Saasil Retreat

The yoga with Paras was amazing, genuinely the best classes I’ve taken. Someone played guitar during practice, and stretching while watching the morning sun felt magical. The breakfast was also so good, healthy and light but filling. I’d go for the yoga and breakfast alone. Saasil is deeply relaxing. I spent hours in the hammock hearing only nature. We stayed in a clean double twin room with cozy beds, and it was cleaned daily. The shower could have been cleaner, though the retreat was clearly described as rustic, so I knew what to expect. We had no bug problems. If you’re sensitive to bugs, I’d choose a private room, as the shared dorms may be where others had issues. It’s for adults wanting to relax, not a party place, and I appreciated how quiet it was. I didn’t even hear the two children I saw on my last day. The staff were friendly and helpful while giving us space, replied quickly to texts, and helped us find tuktuks into town. Tzunna is small but has restaurants, and I felt safe walking around. The quiet suited me, and I liked being able to step onto the balcony without pants and see nobody around. It’s easy to tuktuk to San Marcos after dark once boats stop running. The views are incredible. It’s a 2 minute tuktuk ride or 10 minute walk from the docks, and we walked. You can call a tuktuk service and they arrive quickly. Wake up for sunrise, you can watch the volcanoes erupt from the rooftop. I felt close to nature and enjoyed talking with other international travelers. Dinner didn’t have enough protein for my taste, so we often ate out. I wish there were an espresso machine, but there was coffee and tea, and a cafe about 50 feet from the front door served espresso. I also wish they lit the fire at night and offered a small evening class or meditation for guests who aren’t on a structured retreat. Those would be nice, but not deal breakers. The showers could use a little more cleaning, though I wasn’t too bothered given the rustic setup. Great value, 100/10. I’d stay again and recommend it to friends. The staff were lovely, breakfast tasty, and I feel relaxed and reflective. Hope to see Saasil again! P.S. The retreat changed ownership, so some negative reviews are from a while ago. The new owners are amazing, and the volunteers I spoke to seemed happy and loved living there. Ignore old reviews if negativity because the new owners are doing really good work.

The gardens are lovely, with plenty of quiet places to sit and enjoy nature. Volunteers and yoga instructors took care of everything and were so helpful, and every class was incredible in a beautiful setting. In just five days, Saasil began to feel like home. Thank you for a beautiful stay. We’ll be back for another magical visit.

I walked 20 minutes down a very steep hill at 6:30 for a yoga class, only to find a note on the door saying there wasn’t one. I’d checked the website and Instagram several times and even messaged them on WhatsApp. Two days later I tried again. The website said 7 am, but the sign on site said 7:30. I waited until then and nobody showed up. Be careful if you’re planning to attend the advertised classes.

The only real bright spot was the yoga session with Paras, which was excellent. The rest of the stay was frustrating. Our “Deluxe Double Room with Balcony” had no electricity or hot water, and the hotel clearly knew about the problems before checking us in. The replacement room had no water either. There were no comparable rooms available, and it was too late to find another place, so we had to stay. Staff could have avoided this by telling us at check-in. The property felt more like a yoga studio with rooms attached than a working hotel, and basic customer service was lacking. Staff repeatedly said they were “new” and “still learning,” but the rate was similar to much better hotels nearby. Since the property seemed to have been open for some time, this felt less like inexperience and more like a lack of interest in fixing ongoing problems. There seemed to be little concern for guests or property upkeep. When I went to pay, reception staff were lying down and waved me over. At one point, someone suggested I “read a book or brush my teeth” while I waited to see if the hot water came back.