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Arts Factory Backpackers
Skinners Shoot Road, Byron Bay
Tel (02) 6685 7709
Website www.artsfactory.com.au
BUG Review
This place is more of a compound than a hostel. Spread over five acres of subtropical bush land and gardens, the Arts Factory boasts such facilities as a cinema, the Buddha Bar restaurant, a beautiful heated pool and sauna, a day spa, beach volleyball, and a café with food, drinks and souvenirs, as well as the usual kitchen, internet kiosks, and plenty of chilled-out common areas. Guests lounge by the lake in hammocks, or take part in didgeridoo lessons, yoga classes, and guided bush walks. In addition to the well-kept dorms, there is an eclectic range of accommodation options including canvas & wood huts, a tepee, an old double-decker bus, and the nunnery, a girls-only air-conditioned dorm. It is not far from town and the beach, and they have regular shuttle services.
Price
Dorm bed $28-36
Double/twin room $75-95
Prices are in Australian dollars and are inclusive of all taxes.
Credit Cards
MasterCard,Visa
Reception Open
7am-9pm
Tell a friend
Last Update:
January
6, 2009
Travellers' reviews for Arts Factory Backpackers
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Not the best experience, December 12, 2008
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Reviewer: Angel76 from Tyne & Wear, UK
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Pros:
Lots of organised activities
Cons:
The dorm
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Angel76
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For what you get, this is quite an expensive hostel.We stayed here as some friends had recommended it. It was not the best experience. We got put in a wagon, which is basically a really big tent. There were about 16 beds in it squashed together, and there wasn't a proper door, so we had rats and all kinds of insects in there. Pretty sure there were bed bugs too.The hostel is very busy, and it's full of all these wannabe hippes. The kitchen is massive but there was nowhere to put anything and there was too many people about to actually make anything.There is a really nice bar and the activities that they organise are pretty good, but because of it being a 15 min walk from the main street and because of the room I was in, I would not stay there again.
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Not everyone's cup of tea!, November 21, 2007
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Reviewer: Amelia from Melbourne, Australia
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Pros:
Pretty funky, lots of activities to keep you occupied during the day
Cons:
Clique-yness, wannabe hippies, long-termers
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Amelia
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Funky place but only come here if you're "cool enough" or else no one will talk to you!!! Unfortunately it's pretty superficial like that, despite the "hippy vibe" - largely due to lots of long-termers staying at the hostel. The Teepees, Wagons and Pentagon accomodation are all unique but expensive for what you actually get. Security is non-existent (but hey it's not cool to worry about that kind of thing). Bring your ear-plugs if you want an early night's sleep.
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wild turkeys in my way on the way to the bathroom, January 18, 2007
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Reviewer: clairebear from Toronto, Canada
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Pros:
this place is weird and wonderful
Cons:
expensive
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clairebear
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I think this was the most expensive place we stayed, but if you're only staying for a few days, it doesn't really matter. When we got there, the dorm we had booked was over-booked so they put us in the pricier tent/cabin for the same price... and they let us have it for the 2nd night at the same price. There's lots of cool things to do on site if you don't want to go to the beach or go shopping. And bumping into wild turkeys is always enjoyable.
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1 people found this review helpful
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disneyland for backpackers, July 2, 2006
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Reviewer: bububoy from italy
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Pros:
byron quickfix, the tick off tour
Cons:
people who go to disney need entertaining
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bububoy
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well i must say everytime I've been here.. I try to hate it.. but you get to like it. it bustles... a little too commercial for me but most people love it. never heard so much bonking going on in my life.
mosquitoes are a big problem.
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3 of
3 people found this review helpful
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quirky and fun, May 22, 2006
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Reviewer: rju47 from wollongong, australia
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Pros:
the big army tents
Cons:
the mozzie lake
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rju47
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yay for the arts factory. i discovered it a few yrs ago when me and my grilfriends went to splendour. we stayed in one of the army tents built onto the platforms around the lake. i was soooo coool, with the firlendlyiest staff. best place to stay in byro, beats $20 camping anyday.
