Bosque De Cabo?
 

OSA:
Bosque De Cabo
Aquila De Osa Inn
Lapa Rios

Which is better for a honeymoon? Do these hotels have hot water? OUr honeymoon will be in July, should we pick a different location, because of too much rai during this time?

We stayed at Bosque del Cabo this past July - even though it's the rainy season, we got lucky and didn't get any rain - just a few lightning storms at night. They definitely have hot water, electricity, and amazing food. Mariposa is known as the honeymoon cabin there - it's located on the end so has the most privacy. One thing to know, there's not enough power to use a blow dryer - just something to know ahead of time, but there is enough light to read by, and we were able to charge our camera batteries in the cabin. Lapa Rios also gets very good reviews.

Hi sixshots -- I'm travelicious on the TA board. :) Glad you're posting here too.

vgirl -- Did you ever get your photos up? sixshots wants some of BDC but mine are not only intermingled with several places, but most of them are of wildlife, not BDC itself. Can you point her in the right direction?

Hi, hvc - most of my pics are of the wildlife too - maybe check over on tripadvisor; seems like people have posted a lot of pics over there.

six, if at all possible, you might want to spend a night or two at the Peace Lodge; it would be a great honeymoon property and nice to pair with another spot.

Yep, I recommended Peace Lodge too. Perfect place for honeymooners. :)

Hi, thanks for the info, Peace Lodge
looked a little cheesy to me.
Also my fiance and I dont want to move around too much. We have one week in manuel antonio for our wedding then we are either going to stay at Lapa Rios or Bosque del Cabo for our honeymoon. I just can't decide. After that we might spend one night near San Jose to catch our flight in the afternoon at 12:00.
We were thinking about Mal Pais (Casa Chameleon) but it looks like their isnt much to do there. and we like more of the natural beauty.
Do they have shuttles that go to the beach at the Bosque del Cabo ?

Getting to the beach at BdC is a hike. However, they will pick you up after your hike to the Golfo side, so probably could arrange to have them drop you off. But don't expect to find Cabanas and Beach chairs.

Speaking of a hike. BdC grounds around the cabins, restaurant and pool are an easy walk, as where Lapa is a steep climb to everywhere.

As for Peace, well we too thought it to be a bit (as you say cheesy). But it was beautiful. Extremely relaxing after a trip of hiking and basic accomadations. Very much enjoyed the luxury and beauty of this place, but I don't have a nagging desire to return.

BdC is the one place that I always wish to be back at. We so enjoyed our stay there. Really can't put into words my feelings about this place. It is just incredible.

When we visited the Osa, we split our week with 3 nights at Iguana Lodge situated on the beach and just a few minutes from the PJ airstrip. And 4 nights at BdC. Only mention this if taking a few steps to the beach is important to you. This trip was in 2005, so much has changed but I do have pics on shutterfly if you are interested.

Another idea for your last night or two in CR is Vista del Valle Plantation Inn, just 20 mins from SJO. I thought it to be very romantic for a honeymoon. And one more for a final night or two, that I would love to try is Finca Rosa Blanca.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

For our honeymoon, we stayed at Finca Rosa Blanca in the Master Suite (duplex with the panoramic view of the central valley). This was our favorite place on our honeymoon. While there isn't much to do on the grounds, frankly, it would be a lovely place to start or finish your honeymoon. They are doing a lot of construction there, though now so you might want to check if it will be finished by July.

We also stayed at the Peace Lodge. Cheesy? A bit, sure--but such a nice way to end the honeymoon after being in the Osa! And the natural beauty of the waterfalls can't be denied--though you can visit them on your day near San Jose if you wish.

BDC was one of our favorite parts of our honeymoon--so much so that we just returned from a trip there. It is rustic, certainly, but absolutely wonderful. They will drop you off at the Pan Dulce beach if you do not wish to make the hike. (And there is hot water at BDC).

Good luck making your decisions.

