BEST FOOD, SERVICE, VIEWS, and STAY

Guest: PJ and Mike (Viera, FL)
Date of Stay: 12/26/11 Review Submitted: 01/30/12

My Husband and I stayed at Light of Dawn Villa for 5 days. Before it was time to leave we both wanted to stay and work on Pete's farm to live in Costa Rica forever! The scenery will blow your mind. The peaceful serenity and openness of the house is relaxing and exhilarating. My husband and I had a lat honeymoon and the vacation helped us rekindle our fire for one another. Peter is extremely knowledgeable about Costa Rica and nature. He is a local celebrity because every tour knew about Peter and about our arrival. All of the tours come with a meal and are well worth the money. Peter has hired the best cooks in his town. Their ribs and fish were our favorite. Clara and Cleo's cooking put my North Carolinian grandma's home cooking to shame. The best part about this getaway was the fact that you could keep in touch with society if you needed through his landline, internet, and satellite tv. The villa is located deep in the forest so I would not suggest you drive yourself unless you are extremely comfortable with mountain roads. We spent 2 nights in town before coming to Light of Dawn and it was a perfect transition from Florida, to Manual Antonio, to Light of Dawn. Pictures can't capture the true essence of this place.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, romantic getaway.

Second Honeymoon Paradise

Guest: Kim & Ron (Oakbank Manitoba)
Date of Stay: 12/03/11 Review Submitted: 12/28/11

Words and pictures hardly do justice to the Light of Dawn Villa when trying to describe our stay. Deborah was most helpful in setting up our stay prior to our arrival, s that we knew exactly what to expect when we got there. Pete picked us up in Quepos, and gave us the guided tour into the rainforest en route to the villa.The sheer beauty of being in the rainforest is something that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.And if you wish to visit the rainforest, this is certainly the place to do it from. The villa is a magnificent two story home with lots of open room to move around. It is very clean and well maintained. With balconies on two sides, you can pretty much get a panoramic (and breathtaking) view of the mountains and forest, taking in the birds, butterflies, and local flora. The trails cut through the forest were something to behold, and we spent many hours exploring them, relaxing at the waterfalls and natural pools. Loaded with all the modern amenities one would need, combined with superb meals, made this the highlight of our trip to Costa Rica. We had the combined luxury of being alone alone and feeling secluded in our villa, and still were able to go on a couple of tours arranged by our hosts. I doubt we could find a more romantic honeymoon getaway anywhere.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

So Sad to Leave!

Guest: ofrick (Jacksonville, Fl )
Date of Stay: 12/11/11 Review Submitted: 12/23/11

We are so happy with our choice of honeymoon! The owner and staff provided us with such wonderful service and local knowledge. We really loved the local fare that was cooked for us each day we were at the villa during lunch and the dinners every night. It was a perfect end to the day. The villa was very open and spacious and the sounds of the rainforest and the rain in the late afternoons and evening made the trip complete. All the tours we booked in advance through Peter and Deborah so all we had to do was show up! It was amazing not having to drive anywhere or decide anything for a full week. We left incredibly relaxed and refreshed! It was everything we hoped it would be and then some! We hope to be able to return one day! Thank you for the trip of a lifetime!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway.

The Perfect Honeymoon!!!

Guest: twocan (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 11/27/11 Review Submitted: 12/17/11

This place is sooo amazing!! We searched forever and we were thrilled to find this, it was exactly what we wanted. We did not want to be hanging around a crowded swimming pool in some hotel. It was enchanting to be in actual rain forest with gorgeous tropical plants and trees and only natural sounds. The birds serenade you awake in the morning. We were exhausted when we arrived, but it didn't take long to rest up there. There is so much to do, it really makes you want to come back. Zip lining was an absolute blast, I highly recommend it! The place is an adventure wonderland. We loved hiking the trails and spent one whole morning together in the waterfalls by ourselves. I thought I was dreaming, it's like you are in Avatar. The staff was so sweet and attentive and the chefs cooked delicious meals. I love having time together over candle lit dinners at the end of the day. Costa Rica has such fantastic food. Everything is organic and grown on the local farms. I have really never tasted mangoes, papayas & pineapples so fresh and flavorful. They grow many things on the property such as coconut trees. Eduardo would you cut you open fresh sweet coconuts in the morning to drink. A great way to start the day! It was truly an experience we will never forget. On the way there, as we climbed up into the forest I wondered if we had made the right choice. But once you are there, you really feel like you are in your own little Paradise. They saw to it they we had everything we wanted, and for us the week could not have been more perfect.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, people with disabilities, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

An Adventurous Dream in Paradise!

