Bosque De Cabo?

Old Nov 26th, 2007, 04:32 PM
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Bosque De Cabo?

OSA:
Bosque De Cabo
Aquila De Osa Inn
Lapa Rios

Which is better for a honeymoon? Do these hotels have hot water? OUr honeymoon will be in July, should we pick a different location, because of too much rai during this time?
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Old Nov 26th, 2007, 05:55 PM
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We stayed at Bosque del Cabo this past July - even though it's the rainy season, we got lucky and didn't get any rain - just a few lightning storms at night. They definitely have hot water, electricity, and amazing food. Mariposa is known as the honeymoon cabin there - it's located on the end so has the most privacy. One thing to know, there's not enough power to use a blow dryer - just something to know ahead of time, but there is enough light to read by, and we were able to charge our camera batteries in the cabin. Lapa Rios also gets very good reviews.
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Old Nov 26th, 2007, 06:44 PM
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Hi sixshots -- I'm travelicious on the TA board. Glad you're posting here too.

vgirl -- Did you ever get your photos up? sixshots wants some of BDC but mine are not only intermingled with several places, but most of them are of wildlife, not BDC itself. Can you point her in the right direction?
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Old Nov 26th, 2007, 09:12 PM
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Hi, hvc - most of my pics are of the wildlife too - maybe check over on tripadvisor; seems like people have posted a lot of pics over there.

six, if at all possible, you might want to spend a night or two at the Peace Lodge; it would be a great honeymoon property and nice to pair with another spot.
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Old Nov 26th, 2007, 09:59 PM
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Yep, I recommended Peace Lodge too. Perfect place for honeymooners.
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 04:57 AM
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Hi, thanks for the info, Peace Lodge
looked a little cheesy to me.
Also my fiance and I dont want to move around too much. We have one week in manuel antonio for our wedding then we are either going to stay at Lapa Rios or Bosque del Cabo for our honeymoon. I just can't decide. After that we might spend one night near San Jose to catch our flight in the afternoon at 12:00.
We were thinking about Mal Pais (Casa Chameleon) but it looks like their isnt much to do there. and we like more of the natural beauty.
Do they have shuttles that go to the beach at the Bosque del Cabo ?
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 05:41 AM
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Getting to the beach at BdC is a hike. However, they will pick you up after your hike to the Golfo side, so probably could arrange to have them drop you off. But don't expect to find Cabanas and Beach chairs.

Speaking of a hike. BdC grounds around the cabins, restaurant and pool are an easy walk, as where Lapa is a steep climb to everywhere.

As for Peace, well we too thought it to be a bit (as you say cheesy). But it was beautiful. Extremely relaxing after a trip of hiking and basic accomadations. Very much enjoyed the luxury and beauty of this place, but I don't have a nagging desire to return.

BdC is the one place that I always wish to be back at. We so enjoyed our stay there. Really can't put into words my feelings about this place. It is just incredible.

When we visited the Osa, we split our week with 3 nights at Iguana Lodge situated on the beach and just a few minutes from the PJ airstrip. And 4 nights at BdC. Only mention this if taking a few steps to the beach is important to you. This trip was in 2005, so much has changed but I do have pics on shutterfly if you are interested.

Another idea for your last night or two in CR is Vista del Valle Plantation Inn, just 20 mins from SJO. I thought it to be very romantic for a honeymoon. And one more for a final night or two, that I would love to try is Finca Rosa Blanca.
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 06:26 AM
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Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

For our honeymoon, we stayed at Finca Rosa Blanca in the Master Suite (duplex with the panoramic view of the central valley). This was our favorite place on our honeymoon. While there isn't much to do on the grounds, frankly, it would be a lovely place to start or finish your honeymoon. They are doing a lot of construction there, though now so you might want to check if it will be finished by July.

We also stayed at the Peace Lodge. Cheesy? A bit, sure--but such a nice way to end the honeymoon after being in the Osa! And the natural beauty of the waterfalls can't be denied--though you can visit them on your day near San Jose if you wish.

BDC was one of our favorite parts of our honeymoon--so much so that we just returned from a trip there. It is rustic, certainly, but absolutely wonderful. They will drop you off at the Pan Dulce beach if you do not wish to make the hike. (And there is hot water at BDC).

Good luck making your decisions.
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 07:12 AM
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I would never suggest staying at Peace Lodge for a week, but for a night, it's wonderful. The hike with the 5 waterfalls is stunning, and after spending all that time in the Osa without blow dryers, air conditioning, etc. it feels really indulgent to spend a night with a gorgeous view, your own private jacuzzi, waterfall shower, cooler temperatures, etc. Completely understand if it's not your thing though.

Not sure about Lapa Rios, but dining at BdC is communal - very fun way to get to know other travelers. We still e-mail with folks we met there.
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 08:03 AM
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I will probably be booking the night at Bosque del Cabo for our honeymoon. How long does it take to get from Bosque del Cabo to San Jose? If we have a flight at 12:00pm, we would need to stay overnight near San Jose right?
Is the peace lodge far from San Jose airport? Maybe we could stay their for one night before we leave.

Also any pictures would be greatly Appreciated
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 08:25 AM
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Hi six -- It's only about a 45 min flight from Puerto Jimenez to San Jose. So you could probably get to SJO early enough not to have to stay a night there.

