Pariwana Hostel Cusco

THE WATER DOESN’T WORK! They shut off the water every day from 4pm - 11pm due to a failure in planning for sufficient water reserves. Meaning NO FLUSHING TOILETS, NO SHOWERS, NO RUNNING TAP WATER! They also locked the doors to the communal bathrooms at this time. This meant the smell in the rooms were awful and the drains stank so bad we couldn’t get to sleep. Don’t get me wrong the staff were great and very helpful but the lack of water reserves is poor planning and a health hazard and makes the stay very uncomfortable especially if you have an early tour and cannot shower afterwards or before you go to bed if you want to go to sleep pre 11:30pm.

Pariwana is beautiful, tons of open space and areas to relax. I very much appreciated the all-day restaurant/bar. The activities every evening were so fun and gave me a great opportunity to meet friends and get to know staff & volunteers. They are so helpful and kind. Reagan selflessly helped me when I was struggling with altitude sickness & real friendship. Osfer was so kind, he lent a sympathetic ear when I was struggling and always showed genuine kindness. And I built a true friendship with Julia and Luana, both of whom were such wonderful and active staff as well. I stayed in an all-female dorm which felt so safe and comfortable. I was here for two weeks and had such a wonderful experience. Because it’s such a fantastic place, located perfectly in Cusco, I am planning to come back and potentially be a volunteer.

The staff at periwanna is awesome. From reception, Melina and Jeremy and more. To the bar and kitchen, Diego, Jesus, Boris, Ingrid, who always remembered my breakfast order. To the ones cleaning the rooms, Xiomara and more. The volunteers, Yeonji and more. Everyone remembered my name and always smiles. I could practice Spanish with them and switch to English when I didn’t know something. It was a comfortable place to spend almost three weeks. You can party and be social or find somewhere quiet when you want to relax. I actually stayed in the Lima pariwana first, and had an equally great experience, which is why I chose to come to Cusco parawanna. El jefe, Ingrid, the manager of all the hostels, does a great job keeping the same vibe in all the hostels. She has a great smile too.

The hostel was decent but the only complaint we have is that it was noisy. Our room was right by the check-in counter/lobby. We heard the doorbell ringing all night to let people in, as well as people walking to their rooms. We didn’t get much sleep which was too bad because we had a big 5 day Salkantay Trek the next day, so we were exhausted.

Close to the historic center and everything you’d want to visit, options to sign up for tours here itself, and staff is very accommodating! They’re always willing to give suggestions for what you can do, plus they have plenty of fun activities going on daily. Highly recommended!

The overall value for money lies in the ambiance, amenities, and overall environment. While there's a stringent visitor policy in place, I recognize it's for safety reasons. Overall, it's satisfactory.