With its amazing wildlife, pristine nature, and thrilling outdoor activities, Costa Rica captured our hearts forever. For one unforgettable week we soaked up the pura vida lifestyle of Costa Rica as best we could, and immersed ourselves in nature, like never before. Pictures, or even videos cannot come close to conveying the magic of Costa Rica. It’s a six-dimensional experience that I’ll try my best to describe, but ultimately, Costa Rica has to be seen, touched, smelled, felt and savored with all your senses.
Congo Bongo EcoVillage
We chose not to do the typical organized group tours in Costa Rica, and instead, opted for our own personalized adventure. We found the Congo Bongo EcoVillage on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, and we immediately fell in love with it. Congo Bongo is ideally situated right in the middle of the jungle, in the Gandoca-Manzanillo national wildlife refuge, close to other parks, and attractions, and perfect for making day trips in the area.
We’d seen the pictures multiple times and yet, when we first saw the Long Dream House in person, it surpassed our expectations. It was enormous, and yet so cozy, swallowed by the lush vegetation of the rainforest. We arrived there at night and were greeted by our sweet hostess Marisol with a warm welcome and a bottle of wine.
Congo Bongo is not just a lodging place, it’s an experience in and of itself. The loud roar of the howler monkeys woke us up at 4.30am the next morning, and by 6am, we were savoring a cup of fresh coffee, and having our first taste of the jungle. The various textures of the dense vegetation around us, the vibrant shades of green and color, and the multitude of animal sounds was simply mesmerizing. We must have stayed on the patio, simply soaking it all up for at least a couple of hours before we decided to go explore around.
The short walk through the jungle, was like stepping into an enchanted forest of a fairytale, complete with spooky trees, and tribal figurines dispersed along the narrow path leading to a wonderfully deserted, stretch of white-sand beach. With a sunken ship on one end, and the jungle spilling onto its shore, it certainly created a Robinson Crusoe vibe.
Nothing beats that feeling of exhilaration when you experience something for the first time. That first morning in the jungle was magical. It was an overwhelming cascade of sensations and sights happening all at once. For the next few days, we set to explore the area around, but happily returned to our sanctuary in Congo Bongo for an afternoon coffee and a meditative session on the hammocks that provided the perfect viewing point. Some of the best animal sightings and encounters we had were actually in Congo Bongo, and around our own little temporary home in the jungle. From the resident family of black and green poison dart frogs, and red-headed geckos, the giant cicadas whose constant hum never stops, tiny red frogs, and huge blue butterflies, to three-toed sloths, rainbow-billed toucans, and howler monkeys, they were all around us.
The sloths were probably everyone’s favorites. Maybe because we’ve never seen one in the flesh before. We were intrigued and excited to see a live sloth, and we didn’t have to wait much. Marisol, the owner of Congo Bongo, helps the local Jaguar animal rescue center when they release animals back in the wild. On our second day, she told us they will be releasing a sloth in the Congo Bongo area, and she would be there to assist. She invited us along for the release! After spending one month at the rescue center, the sloth appeared to be frozen with fear, and took awhile to grab onto the tree branches. Eventually, he started his slow climb up the tree. Marisol would try to monitor him for the next few days, to make sure he’s fine and adapting well. His back and nails were painted blue, so she can easily recognize him. We were able to watch the whole event from a few yards away and it was a very special experience.
Apparently sloths are very sensitive, and can easily get stressed out upon contact with humans. Because of their slow metabolism, they simply don’t have the energy to move at faster speed, so any sudden change, jerky movement or loud noise can cause anxiety. Their heart rate can increase to dangerous levels. When they feel threatened they would raise their hands, to make themselves look bigger, which is often interpreted by people like invitation for a hug. I was appalled when I learned this, as I’d seen so many pictures of tourists hugging sloths, and I had assumed the sloth is totally at ease with that.
A couple of days later, we were extremely lucky again to see another sloth on our way to the beach. He was no more than 1-2 yards above the ground, and we were able to watch him slowly go further down. We had learned that sloths live primarily high on the trees, and only go down on the ground when they need to poop, which happens once every 7-10 days. After watching this amazing creature for a few minutes, and snatching as many pictures, as quietly as we could, it dawned on us, that he is probably going to do his business! Needless to say we felt extremely privileged to witness the famous ‘poo dance’ of the sloth, as they call it. This is basically a ritual during which time the sloth digs a small hole in the ground to poop, using their stub of a tail. Indeed, this is exactly what happened! We couldn’t believe our luck!
Notice the moths on the sloth’s fur? Hundreds of insects can live there, and have formed a symbiotic relationship with the sloth.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how incredibly nice the people of Costa Rica are. A special shout out and thank you to the exceptional service we got from Coati Tours. This was customer service at its best! We found Coati Tours online before our trip, and they gave us the best quote for the 6-hour drive from San Jose airport to Manzanillo. We thought we’re just booking a shuttle service but we got so much more. Wilson, and his family who run the Coati Tours, were our unofficial designated travel agent/tour guide/host and of course driver. They thought about everything – the perfect spot to have lunch, the snacks and drinks during the ride, a thermos of hot coffee for the long drive. They even gave us a pack of freshly ground coffee for the next few days. Wilson was a wealth of information, and gave us tons of tips about Costa Rica. But again, that wasn’t all. Over the course of our stay in Costa Rica, he and his wife kept in touch, like old friends, and made sure we’re having a great time. We booked our white water rafting trip through them, they connected us with the local tour guide Abel, they helped us with ideas and advise, and even contacted businesses on our behalf, and finally they planned and organized our trip back to San Jose on our last day, suggesting a few sightseeing spots and detours, to make it more fun and interesting. While we were on the road, Elsy, Wilson’s wife booked our Poas volcano park entrance and coordinated with Wilson to make sure we get there on time. We were simply overwhelmed by the warm welcome, friendliness and endless hospitality. We felt like we’re being taken care of all the time, and they treated us like family. It was simply outstanding customer service, and I cannot recommend them more.