Peace Lodge is not untamed CR by any means and could be considered cheesy for sure. I mean the falls and the hands on wildlife are great of course, but it's obviously set up for human indulgence. At the same time, it's pretty spectacular, fun, and enjoyable at the same time as long as you know this beforehand. It's about 1 hour from SJO and the hotel can arrange x-fer's for you, but if you have doubts there are plenty of other good choices for you.
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 09:10 AM
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If you'd like, BdC will arrange your flights for you on Sansa or NatureAir. They did it for us, and it made everything really easy. For transportation from SJO to Peace Lodge, we just had Peace Lodge drive us - I think it was 55 dollars each way. It's a really pretty area. They have a nocturnal frog tour that's really cool. And you can hand feed hummingbirds there. We avoided the Peace Lodge on our first trip due to the cheese factor, but I read so many rave reviews that I just had to try it, and it was really relaxing and indulgent. We sent friends there from BdC, and they said it was the perfect place to unwind and get the sweat and grunge off. They definitely play up the romance angle there - rooms have gorgeous views, fireplaces, CDs of romantic music, etc. but really it was the waterfall hike that we loved the most.
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 10:18 AM
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should i book at lapa rios? I feel like Bosque De Cabo might be too rustic? I dont care about the blow dryer at all. I hardly use it at home..lol
But I dont want to feel like I have to unwind after the honeymoon, we would like to be a little pampered.
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 11:17 AM
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I feel your pain in trying to plan the perfect honeymoon. Personally, I sure didn't have to unwind because of BDC! It was perfectly relaxing when I wanted it to be, and adventurous the other times. The bungalows may be fancier inside at Lapa Rios, but the rest...Anyway, if you're really concerned or undecided, just go with your gut. You will be happy either way, I'm sure.

Maybe you should do a split between the 2 and decide afterwards.
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 11:34 AM
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We haven't stayed at Lapa Rios, so I can't really compare, but from the reviews I've read from people who have stayed at both, BdC is preferred - seems like mostly because of the people and the warm atmosphere. I loved BdC and didn't feel like it was too rustic for us. I guess I felt more like I was on a great adventure, rather than feeling pampered. We spent most of our time hiking and enjoying the amazing wildlife. We got pretty sweaty and dirty; it was in the 80s at night in our cabin. When I think of being pampered, I think of trips where I went to a spa or something similar or one of our trips to Hawaii. Everyone who goes to BdC loves it, but when you say pampered, I don't really think of BdC. Our cabin was beautiful, but in a simple way. If you'd enjoy hiking and seeing all the wildlife and eating great meals, BdC would be great for you.
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 01:15 PM
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http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...6&tid=35083073

Here's another thread that might help.

I'm gonna try to find those pics, but I think after this I've exhausted my advice for you.
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 01:25 PM
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http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...6&tid=35038527

Ok six -- Here's a link to my pics. However around page 6/7 is where BDC comes in and most are of wildlife (around BDC and tours). There is a picture of our cabina on page 7 I believe, but no pics from the inside. It is the white stucco with thatched roof. The pics on BDC website probably give you a better feel for the place itself than my photos.

Good luck deciding and congratulations!
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 01:51 PM
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Also six, if you're interested in pictures, I asked BdC to e-mail me pictures of the cabins - they sent them with no problem, and it gave me a good idea of whether or not this would be a good match for us.
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 02:22 PM
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I hope we all haven't confused you. BdC is a fabulous place. I really didn't think of it as rustic. Lots of other places we have visited in CR that were way rustic. BdC was glorious. The food, accomodations, staff were excellent. The grounds beautiful, hiking incredible, and the VIEW - AWESOME!

We met a couple from NC that had split between BdC and LR, met up with them again at SJO, they said they wished they had only gone to BdC. Not that LR was not enjoyable, just that BdC was more so.

But, as others have said - go with your gut it is your honeymoon. I hope someone responds to you that has stayed at both.

Oh and the reason you can't use a hair dryer is due to the solar generated electricity. Actually I heard a hair dryer while we were there, shame on them.

And for pampering - ask for a massage - wonderful, set up in the jungle with nature all around, so relaxing!

And for a romantic dinner - ask for a private table, express that it is your honeymoon, but do have some of your dinners with the other guests, so enjoyable and interesting.

Here is a link to our pictures. I have attached both BdC and Iguana Lodge.

If BdC is not for you, that is totally fine, you just happened to stumble into a forum of BdC Lovers!

Bosque del Cabo -
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...d=9CaM3LRu4YfE

Iguana Lodge -
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...Ru4Yg0&notag=1
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Old Nov 27th, 2007, 02:52 PM
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six, when I described BdC to my mom before we went, she didn't think I would survive without a blow dryer and air conditioning, I think she imagined it to be a lot more rustic than what it is. When we got home, and I showed her my pictures, she said, "Oh, and here I thought you were going to be roughing it!" If you go over to tripadvisor.com, you can get a better idea of the place from reading all the reviews - it will be hard to find very many people that don't give it a 5, but yes, read all the reviews of each place and go with your gut instinct of which is the best match for you.
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