We decided to go all out for this trip. I really wanted to actually see Costa Rica. So we changed out flight to 3 days earlier and went down with another couple. I really want to share this part of the trip because when I was planning it I was constantly looking online for what other people had done, what worked and what they recommended. Planning trips is my jam. I love it and it has definitely given me something to do for the 9 months before the trip.
First up, I'm going to talk about where we stayed.
When we decided to go to Costa Rica a few days before everyone, I knew that it was important that we really see the country. So we had to decide where to go! I had looked up Costa Rica before and had come across these Treehouses that I thought looked really neat. I didn't know much about the area that they were in. There were some in La Fortuna, and I also found some in Monteverde. When I looked into it a bit more, the prices of the Treehouses by La Fortuna were great, and the Arenal Volcano is considered one of the must see areas of Costa Rica. (Monteverde is too, I've also heard great things about Manuel Antonio. But for us I felt that Arenal had more to do than Monteverde.)
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| The view from the front of our treehosue |
I had fairly low expectations before we got there. All of the reviews said it was a great experience, but I figured it would be kind of dirty, there would be bugs. I figured it would be a 3 star, but a neat thing to do. But this place was so great! (Probably still considered a 3 star, but if you embrace it, it's beyond a 5 star!) It was so clean, the only bug was a cicada that flew into our room. The shower took a bit to figure out how to get hot, but it was possible. And you are in a treehouse...so what do you expect! The fact that they have indoor plumbing is amazing.
When we arrived we were greeted by Yiandra, who works there. We had spoken to her by email and she was just as helpful in person. After that the on site managers, Jess and Carolina were there. All of them were very welcoming and helpful. They would order food for you that was delivered right to your treehouse. They would call and book excursions for you and inquire about availability.
Every morning when we woke up there was a thermos of coffee sitting on our porch for us. Then they served breakfast at the outdoor breakfast area at 7:30 every morning.
We also took part in a night hike. Rolando was very enthusiastic about the animals. We saw a snake, baby hummingbirds, sleeping birds (they just sit on the tree branch, who knew), an armadillo, a sloth, poisonous frogs, tree frogs and a big iguana. It was so helpful to have this hike because we wouldn't of seen anything without Rolando. Because sloths don't move very far or very fast, the next morning we were able to go back and see the sloth in the day light. He was still very high up in the trees, and I wish I had seen one closer. But at least we saw one!
The treehouse itself was very nice. It was all made of wood. There was air conditioning, a mini fridge and a bathroom with a toilet and a shower. The shower was screened in so it was open to the forest. It wasn't quiet here by any means! The jungle is noisy! But after a day we got so used to it. It's like having a noise machine on.
We did rent a car for this portion of the trip, and although you don't have to in order to stay at the treehouses I think it made life easier. They are about 40 minutes from La Fortuna, so we just drove in every day. But the experience was worth the distance. We also ordered pizza in one night and there are restaurants near by too. I wish we had of had one more day here to just relax at the Treehouses and enjoy! We did a hike to a waterfalls and river on the property. We thought it would be a relaxing morning hike before breakfast and brought a coffee. Although it wasn't strenuous it was longer than expected and coffee was a bad idea! So I wish we had of had more time to hike down there and enjoy the area.
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| Pizza delivered to our treehouse door - And the Costa Rican pineapple...I'm drooling thinking about it |
If you are heading to Costa Rica, specifically the La Fortuna area, I can't recommend this place enough! The treehouses also had lofts with beds, so if you had kids or teenagers, they would love it and it's very economical for a family. You have to book in advance because it fills up, so get on it!
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| The breakfast room |
