THE CARIBBEAN - HOTELS

Azania Bungalows is located on Costa Rica's Southern Caribbean Coast directly in front of Cocles Beach (awarded with the Costa Rican Government Blue Flag for clean beaches). It is a 4-hour drive from San Jose (210km / 131miles) and 1.5 km / 1 mile south of Puerto Viejo of Talamanca, on the road to Manzanillo.

Just a stone's throw away from the Caribbean Sea, the decorated bungalows are private and set apart amidst lush gardens brimming with color and natural beauty. They have been designed using traditional materials, exotic woods and thatched-palm roofs with a modern concept of construction. Its 10 Bungalows accommodate up to four people, each with one queen size bed and two twin size beds, one of which is placed in the mezzanine for added privacy and wonderful spatial flexibility. All are decorated with bamboo lamps and furniture, while ceiling fans, large windows with mosquito nets and high peaked roofs allow the refreshing natural air to circulate. Each bungalow comes equipped with a refrigerator, security box and a softly-lit original sauna-style bathroom and a private deck and hammock out front.

The hotel services and facilities include tropical gardens, exotic free-form pool and Jacuzzi, a shaded "Quincho" style rancho, restaurant and bar (Argentinean Cuisine with local ingredients and flavors), Club House, laundry service, private parking, bicycle rental and taxi service.

Prices based on double occupancy range from $81.5 to $99 (Until December 14, 2008)
Taxes & breakfast included

The Cariblue hotel is located just a few short steps away from the beautiful white sandy beach of Playa Cocles in Puerto Viejo, nestled in a lush tropical garden surrounded by pristine beaches and wild tropical flora, about 4 hours drive from San José. Cariblue is a small hotel with a personalized service.

It has 22 spacious duplex palm-thatched bungalows, featuring private bathrooms decorated in mosaic, hot water, ceiling fans, mosquito nets, and welcoming porches with hammocks. There are 7 Superior bungalows, 11 Standard bungalows, and 4 Standard deluxe bungalows. The Superior bungalows have a king sized bed, a balcony with hammock or bamboo chair and sleep two, the standard bungalows have two queen-sized beds a balcony with hammocks or bamboo chairs housed in duplex bungalows and accommodate up to four people, and the standard deluxe bungalows features the same as the standard bungalows but have air conditioning and TV. The hotel also offers a house with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a furnished kitchen for 2 to 7 people. The special palm leaf thatch keeps the rooms incredibly cool throughout the day.

Among the services that Cariblue offers is a snack bar available all day, restaurant, swimming pool, security box, souvenir shop, telephone and fax service at the reception, board games, laundry and bicycles for rent. Activities on offer are horseback rides, canopy, snorkelling, birdwatching tours, and visits to Manzanillo and Cahuita National Park.

Prices based on double occupancy range from $99 to $233 (Until December 14, 2008)
Taxes & buffet breakfast included

Costa de Papito is located along the beach road, 1 ˝ kms away from downtown Puerto Viejo, and around 4-4 ˝ hours away from San José (181 Km/112 miles). A lush 5-acre natural tropical garden on the edge of the jungle welcomes its visitors. Cocles beach is the winner of the highly coveted Costa Rica government Blue Flag for pristine beaches. Costa de Papito features 13 Bungalows, each very spacious, decorated with stained wood décor and bamboo. Bungalows are privately set apart, all feature 2 large double beds, ceiling fan, bathroom with hot water, security box, large windows open onto garden vistas, and terrace with a hammock. The hotel features restaurant and bar and a thatched rancho where tropical drinks and local appetizers are served. Breakfasts are served at the bungalows or at the long hardwood table in the main house. Nearby one can find beach road restaurants, bars and stores with a local Caribbean atmosphere. Additional services offered by the hotel include: Spa, bicycle rental, laundry service, telephone and fax at the reception, massage Therapist & hair stylist, surfboards, boogie boards, and snorkel equipment rental. A variety of tour options are available for the more active visitors - for example, scuba diving, kayaking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and other one-day excursions.

Prices based on double occupancy range from $53.54 to $80.30 (Until December 19, 2008)
Taxes included

Selva Bananito is a small but very exclusive lodge located 35 km (22miles) south of Limón, on Costa Rican's Caribbean Coast .The funds raised by the lodge are invested in the Selva Bananito Biological Reserve, an 800 ha virgin forest where the lodge is located. It borders to La Amistad National Park, the largest and less disturbed area in the country. The lodge has 11 Caribbean style bungalows sit on a hill flanked by a river and a creek, built with beautiful wood or fallen trees. Each cabin has a queen bed and a full size bed, ample terraces with an amazing view of the jungle, comfortable hammocks, hot water obtained from solar heating systems and portable lamps (there is no electricity in the lodge).

