Moonpie

My husband and I vacationed at BdC 04/23/07 - 04/29/07. I want to thank everyone that has contributed a BdC trip report. It was extremely helpful in the planning process and knowing what to expect. I would like to share a few insights and experiences.

We spent 04/22 in San Jose at the Orquideas Inn. It was okay, but nothing great. I was very put off by all the junk (old fencing, rusty pipes, etc) laying at the bottom of the parrots cage. It really took away from the otherwise nice grounds. We had a roadside room which was dark and cave like. I was not comfortable there at all. Food was pretty good. All in all the place lacked any sort of charm, but hey what do you want for 80 bucks a night. I have never stayed anywhwere else in San Jose so I have no basis for comparison.

Now for the good stuff.....We flew NatureAir to Puerto Jimenez and I was very please with everything. My husband was a little shocked to see that we were landing on a dirt runway. He (okay me too)was very nervous on the way home due to a somewhat bumpy flight.

Kevin, one of the drivers at BdC, picked us up. He is full of life and is a pleasure to be around. He stopped several times along the way to show us birds, sloths and caymans. We enjoyed practicing our Spanish and I think he even learned some new words from us! I must say the ride to BdC is quite bumpy, but extremely beautiful. I enjoyed watching the cattle graze beside the beautiful Golfo Dulce. We also saw howler and spider monkeys at the entrance to BdC.

We were checked in by Gerly after being served a wonderful lunch. I was in heaven and I hadn't even seen my cabina yet. The grounds are absolutely beautiful. Everything is landscaped perfectly to blend with nature.

The Cabina - I worried about this the entire time leading up to our vacation. We had a standard cabina called "Bambu" and it was more than perfect. I was able to view many of the deluxe and standard cabinas. You simply can't go wrong. They all have something special and unique. For instance, my cabina had a gecko that pooped on me the very first night! Seriously, it was comical. I was standing in front of the mirror (post shower) combing my hair when I felt a "plop" on my back. I was scared to look...but I summoned the courage and observed what appeared to be bird poop. A flashlight revealed that it was a gecko hanging out on the thatched roof ceiling. It was his way of saying welcome.....welcome to my cabin. So I had to take another magnificent, glorious shower. The outdoor showers are one of my favorite memories. There is truly nothing like watching Scarlett Macaws and Monkeys frolic in the trees while you shower. Ok, this is going to be longer than I thought. To be continued.....and hopefully I will figure out how to post links to my pictures.

shillmac

Welcome home, Moonpie! So glad you had a great time. I wish you could have had a better experience at Orquideas. I've never been in a roadside room, but we sure do enjoy the food and the bar! These days we stay elsewhere (closer to the airport) but don't miss a night at the MM bar!

Welcome to the ranks of Bosque fans. Can't wait to hear more of your impressions! Rest up, then do tell. . .

hipvirgochick

Welcome back Moonpie! Sounds like a fun and interesting trip so far Can't wait to meet Kevin later this month, he sounds a hoot. The gecko story is too funny, much better than a pigeon Looking forward to the rest.

coolbluewater

Welcome back! I just emailed BDC to check on availability for next year January. Can't wait to go back...thinking about taking the parents this time, too. Asked for Mariposa again and a cabina NOT NEXT DOOR for the parents. Love them, but think the proximity will kill us (and them).

haydencat

Hi Moonpie. Welcome back to "reality." I hope you had a safe trip back to New York. You've beaten me to the punch in posting a trip report. I'll try to get something up today or tomorrow. It was fun hanging out with you and your hubby at Bosque!

tully

Welcome back, glad to hear you enjoyed your time. Sorry you weren't crazy about Orquideas, I love it but I know we're all different! The gecko poop tale is hilarious, better that than something else. I had "plops" in my cabina often as well but never had one land on me!

Suzie2

What a great report. Sorry Orquideas didn't work out.

The gecko must have moved in after we left last year. That is too cute. Glad you have a sense of humor.

If you are using shutterfly I might be able to help you post your pics. I emailed a friend from this board and they helped me so I would be happy to pay it forward. [email protected]

Moonpie

Hi haydencat - We had fun going on tours with you guys. Thank you so much for inviting us to your Cabina, Congo. The view from your deck was absolutely amazing. I wish I was there right now. Reality is in full swing, lots to do this week at work. I'm trying to find the time to finish my trip report.

Hi everyone,

It's not that I hated the Orquideas. I think I would have liked it a lot more if I was able to upgrade rooms, but they were booked.

Moonpie

Oops.. I posted to quickly by mistake. I like the MM Bar and spent a lot of time there. Having parrots myself, I was very disappointed by how their parrots were kept. Someone else had mentioned it on TA, but brushed it off until I saw for myself. The bar tender even laughed and joked "We had a parrot that talked, but it died." I was expecting more considering the glowing reviews.

