Trip report: Jan 29 - Feb 11
Feb 12th, 2007, 05:50 AM
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Trip report: Jan 29 - Feb 11
First, thank you to all the Fodorites who helped me plan this trip--my honeymoon to Costa Rica. We had a wonderful time. Here is our itinerary:
3 nights Finca Rosa Blanca, master suite
4 nights Gaia Hotel and Reserve, deluxe suite (Manuel Antonio)
4 nights Bosque del Cabo, deluxe cabina (Mariposa)
2 nights Peace Lodge (deluxe suite)
Drivers hired: Oscar Mora ([email protected])
Money: I got a crappy rate at the airport, but changed about $255US to colones, thinking that the $6 I gave up would be worth it in not trying to search for a bank (though why I didn't think about the ATM is beyond me). We also had with us about $100 in singles, and about $400-500 in $10s, $5s, and a couple $100 bills. We could have used a few more $10s and $20s, and we had probably $50 too much in singles. At the end, we had about 30 colones left over--not so bad!
Packing: After reading all the boards and making a little list, I still managed to pack some odd things. Here's a tip: Yoga pants in the Osa = Not a good idea! What was I thinking?
Potential titles for this trip report:
Ants: A Love Story
Showers We Have Known
Finca Rosa Blanca: After a nonstop flight from Newark to SJO, our transfer met us at baggage. Totally easy. We were delighted with our stay at FRB. We like small little inns with personal service--so this totally fit the bill. The floors at FRB are just gorgeous--polished dark wood and we really liked the quirky style of the place. However, if you like pristine, modern places, this is not the place for you. It's a funky little B&B.
The master suite is smaller than it appears in pictures but probably about 10X as charming. We were up at the crack of dawn, though snuggled in the extremely soft bamboo sheets, thanks to the 270-degree views from the windows. But what views! The bathroom is a trip; the large, freeform shower has a fabulous view of the hills.
At first we were a little nervous about the communal dinner, but it wound up being quite fun and enjoyable! The dinners were quite good though expensive by CR standards and they accomodated my husband's nut and seafood allergies quite easily.
We liked the pool but can imagine that people who expect a pristine chlorinated experience might not be so happy with it--there is definitely schmutz floating on the water at times. And it is a on the chilly, refreshing side--but we enjoyed it very much and it was usually quite uncrowded. The waterfall feature was not on at any point.
We went on two guided hikes with the house guide, Manolo--he was probably our best guide of our trip. Totally knowledgeable, very sweet, and he really went out of his way to point things out to us. Before this trip I only booked the hotels, not any excursions; I probably should have done a little bit more thinking about this. We went to Volcan Irazu and the next day to Barva. If I had to do it again, I would nix Irazu and go to Carara.
Oh, and we started our love affair with ants here. My husband set down a bottle of Coke for about a minute on a bureau before removing it. Half an hour later--sugar ants, forming the perfect circle of the Coke bottle impression. Crazy!
3 nights Finca Rosa Blanca, master suite
4 nights Gaia Hotel and Reserve, deluxe suite (Manuel Antonio)
4 nights Bosque del Cabo, deluxe cabina (Mariposa)
2 nights Peace Lodge (deluxe suite)
Drivers hired: Oscar Mora ([email protected])
Money: I got a crappy rate at the airport, but changed about $255US to colones, thinking that the $6 I gave up would be worth it in not trying to search for a bank (though why I didn't think about the ATM is beyond me). We also had with us about $100 in singles, and about $400-500 in $10s, $5s, and a couple $100 bills. We could have used a few more $10s and $20s, and we had probably $50 too much in singles. At the end, we had about 30 colones left over--not so bad!
Packing: After reading all the boards and making a little list, I still managed to pack some odd things. Here's a tip: Yoga pants in the Osa = Not a good idea! What was I thinking?
Potential titles for this trip report:
Ants: A Love Story
Showers We Have Known
Finca Rosa Blanca: After a nonstop flight from Newark to SJO, our transfer met us at baggage. Totally easy. We were delighted with our stay at FRB. We like small little inns with personal service--so this totally fit the bill. The floors at FRB are just gorgeous--polished dark wood and we really liked the quirky style of the place. However, if you like pristine, modern places, this is not the place for you. It's a funky little B&B.
