Both of us are well traveled and accustomed to the backpacking: after college, I taught English in Japan and backpacked throughout Southeast Asia for a year, while Patrick had spent a good amount of time working as a scuba diving instructor in Australia.  For our honeymoon, however, we wanted something a little bit more…shall we say “grown up?”  We wanted to feel pampered, but still wanted to have the opportunity to explore nature and a different culture.

Patrick: Lapa Rios Ecolodge was the perfect destination for us.  I don’t think I could have handled sitting by a pool and sipping on cocktails all day long.  At Lapa Rios Ecolodge, we were able to do so much: go bird watching, take surfing lessons, hike through the rainforest and more.  It was a truly amazing trip.  We also visited a nearby primary school, which was an incredibly enriching and rewarding experience.  In fact, since we knew ahead of time that we would be visiting the school, we were both able to get our coworkers to donate toys and supplies that we hand delivered to the kids.

Jane:The sustainability efforts of the hotel are incredible; we really felt that we were contributing to the nearby community in so many ways (supporting conservation, providing employment opportunities to local residents and so much more).  On top of it, we were so well taken care of!  The employees were so warm and welcoming, and the service was really top notch.  Waking up to toucans perched on our private deck was truly unreal.  We also got the most amazing massages overlooking the nearby ocean.

Patrick: And the food was incredible!  We like to eat out a lot back home at fairly upscale restaurants in San Francisco, and could not believe that we were eating so well in the middle of the rainforest.  We were so surprised.

A few months ago, a friend of ours recommended Lapa Rios Ecolodge to us (he found it through Andrew Harpers Hideaway Report), so we decided to take a chance.  Neither of us had been in the rainforest before and we were dying to see it.

Arnold: Lapa Rios was absolutely magnificent.  The wildlife was incredible: we saw scarlet macaws, monkeys, sloths and so much more.  I am an avid birdwatcher and was truly in heaven.  The nature guides were some of the more knowledgeable guides with whom I have ever traveled, and the fact that they were all locals added a great deal to the experience.  I took some amazing pictures on that trip.

Susan: I would consider Arnold and myself to be fairly well traveled individuals, so it was shocking to be so blown away by a travel experience. But we were! I was so impressed with the history of the lodge itself. I spent a considerable amount of time sitting on our private deck just reading about how owners John and Karen Lewis came up with the concept. It was so refreshing to see our travel dollars being spent responsibly, aiding local communities and the surrounding environment. I loved the nightly chats on conservation efforts taking place in the nearby community, as well as the opportunity to learn how to make tortillas for breakfast. And the staff was so lovely! We couldn’t have had a better time both exploring the rainforest and relaxing in our luxurious bungalows.

Arnold: I would say that Lapa Rios is a must-see for any nature lover.  We have traveled all over the world and this was truly a unique place.  We have already told our children about it, who promise to take our grandchildren as soon as they are old enough to appreciate and remember the experience.

and, as a result, we were looking for something that would expose our boys to both.  Lapa Rios Ecolodge was really great.  You should have seen the boys’ faces when they saw their first monkey!  This was a truly life changing experience for the kids, as well as for Annie and myself. 

Annie: The kids had recently read The Jungle Book in school and, as a result, were really excited to visit the rainforest.  They knew all the names of the insects we were going to see before we even got to the lodge.  Lapa Rios Ecolodge truly exceeded their expectations, as well as ours.  We loved driving up to the lodge in the “safari” cars and hiking around the rainforest.  I was really impressed by the staff, especially in the way they paid so much special attention to our kids.  The nature guides even took the kids on a special hike just for them while Michael and I were able to relax by the pool. 

Michael: One of the receptionists even invited the kids to play soccer with kids in the local primary school.  Our boys truly connected with their new friends, and continue to keep in touch as pen pals.  Lapa Rios Ecolodge really did an incredible job of connecting our family with the staff and local community.  We cannot wait to go back.

Annie: Lapa Rios is an ideal destination for families; it is the perfect combination of comfort and adventure, education and fun.  While I would recommend that children be old enough to appreciate the experience, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to recommend Lapa Rios to any one of my friends with children.  The accommodations were children friendly without taking away from the experience for Michael and me.  We loved every second of the trip.