F A C T – the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico is a pretty awesome place to visit while you’re on vacation! From Cancun to Isla Mujeres to Playa Del Carmen to Tulum, there is no shortage of beautiful cities, islands & towns to visit in the Yucatán Peninsula! But there is a sleepy town further south that is not as well known as the other beach towns, but is quickly gaining a lot of attention. The town you ask?
Bacalar, Mexico!
Bacalar is located a little over 200 miles (331 km) south of Cancun and is about 20 miles from the border of Belize. It’s slightly off the tourist track, so prices for lodging & food won’t be as expensive as the other cities! This definitely rang true when I came across this super cool hostel in Bacalar!
Kulu Tubohostel caught my attention because of how unique the room looked from my online research! Plus I thought the name of this place was kind of cool too! After reading such great reviews about this hostel, I reserved my spot on Booking.com!
GETTING TO
KULU TUBOHOSTEL
Prior to arriving in Bacalar, I spent a few days in Tulum so I caught the ADO bus from downtown Tulum to Bacalar’s ADO bus terminal. The bus ride took about 3 hours. Once I arrived at Bacalar’s bus terminal, I took a 5 minute taxi ride from there to Kulu Tubohostel.
If you’re flying into Bacalar, the closest airport to this hostel is Chetumal airport (about a 35 minute drive).
Directions from the Bacalar ADO station to Kulu Tubohostel.
Kulu Tubohostel is about a 10 minute drive from Bacalar’s biggest attraction – the Lagoon of 7 Colors! It is also a short distance (just a little over a mile/2 km) from the center of Bacalar. Taxis are readily available to take you anywhere around the city as well!
How beautiful is the Lagoon of Seven Colors?!
Stunning pic by: backpacknack vía Instagram
STAYING AT
KULU TUBOHOSTEL
This 3-star, adults only hostel consist of 12 concrete tubes that have been turned into interesting little sleeping pods perfect for backpackers, budget travelers or wanderers looking for a cool experience!
There is not much to the entrance of Kulu Tubohostel, but the ambience quickly changes with 1 glimpse of the pool, the tubes surrounding it and the cute little garden! The check-in process was easy. It was very helpful that the receptionist was able to speak a little English for me too. At the time of my stay, the property only accepted cash. My tube came out to be $687 MXN Pesos (around $36.00 USD) for 1 night.
The entrance of Kulu Tubohostel!
Lounge at Kulu Tubohostel!
Chill area at Kulu Tubohostel.
Inside The Tube
The tube is quaint and very clean. There is not a ton of room in them (I was able to fit my carry on luggage under the bed – that is about it), but the space is sufficient for a short stay.
The tube sleeps 2 people in a comfortable Queen-size bed, but if you’re tall the space may be a little cramped. There are no toilets inside the tubes, but there are shared bathrooms with a toilet & shower. They are located in covered huts outside. The bathrooms are somewhat clean for the most part (what is to be expected from a hostel), but definitely bring your own wipes and travel size air freshener. It’s not the best bathroom, but it serves the purpose!
Kulu Tubohostel's shared bathrooms!
More About
Kulu TuboHostel
You will need to contact the hostel if you arrive after a certain time. The front desk is not open 24/7. | There are mini air conditioners in each tube. | Electrical outlets are in each tube. | Complimentary WiFi is available. | A basic breakfast is included in your stay (and I do mean basic). | No pets allowed (although the owners do have a couple of dogs on the property). | Bikes are available to get around. | Free parking is available.
If you’re in for the evening and don’t feel the need to venture out in Bacalar, the quirky restaurant/bar at Kulu is a super cool spot to grab a bite to eat and a cocktail! The wood-fire pizza is delicious and the pasta looked scrumptious as well! To add to that, I enjoyed 1…maybe 2….MAYBE 3 Mojitos along with my meal! Good food, good drinks AND affordable!
The best part about staying at Kulu Tubohostel (besides the crazy experience of sleeping in a tube) is the owners, Abe & Carla! O M G they made the ending of my birthday night at the bar waaaaaaaay too much fun! I told them that it was my birthday and out of nowhere, tequila shots started coming! Abe slid me his phone and let me play whatever song I wanted while he turned up the speakers at the bar. Before I knew it – there was a party! LOL! I was fortunate enough to meet some other FUN travelers from London (also celebrating a birthday) that added to how lit this night was! Kulu turned out to be the absolute perfect place for a solo-traveler like me!
Hanging out with fellow travelers @ Kulu Tubohostel! Heeeeeeeey Abe! LOL!
With all of that being said, the bar area can get pretty noisy on certain nights. I would keep that in mind when reserving your stay here!
The morning after was a bit rough for me (demasiado tequila), but the weather was absolutely perfect! The way the sun was shining made Kulu look like it was in HD! Just amazingly beautiful!
The morning after toooooo many tequila shots! LOL!
I took advantage of the complimentary breakfast that is included in your stay which was fried eggs, toast with a choice of coffee or tea.
Soon after my breakfast was finished, it was time for me to check out and catch a taxi to another hotel in Bacalar for my tour of the lagoon of 7 colors! Although my stay at Kulu Tubohostel was a short one, I will never ever forget this unique experience. The owners, Abe & Carla, are simply amazing and made me feel right at home!
Kulu Tubohostel is not luxurious by any means, but for a short stay in Bacalar to save some money, I definitely recommend this hostel! If you find yourself in the sleepy town of Bacalar and you’re searching for one of a kind lodging, this is a top spot for sure!
Happy travels to Bacalar, jetsetters!
Let’s chat! Drop a comment below! Have you been to Bacalar yet? Are you currently planning a trip?
