fkmich999

Thinking about staying at the Beach Suite at the Costa Rica Treehouse in Punta Uva.

Has anyone stayed here? Seen any reviews online?

Thanks!@

mishi

I am booked to stay in the beach suite at the tree house for my october honeymoon and will write a review...but that may be too late for you. The place looks amazing but I have not been able to find any reviews on this particular suite either. Good luck...and if I find anything on it I will post it for you.

fkmich999

Still looking for some reviews on the Beach Suite.

Any out there?

Erin_L

Mishi, Congrats on your upcoming wedding and honeymoon. I, too, am getting married in October, but `07, and my fiance and I have the same interests as you. We had a place in mind in St. Lucia that has a honeymoon package until we saw that you found the treehouse. Would you mind emailing your itinerary to me? Were they helpful in finding/booking excursions, places to eat, etc? I am intrigued. My email is [email protected]. Thanks!

mishi

The Tree House set up a private driver for us which will pick us up at SJO airport. We will be staying in the Beach Suite located at Costa Rica Tree House for 5 nights. The private driver will then bring us to the Peace Lodge, a little north of SJO airport, where we will be staying in a deluxe room for 2 nights. We will then hire another private driver to take us to our 1 bedroom villa at Buena Vista Villas, located in Manuel Antonio, for 4 nights. A private driver will then bring us back to SJO airport for our departure. Our itinerary may not make much sense...but the Tree House was booked at the middle/end of our trip so we didn't have a choice of days.

We have not set up any tour packages or anything yet...because we would rather wing it while we're there, rather than have the whole vacation planned out for us ahead of time...so I'm not sure how helpful these particular places are with that stuff...but we've been to CR once before and it was very easy to book stuff once you get there...and everyone we encountered was very helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions...I would be happy to try to answer them. Good luck and have a blast with whatever you choose to do!

shillmac

mishi--I'll be thinking about you this month! I know your wedding will be absolutely gorgeous, and you will be a beautiful bride.

Your itinerary sounds just perfect--have a fabulous time! It's probably a little early for weather predictions, but in a week or so, you might be able to check out the forecast for at least the 1st part of your trip.

We spent a few days in Puerto Viejo, the central valley, and CLOSE to Manuel Antonio end of October, 2004, and the weather was great. Couldn't have been better.

Hurricane season has actually produced less activity than was expected (which indirectly affects CR rainfall amounts), so I think you'll get lucky like we did!

Either way, it won't spoil a great honeymoon--anxious to hear back from you when you return. Enjoy every second, and again, CONGRATULATIONS!

mishi

Thanks Shillmac...couldn't have planned it all without you and the help of so many others on this website! Thanks...and I will post a trip report upon our return!

ewesthoff

I know that I might catch some flack, but here is my opinion. I love CR, but I wouldn't have loved it for my honeymoon. For Erin L, if you are looking for beautiful beaches, with crystal clear water and to be pampered, CR may not be the place for you either. CR is beautiful, the people could not be any nicer or more helpful, but CR is a place for adventure. They do not have the pristine white sand beaches like St. Lucia, with crystal clear water and waitstaff at your beckoned call. I was in Puerto Viejo this past summer and spent a day in Punta Uva as well. I would not have been happy to have been there on my honeymoon. The roads are horrible, the beaches clean, but hard to find a place to swim due to the rocks and coral and the water was no clearer than that off the coast of North Carolina. I know people with disagree with me, but this is my opinion. If you like to dive, want to do zip lines, hiking and all sorts of adventurous activities on your honeymoon, then this may be right for you, but if you are looking for what I consider a standard, relaxing, pampered honeymoon, then I would stay with St. Lucia and do CR next year. Either way, congrats and good luck.

faithie

Not to contradict, but St.Lucia is not known for white sand beaches and crystal clear water. They would actually be quite similar to Costa Ricas. One of their white sand beaches imports sand from another island.... Anguilla, T&C, have famously white sand beaches.

shillmac

Haven't been to St. Lucia, but there is an excellent sale on American Airlines through Dec. 15 if booked by October 11! And a few other places as well, such as Tortola, which we loved this past summer. Has anyone been able to take advantage of the "Hurricane Season" rates?