The master suite is smaller than it appears in pictures but probably about 10X as charming. We were up at the crack of dawn, though snuggled in the extremely soft bamboo sheets, thanks to the 270-degree views from the windows. But what views! The bathroom is a trip; the large, freeform shower has a fabulous view of the hills.
At first we were a little nervous about the communal dinner, but it wound up being quite fun and enjoyable! The dinners were quite good though expensive by CR standards and they accomodated my husband's nut and seafood allergies quite easily.
We liked the pool but can imagine that people who expect a pristine chlorinated experience might not be so happy with it--there is definitely schmutz floating on the water at times. And it is a on the chilly, refreshing side--but we enjoyed it very much and it was usually quite uncrowded. The waterfall feature was not on at any point.
We went on two guided hikes with the house guide, Manolo--he was probably our best guide of our trip. Totally knowledgeable, very sweet, and he really went out of his way to point things out to us. Before this trip I only booked the hotels, not any excursions; I probably should have done a little bit more thinking about this. We went to Volcan Irazu and the next day to Barva. If I had to do it again, I would nix Irazu and go to Carara.
Oh, and we started our love affair with ants here. My husband set down a bottle of Coke for about a minute on a bureau before removing it. Half an hour later--sugar ants, forming the perfect circle of the Coke bottle impression. Crazy!
Feb 12th, 2007, 06:15 AM
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Gaia:
We hired Oscar for our driving transfer to MA. Note to people planning a trip: You can always arrange a transfer with the hotel, if you don't want to go crazy with overplanning. We liked Oscar quite a bit and he is certainly happy that he gets such good reviews on Fodors. He is personable and outgoing.
We stopped at Rio Tarcoles on the way to MA. Worth it for about 10 minutes--the crocodiles are HUGE! The drive was great in that we got to see so much of the country in our drive through those windy hills. I wouldn't do it again, but I'm happy we did it once.
Gaia was something I booked based mostly on Trip Advisor ratings. I would not recommend it--"no me gusta." I should be honest, though, and say that our expectations for this hotel, which markets itself as a "five-star", were very high. But if you're going to promise that kind of service, IMHO you should try and deliver.
Let's start with the positives: We really wanted to like this place and on our first inspection, we were impressed with the setting, our roof terrace, the pool. We loved that pool! Everyone is very nice. The food is surprisingly good.
We wanted to like it so much that we were willing to overlook certain things--they had us fill out our preferences for the minibar when we made our reservation. Nothing of what we wanted was there. The lighting system has dimmer switches and is really hard to use (this is hard to explain, but the lights would flicker whenever we had to turn them off and only careful manuvering would ever get them off completely). Also, it is LOUD. You are very close to the road and no pool waterfall or terrace water feature will drown that out. The bathroom was designed in such a way that you have to clamber on a small, slippery stair over the faucet to try and get in the tub. You can't get out from the other side of the shower door without soaking the toilet paper roll. The pool area has about 10 lounge chairs for a maximum of about 30 guests. Not quite enough.
All small things, but they did add up--not enough to complain about individually (and who wants to spend their honeymoon complaining constantly?), but really not close to what you would expect from a five-star at all. I guess my feeling from working in the retail industry and having friends in the service industry is that by the time your customer complains, it's just too late. We try hard in our business to anticipate what our client wants, not just to wait for them to ask.
Now full disclosure: We got food poisoning from a nearby popular restaurant in MA, which probably colored our experience here. I don't want to share details, of course--we were definitely grateful for the air conditioning and flat screen TV with access to watch the Super Bowl when we were flat on our backs.
But here's where Gaia could have delivered superior service and just didn't. Our "valet" called us the day we got sick and offered to send us sodas (not stocked in our minibar). We gratefully accepted. And then we never heard from him or saw him again in the remaining two days we had there. And yes, we were charged for the sodas about 12 hours later. I know resorts charge for EVERYTHING, but it would have been a nice gesture to just send these things to us. Or call us that afternoon to see how we were feeling. After all, the point of the valet is to have someone take care of your experience at the hotel.
