The Pelican House Hostel

We spent hours relaxing in the hammock, with lovely beach views from our comfortable room. The pets were great, especially Whiskey the cat, and the staff and volunteers were kind and helpful with anything we needed. The wildlife was incredible. We saw baby turtles hatch from the sand and make their way to the sea, and a parrot from a neighboring hostel would visit in the mornings and sit on our arms. Another review said you have to walk through water to reach the hostel, but that’s not entirely true. There’s a small bridge on the other side of the property, or you can choose to wade through the clean, fresh water with tadpoles and little fish.

I’d been traveling for three months and really needed to settle somewhere for a while. Pelican Hostel was just what I needed. Marcela, Diego and Daniela were kind and helpful, and looked after me whenever I asked for something. The big kitchen opens onto a chill area, which makes the place feel warm. It’s right in front of the Pacific, and I met some lovely people there, so even traveling solo I never felt alone. The whale shark tour was the icing on the cake. We saw two of them, and it was amazing!

The location is really good and the view is beautiful, but I expected better service. Our room had no A/C or ventilation, so the nights were very warm, and animals came into the room. The mattress was uncomfortable and had a weird smell. During our five nights, nobody offered to clean the room or bring fresh towels. At times it felt like our questions annoyed the staff, though the volunteers were nice. The shared kitchen, especially the fridge, was dirty. We were told to keep quiet after 10:30pm, but parties carried on in the main house, and often staff or dogs were the loudest. The hotel knew our flight had been cancelled but didn’t tell us. There’s no Wi-Fi, and you have to walk through water to reach the hostel.

I loved staying at Pelican House Hostel. There are lots of places to relax, and the kitchen has everything you need to cook. It’s in a lovely garden, very close to the ocean, so it’s easy to unwind, though there are loads of activities too. Susanna & Emmanuelle and the rest of the staff were so nice and helpful.