I think there are a few select spots in Costa Rica that would fit the bill for a romantic honeymoon, such as Punta Islita (dying to check it out sometime) and Florblanca at Ste. Teresa. While you won't find turquoise water and white sand in Costa Rica, there are some lovely beaches and the color of the water is often a beautiful blue unless the day is cloudy! Some favorites: Conchal, Flamingo, Ste. Teresa/Malpais, and yes, the beaches of the Caribbean in and around Puerto Viejo.

I'm sure it's just me, but I don't enjoy spending a lot of time in a place where ALL of the people are looking to be (and used to being)pampered! As much as I enjoy it myself occasionally, I don't feel comfortable (as I said--for long!) at a hotel that caters ONLY to those who wouldn't be caught dead in a "lesser" place! I much prefer the diversity of people, even if I were on my honeymoon! I'm speaking of the $750-$1000 per night places (for example) and higher that work hard to keep themselves out of reach for the average Joe. But again, that's just me--and I totally understand (and agree with) ewesthoff's comments regarding ideal honeymoon locations (the kind that many honeymooners are looking for).

mishi

I really think it depends on what you're looking for in a honeymoon. We have been to CR once before and are returning for our honeymoon...so obviously we think it fits the bill for us! I think that CR is very romantic for those who appreciate beauty in nature. If you are not into that kind of thing...it may not be the right place for you. We are into the whole "barefoot luxury" thing which I think CR offers...it may differ than the norm...but it's also a lot more affordable!

fkmich999

Mishi,

We are heading the Beach Suite later this month for our honeymoon as well.

Do you have any excursions or special things lined up while you are in Punta Uva. Just looking for some ideas!! Thanks

mishi

Sorry...we have not a thing lined up! We don't like to plan ahead when we go on vacation because we never know what we will feel like doing on that day...so we usually just wing it! This is the first part of our honeymoon so I think we'll just be relaxing a lot and taking in the local activites and scenery. Things that we would like to do at some point during our honeymoon are: snorkeling, kayaking, horseback riding, maybe white water rafting, maybe fishing, exploring wildlife and nature, ziplines maybe, and doing absolutely nothing! Let me know if you hear of anything interesting...have fun!

shillmac

mishi,
Your plan sounds perfect. Heavy on the relaxing! How long will you be in Costa Rica?

You might be interested in a dolphin adventure off the coast of the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge while you are on the southern Caribe side. If so, contact Abel Bustamante ([email protected]) and he can make that happen for you (or whatever else you think you'd enjoy).

I always go birding with him, but he was telling me a couple of months ago of all the different types of guiding he does. Super nice fellow--excellent English. Very inexpensive. Extremely knowledgeable. He seems to be a friend to all who live in the area.

I was just thinking of some of the things we HAVEN'T done that you guys might enjoy--a little different from the zipline/horseback/whitewater activities. Always have a ton of things on my list!

It's October! When are you leaving?

mishi

Our wedding is next Sat Oct 14...and we are leaving for our honeymoon on Mon Oct 16!! I love monkeys and dolphins...so if I get to see both of them during our trip I would be thrilled! The dolphin adventure sounds perfect...I will definitely get in touch with Abel! Thanks so much!

shillmac

If you don't have time to get a response from Abel by e-mail, just go on down to Manzanillo one afternoon when you first arrive in the area and look him up. Everyone knows him. He lives up a little road across from the Fuerza Policia (police station). Actually, in July he was constructing a new home right on the road going into Manzanillo (it would be on your right as you drive south)--2 stories. His family has probably moved into it by now.

I have his phone number in my "other" house in Oklahoma, but we are in our school week in Texas right now!

Wow! You must be very busy right about now with a wedding just around the corner. Have fun!

shillmac

Abel: (506) 759-9043

Found it on an old post. . .his wife doesn't speak English, but he does.