We asked the dining room to send us plain rice and maybe chicken broth for dinner. We were told that the kitchen had no rice--surprising as they serve gallo pinto and sushi. No soup, either. We had toast instead.
Let me pause here. I think some of you may be thinking: Wow, how demanding! How could you expect a CR hotel to honor these requests? My answer is: They call themselves a 5 star resort and so that is the kind of request I think they should be able to handle. Would I have different expectations of a hotel that is less expensive and less "high end" in marketing? Yes, of course. The funny thing is that I know we would have been better accomodated at any of the other hotels we stayed at, none of which are as pretentious as Gaia turned out to be.
We wanted to take a tour of the grounds on Saturday, but got ill and tried to change it to Sunday. It never got recorded in the book so we never took a tour of the grounds. The front desk guy on Sunday really tried to get a guide, but it just never happened. We were advised at the start not to take the trails ourselves, so we didn't; in retrospect, we should have just gone on our own.
In short: Gaia is OK if you want to rent a yacht, but will not be able to deliver on anything extraordinary.
Enough of that: We got a guided tour of Manuel Antonio which we really enjoyed. Our guide was an amazing spotter
We hired Oscar for our driving transfer to MA. Note to people planning a trip: You can always arrange a transfer with the hotel, if you don't want to go crazy with overplanning. We liked Oscar quite a bit and he is certainly happy that he gets such good reviews on Fodors. He is personable and outgoing.
We stopped at Rio Tarcoles on the way to MA. Worth it for about 10 minutes--the crocodiles are HUGE! The drive was great in that we got to see so much of the country in our drive through those windy hills. I wouldn't do it again, but I'm happy we did it once.
Gaia was something I booked based mostly on Trip Advisor ratings. I would not recommend it--"no me gusta." I should be honest, though, and say that our expectations for this hotel, which markets itself as a "five-star", were very high. But if you're going to promise that kind of service, IMHO you should try and deliver.
Let's start with the positives: We really wanted to like this place and on our first inspection, we were impressed with the setting, our roof terrace, the pool. We loved that pool! Everyone is very nice. The food is surprisingly good.
We wanted to like it so much that we were willing to overlook certain things--they had us fill out our preferences for the minibar when we made our reservation. Nothing of what we wanted was there. The lighting system has dimmer switches and is really hard to use (this is hard to explain, but the lights would flicker whenever we had to turn them off and only careful manuvering would ever get them off completely). Also, it is LOUD. You are very close to the road and no pool waterfall or terrace water feature will drown that out. The bathroom was designed in such a way that you have to clamber on a small, slippery stair over the faucet to try and get in the tub. You can't get out from the other side of the shower door without soaking the toilet paper roll. The pool area has about 10 lounge chairs for a maximum of about 30 guests. Not quite enough.
All small things, but they did add up--not enough to complain about individually (and who wants to spend their honeymoon complaining constantly?), but really not close to what you would expect from a five-star at all. I guess my feeling from working in the retail industry and having friends in the service industry is that by the time your customer complains, it's just too late. We try hard in our business to anticipate what our client wants, not just to wait for them to ask.
Now full disclosure: We got food poisoning from a nearby popular restaurant in MA, which probably colored our experience here. I don't want to share details, of course--we were definitely grateful for the air conditioning and flat screen TV with access to watch the Super Bowl when we were flat on our backs.
But here's where Gaia could have delivered superior service and just didn't. Our "valet" called us the day we got sick and offered to send us sodas (not stocked in our minibar). We gratefully accepted. And then we never heard from him or saw him again in the remaining two days we had there. And yes, we were charged for the sodas about 12 hours later. I know resorts charge for EVERYTHING, but it would have been a nice gesture to just send these things to us. Or call us that afternoon to see how we were feeling. After all, the point of the valet is to have someone take care of your experience at the hotel.
We asked the dining room to send us plain rice and maybe chicken broth for dinner. We were told that the kitchen had no rice--surprising as they serve gallo pinto and sushi. No soup, either. We had toast instead.
