My father will be joining me on my 5 or 6 night BdC stop next May (yeah!) but now that means I'll have to switch from Congo to a standard (boo!) No, I'm just kidding - but since I've always stayed in the deluxes I don't know know which one to request. A loft won't work cause I won't stay up there and I doubt my dad could get up there lol. Of course I want a great view but I know they all have great ones. I guess a priority would be the biggest porch - I smoke so I don't want to feel too hemmed in. Any ideas/comments appreciated!

I hope my dad will love it as I do (though I'm a little bummed about not staying in Congo ) I will live though!

tully, what a great daughter to give up Congo for your dad! We stayed in a Deluxe, so I'm not up on the standard cabins, but I think Sol has gotten some good reviews on here.

I'm having a reaaaally tough time feeling bad for you tully. Just kidding! I think it's great your dad will be joining you and as soon as you scope out your standard, I'm sure you'll be just as excited for something new.

Sorry, I can't be of any firsthand help either. But since we are switching to Pizote next trip, so I'll be sure to post back with the specifics.

I believe it's shillmac that loves Sol, because of the view or the bathtub or something. I'm sure she'll chime in soon...

P.S. Is your dad sooooooo excited?!?!? Is this is first time?

C'mon have a little sympathy Yes this is dad's first trip to CR! He loves travel & loves animals, so I'm hoping he will have a great time. He's on the go 24/7 so I hope he can re-adjust to the laid back time at Bosque.

You know I was thinking maybe if we stayed with a deluxe but one with a loft I 'might' be able to deal. (I guess if something spooked me I could always revert to age 2 again and cry out for dad!) Any of you guys (well, gals) ever slept in the loft? As long as I have a mosquito net I think I could hack it.

I think I'd rather stay in the loft, than in a double bed next to my dad. A little more privacy.

Hey -- You know what would be really fun? To install a video camera to film everything that creep and crawls, wiggles and flies in during the night, and then watch it in accelerated speed. WHEN you got back home.

Me chiming in!

The standards have TWO double beds, so no problem there. And yes, I just love SOL--like a broken record, it's a fun shower!

The thing you might want to consider is privacy. Since the front part of the shower is somewhat open (although plants have grown up higher and it's not as clear a view as it used to be), it is somewhat visible from the front porch, right edge, hammock area. With a spouse, not a big deal, but with a brother, sister, or parent it's a little more of an issue. Not a BIG issue, because one would actually have to walk over to the edge of the porch on that side and look back toward the shower, but another accomodation MIGHT be more comfortable--and a bit roomier. The bathrooms are a bit smaller (sink area).

You could handle the loft I think. It seems like a good solution. I am so glad your dad has agreed (and committed) to going with you. Won't it be fun to show him around? You are very lucky to be able to do that!

Happy planning. . . .

OK... you all are starting to freak me out a bit! All of my favorite posters chiming in about the loft. We are going in November with our kids 7 and 9 and will be staying in the Toucan deluxe cabina. The plan is for the kids to stay in the loft... the 7 year old is a chicken to say the least. So between this and having no idea how to make those smiley face things I may not get any sleep tonight! Eeek!

Hi, julie - don't worry too much; we only had some little moths and things like that in our cabin. Keep your doors closed and lights off when you go to dinner, and that will really help. Those little guys are drawn to the light. All the beds have mosquito nets too, so your child can be under it and feel protected. You will love it.

Don't let me being a tweaker freak you out! I've never stayed up in a loft so no idea what it's like, seems to me kids would love it.

Anyone know if the beds are beds or are they foamy things? Is there one of the small fans up there?

shillmac - yes we may have to work out arrangements during shower time! I know there's a split second spot at Congo where you go up the steps from the shower where you can be seen in all your glory if someone was hanging out over the left edge of the Lapa porch. I cared about a second then I was just like ah whatever!

So now I'm leaning more to the deluxe with a loft. I think I will be fine and who knows my dad may have no problem getting up there and I get the bed downstairs!

tully, our loft had two double beds with mosquito netting, a gooseneck lamp, and one of the small fans that you plug in. We didn't sleep up there, but we sat on the beds just to check them out, and they seemed like regular beds. It seemed LESS buggy up there because there's no windows and less light. The peak of the roof is open to the outside though.

Have only stayed in Bambu and Pizote standards. Of those two Pizote was the best. It is good sized (more room than Bambu I thought) and we had a great view of the ocean. Hubby missed that extra little deck that the deluxe cabins have but we got to watch a water spout during a storm. There was an opening in the flora around the shower looking out towards the lawn area and if someone had come by they would have had a good look. Made me a little uncomfortable at first but hey I just figured if someone wanted to look they deserved what they saw. I had that same thing while in the loft cabina several years ago when we first started going there. The plants hadn't grown up around the shower yet. I got a good picture of my husband from the pool!

When we stayed in the loft cabina it didn't seem terriby scary in terms of bugs. I suspect it might be a little warmer up there but there is a good vent so the heat may just go right up. Everything felt warmer during the day when I went up to look at it.

How nice that your dad is going with you! He must feel like he knows them by now.

I don't know about you all, but I think it's too funny all this talk about "views" into the shower. LOL! There were always people working on the grounds, and I'm sure there were when you were there, so I bet they have all the best spots scoped out by now! JUST KIDDING!!!! I took Suzie2's lead and figured they got what they deserved if they so dared.

campjulie -- I wouldn't be too worried about bugs. We literally NEVER shut our doors and rarely saw bugs or moths. That's what the bats and geckos are for.

I think inhibitions kind of go out the window when you're showering outside, have no locks on your door, and sleep with the louvers open to catch the breeze. One morning when I was getting dressed, my husband had a wildlife spotting on the porch and started yelling for me to come see, and I dashed out there without thinking AND without my pants on - the man gardening nearby politely pretended not to notice. Of course, I was kind of horrified, but they've probably seen it all.

Yeah I agree, they probably have seen it all - whether trying to or not! One late morning I was hanging out after a morning hike and had thrown my nightie on just for a little while before I went to lunch. Think I surprised the gardener a tad when he came around the side to throw some brush over the cliff. I said buenos dias as calmly as I could!

Think I'm leaning towards Tucan. It was remodeled recently and I think the loft will allow a little more privacy.

Just a fyi for future use - I found out the 3 deluxes that have lofts are: Tucan, Manglillo and La Palma.

ps - I hope this trip with my dad doesn't turn out like the one I did with 3 best friends to Europe. It was a month long and when we got back none of were speaking to another

Tully, it's great that your dad's going! We'll look forward to meeting both of you in May I bet you'll get along fine with your dad on the trip - in my experience, "girls' getaways" have the most potential for personality clashes, for some reason!

My husband and I are veterans when it comes to traveling with others. I've survived two week-long villa rentals with two different groups of friends, a nine day trip with my in-laws, and multiple girl's trips. We've always returned still liking each other, though nerves were a bit frayed at times. My advice when traveling with others: Set expectations BEFORE the trip. If you need "alone" time, let others know. If there is something you really want to do, speak up. Be willing to venture out on your own. Remember, everyone's vacation is very important to them, so be understanding of what others want to do (the whole "do unto others" thing). If necessary, split up to do your activities - too much togetherness can be a bad thing.

And remember: if your traveling companions are getting on your nerves, have an extra glass of wine. It seems to make everything better. Or at least funnier.

Tully,
We will be staying in Tucan in November, so I will post lots of details upon our return... Campjulie

tully, Tucan is the deluxe that we had. It's a good one! You can ask me any questions.