sparklegem

Hola Fodor-Friends,

It looks like I have everything booked and I wanted to check in (I think that I should have done that, before I made all the reservations, but I still wanted to check in ).

We (my husband, our soon to be 16 year old daughter and I) will be meeting up with my parents on our plane changes in Dallas on the way to SJO. My parents are in their early 70's. This is their 1st trip to Costa Rica and it will be our 3rd. We are returning to the Osa, which is my favorite place in the whole world! I am so excited to share it with my parents!!

We will be there for our daughter's 16th birthday and she did mention, only semi-kiddingly, that we were going to my favorite place for her birthday. I assured her that it will be special for her on her birthday and she seemed fine with that, but I still need to come up with something extra special for her (-if you have any ideas,please, let me know!!).

Oh, and my mom has some health issues that get worse when she is overly tired or too hot; so I am trying to not make many long days for her (half a day is best for her). (-any tips on ways or products to keep cool?)

We arrive around 8pm into SJO. We plan to stay two nights at La Rosa de America, visiting Sarchi (must buy small oxcarts and find some little toucan gifts and party favors!) and Doka. Wilson will be taking us. I am looking forward to meeting him after all of the great recommendations on the forum (thank you!!).

The next day, Sansa down to Puerto Jimenez for seven nights at Bosque del Cabo. We will have four nights in Casa Blanca and then split up for three nights in the cabinas Toucan and Manglillio (-any insider info on those two cabinas?) I was thinking of putting my parents in Toucan and us in Maglillio. Is one closer to the restaurant?

We took the Primary Forest Hike and the Night Walk last time, but did not hike any of the trails. I thought that my husband, daughter and I could try some of the trails and let my mom and dad relax. Then we could join up with them, after taking a hike. I have been reading the descriptions of the hikes on BdC's website but would love some advice/ direction.

We plan to take the Horseback Tour as a surprise on our daughter's birthday and Kim is generously letting me bake Russian Tea Cakes at her house for my daughter's birthday treat (she can not eat dairy and they are her birthday tradition). I am hoping to find some cute toucan crafts in Sarchi. My daughter loves toucans and we decided that would be her birthday theme.

Then three nights at the Iguana Lodge in two club rooms. I thought that we could rent a car on the middle day and visit Kobos and have a dinner in PJ.

We fly back early to SJO. Wilson will pick us up and take us to the Toucan Rescue Ranch and to Sibu to learn about their chocolates. Our last night will be back at La Rosa. We have an 11am flight out the next day.

This has sort of turned into my dream trip and I am so excited!! I would love any tips, comments or advice.

Juldie

sparklegem; it is so wonderful and generous that you are sharing your "favorite place in the whole world" with your parents, while they are young enough to make a trip such as this. You will be making and then have to treasure memories forever! I can tell by your writing you are a very thoughtful and caring person. Yes, I know, you are getting to return to your favorite place while doing a very generous act.

Since you have already made your reservations it's kind of tough for me to make too many comments without it potentially getting you second guessing. Also, without knowing more about your mother's condition and what can effect her, it's a bit hard to comment too specifically. I have been blessed to have both parents around later in life (mom gone for 3 years) but I have done a lot of watching out for, care taking of them at the many stages of their later years. What I have leaned is to always put myself in their shoes and how things need to go for their comfort and well being, and to anticipate. By your post I see that this is what you have all intentions of doing. Hopefully your mother is very adventurous.

As far as your itinerary goes, my concern would be 7 nights is a risk and maybe too long in Bosque del Cabo mostly because of heat being an issue for your mother, as well as some people can feel challenged being in the jungle environment. For some the challenges can be the humidity/heat, fears of being so remote, bugs, critters, wildlife everywhere, etc.

If I was planning this trip with other people in mind (unless I absolutely knew they love and are up to the inherent challenges of a trip like this) I would spend part of it in a different climate zone. For example, I actually have booked at the end of my upcoming Osa trip 2 nights in the mountains at Monte Azul (http://www.monteazulcr.com). It provides fresh non humid air in a beautiful location, with lots to experience.

