We loved this place as much because of what it isn't, as because of what it is.

It's not a sterile, could-be-anywhere-in-the-world cube with icy air-con and sat-tv. If that's what you need when you're on holiday, then this place is probably not for you.

Instead, it's rustic and has plenty of character, incorporating the surrounding nature. Just wandering around the gardens with the relaxed basilisk lizards during the day and the frogs and toads by night was a delight.

I also loved the cooling, stream-fed pool too.

We had a very rewarding night hike on the property, with one of their guides and saw plenty of wildlife (amphibians, reptiles, insects, etc).

The staff were very friendly and the rooms were comfortable & spacious. The mesh instead of glass meant for an excellent night time soundtrack too. The ceiling fans gave enough of a breeze to deal with the heat.

I liked the food - there was no choice to what we had, but I found what was on offer both very appetising and filling (I'm not a small person).

I stayed at four different places while in was in Costa Rica for 2 weeks. Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, was not at all the most fanciest hotel, nor was the food the greatest, but what I experienced there was unlike any other place I had stayed at. Their lodges are pretty small, I think 12x12, but they are pretty clean, showers, bathrooms, electricity, all the necessary things. Each Lodge has 2 comfortable rocking chairs to sit outside and do bird watching and to just relax. As it got later in the evening you can hear this jungle come more to life. I felt like I was listening to an Orchestra of sounds from all the different species. This was such an amazing experience! I just closed my eyes and felt so close to nature and do detached from my daily busy schedule in California. If you really need a place to just get away and feel alive, I can't think of a better place. This is a great place to disconnect from the world. During the day I also saw many beautiful birds that I did not see anywhere else that I had stayed at. They have beautiful trails that you can hike. We went horseback riding to a water fall and went in the water for a bit. Our tour guide Fernando was wonderful. He was very informative and his English was very good too. He also does bird watering tours, and at night does and evening nature tour, which I really, really regret not doing. They have these night hikes in other places in Costa Rica, but I image this places would have been amazing. I highly recommend this place for some to stay for at least 2 days. If you are looking to explore Costa Rica, I would not just make this my only stay, but I would make it part of my trip for sure. I think more so in my case where living in the states you can get so caught up with work and everything else that goes on in life which can be stressful, this place you will feel human. The only thing I was not to happy with was the food. I thought it was pretty tasteless, but I would not pass up this opportunity to visit this place for that reason alone. Next time I go, I will probably take some extra snacks as back up. Keep in mind that when staying in Costa Rica, you will not just find stores around the corner, so try to always go prepared. I hope you enjoy your stay!

Donaji Potts

As with all rainforest lodges, there is a limit in what can be done in terms of keeping the accomodation clean and environmentally friendly - but this lodge gets as near to perfection as I have yet found, having visited similar lodges in places such as Brazil and Borneo.

There are two ponds containing Caymen - one of which decided to emigrate on the second night and had to be rescured from the swimming pool!

The food was very good - there was no choice of meals but the quality was very good and there were so many components that if you did not like one part there were plenty of other parts that you did like.

The rooms were (naturally) a little dark. Instead of windows, they had mesh to stop the insects getting in - so you could hear what was going on outside. if this sounds a little primative, don't worry! The curtains were of good quality and the construction meant that, when the curtains were open there was good air circulation. When they were closed privacy was guaranteed.

There are a number of paths in the forest surrounding the lodge where you can see a variety of wildlife. The lodge also gives you the chance of booking a night walk. They even supply wellington boots for the walks, which cross rivers and streams at various points.

Highly recommended.

Having to get out of our tour bus and crossing the bridge on foot to get this lodge set the scene for how remote this lodge is! We are city people so this was real nature - bit daunting when you get there but amazing! So quiet and the caimen pond is amazing! Caimen dont look that big until they get out of the water! In the gardens there was a hummingbird nest - soooo tiny! well obviously....
The food was all included (obviously - no alternatives here!) and it was lovely!
A great bar which operated a trust system which was a refreshing change to living in the city!