Romantic getaway

Guest: scrapgirl (Texas)
Date of Stay: 08/07/09 Review Submitted: 08/19/09

We enjoyed our stay at the house in Playa Negra. It is a beautiful home with wonderful views. The house was very comfortable and clean. Cody & Sunshine made us feel so welcome. They were very helpful when we had any questions or issues. The kitchen was fully equipped with everything we could possible need. The bathrooms had great showers and the towels were fluffy. The bedrooms were very comfortable and had plenty of room for clothes and luggage. The massive amounts of windows made the house bright and airy. We really appreciated the use of the washer and dryer downstairs too! We were entertained every morning by the monkey family trekking through the trees surrounding the house. The iguanas came down from the rooftop to eat some of the greenery in the back yard. We awoke every day to the beautiful songs of the parrots and other exotic birds. The yard and surrounding area was always alive with the sounds and movements of wildlife. The balcony areas were used several times a day, from morning coffee, picture taking, and relaxing after swimming to cocktails at night. It truly felt like paradise. The local restaurants were very good and reasonably priced. The local people were very friendly and most speak English. The prices at the Hotel Playa Negra gift shop are very good, as opposed to some of the shops around Playa Tamarendo. Café Playa Negra has a great Tico breakfast, the Villa Deevena is gorgeous and the food delicious, for dinner. When, not if, we come back to CR, we will be staying here at the Mango Tango! We loved it.

Owner response:We are so excited when guests get to experience our favorite parts of Guanacaste, Costa Rica; the wildlife, amazing scenery and warm locals. We fell in love with the howler monkeys, lush tropical foliage, flowers, brilliant blue skies, mountain and ocean-scapes 15 years ago. Owning, renovating and self-managing our vacation home in Playa Negra allows us to offer extradinarily low rates; while providing a high quality accomodation in a tranquil natural setting close enough to the beach to hear the waves breaking, yet simultaneously surrounded by trees. Surfing, zip lines, horseback riding, shell combing, fishing, snorkling and sunbathing can wear anyone out; so It is important to us to provide our guests with vacation comforts including comfortable beds, soft towels,extra pillows, ample kitchen gadgets, tealights for romantic spa style showers, beach towels and other personalized touches. We are always looking for new ways to help our guests' experience be special! We realize that vacations are hard-earned and a time to be cherished; and do our best to help our home contribute to the most pura vida Playa Negra, Costa Rica vacation possible.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

relaxing getaway

Guest: Trish (Minneapolis/MN)
Date of Stay: 01/27/12 Review Submitted: 02/10/12

We stayed a week at Casa Mango Tango. A beautiful place to stay. There were just two of us so we stayed on the upper floor where we enjoyed the breezes throughout the night. Sunshine gave us a lot of information about the surrounding area which was great because we had never been in Costa Rica before. I thought there would be alot of mosquitos, but there were not. I thought it would be difficult to navigate, but it wasn't. The roads are all very well marked. The property was clean and well kept. Nice decor and comfortable too. While it was not really a snorkeling spot, it was a wonderful spot for beaching it and learning to surf and boogie boarding. The zip line I thought was a lot of fun! And the resaurant choices all around were very good; particularly DeVeena (delectable) and Kon Tiki(value and yummy) and the pizzaria which had the best ceviche, go figure. Playa Negra is a quiet surfing town surrounded by a very hospitable and warm community. Negatives were that we could not find any fresh fish grill for ourselves and there is a resort down the way that advertises messages. Just make sure it's the woman you get and not the man.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

Almost Paradise!

Guest: Glen W.
Date of Stay: 01/18/12 Review Submitted: 02/01/12

We returned a week ago from our vacation in Costa Rica. Wish we were still there! Our stay at Mango Tango was fantastic! Sunshine and Cody are wonderful hosts who did whatever they could to ensure our stay at their house was enjoyable, and they succeeded! The house is well maintained and better than the online description suggests. The neighborhood is quiet with easy access to the beach. Playa Negra, where the house is located, is a small community but still has several nice restaurants. We especially enjoyed Lola's on the beach. There's also a great zip-line canopy tour at Pura Aventura about a 20 minute drive from the house. I'd highly recommend Mango Tango to everyone! We'll be back when we can stay longer!