There is a large thatched ranch. Bird watching, nature walks, horseback riding, biking, cannoning, and rappelling are just some of the wide range of activities on offer.

Prices per person based on a 3D - 2N package in double
occupancy range from $431 to $450 ( Until November 30, 2008)
Round transfer San José - Lodge, all meals, lodging, tours & taxes included.

Hotel Shawandha is located 8 Km/5 miles south of Puerto Viejo de Limón, a four-hour drive from San José, 181 Km / 112 miles. Shawandha is a small hotel with personalized service. It has 12 independent thatched-roof bungalows surrounded by tropical gardens. All bungalows have a private bathroom with hot water, two double beds, hair dryer, ceiling fan and a porch with hammocks. Hotel facilities include bar, restaurant, and swimming pool. Other activities available include horseback riding, surfing, kayaking, jungle walks, snorkelling, and bird watching.

Prices based on double occupancy range from $98.93 to $133.85 (Until December 21, 2008)
Taxes and breakfast included

As its name implies, Villas del Caribe - some 4 hours from San José - faces Costa Rica's Caribbean Sea just outside of charming beach town of Puerto Viejo approximately 227 km from San José. The hotel offers 4 two-story villas with fully equipped kitchens and private terraces, which accommodate up to six people. Besides the villas, the hotel has 8 junior villas with kitchenette, one king size bed and one sofa bed plus an ample terrace facing the beach. Villas del Caribe also offers 8 standard rooms each with one king size bed and one sofa bed plus and a balcony facing the ocean. All units have private bathrooms and face the sea catching the prevailing breezes for effective cross ventilation. Ceiling fans, air conditioned in some units as well as large eaves add to the comfortable temperature inside the villas and rooms. They are tastefully designed and furnished for comfort with lamps, cushions, loungers, hammocks free safety boxes and hair dryers in each room.

There are beautiful gardens with tropical plants and a convenient car park located in front of each rooms. Villas del Caribe has an open-air restaurant facing the sea, where guests may savor Caribbean dishes whilst relaxing to the sound of the waves breaking on the shore and the soothing sea breeze. There is a small souvenir shop in the lobby and reception area.

Among the activities offered are walks to the hotel's 100-acre private reserve, entertainment inside the hotel such as ping-pong and various tours operating within the area such as visits to indigenous reserves, the Gandoca-Manzanillo Reserve and Cahuita National Park. Horseback riding, snorkeling, fishing, bicycle rentals and surf board rentals are available as well.

From February 2008 the Hotel will offer 6 additional Economy Rooms and area with pool table- mini soccer, ping-pong, gym, spa, massage parlor and sauna bath as well as a swimming pool. Also an A/C Conference room and a thatch pavilion with bar for parties and dancing.

Prices based on double occupancy range from $68.67 to $126.86 (Until December 21, 2008)
Taxes & continental breakfast included

TORTUGUERO

Evergreen is located in the Northeastern corner of Costa Rica, about 255 km from San Jose and 5 minutes by boat from the main entrance to the Tortuguero National Park. The only access is by boat (approximately a 2˝-hour boat-ride through the striking, luxuriant scenery of the canals), or by airplane from San José (a 40-minute flight). This lovely lodge has 36 comfortable spacious rooms, all with a private bathroom with hot water and ceiling fan, two double beds and one single bed.

The Evergreen Jungle Lodge rooms were all built using local Costa Rican woods, and beautifully decorated with great attention to detail. Each is an individual bungalow with almost wall-to-wall windows allowing for the opportunity to observe different wildlife. The property has a restaurant and bar service, swimming pool surrounded by gardens and offers bilingual guided tours of the area. The beautiful main dining room with towering ceilings provides first-class meals in an atmosphere that reflects and compliments the jungle paradise surrounding it. Some of the activities include: boat and hiking tours, bilingual guides and forest trails.

Prices per person based on 3D - 2N package on double
occupancy from $269 (Until November 15, 2008)
Ground and boat transfer, all meals, lodging, tours & taxes included.

Laguna Lodge is located on the North-eastern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, in the Tortuguero National Park area. It is surrounded by tropical rainforest and a navigable network of lakes and canals, just 200 meters from the beach on a unique strip of land with the ocean on one side and the lagoon on the other.

