Rustic Luxury Awaits at Hacienda Bambusa

If you follow me on Insta (which you should - @realworldwanderlust), you likely saw all the highlights of my recent trip to Colombia. We spent an amazing week in the colorful, friendly country - half of the time in Cartagena, the other half in the Armenia/Salento area (the coffee region).

Our trip to Colombia was absolutely amazing and a lot of that had to do with where we stayed. We were lucky enough to be guests at Hacienda Bambusa, a secluded rustic haven in the Armenia area, for three nights. This villa, with eight rooms and endless amenities, was the perfect nature retreat while still offering tons of luxurious details.

Today, I want to share my review from our stay and give you an insider look at this unique hotel. Huge shout-out to Mollie at Travel 6 Degrees for recommending this place to me! PS - nothing is sponsored or affiliated and I did not receive anything in exchange for this post!

Hacienda Bambusa is nestled in the Andes Mountains on a large estate that is home to cacao, avocado, orange, banana, and plantain farms. It's a 40 minute drive from the nearby Armenia airport. The hotel is more of a resort-lodge hybrid surrounded by gorgeous gardens with only 8 rooms, promising an intimate experience. Rates vary, but appear to start at roughly $300 USD/night for 2 people and includes half-board (breakfast and gourmet dinners) and a guided hike of the property.

Bambusa is way off the beaten-path - literally. From the closest airport, it's about a 40 minute drive through unpaved, pothole-heavy roads. Arranging for a transport through the hotel is probably best since GPS signals seemed nonexistent - I wouldn't trust myself to navigate there!

Driving from Bogota can take at least 8 hours, sometimes up to 10+ if the weather or traffic is bad, since the road you need to take winds through the Andes. Medellin seems to be a shorter (about 6 hour) drive. Parking is free for guests at the hotel.

Flights to the Armenia Airport run daily. We flew from Cartagena with a layover in Bogota, which took less than 2 hours of flight time total. Spirit Airlines also runs flights to/from Fort Lauderdale to Armenia about three times a week.

We booked a suite for our stay since the price wasn't much different compared to a standard room. The suites are situated on the second (top) floor of the hacienda and included a private balcony with furniture (couches and either swing chairs or a hammock).

The beds were relatively cozy and turndown service was provided while we were at dinner each night. The suites also offer a sofa, A/C, a TV, free WiFi, and a spacious bathroom. The walk-in showers were unexpected with beautiful tile work (I'm bummed that I didn't get a picture!) and we also appreciated the double vanities. The windows had bug screens, which were perfect when we wanted some fresh air without the mosquitoes.

Other room features included a hair dryer, L'Occtaine bath products, a safe, a mini-fridge stocked with free soft drinks and beer, complimentary snacks, essential oil diffuser, and a bug repellent plug-in.

Favorite part about the rooms: the hummingbirds! Our balcony had a suspended hummingbird feeder that was buzzing with activity all day. I loved sitting and watching the birds fly around - at one point, we had five hummingbirds at once!

Biggest drawback about the rooms: the water temp in the shower changed suddenly and extremely. While it was slightly expected given the rustic nature of the hotel, my shower went from icy cold to scorching hot in an instant.

Despite being tucked away in a large garden and farm-filled estate, Bambusa had all the high-end amenities of a five star resort.

Guests are provided free soft drinks and beer 24/7 - you can visit the fully-stocked fridges near the main lobby or hit up your room's mini-fridge. The on-site kitchen also provides homemade cookies in the lobby to enjoy whenever. The rooms also had a complimentary snack basket in case you got the munchies. Upon arrival, we were given cool towels to freshen up, a bag of cookies, and a welcome drink.

Guests can lounge by the pool or curl up with a book in one of the many cozy lounging spaces on-site. A variety of books were provided just about everywhere, too. An outdoor pavilion space had a hammock and some board games to pass the time as well. Mountain bikes were available if that's your jam, but we loved strolling the grounds and walking trails onsite. PS - there's a bamboo forest a few minutes from the hacienda that was AMAZING. Lucky guests can spot wild monkeys or sloths there!

Our stay included half-board, meaning breakfast and dinner was included. Overall, the food was very tasty, but it was the dining experiences that really made it incredible.

Breakfast was a standard buffet and offered made to order eggs, a variety of breads with jam, cereals, yogurt, and fresh fruit. Coffee and juices (usually fresh juices made with the mandarin oranges grown on the grounds) were available. It wasn't anything over the top, but definitely step-up from a typical hotel breakfast buffet given the fresh quality of the ingredients. I was a big fan of the chocolate-swirled bread!

Dinner was a whole other story. It's served in a new spot every night and the set-up was pretty romantic - candlelit lanterns, occasionally live music, fountains, rose petals, the works.

Each night there's a chef's tasting menu of about 4 courses. If that doesn't suit your fancy, they have a menu of dishes (including vegetarian options) that you can pick instead. The food was AMAZING - all fresh stuff and really tasty - but the portions were huge. We would be full after the second course and felt so bad for not always finishing what was on our plate.

Soft drinks and beer are included, but you'll have to pay at the end of your stay for any wine or cocktails you order. Lunch isn't included in the most basic rate, but you could order it as an additional charge (given that the hotel is far from the city center, it's not easy to pop out for a meal) and the prices were very reasonable. Dishes ranged from trout with veggies and potatoes, club sandwiches, create your own pasta dishes, fresh salads, or straight up steak.

Really, what made our stay at Bambusa so incredible was the service. The staff was small so we got to know the workers by name and they caught on to our preferences during our stay. Everyone was friendly and outgoing and wouldn't let us lift a finger.

If we were just lounging around, they would offer to bring us drinks or snacks. They went out of their way to decorate our room for my husband's birthday AND bake him an entire chocolate cake one night! Anytime we returned from a hike or tour, we were greeted upon arrival and offered a cool towel.

We weren't the best at speaking Spanish, but all the staff spoke English to some degree and we really had no problems communicating. The only language barrier we had was that whenever we ordered a glass of white wine with dinner, we were always brought the red instead. It wasn't a big deal at all (and actually, the red was quite delicious).

Some final thoughts on Bambusa to consider before booking your stay (which you totally should):

• While it's branded as rustic, it does have all the modern amenities and was even a bit luxurious. It felt like staying at a super unique boutique hotel!

• There are bugs. I hate bugs but I could manage just fine. Don't be alarmed if you come face to face with a spider or beetle occasionally. Use the bug screens and bug spray and you'll be just fine.

• It's really off the beaten path. Without arranging for transport or tours, it would be tricky to go explore. Thankfully the hotel offers a variety of experiences (coffee tastings, guided mountain hikes, hot air balloon rides) you can book in advance.

• It's pricey for the area. Colombia is a great destination for those on a tight budget. While the rate we got was VERY fair and included a lot of amazing things, $300/night is on the higher end when some hostels and hotels can be booked for a tenth of that. You get what you pay for - Bambusa was worth every penny!

I've stayed in some incredible hotels and resorts during my travels. I would say Hacienda Bambusa has earned a spot among some of the best of my stays. It provided a truly unique experience in a stunning location. If you're looking for a luxury-filled stay while getting in touch with nature, your stay at Bambusa will be restorative, rewarding, and unforgettable.

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