Recommended for:

Amazing!

Guest: Tammie (Roseville, MN USA)
Date of Stay: 01/07/12 Review Submitted: 01/22/12

We just returned from 11 fabulous days at Mango Tango. We travel as often as possible and have not yet returned to the same spot—until now. We have already booked for our vacation next year! Mango Tango is a beautifully appointed quiet and secluded home tucked into the jungle next to a placid river. Sunshine was there to greet us when we arrived and walked us through the house pointing out everything we might need for our stay. She then walked with us down the path to the beach and described what we would find in each direction. Her cheery welcome and enthusiasm for the area really got our vacation off to a wonderful start. Sunshine has a great eye for decor—upscale but comfortable. Original art, beautiful furnishings, accessories and fabrics, quality bedding, thick soft towels, and for the first time that I can ever recall at a rental property—really comfy beds! Breakfast on the balcony or patio felt like dining in a private park reserve—the resident dominant iguana made his territory clear with constant head bobbing while he trolled the property—he was joined by egrets, herons, kiskadees, land crabs, and geckos—we kept our binoculars close at hand. While the howler monkeys did not pay us a visit this time, we could hear their calls throughout the day. After hours of walking the beach or playing in the surf---beaches stretching for miles with hardly another soul in sight--we returned to this lovely home for laps in the pool, floating with a drink in hand, or peaceful reading in the hammocks. We enjoyed our evenings in almost as much as our time outdoors—cool breezes wafting through dining room windows with all of the sounds of the jungle to accompany our candlelight meals (prepared in a very well appointed kitchen.) We bought groceries in Santa Cruz and prepared our own meals most days, but did have dinner one night at Villa Deveena – it was excellent! Very little ambient light in the area so the stars were amazing—and the security very responsive. We strapped on headlamps one night for a walk to the beach and were joined within minutes by one of the guards—very friendly—just checking to make sure we were from Mango Tango. We enjoyed the home and surrounding area so much that we did not stray far—but we did enjoy a day trip to Guatil for Choretega Indian pottery shopping and found a great shop where they demonstrated hand building pottery techniques. We purchased several pieces that we brought home in our carryon luggage—all were stur

Owner response:Guests are the memorable part of renting by Home-owner! We are passionate about how a home looks and feels. However, our time greeting guests has really made us appreciate the people interactions. Sometimes, as the home-owner, you feel a little anxious greeting your guests, wondering if Mango Tango meet their expectations? We have created a booking letter that is perhaps the longest on the planet, Ha Ha, to help make sure our guests will be thrilled with their choice, and prepared to understand Costa Rica's 2nd World quirks. Talking with guests has helped us to continuously improve Mango Tango's booking information, guest welcome letter and website. Along the journey we have met so many warm, interesting, even inspiring, couples and families that will always be a part of our happy life memories. Hearing guest stories of what made their personal trip special also reminds us of why we fell in love with so many aspects of Playa Negra & Costa Rica. Thank you to our valued guests for great conversations, appreciating Mango Tango's ambiance and making our home rental a success.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Wonderful choice!

Guest: Michelle W. (Costa Rica)
Date of Stay: 12/26/11 Review Submitted: 01/09/12

We stayed on Mango Tango these new years vacations and we had such a wonderful time!!!! The house was really great. Perfect for families since it has three beautiful bedrooms and complete kitchen very well equipped. The pool is perfect too.... its surrounded by trees, giving you some shadow for Costa Rica's sunny days. All the trees surrounding the house its what I really loved about the house! (makes all the difference when comparing with the rest of the houses in Rancho playa negra). I would definitely visit Mango Tango again in next vacations! Thanks for Sunshine and Cody for being available and so kind the whole vacation!

