Monkeying around at Vida Sencilla

Guest: Pammy (San Jose, Calif.)
Date of Stay: 04/08/11 Review Submitted: 04/15/11

Don't even know where to start. First off, the monkeys welcomed us with pelting mangoes....and adorable babies. The house was fabulous, and that word doesn't even do it justice. We spread out, swam, hung, played games, ziplined 11 lines, (the first for 2 of us) (scariest thing ever, but would do it again...). We prepared fabulous meals and drank fine wines.....oh, time to swim again.....ate at Rosi's Tica, Bill's Marlin, La Luna and spent an evening at the county fair which included a run with the bulls and great food..... Wilma's (cat) name should be changed to Houdini. She came in no matter what we did to keep her out. One of our group was highly allergic to cats. She did lay by the pool with us....and refused to leave us. Merry, fine home...I was congratulated many times over by MY FIND. You did me PROUD and we will be BACK.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+.

A Great Experience & House

Guest: Rich (San Diego)
Date of Stay: 03/07/11 Review Submitted: 04/13/11

My wife I and our 3 kids (ages 8, 4 and 1) had a truly wonderful time staying at this house. The house itself is tastefully decorated and designed, with all the modern conveniences one could want, including reliable, high-speed wireless internet. We were delighted to find the kitchen was fully equipped with just about everything one could need during our month long stay, which allowed us to eat in without any sacrifices. A car was unnecessary, as both the beach and local shops & restaurants were within a 10-15 minute walk. We did end up renting bikes, which made the beach and shops just a couple minutes away. In short: a wonderful house in a wonderful location --- a place we would definitely return to in the future. Our thanks to the owners for sharing your beautiful home. A significant portion of my heart still resides in your home, and with the clunker beach cruiser I used to ride to the beach for my morning surf sessions. Any advice you can give me as to how to persuade my wife to move to Costa Rica would be appreciated. :)

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Our Dream Home

Guest: DenverTodd (Denver, Colorado)
Date of Stay: 06/27/10 Review Submitted: 07/16/10

Our stay at La Vida Sensilla was a jungle paradise! Our rental agent Tiffany made check in a breeze. The full kitchen and Ipod docking station were much appreciated. Our favorite activity was watching the monkeys eat from the mango trees in the backyard every afternoon. A car isn't needed as the beach and several restaurants in town are a 15 min walk away. They house is very secure and we always felt that our belongings were safe while we were away. We enjoyed yoga classes, surf lessons and an ATV ride to an amazing waterfall. Thank you for an incredible vacation.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers.

A great house!

Guest: Suki00 (New York)
Date of Stay: 03/08/10 Review Submitted: 03/24/10

I spent four days at the house during my stay at Playa Guiones and it was an excellent experience. The house had absolutely everything you could ask for and a lot more! I was interested before arriving as to how much the photos on the website would actually match up to the home and I can honestly say that I was not at all disappointed, in fact I was amazed by how much the house exceeded my expectation. The house has a great way of making you feel outdoors all the time. There are lots of windows which can be opened fully which makes the main living area extend to the outdoor pool area. I spent many an afternoon reading in the hammock by the poolside....!! There is even an outdoor grill with a dining area and one night we enjoyed a meal outdoors. The bedrooms are light and airy and each has it's own bathroom. The beach is only a short walk and is probably one of the nicest beaches I have ever been to, it is so vast that you hardly notice there is anybody else around, the water was incredibly clean and so warm. I was looking to get away and spend a few days relaxing, indulging and just doing nothing, it was the perfect getaway and I would definitely go back! The house has all the mod-cons including an outdoor grill and dining area. The bedrooms are light and airy and very comfortable, each room has its own bathroom.

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

Guest: Greg89 (Santa Barbara)
Date of Stay: 03/21/10 Review Submitted: 03/21/10

This place is a perfect vacation house. With a huge main room that serves as the den, kitchen, living and dining rooms, it was great to spend quality time with travelling companions while at the house. The six-pane sliding door to the outdoors opened to make a seamless transition from rocking under a fan inside to hopping in the pool and catching some rays outside. We were able to share a nice small dinner at the dining area outside one night, and then host a group of 8 for dinner inside the next. Everything was gorgeous, including mornings surfing in the warm water and afternoons on the beach or hanging at the house. I can't wait to get back.

Recommended for:

Guest: Naomi12 (Brooklyn, NY)
Date of Stay: 03/17/10 Review Submitted: 03/17/10

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that the owners are my aunt and uncle but I would not be writing this if I didn't believe every word! I spent an incredible week at this house with a friend in early March 2010. These pictures do not lie- the house is amazing! It has all the creature comforts you need —washer/dryer, dish washer, kitchen appliances like blenders, rice cookers, etc—so that you can feel at home in the jungle! My favorite part of the house is that the main part is this huge open room that includes the kitchen, living room area, and dining rooms space and opens to the outside and the pool. It is the perfect room to have a group of friends or a whole family so that everyone can hang out together, cook, sip daiquiris, etc. You could have a grand meal at the beautiful long dining room table. The whole back opens up fully, a large sliding glass door. Sitting there with the doors fully open in a rocking chair with a book or watching all the different birds is pure bliss! All this in a house where you don’t need an alarm clock because the howler monkeys will wake you up! Even though it was HOT while we there, the house never got hot and the fans kept the air moving. The rooms were cozy and comfortable but we only crawled in there to sleep since we spent all our time in the main room, by the pool or at the beach.A short walk down the road will take you to a peaceful and idyllic section of Playa Guiones. Most days, we were the only ones there though people would stroll by every so often. If we felt lonely we could walk a few minutes down the beach to where there were families and surfers were camped out. It’s a great beach for jogging since it is wide and mostly flat. Lots of interesting shells for those of you who can’t help but pick some up as you walk along. We didn’t do much but enjoy the sun and swim but we could have easily arranged for surf lessons, canopy tours, horseback riding, yoga, fishing trips, and other things in town. There are a bunch of restaurants in the area but the house is definitely set up so you could cook pretty fantastic meals at home.All in all, it was a pretty incredible week. I can’t wait to go back!

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