Let me pause here. I think some of you may be thinking: Wow, how demanding! How could you expect a CR hotel to honor these requests? My answer is: They call themselves a 5 star resort and so that is the kind of request I think they should be able to handle. Would I have different expectations of a hotel that is less expensive and less "high end" in marketing? Yes, of course. The funny thing is that I know we would have been better accomodated at any of the other hotels we stayed at, none of which are as pretentious as Gaia turned out to be.
We wanted to take a tour of the grounds on Saturday, but got ill and tried to change it to Sunday. It never got recorded in the book so we never took a tour of the grounds. The front desk guy on Sunday really tried to get a guide, but it just never happened. We were advised at the start not to take the trails ourselves, so we didn't; in retrospect, we should have just gone on our own.
In short: Gaia is OK if you want to rent a yacht, but will not be able to deliver on anything extraordinary.
Enough of that: We got a guided tour of Manuel Antonio which we really enjoyed. Our guide was an amazing spotter
Feb 12th, 2007, 06:16 AM
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(whoops)...and we saw so much, including bats, a 3-toed sloth, white-faced monkey, hawk, etc. I wish we hadn't gotten so ill so that we could have seen more of this park. My husband burns easily so we went very early (which I hightly recommend) and left before the crowds came in at lunchtime.
Feb 12th, 2007, 06:47 AM
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After our experience with Gaia, we were very nervous about BDC. What if all those reviews and experiences were wrong, too? Especially as everyone (literally) we have met who is going to the Osa or has been, stayed at Lapa Rios. They warned us about humidity, bugs--but told us it would be beautiful.
We loved our flight out on Nature Air from Quepos--the route is Quepos to San Jose, San Jose to Drake Bay, Drake Bay to Puero Jimenez. The airplane is not as small as I thought it would be, either and the views were spectacular. These planes must have the faster turnaround EVER. It is slightly humorous to watch these pilots, younger than I am, go through their checklists and manually (it seems) fly this plane. Bumpy air over the mountains make for an exciting flight!
And then we land in PJ--smaller than you can imagine. Someone asks: "Lapa Rios?" We say, "Bosque del Cabo" and they point us toward Kevin.
Oh Kevin. The minute we met him we KNEW we would love BDC. He spoke to us in Spanish, we answered in English and we got along famously. Ask him about his cats, all named Rayo (Thunder!) and how he bottled raised one of his cats when its mother died. The word for cat is "Gato" that's all you need to know.
And we DID love BDC. We took a hike as our cabin wasn't quite ready and then came back for lunch. We were shocked at how breezy it was in the center of the compound in the dining area and near the pool. I think Lapa Rios must be much hotter and stuffier. We had no issues with heat at BDC during the day (except on the trails, of course).
I was convinced earlier that I was never going to see monkeys or wildlife in Costa Rica as I just wasn't observant enough. To which, I now say: Ha! We really got much better at BDC and I can't believe how much we saw.
We didn't go on any excursions and fell into a bit of a pattern: Up at 6am to walk the driveway to see birds and monkeys after bidding adieu to our own Spider monkeys who left our area about 5:45 or so. Then breakfast and a hike. Then lunch and the pool--lots of wildlife at the pool, really! I saw a white faced monkey run on two legs to grab something--all from the comfort of my lounge chair. We grew to call the toucans we saw, "Toucan-alooza"--so many toucans! 12 or more in one tree all screaming!
In the afternoon about 3, I would go macaw-hunting. They hang out near the cabinas that are closer to the restaurant in one of the trees there. Amazing to see. Makes me feel bad for all those ones in captivity. Watching them fly over head is really magnificent!
Then we would go watch the monkeys from our cabina about 5-6. Happy hour at 6 and then dinner and then to bed. We are from the city and have never been in the dark like we were in the dark at BDC. Admittedly, for me, it was a little scary. We did a "bug check" of the bed every night before taking the mosquito nets down (and leaving the doors open for air)--and really, we didn't ever see anything besides one green bug and a wasp that were easily removed.
Intersperse this with about 5 showers a day and you have an idea of our life at BDC. How I love that outdoor shower. How I miss that outdoor shower. I would love to have an outdoor shower!! (Number of showers based on wanting to take showers, not needing to, by the way).
Food is plentiful and good, service amazing. Sometimes dinner conversation seemed to become "Anything you can see, I can see better" but for the most part, the guests are also terrific and friendly--sharing tips and stories of the day.
