Anandamayi Hostel

I stayed with Aunty Ann and 'Rita -- as our boys called them -- for a month. The hostel is as welcoming a place you could wish for after a journey of a thousand miles or wee jaunt into town. Problems disappear faster than the clouds .My mind and heart is scarred forever by Bogota, thanks to the careful ministrations of the ann and may I-hostel. Should have stayed longer!

They give you as many blankets as you need, your bed is not only clean and comfortable, but the floors of the house -- sprawling colonial, including wood-beam ceilings, and roasting eucalyptus scent from the kitchen -- seem to be the original gleaming wood that the original owners trod. You'll feel at home here, for cheap, and not only that, but you'll probably be living in greater luxury here, for cheap, than you do in your real home, wherever it is, for probably not so cheap. Elegant, warm, and memorable. My only complaint is that I had to leave here, but I do promise myself I'll return one day.

This is an excellent hostel for travelers with a limited budget and a desire to experience living in an authentic, four-hundred-year-old colonial house. The hostel has a lovely garden and a wonderful kitchen with an original wood stove where guests meet to talk and prepare food. The owner speaks both English and French and makes guests feel they have a home away from home. The hostel is safe, quiet, has an excellent location, and the showers have hot water.

It's a super hostel! It is beautiful and they go out of their way to help you with anything. It's the best!