TourBackpacker: Hostal El Curichal, Rurrenabaque, Bolivia

Hostal El Curichal in Rurrenabaque, charmed me at the first look of it. Getting in the backyard which is very well decorated and set up, I instantly loved the place, even before even seeing the room. There is a central garden with many tropical plants. The alleys, all made of tiles, are also very nice. Every room gives to this outside garden. There is also a terrace under a shelter with 8 large hammocks to relax in on the warm days.

The owner greeted us as if we had always known and made us feel at home at the first meeting. His wife was also very nice. They will help you if you need info for anything in town. They have no service for tours in the jungle but they will surely advise you if you wish.

The room we had was a double room with two single beds (but not too small) and the mattress a bit hard, but at least it was all new mattress. Each room has a ceiling fan for those hot nights. There is also at least one outlet per room. Our double room was 35 Bolivianos per person and if my memory is correct the double rooms with private bathroom were 50 Bolivianos per person.

Main entrance and BBQ area

Backyard

Hammocks

The washrooms and showers (we had no washroom in our room) were very large and electrically heated water was also very hot. There is also a small area outside to do some washing in a sink with lines to dry your clothes on. There is also a small kitchen that can be used with gas oven. There are additional costs for cooking, but if you only want to heat water for coffee or tea, there is no charge.

They have a service to keep your personal belongings if you do not want to bring all your equipment with you during a stay in the jungle.

If you need water, soft drinks or even beer, they also sell locally. Prices are quite reasonable compared to the prices I've seen in other hotels. There is also a BBQ area that can be used if you wish, but I do not know if there are costs associated with this service.

Outside garden and decorative statues

Security wise, the gate is open during the day, but at 10:30 pm, the gate gets closed with a padlock whose key you will have with your room key, so no need to wake anyone up if you return late night.

The only negative point is that there is no Wi-fi or computer available for internet. But there are plenty of internet cafes in the city which is only a few blocks from the hotel.