Is there another safe, relatively affordable country this nature lover should explore? Please... tell me what's there, how difficult is travel, particlar lodges to investigate, best time to go, and anything else you'd care to share. Thank you!

Panama is another country which I found very easy to get around and I always felt safe.We were only able to get away for a short six night trip but we were able to fit in a ton of stuff.
We stayed our first few nights in Panama City. We went on a birding trip, enjoyed the canal and also went to a folklore show. We didn't rent a car and used either cabs or transfer that I had set up before we left.
We flew to Bocas Del Toro and depending on where you stay there you can actually walk to your hotel. We had lots of help from the local boys. We hired a guy to take us out in his little boat. We saw dolphins, starfish, and lots of fish right from the boat.
We also went to Boquete which is wonderful for hiking and birding. Panama is one of the few places that I felt completely comfortable hiking without a guide. The scenery is amazing and the people very nice and helpful.
We stayed at the Coffee Estate Lodge in Boquete which truly is just perfect. It's a bit out of town but we walked in to town everynight and then got a ride home.
In Bocas we stayed at Cocomo by the Sea which is a little bed and breakfast right on the water. Very simple but it suited us just fine. They served terrific breakfasts. In Panama City we stayed at Country Inn Suites. Have fun planning

We really enjoyed Costa Rica. We did a two week trip a number of years ago. Spent some time in the interior first (ruins, jungle, rivers...) and then took a small plane to Plancencia and ended up on Ambergris Caye for the last leg of our trip (beach, snorkel, sailing). I would have liked to have stayed on one of the smaller Cayes (Caulker) but we didn't fit it in.

We've always loved Costa Rica, but we've also been looking into Belize. Chan Chich interests us; looks like amazing wildlife there.