As part of the hard job that we have here at CRV we have to visit some spectacular hotels and do some of the hard tours on offer. I know that you are thinking that this is going to be hard however I will tell you now that this is the hardest job in Costa Rica, especially when everything is paid for.

We left San Jose on Friday at 2:30pm and on the way there was a bus that had crashed and in normal Costa Rican standards we waited around for over 2 hours, so the transfer became the longest transfer ever to Manuel Antonio, however this was fine as I got to watch Transformers on the bus!! When we arrived at Buena Vista Villas it was dark however on entering the house it was apparent that the view was going to be stunning as the house was spectacular and very well appointed. We had a 2 bedroom house and the furnishing were expensive and there was marble and granite everywhere. It was time however to hit the sack, so I did.

We awoke in the morning at around 7am and headed for breakfast after appreciating the great view. After breakfast it was time for the Manuel Antonio national park tour with our guide. I had been in the park before however we saw so many sloth’s and monkeys that my neck was hurting. After the 2-3 hour tour we went to Hotel California for lunch which was actually surprisingly good as last time we ate there it was not very well cooked. We toured the hotel, however as it was not to a level that our clients enjoy, not huge amounts of attention was paid. The hotel is a very basic standard and offers a comfortable stay for an affordable price, however is not really luxury.

In the PM we relaxed and enjoyed the view before dinner that night at Casa Roland on top of the hill. The food was good and the open bar dangerous, as open bars always are!! I decided to call it a night at around 10:30 otherwise it was going to be a slippery downhill slope and we had rafting tomorrow.

In the morning we were collected for the rafting on the Rio Naranjo, however the first 10 minutes were fun but the river kind of flattened out. I still think the Rio Pacuare is the best in Costa Rica.

After lunch at Costa Verde hotel it was time for a tour of some hotels. Myself and Ronny split up and did Playa Espadilla, Si Como No and Mimo’s. Playa Espadilla is again basic but has good service, Si Como No is a great family hotel and offers a high level of service and good food. Mimo’s however is a hotel that has recently been taken over but is again a 3 star comfortable hotel but is too close to the main road.

All in all it was a great experience however I would have liked to have seen more luxury hotels, but the rafting was fun and so was the open bar. A big thanks to Rancho Los Tucanes for organizing it!!

This post's rating:

Related Stories

Filed under: Hotel & Restaurant Reviews on September 3rd, 2007