By the way, baking the Russian Tea Cakes for your daughter's birthday sounds like a fantastic idea, how thoughtful. My suggestion for her birthday, is to let her have a say in the day's itinerary and the timing and order of how the day flows. I think that would make her feel like it is a special day.

Cattail

Lucky parents, and lucky you to have this time! Juldie has made some excellent points. Re: ways to keep cool: It's a somewhat long, but rewarding hike down a woodsy trail to the swimmable beach. The third beach (I think) you come across is swimmable. You can ask the drivers at Bosque for a pick-up so that you won't have to hike uphill on the way back. I wonder if they would take your parents down as well, and you could meet them there.?

They might want to avoid the hike along the beach to the tide-pools and waterfalls. I found this to be the hottest hike, by far. They will have the opportunity to soak in tide-pools in a similar area if they're going along on the horseback riding excursion.

Also, your parents can see a lot of wildlife without even leaving the grounds - sometimes more!

sparklegem

Hi Juldie and Cattail! Thank you so very much for your replies and suggestions! I really appreciate your help.

I am very excited to share Bosque del Cabo with my parents. They have always said, no, before, but this time when I asked, they said yes!

Juldie- Thank you for sharing Monte Azul. I would have never known that there was such a cool place hidden away up there. It made me smile, when I read that the casitas are inspired by mid-century architecture. We live in a mid-century modern house, with a butterfly roof (just like the casitas ! The long car ride might be too much for this trip, but I think that we might be traveling around a bit more on our next trip down. And I will be sure to check in for lots of help before I book things. There seem to be so many great places that I don't know about.

I am hoping that traveling in early January will be one of the cooler months. I am going to research personal cooling devices. I think that my mother has something that is like a bandana/ice pack combo, I will need to check with her. Now that I think of it, I will check with BdC to see if there would be an extra fan available if we need it or if we should try to come up with a powerful little fan to bring down.

Cattail- that is exactly what I am thinking: my parents can see fantastic wildlife without leaving the grounds, and really, from a comfortable chair or hammock on their deck! I saw all four types of monkeys with their babies, on the driveway, early every morning, right by Casa Blanca. That would be very accessible for my mom.

I will have them ride along to pick us at the beach, so that they can experience that, too.

All of the longer/ more difficult hikes are out for them, but walking around the immediate grounds and to the garden will be nice for them. I will let my mom determine her own pace and what she is up for. I figured that they would spend a lot of time on the deck . I think that she would really like the afternoon or early morning bird tour, if she is up for it.

Any idea how rough the terrain is or how hot it gets taking a birding tour?

Thank you both so much! I really appreciate your input!

colibri

Sparkle - your mom will love Casa Blanca and can easily stay on the porch in the afternoons when the sun is hitting the deck. There are ceiling fans in all the rooms and we never had any issue sleeping.

I'm heading to the Amazon in a few weeks and am looking at Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad since we will have no power after 10 pm.

My friend brought a Sip and Mist water bottle to BdC and it worked really well, so I bought one for Brazil. You either drink or squeeze the trigger for a cooling mist.

I would not advise your folks to walk on the Titi trail or to the beaches. The driveway hill is fairly steep by Miramar, but she can find plenty of wildlife from CB deck or on the level grounds by the restaurant. Be sure to check out the frog pond after dinner to see what's there.

Birding tour with Carlos was off-site back down along the main road by the pasturelands - saw lots and it was very easy walking.

While at Iguana you can do a boat tour of Rio Esquina - great for your mom as long as she can get in/out of the boat, easy wildlife viewing. The birding tour w/ Sidnar is very easy, just on the grounds of the lodge.

Have a great time!!

sparklegem

Wow! Colibri!! Thank you so much for all of the great tips! I will look into the Frogg Toggs Chilly Pads and the Sip and Mist! I think that we will all be getting travel themed gifts this year!

