When I arrive at Albergo for Backpackers I am hot and very tired. It’s been a long time since I stayed at a backpackers and I’m wondering how it will be”¦ a fleapit full of undesirables? Will I share a dorm with a snorer? My concerns are soon allayed. I am welcomed warmly at reception and shown to a simple but clean, private two roomed “˜apartment’ with an en suite shower. The communal areas are brightly painted and overlook a garden with trees, hammocks (hangaroos) and a large braai area. Most of the plants are succulents and it’s all peaceful. They have good music playing too.
After dumping my stuff I take the staff’s advice on beaches and head out of the main town (which I personally find rather soul-less but that could just be me”¦ or maybe it was the wrong time of year. Let’s just say Sunday afternoons in Plett “˜CBD’ aren’t exactly rocking) and drive to Robberg Beach.
The sand is soft, the water is warm and the views of the nature reserve are great. It feels good to do nothing for a while, to not have to make conversation and to be lulled by the lapping of waves”¦
Back at Albergo (via the local Kwikspar to get wors for the communal braai supper later) I boot up my laptop in the main lounge area and get to work, catching up on blog posts and photo editing. The receptionist on duty, Lizelle Booysen, is a lively, chatty young woman and I enjoy her company. She keeps the good music coming while checking in American and German guests.
In the early evening I am joined by Leslie and later Mirjam, the Dutch couple who have owned and run Albergo for the past 10 years. We get talking and an hour passes before we’re done!
Here’s a summary of what Leslie told me about running a backpackers in Plett, and about being FTTSA accredited:
We’ve only been with FTTSA since October / November last year. We didn’t find it that difficult to meet the requirements as we were already doing quite a lot of things “˜right’ on our own. We are pretty eco-friendly: Our garden is largely comprised of waterwise plants; we make our own compost; we recycle EVERYTHING and encourage our guests to do so, and we made a plan with our laundry by rigging up our washing machine to use 50% less water.
As for ethical practice, our staff almost entirely comes from the local community – receptionists and domestic staff. We employ mostly women. When I first started this business I would never hire women who had children, especially single mothers. I’ve learned a lot since then! Now most of my staff has children. I found out you cannot make assumptions about people and their work ethic based on whether or not they have kids at home.
Another thing we do is to support local businesses. We used to offer our own transport but then decided to get a man from the local community to be our main driver and he gets most of our business. If he is unavailable another small company from New Horizons handles our transfers.
We are looking for a community project to support. We want it to be the right one; we don’t want this to just be window dressing, something to make us “˜look good’.
For now, Mirjam and I sponsor two children at the local township pre-school.
I think FTTSA has a lot of value. It is of course a good marketing tool, but now whenever I have to make a business decision the first thought I have is: is this in line with Fair Trade principles? It keeps me ethical, keeps us in check.
We are still new to FTTSA but I think it will be a positive partnership. We treat our staff well and they are happy – so our guests are happy and that makes for a great environment.
Later at the braai I get a chance to chat more with Lizelle. She bubbles over with enthusiasm for her work and loves her job. She tells me that growing up in New Horizons she was never taught about recycling and now she not only recycles in her own home but she has taught her church about it and they are all active recyclers and use this as a means to raise funds. It’s great to hear how Albergo is having a positive, practical impact on the community.
When I see Lizelle giving Mirjam a hug in the kitchen later I am convinced that what you see and hear is really what you get here at Albergo for Backpackers.
Find out more:
Albergo for Backpackers
To see specials at these places and similar, go to Abang Africa
Learn more about FTTSA
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