Bubba's House

The deluxe room was great, with a really comfortable bed and air conditioning that was a lifesaver in the heat. No complaints about the room itself. The rest was a mixed bag. We were there in dry season, when water was scarce across the whole island, so that wasn’t the hostel’s fault. But water was meant to come on at set times, and it was often late or didn’t come on at all. That was frustrating. The toilet was supposed to flush with seawater, but couldn’t flush until the water supply was on, so some days it was unusable. Staff weren’t much help when I mentioned it. Most of the time the staff seemed uninterested in helping, and one person in particular didn’t seem to know what they were doing. Breakfast was cancelled at times, and dinner was sometimes cancelled too. We found good food elsewhere, but the staff and amenities weren’t great.

We had a fantastic time at Bubba's house. Just be aware that the boat from Bocas town to the island costs $10 per person, cash only, and the only ATM in Bocas Town may run out of cash on major holidays. The island staff kept to island time, or Pura Vida, which made us feel the local pace. The AC didn’t work, and food was a little overpriced, though that’s understandable given how remote the place is.

A laid-back spot to relax between surfs. It’s on a local Caribbean island, away from the downsides of tourism in Bocas town. Meet cool people, laze in hammocks or catch some sun on the water deck. Easy to lose track of time here.

It’s a great place, but water only ran for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening, sometimes even less. I hadn’t thought that would be an issue before arriving. Then we met someone with stomach problems who had a really rough night because the toilet wouldn’t flush. The place next to Bubbas gets running water for five hours a day.