Mei Tai Cacao Lodge

The owner, Celine, is the kindest soul. I slept like a baby on this peaceful, wild, beautiful property on the outskirts of town. They cooked us a delicious fresh breakfast al fresco every morning and helped booking tours, giving good advice, etc. It's a little peace of Costa Rican heaven off the beaten track. Also, for such a small town, there are two excellent craft breweries if you're into that!

Just a heads up to future travelers - bring bug spray and long pants. On the first day, my husband and I went to breakfast in shorts without bug spray and were bitten to pieces by bugs that itched for days. We bought long pants at a second hand store in town (which was a fun adventure!) and wore bug spray and were fine after that.

Cecelia was an amazing hostess. She met us when we arrived, got us settled and helped us with arrangements for tours. Her breakfasts are amazing with fresh juices, homemade breads, eggs to order. Highly recommend.

Keep in mind you are in a rain forest and there are bugs around. Not a problem if you know what to expect. Wear appropriate shoes.

Real rustic feel, great to be so immersed in nature. The owner was lovely and helpful. So much wildlife around. Beautiful little pool that would have been gorgeous in the sun. I asked about the chocolate they produce and was brought out some samples to try. The price of the chocolate was very reasonable. Lots of thoughtful little details like QR codes of trips, restaurants etc, umbrellas and a drying rack. When we booked, there was an outside dining area, this had been turned in to an en-suite 3rd bedroom which suited my eldest perfectly. Close to the town but still away from it all.

My kids are certainly fussy, but they struggled with breakfast as there was not much in the way of cereal and no toaster to make toast. If we returned, I'd take a box of cereal with us. The trails are not accessible in the rain as it was just too slippery (it rained pretty much the whole time we were there). This is no fault of the owner, but I didn't expect to not be able to use the trails in the rain - I just thought we'd need coats/umbrellas. Pool was too cold to use in the rain we experienced, again no fault of the owner.

Super friendly and welcoming owners, who spoiled us with delicious homemade bread for breakfast and were really helpful with the activities in the area. Great to hike the grounds (around 4km of hiking trails on the premises!) and enjoy a true rainforest experience.

The pool was a little cold for the cold, wet weather and it was smaller than expected from the pictures. Credit card payment was only possible at an extra fee.