Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Hostels in Salta, Argentina

I won't elaborate on all the details regarding my hostel hopping while in Salta. Just be glad I did, so I could accumulate the experience and knowledge to share with the rest of you. Keep in mind, people's criteria for places to stay are different. What I like, you may not. I will not be held responsible if you are unhappy with your hostel! :)

  • Hostel Kaskai—Nice staff, nice area to hang out in with grass, tables, and chairs, but noisy—hint: I heard a lot of Hebrew. I hate noisy hostels. I don't know if this is the norm here. My guess is that it is. Not a great location. Quite out of the way. I bought a Coke here. It wasn't refrigerated and was a complete ripoff—8 pesos vs. 2-3 at other locations.
  • La Salamanca—Very close to the bus terminal and the cable car. There is also a big park right across the street which has street vendors every day. Not even a 10-minute walk to the heart of the city. Quiet, "breakfast" included (a pretty typical breakfast, which is to say not fancy), and a fridge full of reasonably-priced drinks. Reasonably priced rooms. A good place to stay.
  • Las Rejas Hostel B&B—Da Bomb! Nice location, quiet, a decent breakfast, family owned and operated, professionally run, maid service (i.e., fresh towels, a new bar of soap, and a clean bathroom every day), and WiFi. I had a private room, so I can't comment on the price of a dorm, for those pinching pennies. I thought the private room was reasonable, so I'll bet the dorm would be, too. Highly recommended!
  • Backpackers Hostel Salta—There are several hostels that fall under this umbrella. The one I stayed in was Backpackers Hostel Salta "Home" located at Buenos Aires 930. It was okay, but not the cat's meow. Most hostels I have encountered have the beds made for you. Here, they just hand you sheets. I have encountered only one other hostel in my travels thus far that have you make your own bed, and that was Hostel Inn Iguazú (pretty nice place with a sweet pool, by the way). Not a big deal, but another factor. A bigger factor for me was that they didn't have towels for you. A minus, for sure. Also, a big minus for me, no WiFi. The big plus was the BBQ they have here where there was a great authentic performance by a small musical group while a man and woman danced in the Argentine Folkloric style. It was very nice. Not a great location—a bit of a walk to anything good.

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