Pousada Bambu Bamboo

“A gem of a place. Friendly and great value.”

This is a nice pousada and, not being a hotel we expected a smaller, more personalized experience, and this is what we got. Distinctive A-frame rooms with a double upstairs and two singles downstairs. Two bathrooms were nice, as were the minibar and the great air conditioning. The welcome was nice … Plus

This is a nice pousada and, not being a hotel we expected a smaller, more personalized experience, and this is what we got. Distinctive A-frame rooms with a double upstairs and two singles downstairs. Two bathrooms were nice, as were the minibar and the great air conditioning. The welcome was nice and Ivan, the manager, was affability itself. Yes, you had a long walk into town but we quite enjoyed this and the pool was lovely after the walk back. Breakfasts were ok if a little unadventurous. We never got used to sharing the dining room with cats and some guests' allergies to cats made their stay less pleasant. We enjoyed talking to the other guests and the staff and there was a general air of informal friendliness about the pousada. The place would get another star but for a few little issues. Wifi was problematic and the toilets didn't work during a long electricity outage. The Muzak for the pool was audible in the rooms til after 10 pm some nights and the TV seemed to get only evangelical channels. All in all, very pleasant for a few days but the place could do with a little more attention to the guest experience.

Moins

“Comfortable, friendly, accommodating”

Definitely off of the beaten path, a bit confusing to find, but was worth the effort. Parking is really scarce, but luckily not a problem for us as we were here during a slower season. Initial greeting was very friendly and helpful. Rooms are clean and all front on the pool which is kept clean dail… Plus

Definitely off of the beaten path, a bit confusing to find, but was worth the effort. Parking is really scarce, but luckily not a problem for us as we were here during a slower season. Initial greeting was very friendly and helpful. Rooms are clean and all front on the pool which is kept clean daily. The pool area is very comfortable, with relaxing lounges and large umbrellas. Which is especially wonderful considering this is about the only location where the internet works, and then only in the mornings. Yes I was here on vacation, but still needed access to people back home. Internet access is impossible in the afternoon or evenings. Rooms are clean. Nice towels, good shower, small refrigerator that is kept stocked with bottled water. Each room has a good air conditioner and ceiling fan so was able to keep room very comfortable for sleeping. Beds are a bit firm and sheeting is at a minimum as is typical for most warmer environments. A desk is provided, but found out not all rooms have chairs for them, a bit frustrating. TV is small, but only needed it to get sporting updates. However, when we tried to get all the guys together to watch a game, the upstairs lounge area was nice but the TV did not work. There is no bar on site and it is a good drive to town for restaurants. There was, however, a little padaria just down the street that was nice for fresh bread or pastries. Speaking of food, breakfast is included as one would expect with a pousada. Coffee is excellent, fruit is fresh and delicious, limited selection of pastries, breads, cheeses and meat, but what was present was good. Really good fresh-squeezed juices. There is a panning press, and they are more than happy to make eggs to order. And if you are like me, it has been awhile since i had an egg fried in really fresh butter. Indulge yourself! And while enjoying your breakfast, have fun watching the colorful birds feasting on fresh fruit or feed the many fish in the river below. There is a nice sauna onsite, just let the staff you want to use it and they will heat it up, takes about 20-30 minutes. Is convenient to the pool for a nice cool plunge afterwards. Massage is available on site, but have to schedule well in advance as staff is not on site. But very comfortable facilities when I toured them. Price is really reasonable and actually seems quite low for what you get.

Moins

“Enjoyable stay, but... ”

Stayed 5 nights in a loft room in Feb 2015. When arriving at the bus station around 7pm and finding no taxi's we walked. It's far with heavy backpacks. On arrival a lady (no English spoken) grabbed a key and showed us to our room. It was big with good aircon, a small empty fridge, 2 bathrooms, a… Plus

Stayed 5 nights in a loft room in Feb 2015. When arriving at the bus station around 7pm and finding no taxi's we walked. It's far with heavy backpacks. On arrival a lady (no English spoken) grabbed a key and showed us to our room. It was big with good aircon, a small empty fridge, 2 bathrooms, a sofa with a broken leg which collapsed as soon as we sat on it, and quite a small TV for the space. No premium channels. Having walked for 30 mins in the heat with bags, a welcome drink or even water or something in the fridge to purchase would have been greeted with pleasure. The closest shop which is a bakery closes at 7pm. We'd have to walk 10 mins back towards town to get a drink! Being greeted by non English speaking staff is fine by me, but not having ANY information in any language in the room or at reception is not professional. A sign at reception states hours of breakfast in Port/Eng. The jaccuzzi entrance was overgrown and had clearly not worked for awhile. A shame as photos of this are still on hotel sites and was one of the reasons we booked. Never saw or got told of a steam room or sauna?? We paid for 2 x 1.5 hr massages which were just ok. The girl was nice but didn't have strength and the reflexology part was non existent. The room is also at the front of the property with road noises, a better place would be near the river. She also played no music. The pool was nice and at first I liked the idea of towel like covers on the sun loungers. Until I noticed that they hadn't been changed in the 5 days we'd been there and were left out overnight and in the rain so were often saturated. Wifi only works by the pool and in the lounge area, which is really nice and comfortable to sit at. We ate dinner in here one night when the lovely gentleman ordered us amazing pizzas. A night when we couldn't be bothered with another trek in to town after a trek to the beach that day. The breakfast spread was impressive, but perhaps a little menu or pictures of cooked options in Port/Eng would help the cook understand what you want as she had trouble understanding my limited Portuguese. I am not a mosquito magnet but got eaten alive here. It was very uncomfortable for over a week later. The standout of the stay was the friendly manager who I didn't catch his name ( no English spoken) The property is very nice and mostly well maintained. We knew of the distance when we booked, but thought we could hire a moped for our duration. This was not the case as tourists are not allowed to hire mopeds. So on knowing this, I wouldn't return here without a car as it's just too far to town, the beach etc. Especially in hot weather. We never found empty taxis!!! AND, if you need to do laundry, don't make our mistake and walk in on a Sunday with kilos of it to find everything closed. Go on a weekday and get them to deliver it back to the hotel ( I don't know if they pick up too)

Moins