Costa Rica Tribute Trip: Unique Stays, Adventure, and Pura Vida

COSTA RICA TRIBUTE TRIP: UNIQUE STAYS, ADVENTURE, AND PURA VIDA

This was a bittersweet trip. My mom, who passed away in 2014, had been talking about Costa Rica for years. With her United Airlines perks, she had been waiting for them to start flying there so she could go. She had done some research into where to stay and found a very unique hotel along the Pacific Coast that had a "room" that was actually a 727 airplane converted to a 2-bedroom suite. Well, she never made it to Costa Rica, but Drew and I decided to use all her accumulated United miles to get ourselves there.

MANUEL ANTONIO: A STAY INSIDE A 727 AIRPLANE SUITE

The prior year Lisa had gone to Costa Rica with her boys for several weeks, and I leveraged her itinerary to build out my own. One of the places they stayed was in Manuel Antonio—which just happened to be the same town where that airplane suite was located. They also had an old C40 cargo plane that doubled as a bar in their restaurant across the street from the hotel. This hotel also had more traditional rooms, but there was only one airplane room. I booked it well in advance and had to remind myself of its once-in-a-lifetime experience as it wasn't cheap.

We stayed the first night in Costa Rica in a hotel not far from the airport. We took a private transfer to Manuel Antonio and our hotel.

WILDLIFE AND NATIONAL PARK ADVENTURES

We booked a private tour to the beach, which you reach by walking through a national park filled with critters to photograph. This is where I first learned you can take great close-up photos by putting your cell phone camera lens up to a telescope. It's hard to get it steady, but wow, you can really get zoomed in. Tour guides had telescopes perched along the path for their clients. We saw sloths, bats, monkeys, and all manner of insects and birds.

We also went zip lining and rode ATVs nearby. Although I was freaked out about it, I booked us on a nighttime "safari" in the jungle. We saw lots of insects and nocturnal critters. At first I was flabbergasted at how our guide was able to spot snakes, bats, and tarantulas in the dark. Turns out, most of these critters are in the same spots night after night, so the guides know where to look.

INSIDE THE AIRPLANE SUITE: A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

Back at our airplane suite, we hung out on the wings, which were converted to balconies. It was cool to see monkeys frolicking in the surrounding trees and hopping onto the fuselage. Drew stayed in the rear of the plane, which had its own bathroom and two double beds. I stayed in the front, which had a bathroom and shower along with a queen-sized bed. The cockpit was left intact so you could sit in the pilot's and co-pilot's seats and look out over the treetops toward the Pacific Ocean. The interior was all teak wood—quite lovely. There was a small sitting room and even a kitchen in the middle part of the plane, between the wings. We were the envy of other guests passing by. Truly the most unique place I've ever stayed and well worth the splurge. I had my mom to thank for finding this place. I only wish she could have stayed here herself.

MONTEVERDE: TREEHOUSE STAY IN THE CLOUD FOREST

We stayed another couple nights in the area at different accommodations. I was on a budget and couldn't justify staying in the airplane suite more than one night. I’ll often splurge once or twice during a trip and find more modest accommodations the rest of the time.

Next stop: Monteverde, in what they call the cloud forest. Lisa had enjoyed her time there, so I decided to visit myself. I chose another unique stay and another splurge—treehouses built by a woman from Seattle who moved to Costa Rica years earlier. There were six unique treehouse suites to choose from. I booked one with two bedrooms and three beds, thinking my Aunt Ad would join us. She didn’t, so Drew and I spread out. I was upstairs, he was downstairs. It had a living room, small wet bar/kitchenette, and two balconies overlooking the jungle. This was a true boutique hotel. We shared meals in the main building and had a sangria happy hour each evening to watch the sun go down over the Pacific in the far distance.

ATV TOUR: FROM TERROR TO TRANQUILITY

We went on another ATV tour in Monteverde, but it was very different from Manuel Antonio. We were fitted with helmets and given our own ATVs. There were only three of us—Drew, myself, and another guy. We started by driving in circles around a flat track. Confused, I asked the guide what we were doing. He said, “Congratulations, you’ve passed the first level.” Okay, so we were just getting comfortable.

Then he took us to steep, uneven jungle trails. It was scary. I almost tipped over on a 30-degree lean, and Drew nearly flipped backward. The third guy bailed immediately. We should have too, but thought we were still in training. Nope—this was the tour.

I pleaded with the guide to let us ride on flat roads, and thankfully he agreed. He took us out onto gravel roads that opened up to a wide valley and the ocean beyond. Beautiful. I loved going fast, but Drew lagged behind—still shaken. I don’t blame him.

LA FORTUNA AND THE VOLCANO THAT HID

We took a private transfer and then a boat from Monteverde to La Fortuna. Arenal is an inactive stratovolcano in this area. Costa Rica has over 200 volcanic formations—six active, and about 61 dormant or extinct.

We stayed in the same hotel Lisa had, which was supposed to have an amazing view of the cone-shaped volcano. We had clouds the entire time, so had to imagine it was there. We went white-water rafting on a Class III river. We saw monkeys in the surrounding trees and survived the rapids—though my Teva sandals did not. I broke one and had to MacGyver a fix with a hair tie.

FINAL THOUGHTS: PURA VIDA IN ACTION

Our adventure was coming to an end. Our final night was back in San José, as our flight left early the next morning. Other than short trips to Mexico and Canada, this was Drew’s first international trip—at least since he came to live with me. I think I planned a good mix of relaxation and adventure, with some unique stays and more traditional hotels.

I certainly rekindled my travel bug, and I hope I sparked some wanderlust in Drew too. Time will tell. Thanks, Costa Rica—or should I say, Pura Vida. It’s used as a greeting, farewell, or just an expression of well-being and gratitude for life. Pura Vida indeed.