I would never suggest staying at Peace Lodge for a week, but for a night, it's wonderful. The hike with the 5 waterfalls is stunning, and after spending all that time in the Osa without blow dryers, air conditioning, etc. it feels really indulgent to spend a night with a gorgeous view, your own private jacuzzi, waterfall shower, cooler temperatures, etc. Completely understand if it's not your thing though.

Not sure about Lapa Rios, but dining at BdC is communal - very fun way to get to know other travelers. We still e-mail with folks we met there.

I will probably be booking the night at Bosque del Cabo for our honeymoon. How long does it take to get from Bosque del Cabo to San Jose? If we have a flight at 12:00pm, we would need to stay overnight near San Jose right?
Is the peace lodge far from San Jose airport? Maybe we could stay their for one night before we leave.

Also any pictures would be greatly Appreciated :)

Hi six -- It's only about a 45 min flight from Puerto Jimenez to San Jose. So you could probably get to SJO early enough not to have to stay a night there.

Peace Lodge is not untamed CR by any means and could be considered cheesy for sure. I mean the falls and the hands on wildlife are great of course, but it's obviously set up for human indulgence. At the same time, it's pretty spectacular, fun, and enjoyable at the same time as long as you know this beforehand. It's about 1 hour from SJO and the hotel can arrange x-fer's for you, but if you have doubts there are plenty of other good choices for you. :)

If you'd like, BdC will arrange your flights for you on Sansa or NatureAir. They did it for us, and it made everything really easy. For transportation from SJO to Peace Lodge, we just had Peace Lodge drive us - I think it was 55 dollars each way. It's a really pretty area. They have a nocturnal frog tour that's really cool. And you can hand feed hummingbirds there. We avoided the Peace Lodge on our first trip due to the cheese factor, but I read so many rave reviews that I just had to try it, and it was really relaxing and indulgent. We sent friends there from BdC, and they said it was the perfect place to unwind and get the sweat and grunge off. They definitely play up the romance angle there - rooms have gorgeous views, fireplaces, CDs of romantic music, etc. but really it was the waterfall hike that we loved the most.

should i book at lapa rios? I feel like Bosque De Cabo might be too rustic? I dont care about the blow dryer at all. I hardly use it at home..lol
But I dont want to feel like I have to unwind after the honeymoon, we would like to be a little pampered.

I feel your pain in trying to plan the perfect honeymoon. Personally, I sure didn't have to unwind because of BDC! It was perfectly relaxing when I wanted it to be, and adventurous the other times. The bungalows may be fancier inside at Lapa Rios, but the rest...Anyway, if you're really concerned or undecided, just go with your gut. You will be happy either way, I'm sure.

Maybe you should do a split between the 2 and decide afterwards. ;)

We haven't stayed at Lapa Rios, so I can't really compare, but from the reviews I've read from people who have stayed at both, BdC is preferred - seems like mostly because of the people and the warm atmosphere. I loved BdC and didn't feel like it was too rustic for us. I guess I felt more like I was on a great adventure, rather than feeling pampered. We spent most of our time hiking and enjoying the amazing wildlife. We got pretty sweaty and dirty; it was in the 80s at night in our cabin. When I think of being pampered, I think of trips where I went to a spa or something similar or one of our trips to Hawaii. Everyone who goes to BdC loves it, but when you say pampered, I don't really think of BdC. Our cabin was beautiful, but in a simple way. If you'd enjoy hiking and seeing all the wildlife and eating great meals, BdC would be great for you.

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=35083073

Here's another thread that might help. :)

I'm gonna try to find those pics, but I think after this I've exhausted my advice for you. ;)

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=35038527

Ok six -- Here's a link to my pics. However around page 6/7 is where BDC comes in and most are of wildlife (around BDC and tours). There is a picture of our cabina on page 7 I believe, but no pics from the inside. It is the white stucco with thatched roof. The pics on BDC website probably give you a better feel for the place itself than my photos.

Good luck deciding and congratulations!

Also six, if you're interested in pictures, I asked BdC to e-mail me pictures of the cabins - they sent them with no problem, and it gave me a good idea of whether or not this would be a good match for us.

