Celebrating 28 years of existence, Island Vibe in SA’s surfing capital, truly lives up to its name and offers one of the best backpacking experiences found locally in an establishment that overlooks the beaches of Jeffreys Bay.
I visited Island Vibe for a second time recently to fulfil a promise I had made in August when I was first introduced to the fun experience.
I had promised to return with some friends to celebrate my 34th birthday on September 29 — and that is exactly what I did.
The sense of community that comes from other travellers from all walks of life, to the kind staff who are always keen to assist, and the fun activities offered while you enjoy your stay, kept us going the entire weekend.
They also offer a surf-side restaurant and bar with irresistible cuisine.
After my first visit, I was curious about how the owners, Taise and Loren Sampson, had managed to create an establishment with such an enchanting atmosphere that people from different cultures felt welcome and almost immediately a part of the community of strangers.
So, on the morning of my birthday, after being surprised with a celebratory bottle of bubbly from the staff, I sat down with Taise who reminisced about how their love for travel catapulted the launch of their business.
“We met at Rhodes University and from the start we both loved to travel, and every weekend we would go to the Transkei, this was our first affinity,” she recalled.
After they finished studying in 1993, the young couple took a gap year and went backpacking overseas with a budget so low they could only afford to have one meal a day.
They travelled to Europe, Thailand, India, Egypt and Israel, among other destinations.
By the time they returned to SA a year later, a new democratic government had been ushered in.
“We thought this would be the perfect thing [backpackers] to open up here at home,” Taise said.
Island Vibe is an extension of Loren’s grandparents’ house, which he had visited since he was two years old.
His grandparents were too old to live there on their own any longer, and were looking to sell the house and relocate.
Taise said they asked them if they could rent the property for a year in 1996 to see if their idea of a backpackers would work.
“We opened at the most opportune time when an influx of international youth were travelling to SA.
“We used the original house which we altered and made the necessary additions.
“Back then it was all dorms and camping, we didn’t even have duvets on the bed.
“People would bring their own sleeping bags and tents and make use of the dorms.”
Over the years, Island Vibe was developed, and changes were made along the way to accommodate the needs of the traveller.
“The international travellers started staying longer,, so we decided to add on private rooms,” Taise said.
“Even the SA market eventually caught on and loved the idea of having their own private room at an affordable rate, while still experiencing that feeling of community found only at a backpackers.”
Island Vibe boasts a beach house built in 2003 that contains private en suite rooms that are suitable for families as they each have a double bed and a bunk bed.
In the main house, there are dorms with bunk beds where individual travellers share a room with about six other people.
There are also cheaper private rooms in the form of wooden cabins.
Taise said they had strived to make Island Vibe a one-stop shop for travellers, where they could experience various in-house activities.
“We offer in-house trips and activities, which helps keep people here and gives them something to do for the duration of their stay.
“We have surf lessons for beginners, we also do sand boarding, which is a great family activity,” she said.
“We also conduct cultural tours dubbed ‘My Story’ where our different tour guides tell visitors about their life’s story as they walk through the township they grew up in.”
Taise said after suffering the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, they were now focusing more on the SA market, especially younger people who wanted to experience travelling within the country before they explored abroad.