Recommended for:

Nice house

Guest: Costarica11 (los altos, California)
Date of Stay: 12/16/11 Review Submitted: 12/27/11

The house is nice and the owners put a lot of effort into making it a nice space and a pleasant stay. A few quirks such as a poorly functioning toilet and no dishwasher make it a little more high maintenance than some might like. We did not see any monkeys while there (10 days) but did see iguanas and birds. Playa Negra has very few locals and is primarily a US surfer community, so if you want local color this may not be the town for you as traveling around the country can be time consuming (even though distances may seem short on the map).

Owner response:We are thrilled to hear when guest's appreciate our home decor & the effort we put into helping our guests be comfortable. Our lovingly decorated cottage with private pool & patio is a Budget Conscious rental in a gated community; dishwashers are available in some of the larger homes in our ocean-front community that cost 3 to 6 times the amount of our Holiday Rates. 2 years ago we purchased low-flush toilets in an effort to be eco-conscious. We agree they have begun not to work as well as regular flush, & will replace the upstairs with regular flush this month, while keeping downstairs low-flush for drought times. Our Guest's vacation comfort is far more important than eco-friendly when it comes to flushing! To provide an idea of Playa Negra's diversity, of 8-9 restaurants: 2 are French owned, 1 Peruvian, Hotel Play Negra is Swiss & Tica owned, 3 restaurants are Tico Owned, 2 Restaurants are US Owners. The Zipline is Tico & French owned, 3 surf shops owners hail from 3 different countries, the 3 small groceries are all Tico owned. To experience purely Guanacastecan culture (a mix of indigenous cultures as Guanacaste was once considered part of Nicaragua),enjoy a 35 min. drive inland to bustling Santa Cruz. The 3rd largest town in Guanacaste has Huge Fiesta & Bull-riding in early January! The coastal pueblos on both coasts of Costa Rica boast a wide range of cultures! A helpful quick read is "The Ticos" Social & Cultural Change by Biesanz, which shares that Costa Rica's culture is a mix of Spanish, a variety of Native Cultures and large German influence. Later Chinese,French,Italians,other Central & South Americans,Canadians, Americans & many others came to enjoy the stunning beauty of Costa Rica. This week (Dec 28-31) is the local Fiesta Civica de Paraiso, 10 min inland where all of the locals (& a few borracho touristas) will test their skills against big bulls in the ring and celebrate their conquests with music, dance, food, and a 100+ horse parade on Sunday. We always hope that our guests will enjoy the Howler Monkeys napping and eating in the trees throughout our yard. The monkeys move around the town seasonally, depending on what trees are fruiting or getting tasty new leaves. You can read through guest reviews to get an idea of which months they visit the most! It doesn't get much more authentic than Playa Negra and the town of Los Pargos, for a truly unique Costa Rican experience with a balanced amount of Western comforts.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, families with teenagers.

Great Surfing - Lots of Nature - Family Friendly

Guest: Big Zane (Durango, Colorado)
Date of Stay: 06/09/11 Review Submitted: 06/10/11

This was our second trip to Mango Tango. Last year, my college aged son and I spent a week here then explored and surfed the rest of the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. This year, my wife and other college aged son were able to join us. We chose to spend our entire two weeks in the Playa Negra area since we felt that the surfing options were the best in all of Costa Rica. The powerful right reef break of Playa Negra is just a short walk away. The boys and I particularly enjoyed the great beach breaks of Junqillal and Marbella, while my wife relished the more gentle waves of Avellana and Tamarindo. We loved having so many choices of quality surf breaks within 30 minutes. Our hosts, Cody and Sunshine Qualls, have put a great deal of effort to make Mango Tango a great lodging choice. The furniture, decor, kitchen appliances, utensils, etc. are well stocked and well thought out. Everything we needed was supplied. Our bedroom had big glass doors that opened to a sitting balcony that felt like stepping out to a tree house. I particularly enjoyed watching the monkeys and hearing the birds in all the trees surrounding the house. The living room has two walls of windows that bring the tropical outside in. A new addition from last year is a nice sized swimming pool, which was perfect for a quick dip to cool off, or a nice place to sit and enjoy nature in the evenings. Overall, Mango Tango has been a great place to enjoy the surfing and nature of this beautiful part of Costa Rica.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Paradise!