TOURS:
Philip was away so we took a 6am birding tour with Eduardo. Of course the white-faced monkeys stole the show as they crossed the road.
We also took a 6pm tour, which we thought would be sunset, but ended up being dark. Totally worth it to see the birds sleeping and the red-eyed tree frog!
TRAILS:
Titi trail, Golfo Dulce trail (get the pickup! We didn't! Almost killed each other on the way back up), Pacific trail, Creek trail, Zapatero trail (described as an "armpit" by a guest--we agree. So incredibly hot, but amazing to walk).
SIGHTINGS:
More birds than I know, all 4 types of monkeys (squirrels only once, though)--and usually we saw the howlers, spiders, and white-faces all before breakfast. Really! Every day! On our last full day, while watching a bittern, we saw a giant coatimundi run across the field outside the staff housing. I was so excited I could barely point it out to my husband. Agoutis. Tiger (Kim's cat). We loved watching the leaf-cutting ants, too. Eduaro shone a light on the ant hill at night--unbelievable how active they are in the dark.
Oh, and we saw the elusive tayra run across the road as Kevin drove us back to PJ along with two more coatis.
I know I am missing something, but if you want wildlife--go to BDC. I can see how MA would pale in comparison afterward.
Any hesitations? Just go. You won't be disappointed. It truly exceeded our expectations in every way.
We loved our flight out on Nature Air from Quepos--the route is Quepos to San Jose, San Jose to Drake Bay, Drake Bay to Puero Jimenez. The airplane is not as small as I thought it would be, either and the views were spectacular. These planes must have the faster turnaround EVER. It is slightly humorous to watch these pilots, younger than I am, go through their checklists and manually (it seems) fly this plane. Bumpy air over the mountains make for an exciting flight!
And then we land in PJ--smaller than you can imagine. Someone asks: "Lapa Rios?" We say, "Bosque del Cabo" and they point us toward Kevin.
Oh Kevin. The minute we met him we KNEW we would love BDC. He spoke to us in Spanish, we answered in English and we got along famously. Ask him about his cats, all named Rayo (Thunder!) and how he bottled raised one of his cats when its mother died. The word for cat is "Gato" that's all you need to know.
And we DID love BDC. We took a hike as our cabin wasn't quite ready and then came back for lunch. We were shocked at how breezy it was in the center of the compound in the dining area and near the pool. I think Lapa Rios must be much hotter and stuffier. We had no issues with heat at BDC during the day (except on the trails, of course).
I was convinced earlier that I was never going to see monkeys or wildlife in Costa Rica as I just wasn't observant enough. To which, I now say: Ha! We really got much better at BDC and I can't believe how much we saw.
We didn't go on any excursions and fell into a bit of a pattern: Up at 6am to walk the driveway to see birds and monkeys after bidding adieu to our own Spider monkeys who left our area about 5:45 or so. Then breakfast and a hike. Then lunch and the pool--lots of wildlife at the pool, really! I saw a white faced monkey run on two legs to grab something--all from the comfort of my lounge chair. We grew to call the toucans we saw, "Toucan-alooza"--so many toucans! 12 or more in one tree all screaming!
In the afternoon about 3, I would go macaw-hunting. They hang out near the cabinas that are closer to the restaurant in one of the trees there. Amazing to see. Makes me feel bad for all those ones in captivity. Watching them fly over head is really magnificent!
Then we would go watch the monkeys from our cabina about 5-6. Happy hour at 6 and then dinner and then to bed. We are from the city and have never been in the dark like we were in the dark at BDC. Admittedly, for me, it was a little scary. We did a "bug check" of the bed every night before taking the mosquito nets down (and leaving the doors open for air)--and really, we didn't ever see anything besides one green bug and a wasp that were easily removed.
Intersperse this with about 5 showers a day and you have an idea of our life at BDC. How I love that outdoor shower. How I miss that outdoor shower. I would love to have an outdoor shower!! (Number of showers based on wanting to take showers, not needing to, by the way).
Food is plentiful and good, service amazing. Sometimes dinner conversation seemed to become "Anything you can see, I can see better" but for the most part, the guests are also terrific and friendly--sharing tips and stories of the day.
