A Elf

Review of Shambhala Mountain Center

I love Shambhala. It is incomparable in terms of ...

I love Shambhala. It is incomparable in terms of beauty and the stupa is breathtaking. Going for a walk along the nicely maintained paths is like being in another world. The staff and guests are generally very friendly and helpful. Hundreds of volunteers put in thousands of hours to create this amazing place. I love chatting with people at meal time and hearing about where they're from (all over the world) and how they came to visit this place.

That being said, each year it is a different experience. Sometimes they have gifted chefs, other times not so much. You could have a lovely buffet with numerous choices or wind up eating bread and butter because you can't eat the one offering provided. The food is always delicious, but not always varied.

The office staff changes so sometimes things get mixed up and people aren't clear on what's happening - snow and wind can knock out service so you can't get through, reservations are lost, rooms changed, etc.

If you're looking for a spiritual experience and realize this is a nonprofit and not a professionally managed chain hotel and you can roll with unexpected situations, you'll probably enjoy it. But it can be frustrating for those of us who aren't quite as Zen.