Review of Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center 3*

Overall: I had a positive experience here. I do think that your impression of the place will depend largely on other guests adhering to the culture and relaxation goals of the center. We expected rustic, spare, and isolated — which we got — — but we also had a large party of guests in the next cabin who were on the louder side and noisily appalled at the lack of amenities (why they would expect a typical hotel experience, I don't understand). The cabins were small, charming, and electrified. I was fine with any and all critters I encountered (geckos, coqui frogs, pigs, etc). Yes, the coqui frogs are loud at night, but I got used to them quickly after the first night's stay. I brought earplugs just in case, but ended up not using them. Amenities are fine and honestly provided more than I needed on a daily basis, as I was looking to jettison most aspects of on-grid living anyway. Most of what we saw and experienced was exactly as described on the Kirpal website. Meals, meditation, and yoga: The meals and yoga sessions are a little expensive, and they will add up over time. We attended a yoga session that was almost entirely populated by staff, who were all much younger and more advanced in yoga than we were. Many staffers were friendly, but I did feel out of place in the yoga class and in that context I felt like I was treated with a casual indifference by some of the staffers, some of whom seemed more interested in their own experience than making newcomers feel welcome to participate in their community. That being said, the meals were delicious and the yoga sessions inspired me to take it up once I returned home. The meditation pavilion was beautiful, peaceful, and we visited many times over the course of our stay. If you are in the cabin nearest the meditation pavilion (I think it's called Dragonfly) please be considerate of the people who are quietly meditating nearby. If you need access to meat, constant hot water, alcohol, a mirror and other personal grooming tools and amenities (makeup, shaving supplies, blow dryer, etc), space to play loud music, to catch up noisily with a group of friends, fresh towels daily, or anything else that you get in a standard hotel, you might want to consider looking elsewhere. Overall, I would recommend this place to any visitor who observes or is looking to transition to a plant-based diet (like me), is interested in the benefits of yoga, seeks to live life more mindfully, and wants to be immersed in a natural setting.