volcanogirl

Linda, you sound like me! On my first date with my husband he told me that he and his buddies take a trip once a year, and he's always the planner. Then when we went on our first trip together, he showed up with SEVEN guide books. I knew I had met my dream man! Regarding CR, I have yet to meet anyone who has been there that doesn't want to go back, and I think that really says something.

cmazza

I wouls say OSA OSA OSA loved it1

shillmac

The bus/mosquitoes are more of an issue during the green season. Not all during the dry season.

Melissa5

Hi, I'm the original poster. If we go to the Osa in January 2010, this will be our second trip to Costa Rica.

The first trip was a family trip to Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, and Arenal.

The second trip for January 2010 would be just my husband and I...first to a wedding near Jaco, then we'd venture down to the Osa.

Fodors guidebook says NOT to drive down to the Osa due to bad roads? Even in the dry season? Since I have tendonitis in my shoulders traveling a long ways on bumpy roads could be painful. But I'm a nervous flyer so that's a bit scary...

But the Osa sounds wonderful...thanks for everyone's description of their experiences there. Did you all fly or drive down to the Osa? What did you think of the experience of getting down to the Osa?

If we drive down to the Osa I would have to spend the night somewhere halfway, both ways. (I wouldn't be able to handle the long drive without an overnight somewhere...) Perhaps flying is better?

Thanks for your invaluable help and advice! I'm excited and nervous.

volcanogirl

I would much rather fly than drive. You can fly either Sansa or Nature Air; the drive would be fairly long over some not so great roads. You take a small plane, and it lands next to a cemetery on a little gravel strip. The airport looks like a bus stop. We thought it was great. Just the ride to BdC from the airport made me glad we didn't drive it. It took us about 45 minutes to go a short distance and we encountered small streams we had to drive through, cattle in the road, construction, trees across the road etc. It was sort of a little adventure, but I wouldn't have wanted hours of it. The flight is quick and painless.

RAC

It's a very short flight. Very long drive--and everyone is a nervous car passenger in CR.

hipvirgochick

Melissa -- Sounds like you're a good candidate for flying. No sense winding up with a sore body by the time you get there! I've flown to Osa twice, once from Quepos, once from San Jose, with no problems. However, I do believe it's the road between Manuel Antonio and Dominical that's the really bad part of the road...not positive. I'm meeting up with another Fodorite in June in the Uvita/Dominical where we'll take the drive this year so we'll find out first hand!

Melissa5

Thanks for confirming what I have suspected...that we'd be better off flying down to the Osa, and not driving.

However I am rethinking the idea of going to the Osa. I have been reading parts of trip reports and reading about accommodations in the Osa. I think maybe it's not the place for me. While the nature experience sounds very special... I can't see myself sleeping at Bosque del Cabo. Sounds like their cabinas, even their deluxe cabinas, are open enough so that the wildlife could actually come in. I like nature, but not in the house where I'm sleeping. I'm not sure that I could sleep at all, knowing there was so little barrier between me and the rainforest creatures. I can handle them in the daytime, when I can see them coming...but I don't want to wake up in the dark and hear a rainforest creature right in the room with me! I also have poor night vision, which would make rustling sounds in my bedroom seem even more scary.

We stayed at El Sapo Dorado in a cabin and visited the amazing Monteverde Cloud forest. We stayed at the Lost Iguana in Arenal and visited the Hanging Bridges and other wonderful rainforests. We also stayed at Hotel Si Como No, which was a great hotel, but the Manual Antonio national park wasn't my favorite as it was too disturbed by man. I was comfortable sleeping with walls around me at El Sapo Dorado and the Lost Iguana.

One person notes in their review of Bosque del Cabo that an animal (I think it was a coatimundi, it's on tripadvisor) came right into their room at night. While my husband the biologist might find this amusing, I think the thought of being "invaded" at night would prevent me from sleeping at every little rustling sound.

I don't mind snakes, being married to a biologist/herpetologist...but I'm not sure I can sleep knowing it would be so easy for one to crawl into my bed...

It sounds like Bosque del Cabo has the ultimate nature experience, maybe a little too ultimate for me... It is my impression that there is some sort of screen instead of walls?

I haven't yet noted any accommodation in the Osa which would be suitable for someone like me, who likes nature to stay outside of her bedroom at night. (I know there are insects that can easily come into your room, but we dealt with those on our last trip to Costa Rica...fortunately they are mainly attracted to lights so if you turn out your lights they usually won't be attracted to your room...so I'm not so worried about those.)

We are invited to a destination wedding near Jaco, and I really would like to try to use this opportunity to plan a suitable nature adventure which would please both my husband and I.