Guest: HAPPY TRAVELLERS (LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA)
Date of Stay: 12/17/10 Review Submitted: 03/15/11

We had so much fun staying at Mango Tango the week leading up to Christmas in 2010. Sunshine and Cody are wonderful hosts and filled us in on everything we needed to know. The house is cozy and comfortable. The kitchen has everything you need and the view from the dining table makes every meal special. We loved seeing the wildlife right outside our windows. We spent most days at the nearby beaches but it sure was fun for our daughters to jump in the pool before breakfast or after dinner. Other highlight of our trip were horseback riding and the fantastic local food. We will be back for sure!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Fantastic House. Fantastic Beach. Fantastic Vacati

Guest: Mandy (Toronto, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/23/11 Review Submitted: 03/13/11

We had the absolute pleasure of staying at the Mango Tango Beach House for 8 nights and had a most wonderful experience. The house itself is modern, spacious, and furnished absolutely beautifully, with all the ameneties and brand new appliances. It was 5-Star accommodation for sure. And the added luxury of having a private pool was really special for us. Sunshine and Cody really thought of everything in their house to make it super comfortable for vacationers including DVDs for those evenings you just want to chill in front of the t.v. The location of the House is also perfect! It is within easy walking distance to the beautiful Playa Negra Beach and the Playa Negra Hotel, which is a good place for lunch and to learn to surf. And a simple drive to other towns in the area including Tamarindo and Janquilla. We would definitely consider staying at the Mango Tango Beach House again the next time we return to Costa Rica, and in the meanwhile envy anyone else who has the pleasure of staying there. Thank you Sunshine for all your assistance in setting up our booking and making sure our stay was smooth and enjoyable, even though you weren't able to be there. Matt and Mandy

Owner response:Mandy and Matt were warm and wonderful to work with. They had to endure several flight schedule changes, and then a community water outage at the beginning of their trip from a power surge that caused pump damage and left our gated community without water for over 48 hours. In our booking email we inform potential guests that power and water outages can be typical in Costa Rican life; but were so impressed and grateful that they had such a positive attitude to a long weekend with only the pool while waiting for the community repairs to be completed. We have finished a 2-3 day water tank in Casa Mango Tango's storage bodega, and are expecting delivery of a pump part to soon have a back-up water source, other than the pool and ocean ha ha; for those emergency situations. The beauty and peace of Costa Rica make it worth the occassional 2nd World inconveniences, and water/ power outages happen far, far less than a few years ago; but we do want to make Costa Rican travel as comfy on our guests as possible. We missed out on meeting Mandy and Matt in person due to our own trip to the US, and very much hope they will be back in the near future - so we can treat them to a pool-side Fish Taco & Jumbo shrimp BBQ! Thank you both for your patience and warmth.....we have met some awesome people from Toronto!, Pura Vida Sunshine & Cody

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Lovely and relaxing Playa Negra getaway

Guest: Two coasts (Del Mar, California)
Date of Stay: 02/20/11 Review Submitted: 03/05/11

We loved everything about Mango Tango. The house is clean and beautifully decorated. It is appointed very well, there was really nothing it was lacking. The kitchen is fully stocked (and we did a lot of cooking), the living area is comfortable and nice. There were a some board games (Scrabble!) (and a tv with some movies---you might want to bring a few Netflix if you are into this). The bedrooms are lovely and romantic. The pool is nice and we were happy to have access to a washer/dryer. Every afternoon when we would return from the beach we would feel that great feeling you get when you are returning 'home'. Our hosts Sunshine and Cody were available if we needed anything (which we didn't), but respected our privacy (which we loved). We would definitely recommend the Mango Tango to friends and relatives. The town is a bit sleepy (which we like), so come prepared to entertain yourself. The beach is lovely, best at low tide--you can walk a long way, then take a trail over a bluff to another amazing beach.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.