Hey, guys, Dana here! I wrote my last post about Costa Rica and was waiting for the right time to write about my own personal experience in the Costa Rica jungle. And now the time has come! It was the adventure of a lifetime, to be honest, with ups and downs, with dirt and bugs, with luxury and bungalows and I even have a little surprise for you. In my last article I didn’t say anything about me getting lost in the jungle. The truth is that that time I went to Costa Rica I got lost in the jungle. I didn’t mention it on the blog, because I was a little embarrassed but now I am ready to talk about it. I told my friends about it and they encouraged me to come clean and be honest so that people who want to go on an adventure in the Costa Rica jungle know what to expect – it’s not all milk and honey, not that a sane person would expect that from a jungle!
Let’s begin with the good and then move on to the bad. I would like to say a few words about where I stayed while in the Costa Rica jungle: it is a wonderful place called the Pacuare Lodge. It is by far, my favorite lodge in the world! Why? For many reasons: first of all, it is in the heart of the jungle, near the Pacuare River and is surrounded by pristine tropical rainforest. It is truly magical! The first thing that hits you when you arrive is how noisy and alive the jungle really is, I mean, it’s not just a few birds singing and bugs clicking, it’s loud… and lovely. You feel you’re a part of something big, you feel the nature around and you think to yourself (at least I did) This is where I belong, this is what I want to be a part of.
You’re in the middle of the nature, yet you are catered to as if you were a celebrity. I was lucky enough to afford to stay here (as it is quite expensive, I won’t lie – around $700 a night with adventure trip included) and I am grateful for it. There is so much I wanted to do while I got there, I didn’t know where to start! I wanted to go rafting, bird watching and especially to go on a rainforest canopy tour. I made friends with a couple from Germany and we got to go rafting together – it was extreme and amazing and it whet my appetite for rafting.
Another thing about the lodge that I absolutely adore is that is completely eco-friendly! Through it, 300 hectares of rainforest are protected and all the wood used to build it was taken from a reforestation project and no trees from the jungle were cut. Its existence has minimum impact on the river and forest – sustainable tourism at its best here at the Pacuare Lodge. They buy their food from local producers and they even reintroduced a species of monkey that was wiped out! Electricity comes from a wind turbine nearby and the bungalows are illuminated with lanterns, so that the use of electricity is kept at a minimum.
Now, you probably want to hear all about me getting lost… I don’t think I was ever in any real danger, but I did wander off further than I was supposed to. I just kept walking and walking until I didn’t know where I was and I didn’t know how to get back. I spend an entire hour trying to get a signal and to trace my steps back. I was starting to get a little freaked out, but I said to myself that I needed to calm down and think this through. Soon after I had managed to calm down, someone found me and guided me back to safety. I know I tend to be a drama queen when it comes to the wilderness, and that I wasn’t really lost in the Costa Rica jungle, but it sure has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Lost in the jungle! I’ve learnt my lesson, though: do not stray from the pack, you never know what dangers are lurking in the jungle!
I really do hope that you guys enjoyed my story about the Costa Rica jungle. If you’d like to ask me anything about my experience or if you’d like to share something that happened to you on a trip, write it in a comment below or simply send me an email. I love hearing from my readers!