Guest: Coops (Colorado)
Date of Stay: 12/14/10 Review Submitted: 12/14/11

Hello, we stayed at the villa the week of November 14th to celebrate our 4 year anniversary. My lady and I are avid travelers and all I can say is that out of all the countries we have visited, this trip to Costa Rica was the most special. Deborah and Pete offer outstanding service, the property is breathtaking, the culture is devine, the tours are unforgettable thanks to the knowledgeable guides and the villa is a home you would want as your own. It felt as if you were a part of the jungle day and night. If you seek romance, relaxation and you love nature, this is the perfect place for you! We will 100% definitely be back to visit this magical country and there's only ONE place that we will stay and that's at the beautiful Rainforest Villa. Thank you Deborah and Peter. Andrew Walter

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, pet owners, people with disabilities, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Misleading! - This is a rustic cottage advertised and priced as a luxurious villa.

Guest: kedirkin (Toronto)
Date of Stay: 11/06/11 Review Submitted: 12/06/11

Advertising on the website describes it as "being pampered in luxury”, which we felt was misleading. The villa has no windows; it is open to the outside and protected by flimsy shutters and screens filled with gaps and holes that allow biting insects inside to disturb guests, even when the shutters are closed. Advertising for the property boasts 20+ waterfalls, but we only ever saw about 10 or so. There were allegedly others, but according to our guide they are deeper in the rain forest and inaccessible. Dinner for the first night’s stay is prepared by an actual chef, and guests select a meal based on a menu available online. Some of the selections don’t make sense though e.g., I selected a creole gumbo as a soup choice, and the chef said that she wouldn’t be preparing this for us as it takes too long to prepare. We wondered why, if it couldn’t be prepared, it’s still listed on the menu as an available option? Advertising on the website states that a chef "will prepare delicious breakfast... for you”, but this is untrue. Pre-packaged breakfast foods are left in the fridge, and it is up to guests to cook breakfast for themselves. For snacks, we listed that we like cheese and crackers, chips and salsa, chocolates, fruits and nuts. This was another major disappointment of the stay. Cheese and crackers was simply Ritz snack packs and pre-sliced processed cheese. Chips and salsa are pre-packaged junk food in the pantry. Chocolates were a basket full of candy bars and Oreo cookies. Given the price, in terms of food, the villa itself was such a huge letdown, given that we'd experienced freshly made gourmet chocolates and foods in other parts of Costa Rica, all at prices less than a tenth of what we paid here. Internet is impractical for guests since it is a hard-wired internet connection with a laptop provided by the property. When we asked for wi-fi access as we access e-mail from our smart phones, the owner stated that he had a wireless router that could be connected, but it was never provided during our stay. The closest we got to our request was a hand written note one morning that said, “I still can’t find the wi-fi.” Advertising on the website states "the caretakers will tend to your laundry for you” as part of the package, but when we asked about this, we were told to do our own laundry. Similar to being asked to make our own breakfast, given the price of the package, we found this disappointing and frustrating.

Owner response:Is it possible that Pete's ex-wife sent you? We were just kind of wondering since the nature of your review is just so out of sync with anything else being written about us. It just seems a tiny bit suspect, that's all.... But I encourage the readers to read on and decide for themselves. That being said, we know that this experience is not for everyone. Although we have free US calling and broadband Internet available, we do not advertise Wi-fi. In all honesty, this has never come up before. I can only assume that Honeymooners who come to stay 1000 ft up in a rain forest had either more adventurous or more romantic things on their mind. We are sorry you felt out of your element. We have recently switched to letting couples handle their own breakfast as a way of giving them the utmost privacy (which is explained in the materials sent out to you ahead of time). Again we specialize in Honeymooners. Most seem to prefer that time to themselves in the mornings and so the change was made out of respect for their time together. As for the waterfalls .... we are sorry you only saw 10 (or so) of them. There are indeed at least 20 if not more on the 223 acres. You can not see all of them, but you can hear them all around you at night. In addition, you were only 5 days with us and went on a tour each day. Others who have stayed longer and had more time have made arrangements with the tour guide to hike up the mountains to view these surrounding waterfalls. Some are over 100 feet tall and are quite stunning. It is an aggressive hike, but very rewarding for those who manage it. If you are up to the challenge, please come back when you have more time and we would be happy to take you to see them! All the best, D&P