Manzanillo
Congo Bongo EcoVillage has 8 houses, nestled in the thick rainforest, hidden away from each other. You get the feeling of seclusion and isolation, being all alone with nature. At the same time, should you need a bit of civilization, it’s close to Manzanillo, the nearby village where we went to grab food and do shopping. Manzanillo is only about a 10-minute walk away. You can walk along the beach, or you can walk on the main road. There is not much traffic, especially at night, so it’s safe. Walking on the road gives you a better chance to see animal life, as it’s surrounded by the forest on both ends – giant blue crabs venture out at night, and attempt to cross the road; leaf cutter ants, walking dutifully in long, straight lines along the sides carrying their load, howler monkeys, vultures, and even fireflies!
There are a few small family-style restaurants in Manzanillo, a couple of grocery stores, a souvenir shop and a bar or two. It’s a small place with not much happening but it was enough for our daily needs. We frequented the few restaurants twice a day most days, and ate some really good Caribbean food. We quickly discovered that no matter where you go, your best bet in any of the restaurants (known as sodas) was the Chicken in Caribbean sauce (Pollo Caribeno). It’s such a warming, homey meal, served with a side of rice and beans, and fried plantains, that we didn’t mind eating it for lunch and dinner, all week long.
Our favorite place of all was Colores restaurant. Everything we tried there was really delicious, the staff was friendly, and you can’t beat its location on the beach. We also had great food at Maxi’s, and Cool & Calm. The one place we somehow missed, was Soda Wuacho, which, by the look of the crowd, seemed to be a popular choice too, but on the day we decided to go, they were closed. One thing we learned is that there is no such thing as firm working hours. Stores and sodas open and close when they feel like it, but this was part of the charm of the lazy, care-free vibe of Manzanillo.
Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge
Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge was literally in our backyard, since Congo Bongo is part of the national park. We didn’t have to do much to see animal life around us. All you have to do is sit and patiently observe the trees above, listen for the sounds, and be curious enough to venture out and seek. However, a guided tour by a naturalist who is knowledgeable about the local plant and animal species is priceless.
The official entrance to the park is actually at the southern end of Manzanillo. We met our guide Abel there, ready for a half day tour. We found Abel through multiple channels – he’s easy to find! He’s a native of Manzanillo, and you can’t miss the hand-made sign on the road, with his name and number. He was also recommended by our driver, Wilson from Coati Tours. People in Costa Rica communicate via WhatsApp primarily – it’s a convenient way to get a hold of someone, and they are pretty responsive. Abel answered immediately, and we met at soda Wuacho to plan our next few days of activities.
During the next few hours we hiked through the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge, and along the way Abel showed and told us all about the flora and fauna we saw. The first animal sighting was a sloth, perfectly blending with the crown of the palm tree. It was one of the best examples of camouflage we saw! Turns out, there is an algae, that grows on the sloth’s fur, which gives the sloth its subtle greenish hue!
Can you spot the sloth?
Fer-de-lance
Along the way, we also spotted a few eyelash viper snakes, and a fer-de-lance – one of the two most venomous snakes in Costa Rica. These account for 1/3 of the snake bites in the country, and their venom has a very potent hemotoxic effect, that could cause severe necrosis. They are nocturnal predators and normally stay in the trees during daytime so it was unusual for us to see it on the ground in broad daylight. Typically they are quite big, reaching 1-2 yards, so they are hard to miss. However, this one was no bigger than half a yard at full length, and it was coiled right in the middle of the path, hiding in plain sight by blending with the browns of the dirt. If it wasn’t for our tour guide, we would’ve probably stepped on it! Just one more reason to hire a naturalist like Abel to keep you safe in the jungle!!
We were lucky to see a pair of the colorful keel-billed toucans, perched high in the trees, and managed to get an unobscured view. And of course, we saw lots of howler monkeys.
We tried noni fruit that grows along the seashore, and is known as the ‘cheese fruit’ or ‘vomit fruit’, because of its repulsive odor and taste. It has been eaten as a last resort by indigenous people, but today it’s sought for its supposed health benefits. We saw rubber tree and touched its sap, which magically transforms into rubber once you rub it in your palms. We found copal tree, whose resin, when burnt smells like incense, and has been in fact used as incense for ceremonial purposes by indigenous people in South America.
Five hours went by fast, and we ended our hike at the pretty, desolate beaches lying at the periphery of Gandoca-Manzanillo park. Accidentally, we found a good-looking coconut on the ground, and Abel showed us some mad machete skills, as he removed the outer husk, and skinned the coconut clean in minutes. We tasted the fresh coconut water and had a well-deserved coconutty snack. All in all, it was a fun, and informative tour, and I wouldn’t explore the jungle any other way except with a tour guide. They have a sixth sense about nature, and could hear, and see things, our urban eyes and ears are not trained to sense.
Stay tuned for the second part of our Costa Rican trip where we explore another national park, visit Puerto Viejo, go on a white water rafting adventure and make a stop at Poas volcano and La Paz waterfall!