TOURS:
Philip was away so we took a 6am birding tour with Eduardo. Of course the white-faced monkeys stole the show as they crossed the road.
We also took a 6pm tour, which we thought would be sunset, but ended up being dark. Totally worth it to see the birds sleeping and the red-eyed tree frog!
TRAILS:
Titi trail, Golfo Dulce trail (get the pickup! We didn't! Almost killed each other on the way back up), Pacific trail, Creek trail, Zapatero trail (described as an "armpit" by a guest--we agree. So incredibly hot, but amazing to walk).
SIGHTINGS:
More birds than I know, all 4 types of monkeys (squirrels only once, though)--and usually we saw the howlers, spiders, and white-faces all before breakfast. Really! Every day! On our last full day, while watching a bittern, we saw a giant coatimundi run across the field outside the staff housing. I was so excited I could barely point it out to my husband. Agoutis. Tiger (Kim's cat). We loved watching the leaf-cutting ants, too. Eduaro shone a light on the ant hill at night--unbelievable how active they are in the dark.
Oh, and we saw the elusive tayra run across the road as Kevin drove us back to PJ along with two more coatis.
I know I am missing something, but if you want wildlife--go to BDC. I can see how MA would pale in comparison afterward.
Any hesitations? Just go. You won't be disappointed. It truly exceeded our expectations in every way.
Feb 12th, 2007, 06:49 AM
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Thanks--our illness at least makes for a good story. We ate at Marlin's and I'm not sure if it was the lettuce or the grilled fish.
Marlin's is really popular though, and busy--I think we were just unlucky.
Marlin's is really popular though, and busy--I think we were just unlucky.
Feb 12th, 2007, 07:00 AM
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I'm so close, I may as well finish.
Another fantastic plane ride back to San Jose after bidding a sad adieu to Kevin. I was jealous watching the newcomers get into the white landrover!
Oscar met us at the airport and drove us to the Peace Lodge. Now, I know all the comments about PL--but after 4 days in a rustic setting, we were thrilled with it. The mosquito net was purely functional--what's not to love?
Room was huge, view was terrific and again--the shower! I loved our shower here as well and would turn on the waterfall feature in the room before showering. Bed high off the ground and I needed the little step stool. We liked the jacuzzi on the terrace as well.
Yes, it's cheating, but they do put out bananas and fruit. You can see the most amazing birds--bright orange orioles, blue tanagers, and more.
If you go, don't miss the frog tour at night but don't put lotion on beforehand like I did--you won't be able to hold the frogs (bummer for me). Feeding the hummingbirds was also a highlight. They will show you how to hold the little tubes so that the hummingbirds perch on your hands! Touristy, yes, I know. But so fun...We also got to see butterflies emerging from their cocoons. (Forgot to mention all the Blue Morphos I saw at BDC. Truly an amazing butterfly, you have to see it to believe it).
Construction noise wasn't a huge problem for us as the aviary is opening next week and is practically finished.
If you go and are in reasonably good shape, take the Fern trail to the waterfalls. You will have a lovely walk through the forest and we never saw another soul there (though we did see a Trogon). In fact, the waterfalls were remarkably uncrowded when we were there, I'm not sure why.
We did this trail 3 times as we did not go off the property once. I could never get tired of the majesty of the waterfalls--Magia Blanca was our favorite.
Food surprisingly good and the service was impeccable. We would end any return visit to CR with a trip to the Peace Lodge.
Shoot, I forgot to mention one more thing about BDC--I had a massage with Jutta in the clearing behind the bar. Totally isolated and a soaring view of the shoemaker trees. A must-do--and there is a small hummingbird nest nearby, too. Baby hummingbirds are just unbelievable. Jutta is a special soul--if you go, I highly advise getting a massage.
Let me know if you have any questions. I can't thank you all enough again for your help in planning our unforgettable, totally seamless wonderful honeymoon!
Another fantastic plane ride back to San Jose after bidding a sad adieu to Kevin. I was jealous watching the newcomers get into the white landrover!
Oscar met us at the airport and drove us to the Peace Lodge. Now, I know all the comments about PL--but after 4 days in a rustic setting, we were thrilled with it. The mosquito net was purely functional--what's not to love?
