buonconvento

We are planning to spend 3 days in the Arenal, two at Peace Lodge and 3 at Manuel Antonio.....and our mission -- or, I should say, our child's mission -- is to see as much wildlife as possible. A friend recommended a trip to La Selva. Would we see different species there....or would it likely be more of the same?

RAC

La Selva would have different wildlife. The birds there are crazy--we got bored looking at toucans.

colibri

Been twice and enjoyed birding at La Selva very much, also saw peccaries and sloths. Best of all are the flocks of great green macaws that are found in the region.

You might want to check out Selva Verde and cut one night out of Peace Lodge. We've always seen loads of wildlife on the grounds or across the river on the private reserve. Other than the hummingbirds the wildlife you'll see at Peace Lodge will be in cages/habitats as most are rescued while they are on their natural grounds at Selva Verde and La Selva.

volcanogirl

Are La Selva and Selva Verde comparable places to stay? La Selva doesn't have any reviews on Tripadvisor for some reason.

ShellD

Since your travelling with a child, I wouldn't skip a night at Peace Lodge - it's a place they will love. Yes the animals are in habitats, but often you will get to hold a toucan or feed one. You can do the frog tour at night and hold the frogs. You get up close to the animals. This is what the kids really, really enjoy. My kids got to feed the animals that are around the birds (can't remember what they are right now) but one of the employees brought pellets out and let them hand feed them. They will get to have butterflies land right on them. And also, feeding the hummingbirds is an experience that my kids have done on two different visits and when people ask what they have done in Costa Rica - that is always on the top of the list.

RAC

La Selva is a biological research station that features some basic lodging and food options. Selva Verde is a full service lodge that also happens to have good wildlife on the grounds.


Re: Peace Lodge vs La Selva/Selva Verde--it depends on whether you want your kids to have a more close up experience with the animals they keep there, or if you want them to experience actual wildlife sightings (and the accompanying periods of inactivity that can make kids restless). This may or may not be different than what you would want as an adult--personally I would take one toucan in a tree over 10 in a cage.

colibri

Agree w/ RAC - Disney World or the real thing? But, I'm not a child and only you know what would be the best fit for your family. I have not personally stayed at Peace Lodge, but spent one day there last year. I didn't think it lived up to the price, to be honest. It felt very artifical to me, but I'm in the minority on Fodor's in not being crazy about it.

ShellD

It's all about variety...you should see animals in their natural habitat in Arenal, especially if you do the Hanging Bridges tour. I think you mentioned possibly staying at Tulemar? We saw a huge amount of natural wildlife right on the property and if you tour the park you'll see more I'm sure. I think Selva Verde would be a great experience - but I wouldn't discount the experience that being up close and personal that you can get at a place like Peace Lodge - especially for kids. Sometimes one toucan in a tree when you've seen other birds in trees, is just more of the same. Kids love hands on and up close and personal. Plus I think the environment at Peace Lodge is something that you really can't compare.

Either way, you'll have a great time though! And whichever you skip, you'll have to plan to see on a return visit!

volcanogirl

Thanks - are both of them right on the river?

RAC

Yes. Selva Verde is on the Sarapiqui river. La Selva has both the Sarapiqui and the Puerto Viejo river running through it, though I believe the major bridge is over the latter.

tully

I think it'd be good to stay at Selva Verde and book a tour at La Selva. Saw lots of birds & wildlife at both.

colibri

VG - note that Selva Verde accommodations are fairly simple, nothing luxurious. Large raised cabins on stilts, buildings of 4, best to ask for one close to the river. Since the earthquake closed the main road a few years back between Sarapiqui/Cinchona, etc. the traffic has increased on this road.

volcanogirl

Gotcha - how does this area compare to the San Gerardo de Dota area? Seems like that's also popular for birding - are they close to each other? I'd like to add a birding portion to our next trip to Arenal but they all sound tempting. The river areas look beautiful.

RAC

San Gerardo de Dota and Sarapiqui are close to each other as a bird flies. For us ground creatures, hours and hours apart.

Selva Verde certainly isn't Bosque del Cabo or Peace Lodge, but the rooms are nice (tropical hardwoods, spacious, two hammocks on covered balcony) and the grounds are very lovely and are fully integrated into the rain forest.

We saw a tayra on their grounds (actually across the road in the area where their air conditioned bungalows are). We saw howler monkeys almost every time we walked around the grounds.

colibri

I LOVE Selva Verde, VG, but know you often stay at some fairly nice lodges, so just wanted to make sure you knew that it's not Peace Lodge or Lost Iguana, etc. Selva Verde's rooms are huge with large screened windows that look out into the lush property, heliconias in bloom everywhere. I would return in a heartbeat.

Sarapiqui and San Gerardo de Dota birding really can't be compared since it's quite different elevations - tropical lowlands versus cloud forest.

San Gerardo de Dota is mainly for higher elevation birding and hiking in the cloud forest, seeing quetzals, off the beaten track so very quiet.

At Selva Verde I've seen much more wildlife (sloths, howlers, iguanas, toucans, macaws, frogs) so the experiences are totally different. I did both in one trip along with mid-elevation birding at Rancho Naturalista.

volcanogirl

Thanks, everyone - I think I need to start my own thread since I've hijacked poor buonconvento's! colibri, what - no waterfall shower? How will I survive?! Ha, ha!!

greenworks

la selva does not have any ratings on tripp advisor cause the people for whos market that place was made , do not look into tripadvisor to go see it, they already know the reason for which they are going.although it odes not mean that if you are not a researcher you cannot enter...everyone is wolcome, but that is not a disney land of wildlife, everything there is meant to be done for studies and research, tourist are just a way of helping the station to keep running.

buonconvento

Buonconvento here......volcano girl, not to worry. You and the others have provided great info that's been very helpful for planning our upcoming first trip to Costa Rica. I was just curious about La Selva. I've been asking around, and a friend (who is a college bio professor) recommended it because she knows that my son is highly interested in wildlife and nature. We'd love to add it as a side trip from Arenal or La Paz but the gist I've gotten is that it's not really a day trip from those locations...and being that it's our first trip it might be too ambitious. So, I'll have to wait and see if more people here visit...and post their impressions.

xelas

Sarapiqui (La Selva) is definitively not a side trip from Arenal. Re. wildlife it is the best place in Costa Rica (Corcovado excluded) surely the easiest one to hike. If one has to see animals up close then no need to pay for Peace Lodge and caged animals there, Zoo Ave in Alajuela has them in much bigger numbers and variety, and paying the ticket for Zoo one is supporting their rehabilitation program.

Deb15July

You can also look into Toucan Rescue ranch for a side trip from San Jose.