Thank you Norm and Callie

Guest: joan h.
Date of Stay: 01/06/12 Review Submitted: 02/09/12

Thank you Norm and Callie for a wonderful stay. The hardest part of our trip was getting up to your house in the dark in a complete fog, but that was not exactly your fault! We thought the house was lovely, everything was spotlessly clean and the fresh flowers were a nice addition. Both of you were so lovely- we enjoyed the tour of your garden, and especially appreciated your recommendations as to what to do around San Ramon. When something went wrong later in our trip after we left, Peter said "we can always call Norm and Callie", our new friends.! We really felt warmth and caring when we stayed with you! I would recommend your house to all of my friends (and I am very fussy!) See you next year!

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Our stay at Norm and Collie's Casita

Guest: Jodi and Russ (Pennsylvania)
Date of Stay: 01/11/12 Review Submitted: 02/02/12

This casita is clean and comfortable and Norm and Collie are extremely gracious hosts, even music was provided. They also have an extensive movie library that you can use. They were more than happy to help with information and recommendations for places to go. A vehicle is necessary if you stay there. The property is beautiful and there are trails for walking. I would definitely recommend staying there.

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Wonderful relacing stay

Guest: Liinda B.
Date of Stay: 01/25/12 Review Submitted: 01/29/12

What a great place to unwind!! This is a spotless and relaxing place to totally unwind. We enjoyed the peace, cool climate, and great views during our 3 day stay. Norm and Collie are gracious hosts with a good directions on how to find this out of the way place. They orient you to the area and unlike some cities in the country San Ramon is an easy place to navigate if you are so inclined to leave the property. If you want to cook you own meals this is the place or if you don't want to cook the city and great restaurants are within 20 minutes of the property. The fog did roll in frequently while we were there but once you drive up the road it's easy to find on subsequent trips up to the casita. This was a very nice last 3 days to our trip in Costa Rica. I highly recommend this as a place to stay.

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Peaceful Retreat with Incredible Views

Guest: Joan B.
Date of Stay: 12/16/11 Review Submitted: 01/08/12

We spent a week at Norm & Collie's beautiful casita and enjoyed every minute of it. As you drive up the mountain, you enter a quiet, lovely paradise that they have created. Whether you just want to kick back and relax or go out every day to various sites, this is a perfect location. For the days we didn't want to do a lot of driving, Norm & Collie had some great suggestions. We just can't say enough about how gracious and available they were when we needed them. However, we also felt we had complete privacy. We spent several mornings having coffee on the veranda and saw a couple of incredible sunsets over the Pacific ocean and Nicoya Peninsula. Even at night, when the clouds hadn't rolled in, it was a spectacular view of city lights. Day trips included Poas Volcano, The Botanical garden in Sarchi, Villa Blanca for lunch and massage, and Carara National Park for a hike with a guide. Due to the distance, we didn't make it to Monteverde/Arenal Volcano. Best to plan an overnight in that area if you want to hike, zipline, etc. Every day, we tried to return to the casita by sunset and spent the evening cooking and watching movies we got from Norm's extensive collection. There is no TV reception but we certainly didn't miss it. Our goal was to really get away and we were able to do so at the casita. We highly recommend this rental. Thanks to Norm and Collie for making our vacation so memorable.

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Mountainl top paradise

Guest: Lew & Jane (Salt Lake City)
Date of Stay: 12/08/11 Review Submitted: 12/18/11

My wife and I recently stayed at this San Ramon mountain top cottage "casita" and had an excellent time.. The casita and surrounding grounds far exceeded our expections but that is Costa Rica! This is a special place with a amazing view when it is clear. Even when it is not the fog puts on a spectacular show rolling through. On arrival we were greeted and welcomed by the owners Norm and Collie. They showed us around and explained the casita, their walking trails that they have constructed and even local attractions and restuarant favorites. It is very evident they take great pride in the grounds and this rental cottage and it shows. The casita is very well appointed with an excellent pillowtop bed, large bathroom with great & warm shower and a well equipted kitchen. . The covered porch with its view is something you will be wanting to take home with you it is so awesome. My wife and I were on a 10 day vacation with a list of places we wanted to see. Norm and Collie's casita was an excellent base to explore arnel volcano, the artist town of Sarchi and our very favorite mountain town of Zarcero. At the end of the long days it was always funs to eat in San Ramon and then head up the hill to the quite of the mountain top. We wished we would have had a few more days in this casita to truly enjoy the trails and take in the surrounding beauty. We feel that this cottage is a very good vaue and will stay again when coming to this area of CR. We highly recommend this casita to our friends and to anyone who is seeking a wonderful rental casita in a very special part of Costa Rica. Enjoy!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+.

