Buddha Hostels: Gourmet Food, Great Scenery, Fun Trips, Funky Art

The hostels that succeed find a niche, something that makes them unique, maybe a location, a service, something else good.

Buddha Hostels has its specialty.

It’s the gourmet food, a product of the owner, Mariano, a charismatic caballero of Spanish and Egyptian descent who comes from a family of chefs.

He travels sometimes, but if you’re lucky enough to be there when he’s there and the place is almost full, you’re going to eat well. Dinner is 18,000 pesos (about $9), higher than average in Colombia, but the food is well above average so you won’t be disappointed.

There are four to eight-course meals with paella being one of Mariano’s specialties, and the breakfast omelettes are delicious too.

Breakfast and dinner are great times to meet other travelers and plan other activities. Mariano gives you options, everything from day trips to Guatapé to paragliding, to a night out for rumba, anything to make your experience a memorable one, something you’ll talk about with your friends, and don’t forget the photos.

There are two sites — one in Laureles, one in La Estrella. Dorms cost 19,000 to 22,000 pesos (about $10 to $11) a night, single rooms 50,000 to 60,000 ($25 to $30).

Both places are clean, the staff friendly and knowledgeable. There’s funky art on the walls (all of it for sale) of the eclectic backdrop at the Laureles location, and a beautiful natural scenery surrounding the La Estrella house. It’s no wonder Buddha is already popular on Hostelworld and TripAdvisor.

I stayed at the Laureles location while I looked for a new apartment and I’m happy I did. I didn’t take any excursions through the hostel but I tried the food and met some great people.

There was Teun, a funny Dutch guy addicted to traveling. There was Sebastian, a young Scottish lad too shy to talk to the paisa girls, something that possibly, hopefully, eventually, endeared him to them. And there was Victor, a Swedish backpacker who ended up getting a job at the hostel while providing constant entertainment with his quips, usually at the expense of Jay, an English girl who worked there too.

My second night, we went to Papayera, more commonly known as El Eslabon Prendido, or just Es La Bon. It was Tuesday and that Centro club is famous for its live salsa music that night.

There was a bit of irony, going there. I had been only a couple times before and my first time there, I ran into Vado, one of my first paisa friends. He was with several friends…Santiago, Valentina — and Mariano.

That night, after the club closed, Mariano invited us back to the hostel for a couple of beers and a few hours of socializing.

Several months later history sort of repeated itself, only this time I stayed longer.