Recommended for:

HEAVEN ON EARTH

Guest: Charlene (Sicklerville, NJ)
Date of Stay: 04/04/11 Review Submitted: 10/15/11

We stayed at the Villa for our honeymoon in April 2011. If I had to describe it in one word with would be: INCREDIBLE!! From the planning stages to the actual trip, every thing was great!!! The owners, Deborah and Peter, are WONDERFUL. They were such a pleasure to deal with. The staff, Dona Cleo and Daisy, were absolutely amazing. They catered to every and all of our needs. They really spoiled us rotten!! They cooked the most amazing food. When we left, it felt like we were leaving family. The Property itself was Heaven on Earth!! It was absolutely beautiful. The villa, the grounds, the waterfalls, everything was breathtaking! I am already planning my next trip back!!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+.

I've never been so relaxed

Guest: Mark (Chicago)
Date of Stay: 12/07/10 Review Submitted: 01/16/11

My wife and I stayed here on our honeymoon in December of 2010. At first we were a little hesitant to commit to this trip, as you can probably understand. It is located in the rainforest of some strange country we’ve never been to. But after talking to Deborah via email all our worries went away as she answered all our questions and took care of all the little details ahead of time. We were looking for a luxurious, isolated place, and we sure found it. The trip from Quepos airport to the villa is definitely an adventure and 45 minutes of driving through less and less inhabited land on a very bumpy road is well worth the reward of seeing nothing but rainforest and mountains all around you. We’re used to the hustle and bustle of living in a busy city so the location of the villa took a little bit of adjusting to but after a couple of days at the villa full of food, tours and fresh air, we were waking up with the birds very relaxed and without any worries. We felt a little spoiled getting meals cooked for us, and I’m quite sure we ate far too much that week as the food just seemed to keep coming. We were stuffed! But you only take a honeymoon once, right? The tours were great, especially the zip-lining, which we highly recommend if you are feeling a bit adventurous. It also made us realize how lucky we were to have such a great place to stay. Everyone else was going back to some boring hotel after the tour…meanwhile we went up the mountains to our private luxury rainforest villa :) This is a great place if you are looking for a very unique location and don’t mind going off the beaten path a little to reap the reward of things like a private nature-made rainwater waterfall pool. If you want to be around crowds of people and spend your days doing touristy stuff, then you might be a little out of place. Normally I’m ready to get home at the end of a trip…but this time not only did we not want to leave….we were ready to fly back to Costa Rica as soon as we landed in Chicago!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car.

The Perfect Honeymoon!

Guest: MTcouple (Laurel, MT)
Date of Stay: 05/18/09 Review Submitted: 11/07/10

Couldn't have picked a better place to take our honeymoon! If you are looking to get away from the rat race and be alone with your new partner this is the place. The couple that runs Light of Dawn Villa? are great. They put together a package that is almost to good to be true. Once you get there you will be hooked on Costa Rica. This place has beautiful views, amazing weather all year round, wonderful food, its peaceful, and it was a perfect way to begin our marriage. I would recommend it to anyone.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

It's simply heaven!

Guest: Angie (Littleton, CO)
Date of Stay: 11/13/09 Review Submitted: 10/29/10

Once you get to Costa Rica, you will never want to leave! The Light of Dawn Villa is like your very own piece of heaven. I cannot describe how catered to you feel or how beautiful the rainforest is. My boyfriend and I spent our 2 year anniversary there and the place was oozing romance. Every morning we woke up and jumped into waterfalls and every night before bed, we would sit outside and watch countless bright shooting stars. Put all of your worries and stress behind you and see how peaceful you will feel about 5 minutes after stepping off the plane. Deborah and her staff customize your entire vacation and make you feel like royalty. You cannot go wrong with this vacation! Angie & Derek from Denver, Colorado

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