My wife and I spent the most beautiful and relaxing five days at Waterfall Villas. The setting is stunning; it's right in the middle of a rain forest, and the common sitting area and open-air thatched-roof-covered dining area, the wooden platforms where Fateh, one of the owners, gave us gentle daily instruction in Kundalini yoga, and the balcony of our Butterfly Suite, all look directly out onto the property's waterfalls. The room was spacious, comfortable, and meticulously and frequently serviced, and included air conditioning, which we found helpful for humid weather that reached the low 80s in the middle of the day. There was no TV and only spotty internet service -- something we came to appreciate as we got into the rhythm and spirit of our vacation. Fateh, her husband Franco, and Sergio, who we would describe as a concierge, waiter, bellboy, and Spanish instructor rolled into one, were gracious, helpful, accommodating and kind. In addition to the Balinese-style accommodations and the inspiring yoga lessons, our package included daily breakfasts and romantic, gourmet three-course dinners, all healthful and vegetarian but also delicious, creative, and elegantly prepared and served (the vegetable soups, fruit smoothies and walnut pancakes were a particular hit with us, and the cloth napkin sculptures with fresh flowers a revelation); a wonderful bamboo massage and papaya facial each; and two guided hikes in nearby national parks, where we got to see monkeys, sloths, long-snouted raccoons, a toucan, and a number of species of birds, butterflies and lizards, in the wild. Each of the parks also had a lovely beach attached, and the sun was hot and the water mild . . . quite a contrast from January in the northeastern US. But most of all, we enjoyed staying put, walking the trails at the resort, sitting by the waterfalls, reading on our balconies, taking in the flowering bushes, the tall bamboos, and the dense foliage, and listening to the chirping of cicadas, the croaking of frogs, the calling of birds, and the rushing of the falls -- something we rarely get a chance to hear in New York City, where we work, and its suburbs, where we live. This was our first trip to Costa Rica and our first experience staying in a rain forest and Waterfall Villas couldn't have been a better introduction.