Thank you for the trail advice! I really appreciate it. I want to keep things low profile for my mom. I want her to have a wonderful time and to not overdue.

Would you suggest both birding tours?

I saw your photos of the boat tour and it look really interesting (and quite surreal in the mangroves!). Thank you for suggesting it. I will it up, too!

We were thinking about visiting Finca Kobos, while at the Iguana Lodge. Does anyone have any information about that tour? I think that it starts at 8:30 or 9am. I am wondering if it would be difficult or too hot for my mom.

Thank you for all of the help!!

P.S. Colobri, I loved your trip report and photos!! I sent to my mom, too!

sparklegem

P.P.S. The Amazon!! What do you have planned?!! I would love to learn all about your trip!!

colibri

Sparkle - glad I could help plan your trip - you will love both lodges!

Amazon - 1 1/2 days Manaus while waiting for boat to take us three hours up a tributary and stay in a jungle lodge to see the pink river dolphins, fish for piranha, hiking, bird watching, then fly to Belem to stay with locals, getting up at 3:30 am to boat out to Parrot Island to see hundreds of green parrots awaken at dawn and fly off, a few nights on Marajo Island to visit the fishing villages, water buffalo farms, see scarlet ibis, then fly to Santarem to stay a few nights on Alter do Chao before flying back to Manaus. Chilly Pad is going to come in handy for those hot nights in the jungle!

sparklegem

WW!!! What an amazing itinerary!! That sounds like a thrilling trip. I can't wait to hear about your adventures and too see all of your photos!!

I have been doing so research on the Chilly Pads and I think that they will be perfect for my mom. I am going to order the bandannas for everyone in our family. I found kind of amazing prices at: theourdoorpro.com Thank you so much for the recommendation!

colibri

Let's hope the Chilly Pads work - will be my first time trying it, so fingers crossed.

sparklegem

My fingers are crossed; the reviews are all very positive.
P.S. I have been reading my way through all of the trip reports and have really been enjoying yours!

sparklegem

I am thinking of taking a little trip down to Bosque and have been re-reading my questions from other trips and thought that I should follow up on this one.

We had a fantastic trip with my parents but everything did not go as planned. My parents loved our time at Bosque and it turned out that a week was not enough. We took the long drive to back down to Iguana Lodge from Bosque and decided after a very, very unpleasant encounter about an extra fan for my mother, decided to return to Bosque. Bosque sent the car and we bumped, bumped ,bumped our way back to paradise. They made space for us in the owner's home and we continued our lovely time there.

My daughter's 16th birthday was incredible! Everyone at Bosque was so wonderful and made her day very special with a long table full of fun guests ready to help her celebrate and they even made her an extra delicious dairy-free birthday cake.

We also loved our time visiting the Toucan Rescue Ranch! It was our first visit and I still can not stop thinking about all of the dear animals that are being helped to reintegrate back into the wild or cared for in the most wonderful way, if that is not possible. We are planning to return and to stay at their beautiful cabinas for a night or two on our upcoming trip.

Oh! And the Frog Togs were a success!! My mom used them constantly and they kept her cool. I bought some for my dad to use on our trip to Cuba and he looked very jaunty in the neckscarf version as well.

Bosque still remains my very favorite spot <3

emmajm

Another "little trip" down? Great! When we were at BdC there were so many toucans, hope your daughter saw them too.

We spent one night at Iguana which was fun to see but didn't really grab us. We spent a few nights at Cabinas Jimenez which was good for seeing the town and doing excursions. Also one night at Toucan Rescue Ranch.

sparklegem

Yes planning a little trip, that now, has evolved into a very soon trip!

We did see lots of toucans on our last trip to Bosque; lots of everything! <3

We loved the tour at the Toucan Rescue Ranch! Did you enjoy your night there, emmajam? I am looking forward to staying a little longer this trip.

emmajm

The advantage to staying at the ranch is that you can walk around as much as you like seeing the animals. The cottage was comfortable. It was cool in December; my husband turned the heat on. We got food down the street.

sparklegem

That sounds great! Thank you!