooms are nicely furnished and super clean, the atmosphere is welcoming and relaxed and the people we met there on two occasions are a perfect match. Already looking forward to the next time.

I couldn't recommend Salty Jackall any more! Even though we stayed elsewhere in Swakopmund, we had an incredible experience with them during our 3 days of surfing, both as beginners and on a guided tour. The team was extremely welcoming, and the surfing experience was top-notch. If you're into surfing, this is an absolute must-visit! Best of luck to you for the rest of the season!

Molly & Cam