Room was huge, view was terrific and again--the shower! I loved our shower here as well and would turn on the waterfall feature in the room before showering. Bed high off the ground and I needed the little step stool. We liked the jacuzzi on the terrace as well.
Yes, it's cheating, but they do put out bananas and fruit. You can see the most amazing birds--bright orange orioles, blue tanagers, and more.
If you go, don't miss the frog tour at night but don't put lotion on beforehand like I did--you won't be able to hold the frogs (bummer for me). Feeding the hummingbirds was also a highlight. They will show you how to hold the little tubes so that the hummingbirds perch on your hands! Touristy, yes, I know. But so fun...We also got to see butterflies emerging from their cocoons. (Forgot to mention all the Blue Morphos I saw at BDC. Truly an amazing butterfly, you have to see it to believe it).
Construction noise wasn't a huge problem for us as the aviary is opening next week and is practically finished.
If you go and are in reasonably good shape, take the Fern trail to the waterfalls. You will have a lovely walk through the forest and we never saw another soul there (though we did see a Trogon). In fact, the waterfalls were remarkably uncrowded when we were there, I'm not sure why.
We did this trail 3 times as we did not go off the property once. I could never get tired of the majesty of the waterfalls--Magia Blanca was our favorite.
Food surprisingly good and the service was impeccable. We would end any return visit to CR with a trip to the Peace Lodge.
Shoot, I forgot to mention one more thing about BDC--I had a massage with Jutta in the clearing behind the bar. Totally isolated and a soaring view of the shoemaker trees. A must-do--and there is a small hummingbird nest nearby, too. Baby hummingbirds are just unbelievable. Jutta is a special soul--if you go, I highly advise getting a massage.
Let me know if you have any questions. I can't thank you all enough again for your help in planning our unforgettable, totally seamless wonderful honeymoon!
Feb 12th, 2007, 07:34 AM
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Fantastic Trip Report!
I'm leaving for my wedding & honeymoon in CR in less then 25days! Staying at BDC for 5nts, Peace Lodge for 3nts -- reading your report just makes me sooo glad we chose those two locales (also going to Casa Chameleon 4nts & Bosque de Paz 3nts) Your daily itinerary at BDC sounds just like what my fiance has in mind
Congratulations on your wedding & what sounds like a phenomenal honeymoon!
I'm leaving for my wedding & honeymoon in CR in less then 25days! Staying at BDC for 5nts, Peace Lodge for 3nts -- reading your report just makes me sooo glad we chose those two locales (also going to Casa Chameleon 4nts & Bosque de Paz 3nts) Your daily itinerary at BDC sounds just like what my fiance has in mind
Congratulations on your wedding & what sounds like a phenomenal honeymoon!
Feb 12th, 2007, 07:48 AM
#10
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Love reading your trip report especially about BdC. Can't wait till I'm there in another three weeks.
I too didn't care for Marlin Restaurant when I was in Manuel Antonio. Did you try the Italian place on the corner with a wood burning brick oven for pizza?
I too didn't care for Marlin Restaurant when I was in Manuel Antonio. Did you try the Italian place on the corner with a wood burning brick oven for pizza?
Feb 12th, 2007, 08:19 AM
#11
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Terrific Trip Report! So great of you to post it and thank you for including all the little details. Congratulations!
We will be staying at Mariposa, also. Were you happy with your choice of cabina?
Very Best,
Gem
We will be staying at Mariposa, also. Were you happy with your choice of cabina?
Very Best,
Gem
Feb 12th, 2007, 08:25 AM
#12
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Great trip report! We are heading to Bosque del Cabo in 20 days so loved hearing about it.
Were there any other items that you packed that you wished you would have left home? Loved your comment about the Yoga pants!
Mixter603, are you flying Sansa? We are on the 10:30 flight on Sunday.
Were there any other items that you packed that you wished you would have left home? Loved your comment about the Yoga pants!
Mixter603, are you flying Sansa? We are on the 10:30 flight on Sunday.
Feb 12th, 2007, 08:30 AM
#13
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Thank you all for reading! I am so sad that it's over...