Suzie2

I know what you mean about the parrots/macaws. It really was heartbreaking to see them. Last time I was there, one of them had been feather picking and you could tell it was emotionally upset. Evidently, the owners had sold the place and left the birds with the new owners. If you have parrots you know the bond they make with you and many have trouble adjusting to new people. They are so intelligent. So sad that one died. They usually live so long. We are already discussing who is getting which one with our kids if something happens to us.

What do you have?

Moonpie

Suzie,

I have 2 Soloman Island Eclectus Parrots. A male and a female. I must be crazy, but I'm thinking of getting a Green-Winged Macaw.

I will take you up on the shutterfly offer. I haven't had a chance to go through all my pictures. Work has been extremely hectic this week. Hopefully, I will be able to post the rest of my review and pictures by next week.

sparklegem

Thank you for posting such a great trip report, Moonpie. I am so glad that you enjoyed your time at BdC.

Where is Bambu located? We were in Palma, but next time we might stay in a standard cabina.

I hope that you will post more about BdC. I would love to hear what hikes you went on and what animals you saw.

Wecome Back,
Gem

Moonpie

Hi gem - Bambu is the last cabin on the right if you are facing the ocean. It's right next to 2 other standard cabinas called Sol and Pizote.

Trip report continued.....

Trails - My husband and I went a little crazy our first day at BdC. We hiked the Golfo Dulce trail and then walked back via the main road. DO NOT do this! It was a very long, hilly, humid walk. We are both in good shape, but the heat and humidity got the best of us. In retrospect I would have spent more time at the beach and got a ride back. We were silly enough to do the Pacific Trail the same day after lunch. Wow! It may be a short trail, but it's the best stairmaster that I have ever been on! We did the Zapatero trail with Philip during the Primary Forest hike. The hike was very fun and informative. The trail was not nearly as difficult as the Golfo Dulce and Pacific Trail.

Excursions - We did the Animal Sanctuary and Dolphin Watch with Haydencat and her husband. We saw no dolphins but the Animal Sanctuary was fun. Everyone else at BdC that went prior to us saw at least 50 dolphins. Phil,(the owner of BdC)advised me that they had to send us with a "different boat and captain" than normal. Apparently BdC's private tour boat was out on a fishing excursion. I would have liked to know this BEFORE we went on the trip. I was not impressed with our boat captain as he made our trip rather "blah" for lack of better words.

Food - was excellent. Even my picky husband was happy.

Service - always with a smile. I never wanted for anything. The employees were extremely genuine and always helpful.

Critters - We had a scorpion in our room one night. My husband scooped him up in a trash can and put him outside. I didn't sleep so well that night!

I got at least 40 bites from something unknown, probably mosquitos. I used repellent, but apparently it didn't work.

Overall - I certainly would say that this place is NOT for everyone. I had a much better time than my husband. He didn't really like being so "disconnected" from everything. I guess he'll pay a little more attention next time I am planning a trip! I love adventure and wildlife so BdC was great for me. Although, I must admit that I was ready to go home at the end of the 6th day. It is nice to finally have dry hair and not have to check under the covers for critters!

I'm sure that I am forgetting some things, but it's time for bed. Feel free to ask me any questions.

Suzie2

Those eclectus are beautiful! The contrasting colors are so amazing.

We have a bird farm about 5 minutes from the house where my birds where hatched. They have about 300 pairs of breeding birds and I love to just wander around when I go to get food and toys. We have another good friend who has about 150 breeding pairs but he specializes in Australian birds.

http://www.sugarcreekbirdfarm.com/

Those Green Wings have such a nice disposition. They are certainly big!

We have a Scarlet Macaw and a small Panama Amazon. I sometimes feel guilty but they are so much a part of the family. Our Scarlet gets really mad if my husband doesn't take her into the shower with him. She and I have a fun time playing catch with a whiffle ball. Both of our birds get handled a lot and are very rarely in a cage. We have perches all over the house for them.

The shutterfly is pretty easy so just let me know when you are ready.

janenicole

Thanks for the trip report!

When we went on the dolphin watch, we only saw about 10 dolphins, and another group saw about 50. By the time our boat got to where the large pod was, they had spread out. Luck has a lot to do with it.

I thought Orquideas was very charming, but I really didn't pay much attention to the birds in the cage, and we all have different impressions. Too bad your first night in CR wasn't as enjoyable as you expected.

Glad you enjoyed Bosque del Cabo. I find myself thinking about that place a lot!

Moonpie

Suzie,

I would have a blast at that bird store. I wish we had something like that here in NY. Thanks for the link.