We spent 7 nights at Tiskita for our honeymoon and we could have stayed longer. We LOVED the remoteness of this Lodge and the rustic experience. Come to this place if you like to experience nature and be around other like-minded guests. Do not come here if you cannot handle interesting critters in your open air bathroom. On our last evening Lisbeth set up a private romantic dinner for us outside under the trees. The service is good and services can be arranged if you ask. My husband spent a lot of time reading and looking at wildlife from both the cabin porch and pool while I kept busy going on lots of guided wildlife walks and taking a painting class taught by André Van Melle. Whether you are an experienced artist or a beginner artist, these workshops are really good. http://www.andrevanmelle.ca/tiskita-activite.html. André is talented yet also a good, patient teacher. I highly recommend this experience and am glad we stayed 7 days.

We've been four days in Tiskita at the end of December 2011.

We choose Tiskita for the wild setting and for the fruit orchard.

Well, the setting is absolutely gorgeous, up the hill, close to the forest and with fabulous
views of the Pacific.

You can simply relax or be active and hike the forest.

Wildlife is also very good with Monkeys, Agouti and Coati at your doorstep. Hummingbirds and birding in general is also very good (but we expected even more considering the fruit orchard).

We had a big bungalow with a view on the ocean, and it was nice and clean.

Now, we were not in Osa for the fine food, but we had a very poor food experience here; with so nice a setting and such a beautiful jungle, with a minimun effort you can give your guest a really unforgettable experience (instead it is almost a military refectory; in 30 minutes you are done!).

Our family of 4 (2 daughters aged 12 and 9) stayed at Tiskita for the last half of our Costa Rican vacation and couldn't have been more thrilled. The Aspinall family owns and run Tiskita and they are fantastic people.

PROPERTY: The property is large and beautiful. There is a great swimming area on the beach right out front of the property and the beach was virtually empty even though we were there over the Christmas holidays. The lodge itself and all the cabins are built into the jungle - close enough to each other to be convenient, but far enough apart to provide complete privacy. There are many trails (well-marked) that run around the property, through the orchards (that Peter planted) as well as both primary and secondary rainforest. One or two guided hikes are generally included depending on length of stay, and they are completely worth the time. The guides (usually one of the Aspinall family) are knowledgeable and great at spotting the wildlife that we would have otherwise missed. There is a gorgeous waterfall and some amazing natural 'pools' in a stream that we swam in and are only minutes from the lodge. There is also a swimming pool by the lodge.
CABINS: Very private so it feels like you are on your own in the jungle, and each with a great deck (including hammocks) and view of the ocean. Windows are screened (no glass), and ones at the front have wooden shutters too. No air conditioning, but the ceiling fans and breeze kept us cool enough at night that we used the bed covers. Bathrooms (toilet, sink and shower) are outdoor, at the back of the cabin, which is just a neat experience :)
Rather than pack all 4 of us into one cabin (which many places would do in order to maximize their occupancy) they gave us 2 cabins which shared a deck. That way our girls had their own space & bathroom and so did we. That type of thoughtfulness was evident in everything they did.
MEALS: Breakfast is at 7:30, lunch at 12:30 and dinner at 6:30 and everyone eats in the dining area (open air) in the lodge. There's no choice in meals, but I enjoyed what they served. My younger daughter is a picky eater and they really did their best to try to make things for her if she wouldn't eat what they were serving. The meals are fairly simple, but were always very healthy. Portions were not 'american sized', but we found that we had more than enough. They really make an effort to please - for example, after checking with us, Lizbeth arranged for us to sit with another family that had kids the same age so that they had an opportunity to make friends (which they did).
ACTIVITIES: In addition to the beach, pool, hikes and relaxing, we also did a couple of additional activities. There is horseback riding available and we did a half day ride around the property. The horses were great - very calm and well trained, but not the kind that some trail rides have where they are so used to the trail that you can't do anything else with them. The guide doesn't speak much English, but he was excellent in every respect - thanks Paulo!. We saw a lot of wildlife and enjoyed running down the beach on the way back too. Lizbeth also arranged for us to go fishing in the Golfo Dulce for a half day with a local fisherman, Macho. Again, he doesn't speak English, but is very effective with hand gestures! We caught over 20 fish that we brought back to the lodge. There are other activities that can be arranged too (like surfing lessons at Pavones).

RANDOM THOUGHTS:
-Didn't need any bug spray, even after dark or in the jungle.
-Great wildlife on the property. Highlights we saw: Monkeys (squirrel, howler & white faced), sloths, scarlet macaws, toucans, parrots, agoutis, tayras and a ton of reptiles & amphibians.
-The road from Golfito is difficult. Budget much more time than you would expect as it's very slow.
-Bring flashlights! It is very dark once the sun goes down and you need a flashlight to find your way from the lodge to your cabin after dinner.
-No wifi, TV's etc. As tough as it can be to 'unplug', it's totally worth it! There is wifi in the town nearby which is within walking distance.
-The bugs and ocean at night, and birds and monkeys in the morning can be loud. Bring ear plugs if you can't sleep with strange noises!

It took some time to convince my husband to make this trip to a Jungle Lodge taking a sesna from San Jose directly to Tiskita’s landing strip and risk meeting a few animals along the the trial to a cabin with screens for windows so that u truly immerse in the surrounding ocean and jungle sounds. But he was conquered easily enough by the Beauty of it all and so was our 5 year old daughter who actually was looking forward to seeing the land of Dora the Explorer.

We spent 7 nights at the Tiskita Jungle Lodge and got our fill of rest and recreation. The common room for meals enabled wonderful encounters with fascinating travellers erudite in bird or butterfly lore. I myself came for a painting workshop with André Van Melle, an uplifting and gifted teacher whose impressionist paintings celebrate lasting love of families and couples and beautiful landscapes. His sense of timing had us sketching and painting on the seashore, at the village, by the poolside or along the lodge trails.

We swam in the ocean every day and trekked the trails, we saw sooo many animals on site like groups of monkeys travelling the tree tops and red macaws in the almond trees above our cabin. The paths and facilites were well kept and the food was heavenly. The hosts were wonderful and so well organized. My husband even went fishing with another couple and they caught the biggest fish of their lives! What more can be said except that it was a DREAM TRIP for us and we plan to return.