We never got back to MA since we were so ill. But that pizza sounds so good! Too bad as we both like pizza, too.
We were really thrilled with Mariposa--it's the most private--your outdoor shower is totally secluded. The spider monkeys will swing in between 5pm and 6pm. And we didn't have any issues with bugs at all--keep the lights off when you are gone and you should be fine. We never turned on the light above the bed, only the one in the little dressing area in front of the bathroom (you'll see what I mean).
In terms of packing--I wish I had brought a couple of pairs of lightweight pants, maybe capris or cargos. I could have brought more than 3 bathing suits as I ended up hiking in them (with something over, of course) more than once. Also, my Keens and his running shoes were totally OK for all hikes at BDC--I would make sure to get the Keens with closed heels though. Mine were more sandal-like.
We never got back to MA since we were so ill. But that pizza sounds so good! Too bad as we both like pizza, too.
We were really thrilled with Mariposa--it's the most private--your outdoor shower is totally secluded. The spider monkeys will swing in between 5pm and 6pm. And we didn't have any issues with bugs at all--keep the lights off when you are gone and you should be fine. We never turned on the light above the bed, only the one in the little dressing area in front of the bathroom (you'll see what I mean).
In terms of packing--I wish I had brought a couple of pairs of lightweight pants, maybe capris or cargos. I could have brought more than 3 bathing suits as I ended up hiking in them (with something over, of course) more than once. Also, my Keens and his running shoes were totally OK for all hikes at BDC--I would make sure to get the Keens with closed heels though. Mine were more sandal-like.
Feb 12th, 2007, 08:39 AM
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One more question. Did you avoid lettuce/ and or fish after your illness? I have read not to eat lettuce , drink only bottled water and only eat fruit you peel. Is this the rule of thumb? I will have my children with me so i want to be aware.
Feb 12th, 2007, 08:50 AM
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I avoided lettuce and fish because the sight of them made me ill after food poisoning. I don't know what made us sick.
That being said, we had no issues with the water at all. Tap was fine. And we ate all the fruit we could, which was excellent.
That being said, we had no issues with the water at all. Tap was fine. And we ate all the fruit we could, which was excellent.
Feb 12th, 2007, 09:02 AM
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Wow! What a romantic honeymoon.Memories forever for both.
I keep reading "dark" at BdC. IYO, is it wise to purchase/bring headlamps? There are 6 of us.(Of course, small flashlights each) We are staying at Casa Miramar and Casa Blanca...just thinking of the dark walk back to house after dinners.
I keep reading "dark" at BdC. IYO, is it wise to purchase/bring headlamps? There are 6 of us.(Of course, small flashlights each) We are staying at Casa Miramar and Casa Blanca...just thinking of the dark walk back to house after dinners.
Feb 12th, 2007, 09:34 AM
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Thanks for sharing your trip report.
Your wildlife encounters at BdC sound so wonderful! I'm planning to get down there later this year, and that's exactly what I'm hoping for. Cool that you got to see a tayra. We were in the Arenal area this past December and our hotel had at least one resident tayra that would show up every time fresh bananas were set out on the bird feeders. It had no problem scaling right up the tall pole to get to the bananas.
We also ate at the Marlin when we were in MA and each ordered large salads. We suffered no ill effects, but food poisoning can unfortunately happen anywhere. I'm sure it was about the last thing you wanted to have to deal with on your honeymoon!
I'm glad that BDC and the Peace Lodge made up for the illness and hotel disappointment in MA so that you could finish your trip on a high note.
Your wildlife encounters at BdC sound so wonderful! I'm planning to get down there later this year, and that's exactly what I'm hoping for. Cool that you got to see a tayra. We were in the Arenal area this past December and our hotel had at least one resident tayra that would show up every time fresh bananas were set out on the bird feeders. It had no problem scaling right up the tall pole to get to the bananas.
We also ate at the Marlin when we were in MA and each ordered large salads. We suffered no ill effects, but food poisoning can unfortunately happen anywhere. I'm sure it was about the last thing you wanted to have to deal with on your honeymoon!
I'm glad that BDC and the Peace Lodge made up for the illness and hotel disappointment in MA so that you could finish your trip on a high note.