If he truly wants to be immersed in nature, he goes off on trips on his own now and then, with other biologists or naturalists. This visit to Costa Rica in January/February 2010 would be for the two of us to spend time together, and to attend the wedding.

If anyone has any suggestions or thoughts for me, I'd be glad to benefit from your knowledge and experience.

tully

There are screens & doors on the cabinas at BdC, plus mosquito netting around the beds. If you sleep with your doors open however, anything could come in, most likely a coati looking for food. It's really not something to be missed and putting up with the geckos and lost bugs are worth it.

motmot

You'll be fine at Bosque del Cabo. The animals won't be coming into your cabin as long as the door is closed (double louvred doores that pull shut. Screens instead of windows, but also with louvres, right everyone? Help me out here. . . I know you can close them to have some privacy at night.

We have had so little up close and personal with insects in/near the cabinas it's almost not worth mentioning. In several visits. Especially in the dry months (January)--there will be almost NOTHING in the way of insects. And the animals won't be coming in either--you'll have your doors shut, right?

Truly, you should just go for it. It's delightful, and the plane ride down there a real treat (and I don't like flying either).

Melissa, you'll be pleasantly surprised. The only thing to bother you down there in January is the heat--you'll have that at any of the beach areas.

motmot

I guess the spelling is louvered doors/windows. Not like the museum in Paris, right?

volcanogirl

Yep, the windows have screens and louvered wooden blinds over them that you can close. The front doors are big sliding wooden louvered doors that you can keep closed at all times. Brave people keep them open, but we kept ours shut unless we were there. I didn't want any visitors either. We didn't get anything but little bugs. Some of the cabins have a little opening at the top so a bird or bat could come in, but we didn't get anything like that. The open cabins are in the garden; some don't have walls - avoid those if you're nervous about it. I think you should go! Really I think you'd love it. And you'd get big points with your husband!

hipvirgochick

We've always slept with our doors wide open. 10 nights there all together there so far...so I'm probably not a good one to follow, but I'd say go for it too. Just keep your doors closed. Had no problems with bugs except one night when I left the porch light on went I went to dinner. What I came home to was an entomologist's dream!

janenicole

We slept with our sliding doors open, and the only thing that came into our cabin was a bat. When my DH got up in the night to use the bathroom, it flew out. I wouldn't worry about four legged friends coming into your cabin, unless you have food in there (and with the great meals at BdC, you won't need to keep snacks). Maybe you have read some posts from people staying in the casas, where they have food. BdC is such an incredible place and experience, if you have the opportunity, you really should go.

volcanogirl

People got a bat in their cabin when we were there too; that's why we ended up being doors closed people - lol.

Melissa5

Oh, you guys are so great! I was getting nervous about staying at Bosque del Cabo on the Osa. I just read all your replies above, and everyone has been unanimously encouraging! Thanks everyone! I also talked to shillmac, and she has done everything short of packing my bags for me...she's great!

I guess I didn't realize the windows have screens and louvered blinds that you can close, and that there actually are front doors that slide shut. To tell the truth I was picturing a sort of tree house...I must have seen photos where they had their windows and doors open! So my imagination went wild.

How hot does it get in late January/early February on the Osa at Bosque del Cabo? Is it hot and humid? I will research that too...but has anybody been there at that time of year? Is it comfortable for nature walks?

Our first trip to Costa Rica was rainy season...in June. Nice weather at Monteverde Cloud forest and also nice weather at Arenal. However we found it too hot for comfortable hiking in Manuel Antonio in June (a few years ago.) We didn't mind afternoon showers in the rainy season at all.

However this January 2010 trip will be in the dry season. I hope it's not unpleasantly hot. (We live in San Diego, where it's ideal temp most of the year, so we're not used to humidity and we're kinda spoiled by weather.)

CAN you FLY to the Osa from QUEPOS??? That would sure be convenient. Hipvirgochick mentioned that above, but I haven't been able to find anything in the Fodors guidebook about flying to the Osa from Quepos. I know you can fly to the Osa from San Jose...but we have to go to an area near Jaco to attend a destination wedding...then we'd head for the Osa...

I have more research to do...but chatting with you fodorites who love Costa Rica really motivates me.

EternalTourist

I'm so glad I found this post! I was just looking into BDC.

volcanogirl

Mel, we're from Houston, and even we thought Manuel Antonio was really hot. That's the only place I've felt like we really needed ac in CR. It was in the 90s when we were there. I'm not positive, but I don't think the flights go directly from Quepos to Puerto Jimenez. For a lot of these areas you have to fly back to San Jose and then on to your next destination.