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3 of
3 people found this review helpful
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Commercial Scam!, December 6, 2005
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Anonymous
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I agree with everyone that said this hostel was fake and over rated! The image they TRIED to promote was one of alternative lifestyles and an atmosphere away from the commercial main stream - which it wasn't at all!! The fact that the prices were out of control, in my mind, contradicts the essence of this lifestyle...why would these people that don't give into commercial comformity want to buy a cotton Arts Factory G-string for 15 DOLLARS!!! But obviously there is sufficient demand as they're able to sell them! I also couldn't believe that it cost $16 a night each to cram your tent into a space half the size of it! But then the high prices suddenly became clear when I was informed that the hostel was building holiday retreat-like guest houses right next to the hostel! No wonder they can afford this luxury quart - they're charging us poor backpackers ridiculous prices so they can provide state of the art living for those more well off! Now I don't mind facilities that are a little run down, I am a back packer...but it would be nice to have a few more elements in the kitchen for the amount of people that are staying there!They did recieve one star though, and that was for the AMAZING fire show! Props to the peeps who put that on!I met some cool people there but ultimately just couldn't stand the atmosphere and went camping right across the beach which had awesome facilities and was only $12 a night:)If you want to sleep in a real teepee or Mongolian Yurt go to Berri Backpackers in SA, it's the BEST!!!Cheers!
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Stay there a highlight of Aus, October 30, 2005
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Anonymous
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The lost star is for the kitchen getting closed at night always hate that especailly if you have an early start in the morning and can't get breakfast.Was there Oct last year and this is deffinetly different, very Nimbin and Byron Bay, hippe style and the utter opposite of places like Base and YHA etc...Everyone's mentioned the activities... had a go at the didge and poi lessons, the teepee was also soooo cool.This is a place to get creative if staying there with some of the campers having their own little workshops so a place to stay a while. Walk to the beach or town is annoying but not too bad.Deffinetley spend some time here as this place is an activity in itself, a must see and stay in one of the novelty beds ie teepee, etc. Yeah Cheeky Monkeys is fun but Mr Bewhere the Crusties why did you leave your home town if all you want to do is get pissed. You travel to see different things and this deffinetely is different.This place rocked just get rid of the nazi kitchen closing time some can wander in for a midnight snack.Oh and if going to Nimbin go on a Sunday so you see Channon Market which is very flower children hippie and looked like the real Nimbin while the Nimbin High street seems more to make cash from the 'legal' dope for the town to fund the flower children creative alternative area.Go even if you don't want any herbal highs...Better still keep the cookies for a trip to Infinity in Surfers Paradise
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The nunnery rocks, September 10, 2005
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I stayed at the arts factory for 5 nights. I was in a dorm the first night which was a bitt small and cramped but the next day moved to the nunnery which was fab. A 6 bed cottage, it had its own washroom and kitchen and was only 4 dollars more than the dorms. The entertainment was excellent. I would definately go back
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1 of
1 people found this review helpful
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beware of the crusties, August 23, 2005
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the arts factory is unlike any other hostel in oz really and feels more like a goa hippy retreat, you will meet the best and worst people here, there is always hugely pretentious middle class trust fund bohemians there that are so into their slacker persona you just want to give them a slap!!!, in five years they'll all be through that 'phase' and be working in banks and driving bmws.All the normal people there tend to band together as anti crusties and have a good time at cheeky monkeys getting ass drunk.The thing is about the arts factory though under all the gloss it is only a half decent hostel and some of the prices the charge for the tee pees and dorms is well expensive, its often dirty (though recently its been getting better with more backpacker cleaners) and its a long long way from the town centre and often the shuttle bus driver cant be arsed to come into town enough.O.K but not worth the hype
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1 of
1 people found this review helpful
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a tricky one, April 23, 2005
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This place is very very cool - a cinema, buddha bar, entertainment everynight, great staff and amazing atmosphere (oh and a nice swimming pool). But it is looking a bit tired and its swamp like location is a bit oppressive. the fact is a fair way from town doesn't matter as theres a free shuttle. The dorms are great but having seen the tents by the swamp and how dank they look its really worth asking for a proper dorm. I did have a wicked time but damn is it expensive $29 for a big dorm....
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Pages: 1 2 3 4
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© 1997-2009 BUG Travel Publishing Pty Ltd
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