Name: Hostel Hikers Den
Address: Bozidara Zugica bb, Zabljak, Zabljak, Zabljak, 84220, Montenegro
Rating: 9

Smoking areas

Smoke-free property

Heating

Garden

Terrace

Private check-in/check-out

General

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Locker

Rooms

Laundry

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Common kitchen

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Bike rental

Barbecue grill(s)

Hiking

Recreation

Free Parking on Premises

Parking

Cycling

Sports

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the hostel

Zabljak Airport

Hostel Hikers Den

Zabljak

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

12-beds

13-beds

14-beds

15-beds

16-beds

17-beds

18-beds

19-beds

2-beds

20-beds

21-beds

22-beds

23-beds

24-beds

25-beds

26-beds

27-beds

28-beds

29-beds

3-beds

30-beds

31-beds

32-beds

33-beds

34-beds

35-beds

36-beds

37-beds

38-beds

39-beds

4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

6-beds

7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

We stayed in a separate building to the main hostel, which was nice and quiet at night, with an excellent kitchen. The advice on hiking from the brothers who run the hostel is top-class - they gave us various options and marked out the routes for us on maps.me and these were extremely reliable. We joined one of their organised River Tara white water rafting trips, which was absolutely terrific. Really good fun, especially swimming in the bracingly cold and wonderfully clean water.

The best advisors in town!

Hikers den should be your only stop in Zabljak for hiking Durmitor National Park. The owners mark your maps, give briefings for each hike and are genuinely in love with there work. If going solo or looking for a hiking buddy/buddies, the hikers den is the only place you should be looking.. Alex and Stefan are 1st class all the way.
 I got screwed last year by two other accommodations in the area, you have been warned.

Chip

In the hiker's den, you will not only receive advice on equipment, trails, and safety tips for your next mountain. You will also get advice and stories about politics and life. As the erudite owners can accommodate your stay as well as your appetite for questions and stories of all kinds.

Hiking and Philosophy

Where do I start... I went there to travel by myself. 
I ended up staying 10 nights. I simply loved the balance between hiking in the beautiful reserve in the daytime and meeting new people during the evening.

Cool new people arrived almost every night. Spending the nights in the main building or outside on the porch was a lot of fun.

The owners, Stefan and Alex are very nice people. They will help you with whatever you need since the minute you arrive. 
Also, they were giving us a lot of information about the history of the Balkans, relationships between the countries, and everything that led to where Montenegro is today.

The place is suitable for hikers. Quiet during the night, early wake up (if you want) including lifts to the reserve and the trails.

Overall, it was an amazing experience. I highly recommend it

My stay was incredible, above expectations

I had 6 nights booked due to a simple misunderstanding when I was extending my stay. I was not made aware of the cancellation policy (I assumed like most its 1 day, but here its 3 days) when I made my booking (directly online, and extending at the hostel). 

When I told them I wanted to cancel my booking for the final 2 nights at 8PM the night before I was leaving, I offered to pay for 1 night extra. Alex (manager) demanded I paid for both of these nights. When I refused, Alex and another staff member, Stefan, aggresively grabbed my shirt around both of my shoulders and began to march me away from the hostel, telling me to go with them to the "police station" (in reality, I suspect: round the corner for a 2 vs 1 fight). It should be noted that all parties were totally sober.

When I refused, Alex told me to pack my bag, pay for the nights (one of which I wouldn't be allowed to stay overnight for) and leave immediately. This is what I chose to do. I had verbal abuse directed towards me from Stefan ("f*** you"). I was also told by Stefan I couldn't cross the border without paying what they wanted (blackmail? which was untrue).

As I withdrew the money to pay Alex, he told me I would be blacklisted from 165 hostels around the Balkans. He told me "you're lucky I didn't beat you". He told me I was acting in a particularly harsh way towards him because he had walked with me to the hospital and translated my symptoms to the doctor (which I highly appreciated, and was going to leave a tip for).

All over 15EUR, after I felt we could have made a reasonable compromise (paying one extra night). I feel that these hostel staff should be ashamed of themselves for the image of Zabljak and Montenegro they have portrayed. A real shame, since the staff are clearly knowledgable about the NP, speak excellent English and the hostel facilities (eg. bathroom,  common areas) are really nice.