The lodge has 97 rooms, and is divided into 3 buildings. Each room has a private tiled bathroom, ceiling fan, and a small front terrace with chairs. Hotel facilities include a bar, swimming pool, Jacuzzi and restaurant (unusual in that part of it is situated over the canals), hammocks in the rest-huts located in the gardens, a dock on the canals, and laundry service. One of the projects closest to the Lodge is the completion of a new building which is to house the conference room, souvenir shop and new reception, and that will also include a spacious internal aquarium where visitors may view the area's species of fish.

There are no roads leading to the lodge; therefore, access is by boat or by airplane from San José. Some of the optional activities include swimming in a natural pool, hiking, fishing, boat tours, and turtle watch tours (July - late October).

Prices per person based on 3D - 2N package on double
occupancy from $259 to $284 (Until December 14, 2008)
Ground and boat transfer, all meals, lodging, tours & taxes included.

Manatus Hotel is located on the North-eastern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, about 254 kilometers from San José (on both land and water) near the Tortuguero National Park, one of the most diverse National Parks threaded by an infinite maze of serpentine canals and streams fed by rivers flowing from the central mountain range.

The hotel offer 12 luxurious units all equipped with two queen beds, private bathroom with hot water, air conditioning, Satellite TV, private terrace with bench, mini bar and outdoor private patio with shower. These exclusive rooms connect you with the surrounding environment of a wildlife sanctuary and of water canals. Hotel facilities include the "Ara Macaw" Restaurant offering afro-Caribbean fusion cuisine, a special combination of local Caribbean flavors and scents, "Morpho Bar" where you can enjoy extraordinary cocktails, swimming pool, exuberant gardens, private forest reserve, satellite internet, billiard table, panoramic dock, laundry service, gym and covered walkways. They also have an exclusive art gallery and spa services. Some of the activities available in the area are fishing tours, canopy tour, kayaks, aquatic bicycle, bird watching, and turtle tours.

Prices per person based on 3D - 2N package on double
occupancy from $360 to $430 (Until December 31, 2008)
Ground and boat transfer, all meals, lodging, tours & taxes included.

Mawamba Lodge is situated in the Northeast of Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast on a sand bar between the Tortuguero Canals and the Caribbean Ocean, an excellent location with direct access to the pristine beach and the canals. Nestled in the lush rainforest, this is the ideal hideaway for nature lovers and the perfect place to discover the wonders of the Tortuguero National Park. It is located approximately 254 km from San José.

The Lodge is a 15-acre beach front property situated on the right of Tortuguero, offering wonderful views of the Tortuguero Lagoon and the canals. Its beautiful gardens and rustic accommodation blend with the exuberant jungle vegetation, exotic birds and wildlife creating a perfect balance with nature. Guest accommodations consist of 58 comfortable rooms divided in 54 standard and 4 standard superior and built in fine woods with private bathrooms, hot water, ceiling fans and chairs for a pleasant, relaxing evening. Hotel facilities include two docks on the canals, frog farm, aquarium, swimming pool with Jacuzzi, one family-style restaurant with local and international cuisine, BBQ, bar, souvenir shop, relaxing ranchos with hammocks, nature trails, beach access within walking distance, sand volleyball court, and conference room.

The Lodge offers a variety of tours to the National Park canals, turtle nesting observation (seasonal July to September), hikes into the lush rain forest and bird watching tours conducted and supervised by specially trained guides using the best equipment and all required safety precautions.

Prices per person based on 3D - 2N package on double
occupancy range from $246 to $359 (Until November 30, 2008)
Ground and boat transfer, all meals, lodging, tours & taxes included.

Located in Tortuguero, along Costa Rica's northern Caribbean coast, Pachira is one of the most newly built lodges in the area. The only access is by boat (an approximately 2˝-hour boat-ride through the striking, luxuriant scenery of the canals), or by airplane from San José (a 40-minute flight).

It has 85 comfortable, delightful rooms, all with a private bathroom and hot water, as well as a ceiling fan. The rooms have no telephone or television since the idea is to relax, and "switch off" in order to appreciate the beauty of nature. Other facilities include a safety deposit box at the reception desk, a swimming pool, spa, gift shop, laundry service, bar and restaurant service, boat and hiking tours, bilingual guides and forest trails. The hotel arranges package prices that include round-trip ground and boat transportation San José - Tortuguero - San José, lodging, all breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and several tours (specified by the hotel). You will have the perfect chance to meet other people, since you will travel on the bus and boat with other passengers.

Prices per person based on 3D - 2N package on double
occupancy from $269 (Until November 15, 2008)
Ground and boat transfer, all meals, lodging, tours & taxes included