Campamento Río Lacanjá | Reserva Selva Lacandona

Overall a very good and special experience. Friendely, smiley staff and accommodating who make the best of it. Yes, food they offer for a quick bite is basic, but whatever man, after all, you are miles and miles away from anything, it's small village of around 500 indigenous Maya people, forced to integrate junk from multinationals into their diet because they’re denied the means to sustainably grow their own society properly. Once you see the double layer of this reality, it becomes quite disheartening. If you want a heaftier healty dinner meal however, you have to order it a couple of hours beforehand so they can prepare it for you by the time you arrive back from your activities. We did that, food was awesome, we had an excellent time :))

Truly beautiful location. They couldn’t have made this an easier, more restful, relaxing place to stay. The staff are true hospitality professionals. There are some worthwhile activities available, but there is no pressure to buy - just the offer! The restaurant is very good for the locale and it’s polite to order a day ahead of time for breakfast so they can make sure they have fresh ingredients for what you want and have it all ready for you.||Campamento Rio Lacanja makes a perfect base for exploring Bonampak, but we would have been happy staying several days here. The rooms are sparkling clean with perfectly installed nets under the open roofs that allow guests to sleep in cabanas that still feel like the perfect climate without worrying about pests or mosquito nets. This allows for a nice breeze to accompany the perfect warmth and ambient jungle noises. It’s really a perfect cabana design.||We rented a cabana without a private bathroom and we found the shared bathrooms to be just fine. They are very clean and there is ample privacy for the showers and toilets.||The Lacanja River runs through the carefully maintained property and is nice for a swim.||The prices feel like a bargain for the quality of the property and the the skill and warmth of the staff. They may be more expensive than other cabanas in the area, but it is worth every penny for the comfort and the relative exceptional value. This place is #1 in the area for a reason.||Finally, I would say that our only regret was not budgeting more time for this place. We had 19 days in Chiapas and I would have happily stayed three nights here while sacrificing two nights elsewhere. This would be a perfect mid-point stop to recharge for folks who are doing the really big Chiapas circuit, especially if you’re driving the 307 all the way around.

The location is very nice. The rooms are a bit sparse and quite over priced. In the morning men came to the hotel. This was family or friends. There was a strange atmosphere. After this we were blocked on the road by these men and could only drive through if we paid 500 pesos. In addition, this man tried to scare us if we drove a certain route, that shots would be fired and we were not safe. This was very unpleasant. Also, I got sick the night of the food + you only have internet if you buy it from their little store.

Comfortable, rustic wood cabins in the middle of the Mexican jungle and Lacandon communities. The team here is really nice. Nice hiking trails to beautiful waterfalls. It’s a nice place for digital detox and to see a completely different side to Mexico. It’s clean, not super fancy, but comfortable. Great to fall asleep to the noises of the jungle.

Stayed here with a friend for 2 days and would have loved to stay another day or two. The rafting trip we did from here with carlos was amazing. Done some rafting before but within the jungle setting it was just so much better. The cabins and beds were clean and the location was amazing. Only thing that let it down slightly was the resturant but I'd go there again without a doubt.

We stayed there after visiting Bonampak. The place is run by Lacandon people. The rooms are clean and comfortable. We had our private bathroom. Although it has no ac, it was very pleasant to sleep. The food is good but don’t expect too much choice or gourmet. |We also did some rafting from there. It is a clase I but they have step waterfalls. A very different and fun adventure. |The only downfall if you are too tech, is that there is no WiFi nor telephone signal

Very nice eco resort. The cabins are really comfortable. Great bed, pillows, light etc. The shared toilets area kept clean at all times and the service is very friendly. The restaurant offers extremely basic food, enough not to go hungry. There is no wi-fi, which is great to disconnect. If you visit during COVID, don't go to Bonampak. The murals are closed but no one tells you that until you arrive at the site and realise for yourself.

I'd read great things about Campamento Río Lacanjá before our stay, but the property exceeded my expectations. For the price, especially, it's an amazing option for experiencing the Lacandon Jungle, and it makes for a great jumping-off point for a visit to the Bonampak ruins. ||||The facilities are much more modern and well-kept than I expected, with beautiful lit paths that wind through the forest to cabins, a very nice shared bathroom facility, pretty rooms, and a nice public hangout area. We stayed in a cabin with private bathroom, which came with one twin and one double bed. All windows are screened but have curtains for privacy, and it's wonderful to feel like you're truly a part of the forest. The night temperature felt much cooler than Palenque, and with a fan and screened windows it was very pleasant for sleeping. ||||The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner (all fine, but they don't quite compare to the tasty food options in slightly larger cities) – I recommend the chilaquiles. Make sure you order each meal one meal in advance (e.g. place your lunch order at breakfast, your dinner order at lunch, etc). Río Lacanjá offers free filtered water on site for guests too. ||||The small interpretive trail on the property makes for a great forest walk and a great trail to bird and wildlife watch – it's constantly possible to see new and beautiful things if you're moving slowly and observant. ||||The only real downside was the water pressure: the toilet in our cabin didn't flush about 80% of the time, and the shower – although quite hot – didn't produce more than a thin trickle (this was partially caused by a problem with the old shower head; since it was loosely screwed on, we just removed it and then things were fine). These things are to be expected when you're staying in remote places, and it's worth noting that the shared restroom facilities have toilets that flush well and more powerful showers. ||||FYI: there is no wifi or cell service at the property (and no cell service really anywhere on Carretera 307 between Palenque and Frontera Corozal), although you won't really need it to unwind in the jungle. ||||A few notes if you plan on visiting the Bonampak ruins: entry into Bonampak is entirely controlled by the surrounding community, and driving a private vehicle in is not permitted (at least it wasn't in July 2019). If you don't have a vehicle, you'll need to pay a community taxi/tour operator for door-to-ruins service. If you do have a vehicle, you'll drive to Crucero Bonampak (small pueblo), park, and then you'll be forced to pay for a community taxi to shepherd you in (after dropping you off, they'll promptly leave and will be back to pick you up at the time you agree upon). They expect you'll stay for no more than 2 hours, so if you'd like to stay longer, as we did, you'll need to negotiate a price ahead of time. Make sure you set your price in advance and that it's STILL the price you agreed upon the morning of your trip! We set a price the day before we visited and then it mysteriously increased (hint: almost doubled) on the morning of – there was some confusion and nonsensical explanation about how our driver "couldn't take other passengers between the hours of 8am and 12pm while he was waiting for us" (...even though he dropped us off and left and was unoccupied for 4 hours) ... in the end the community member that helped us arrange everything apologized for the confusion, gave us the benefit of the doubt, and charged us the price he'd originally quoted us. ||||Also: I recommend going to Bonampak as early as possible – it "opens" at 8am (although I'm sure that's negotiable), and I'd try to arrive then or shortly after. We walked in at 8:15am and were the first people in. It's beautiful to have the ruins to yourselves, and you get the added bonus of escaping the sweltering heat, which starts to feel intense around 10am. Bring lots of water, although you can purchase water and drinks and very small snacks from vendors at the entrance.