** I posted this already and they replied saying I was completely drunk and touching girls without their consent. This is a complete lie as attested to by Brams review (filter by 'Terrible'. I could barely leave my bed for the time I was there because I had some severe tonsilitis.
Somehow my review got removed, so thought I'd just repost this with an update. Travellers should never feel intimidated by these bullies. **

Owners Prone to Aggression

Hikers Den is an interesting place, but has its ups and downsides so this review covers both
Pros:
As all the other reviews say, the two huge benefits of this place is that it's incredibly social, and the owners give great advice and service for local hiking and activities. We immediately made friends with other guests. Great social atmosphere with drinks most (all?) nights. Supermarket immediately next door means you can grab beers and food at any point. And it seems to attract like-minded travellers - international backpackers travelling throughout the Balkans, who are into hiking and other outdoor activities. If that's what you're after, you're onto a winner.
This hostel arranges all your activities as well, making it a very convenient place to stay. Door-to-door drop off for the rafting, although the company they used was not the greatest - the guide barely spoke or did anything 'interesting' on our tour (didn't offer the chance for cliff diving unlike other groups, so bit boring). Hiker's Den also do drop offs (for a small charge) on some hikes, taking a big group of guests to the start of Bobotov Kuk (plus giving detailed directions via Mapsme).

Cons:
This is the stuff most of the reviews don't say, maybe because it doesn't bother them, which is fair enough. However, the facilities are VERY tired, especially the kitchen and bathrooms of the main (loud) building. The hygiene is questionable, even for a hostel - one of our duvets had huge blood stains on them, on BOTH sides.
We also found the noise and smoking impossible to escape (even with ear plugs). The building definitely needs some investment.

Social, great for activities. Building and cleanliness bad

Zabljak was a little slice of paradise and no better place to spend it than at hikers den. Stefan and Alex are inspirational. Entrepreneurs, academics, eco activists, mountaineers, family men, the list goes on... Early to bed early to rise. Respect the mountain.

Heaven

Alex and Stefan know everything about all the tours, the hiking trails and give you a briefing before you set off.  Nice outdoor area to chat with others.  I did the rafting tour.  It was scenic but currently the rapids are grade 1 or 2 so if you're more interested in the rafting side rather than sightseeing,  then skip it (June would be the ideal time). The hike to Honor of was tough going but so worth it.  Supermarkets nearby to cook own meals.  The bunk beds are low so don't choose the lower beds if you like to sit up in bed.  Multi plugs are provided and secure lockers for valuables.  Definitely recommend to stay here for the helpful staff to help you plan out your stay. 

Wealth of info at hand

I stayed here a couple of nights and had a good time in Zabljak. The hostel however was not great. There are only 2 showers / 3 toilets which is not enough if the place is fully booked.
The owners know allot about the mountains and give a good explanation about what to do but push their views on what you should do. They're also quite arrogant really aren't open for any feedback.
A friend of mine also got into some problems with the staff and they reacted straight up aggressive and threatening. After he posted a review about it they responded with a complete lie in order to defend themselves. It's very clear they feel untouchable because it's the only hostel in town. 
If you are willing to start your hike alone, which is no problem at all because you meet allot of friendly people on your way, I would definitely recommend to book one of the cheaper and more comfortable guest houses in the city.

Would not recommended

If you consider visiting Durmitor National Park, then you absolutely need to stay at Hikers Den in Žabljak! The location is very convenient, the hostel is comfy, with a nice and friendly atmosphere, but most importantly, Alex and Stefan are extremely knowledgeable about the mountains and give you plenty of excellent advice on what to do, where to go and how to organise your time in the national park. So don't hesitate and go there, but make sure you book at least 3 or 4 nights, you will really need that time if you want to enjoy your time in Durmitor, as there is so much to see and do!

Hostel Hikers Den

Main amenities of the hostel

Location

Available rooms

Location

Description of the hostel

What other amenities are there?

Policies

Check-in terms and conditions

Payment