I hope we all haven't confused you. BdC is a fabulous place. I really didn't think of it as rustic. Lots of other places we have visited in CR that were way rustic. BdC was glorious. The food, accomodations, staff were excellent. The grounds beautiful, hiking incredible, and the VIEW - AWESOME!

We met a couple from NC that had split between BdC and LR, met up with them again at SJO, they said they wished they had only gone to BdC. Not that LR was not enjoyable, just that BdC was more so.

But, as others have said - go with your gut it is your honeymoon. I hope someone responds to you that has stayed at both.

Oh and the reason you can't use a hair dryer is due to the solar generated electricity. Actually I heard a hair dryer while we were there, shame on them.

And for pampering - ask for a massage - wonderful, set up in the jungle with nature all around, so relaxing!

And for a romantic dinner - ask for a private table, express that it is your honeymoon, but do have some of your dinners with the other guests, so enjoyable and interesting.

Here is a link to our pictures. I have attached both BdC and Iguana Lodge.

If BdC is not for you, that is totally fine, you just happened to stumble into a forum of BdC Lovers!

Bosque del Cabo -
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...d=9CaM3LRu4YfE

Iguana Lodge -
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...g0&notag=1

six, when I described BdC to my mom before we went, she didn't think I would survive without a blow dryer and air conditioning, I think she imagined it to be a lot more rustic than what it is. When we got home, and I showed her my pictures, she said, "Oh, and here I thought you were going to be roughing it!" If you go over to tripadvisor.com, you can get a better idea of the place from reading all the reviews - it will be hard to find very many people that don't give it a 5, but yes, read all the reviews of each place and go with your gut instinct of which is the best match for you.

dfarmer, wonderful pictures! Thanks for sharing. When we were there, some friends went fishing, and they served the catch to all of us at dinner - so fresh and good. You know it looks like you had such a different experience than we had, we never saw any of those yellow trees that you had pictures of - maybe they are seasonal? Also took us 3 or 4 days to see a toucan; we finally did early morning birding with Carlos, and he searched for over an hour to find one for us; we were so thrilled when we finally saw it! We did see loads of macaws - that was so amazing, and as we were leaving on the last day, we saw an anteater on the driveway. On our favorite day, we were just relaxing on the front porch, and an entire troop of howlers, then capuchins, then spider monkeys went swinging right by our cabin.

Thanks for the pics, Donna. What a lovely way to end my day (it is almost midnight!!). Pura Vida

Thanks Dyer and Volcanogirl. I simply never tire of looking at pictures from BdC.

That Toucan was in a tree right in front of Gecko, our cabin. It was there everyday. A troup of monkeys came by every afternoon. The Macaws flew over daily. The howlers, love that sound.

As for bringing in the dinner, I have to say that was a rush! I was so pumped. The staff was eagerly waiting to cook up my catch. The guests were excited to enjoy it. And enjoy we did, it was delicious!

I too read others reports, and look at their pictures. It is amazing how many different experiences people have at the same place.

You know, several years ago my husband asked me "tell me again why we are paying X dollars to stay at a place that has no AC, no hot water, no TV, no telephone...." Well after that particular trip, he has never asked me again. He just says "where are we staying?" and leaves it up to me.

Being without all those little things that annoy - such as TV making noise, telephone ringing, AC drowning out the sounds of nature - well that is being pampered to me. Just being allowed the opportunity to experience - truly priceless.

Well enough, Sixshots will find his/her piece of Paradise.

Hi Dyer! And Donna. . .good to see you again on "the board"!

You hit the nail on the head when you said sixshots has stumbled onto a forum full of BdC lovers! LOL!

Me, too! :)

During the past 2-3 months, I've seen Lapa Rios mentioned as "THE place" on the Osa--different travel mags. It was the place we first heard about 4-5 years ago when we were thinking of visiting down there--and the first place we researched. It has been there longer, maybe? Or achieved "notoriety" sooner? Not sure. .

At any rate, through our investigation, we became aware of Bosque del Cabo, and that was our choice. We were amazed from the get-go and that accounts for a couple of return trips. Many people on this board have returned there way more than us--speaks pretty well of the place, doesn't it?

