Starling Backpackers Village
About 2 kilometres from the Robberg Peninsula in Plettenberg Bay, you'll find Starling Backpackers on a country smallholding just off the Plettenberg Bay Airport Road.
Starling is owned and run in part ownership by Matt and Vikki Rowe.
Matt and Vikki started the backpackers in 2005 from scratch, building it up out of recycled material during the day, whilst waitering at night in Plettenberg Bay's restaurants to earn money. Vikki runs a community project that knits beach bags, hammocks, pillows and shower curtains out of recycled plastic bags. This is soon to become a full fledged community project to support disadvantaged community members.
Their personaliies are well reflected in everything in the backpackers. The backpackers has a type of 'retro' country feel to it with words like bar, barn, saloon and homestead all coming together as one word, something like "barnstead" perhaps, with horses and dogs adding to the flavour of Starling Village.
The backpackers has a lively bar, complete with a dancing pole, pool table, fussball, lots of board games and table tennis. There are good mountainbiking trails in the Harkerville forest nearby, a beautiful hike around the Robberg Peninsula, good surfing, an airfield across the road for skydiving and many adventure activities and wild animal sanctuaries nearby.
Accommodation
Starling Backpackers is on quite a big property and have a total of 80 beds and can accomodate another 120 campers. 
They offer dormatory style bunker beds, ranging from 6 to 16 beds per dorm.
Campers can pretty much pitch tents anywhere on the property sharing facilities with the backpackers, and there is enough space for overlander trucks and groups choosing the outdoor option. Bathroom facilites are shared.
On the other side of the scale are double rooms and twin singles, both with ensuite bathroom options.
Small groups can rent self catering units which sleep 4-6 people, consisting of a double room and a second room with bunker beds.
Breakfast is included with all accommodation and is served between 8am and 10am.
There are a certain amount of 'couches' available for couchsurfers throughout the year, depending on how busy the backpackers is, so be sure to check under Plettenberg Bay if you are a couchsurfing member.
If you are a geocacher and are in posession of a Royal Starling card, you can also get a free Nights accomodation.
Breakfasts are not included for couchsurfers and geocachers with Royal Starling cards.
Meals
Self caterers can use the communal kitchen, which has all the basic facilities and cutlery to prepare meals.
Breakfast consists of a choice of a complimentary breakfast (thats right ..on the house) consisting of cereals and youghurt, or order off the breakfast menu to upgrade yourself to a cooked breakfast. 
For lunch you can order of the all day menu or head out to one of the many restaurants in Plettenberg Bay.
In the evenings choose from the supper menu or home cooked South African style meals, including South African favourites like potjiekos and snoek braai.
Prices
| Accommodation | High Season |
Low Season |
| Dormatory beds | R150 | R120 |
| Double or twin single room with private bathroom |
R400 | R350 |
| Double or twin single room with shared bathroom |
R350 | R300 |
| 4 Sleeper self catering unit | R1000 | R650 |
| 6 Sleeper self catering unit | R1500 | R975 |
| Camping pppn | R80 | R80 |
*High season ranges between 27 Nov to 10 Dec
Getting There
From Cape Town on the N2 going North
Just before getting to the Plettenberg Bay traffic circle on the N2, take a right onto the Piesang Valley road. After 3.4 km, turn right onto Robberg road. Continue for 7 km until the end of the Airport (on your left). Take the first right onto a gravel road, and you'll see Starling immediately on your left.
From Port Elizabeth on the N2 going South
Just after the traffic circle on the N2, take a right onto the Piesang Valley road. After 3.4 km, turn right onto Robberg road. Continue for 7 km until the end of the Airport (on your left). Take the first right onto a gravel road, and you'll see Starling immediately on your left.
Baz Bus
The Baz Bus stops in the centre of Plettenberg Bay, and transfers are free to Starling. Starling also do free shuttles to town, twice a day for those who don't have their own transport.
Starling GPS Coordinates: S34.08262 E23.31920