We would characterize it as "rustic elegance". If it didn't have that "rustic" feel, it wouldn't belong on the Osa Peninsula. All of us who are regular visitors to the Osa would prefer than it forever remain a bit rustic and undeveloped. BdC has that feel. . .

Several who have stayed at Lapa Rios have mentioned the many steps being a nuisance. I don't remember steps to where. . .maybe to the dining area? But just having to climb steps all the time in order to navigate the property doesn't appeal so much to me.

BdC and Lapa Rios have a good hotel-hotel relationship with one another despite offering a similar experience in very close proximity to one another. Both appeal to the same traveler types, so it has always been interesting to me that they are right there side by side.

I can't think you would go wrong with either one, sixshots, but I can't imagine a better experience that what Bosque del Cabo offers.

By the way, one of the highlights at BdC is the Pacific Trail which taken you down to the "wild" side and a nice hike to a gorgeous waterfall. Reason enough for me. . .! :) The hiking at BdC is just phenomenal. And the horseback riding with Miguel--what a fabulous experience!

Hello - sixshots117.

I have stayed at Lapa Rios once and Bosque del Cabo twice (and will be there a third time this coming summer).

We went to Lapa Rios first. It was everything we expected it to be and TONS more. Both places have no A/C but wonderful breezes, no blow dryers are allowed either place because of solar power, and both have hot water. The steps at Lapa Rios did not bother us as we were in the first set of bungalows (although we were in the last of one of the first set). We still had steps everytime but not a big deal. However, I would not have wanted to be in the lower bungalows as they had way to many steps to go back and forth to the restaurant, etc. (and I don't mean physically handicapped but just don't want to do that many steps everytime I went to meals).

The only reason we switched to going to BDC is because our kids were getting older and we wanted a room that had more than 2 queen beds so that everyone would rest better since we do so much during the day.

However, we now think of returning to BDC whenever we take a trip. It tugs at our hearts. It is hard to explain to someone that has not been. It is THE most relaxing vacation we take. Probably because we have been to the Osa 3 times now, we don't have the drive to cram pack in tons of daily activities. That's not to say that we don't do major hiking everyday or kids surfing, etc.

As far as meals, both are excellent. However, Lapa Rios is more 5 star in the presentation and I think quality. However, you do pay more to have that. When we went, the kids were both child rates so that made a big difference in the cost.

We are now spoiled in that we book the Casa Blanca house at BDC way ahead. It is almost 2000 sqft. with two bedrooms and 2 full baths perched on the side of a cliff overlooking the gulf.

All that being said, you can't go wrong with either place. We have met honeymoners at both places. If money is not an issue, I think Lapa Rios may be the choice. It is more upscale. However, I think hiking and seeing more wildlife is a BDC. Depends on what you want.

About going in July - we have always been there late July to early Aug. Rain has never been a problem at all. That is during a mini-dry season that the Osa has. You can read about it under the FAQ on Lapa Rios website.

Also, I did a detailed trip report after we went to Lapa Rios in 2001 and then a comparison after we went to BDC for the first time in 2004. You might want to do a search back. It will give you good info.

I stayed in Drake Bay three years ago and was alway H O T becuase of its location. I just returned from a stay at El Remanso and highly recommend it. It is right next to Bosque del Cabo. The people are magnificient and the views and wildlife are plentiful. Definitely a long drive if you go on your own. Be prepared to be picked up in Puerta Jimenez to avoid the huge bolders and awful road to the resort. It was fantastic!!!

I'd also take into consideration your ability to hike and wander about on your own at both lodges. Bosque has tons of well-kept trails you are free to walk about on your own; from what I understand (and maybe someone can clarify) is that Lapa Rios does not have as many trails and that you have to pay for a guide to go out on one each time.

fae - I can relate (sure we all can) that something about Bosque tugs at our hearts.

When we were at Lapa Rios all the trails were open like at Bosque to go with a guide or go on your own. However, that was a while back so it might have changed but I doubt it.