My wife had not slept so sound in years

Guest: Relaxed (Kennesaw, Georgia)
Date of Stay: 08/20/11 Review Submitted: 12/12/11

We visited Costa Rica in August 2011 and stayed the second half of our trip with Norm and Collie as our hosts in their amazing casita. We were on a fact finding vacation and first took a 3 day tour along with 10 other people that was terrific and met all of our expectations and more. After the fast paced and informative tour, our goal was to relax, mingle with the local ticos, and visit the countryside. Once we arrived at the casita it was so quick and easy to switch into the relaxing mode we were striving for. Norm and Collie gave us a warm welcome, a brief overview of the amenities provided, and left us alone to enjoy the beautiful grounds and views. In the morning my wife said she had not slept so sound in years. The usual daily stresses just disappeared with all of the tranquility surrounding us. After breakfast Norm and Collie gave us directions to head out and explore parts of Costa Rica we had researched and were anxious to visit. After each busy day when we returned to the casita the mountain and ocean views were breathtaking.. We highly recommend staying here if you are looking for a relaxing and romantic adventure. Thanks, Norm and Collie!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+.

Mountain side casita with a view and private walking trails

Guest: Nancy (Nevada)
Date of Stay: 11/16/11 Review Submitted: 12/08/11

Our week stay at Norm and Collie's Casita was a great experience. Norm and Collie are just the kind of hosts you want. They are very informative and helpful, but respect your privacy. The kitchen was well stocked. All you needed was a trip to the store, and if it's Friday don't miss the farmers market. For evening entertainment just choose a movie from Norms large list of DVDs. The extras, like free wifi, a safe, and that Norm will make copies of your passport page, so you can leave your passport in the safe is just icing on the cake. Oh,ya, there might even be Collies banana bread!

Owner response:We’re so pleased that you had a great experience; we always appreciate hearing from our guests. A small detail however, you’ll really need a car to get here and to get around. We’re 5 miles from downtown San Ramon.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Monsoon Honeymoon

Guest: Terry B. (-)
Date of Stay: 10/08/11 Review Submitted: 10/24/11

While Norm and Collie can't be held responsible for the weather (after all we did pick the rainy season to visit), it did pour the entire 10 days of our trip. Nevertheless, we found the casita cosy and welcoming at the end of the day and Norm and Collie to be charming and gracious hosts. What you see is what you get. No trick photography here. The accommodations and grounds are well-located and beautifully maintained. We used San Ramon as our base for visits to Monteverde and Volcan Arenal, which we did on two separate days. They were all-day journeys, but the scenery along the backroads in Costa Rica's is what we came for, right? We dined at several of Norm and Collie's recommended spots and found them to be quite adequate. If you're looking for a sumptuous dining experience, go to France or Italy. We highly recommend Norm and Collie's romantic hideaway. It's a real find.

Owner response:Yes, the weather was horrible, and we thought of you and hoped that you didn’t have problems driving to the Manual Antonio after leaving here. It is too bad that you didn’t have a chance to walk our trails, but we’re happy to hear that we and our casita met your needs and expectations. We work really hard to make our guests’ stay as enjoyable as possible, but, as much as we’d like to, we can’t stop the rain.

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A Place to breathe deep and enjoy the view

Guest: Andy (Gulfport. MS)
Date of Stay: 05/29/11 Review Submitted: 06/04/11

From the time we sent the initial email inquiry about the Norm and Collie's casita until the time we drove out of their driveway, the experience was wonderful. The casita is a beautiful place tucked on the side of a mountain with spectacular views...even when the clouds roll by it is amazing. The casita is beautiful and Norm and Collie were helpful in getting to the off-the-beaten-path location. Norm's directions brought us right to the door. The town of San Ramon is a nice non-touristy place with some wonderful restaurants. The location was perfect for us to do day trips to the coast, to hike, to zip line and to just see the beauty of Costa Rica. I would definitely recommend the casita to a couple looking for a beautiful, relaxing place to spend some time in Costa Rica. If you want to zip line, I can highly recommend San Luis Canopy Tours. We booked through Villa Blanca, but I think you can book directly with San Luis. The guides were great. Rates were reasonable and I never worried about safety. For the more adventurous and hearty, the Catarat del Toro at Baja del Toro was beautiful. It is a beautiful....and heart stopping drive. I would not recommend it with out a GPS and a strong stomach. But the hike down to the waterfall and the waterfall itself is beautiful. Norm and Collie thanks for a great 20th anniversary trip. Hope we will return again and again. And we are still looking for a way to retire to Costa Rica.

Owner response:We are always happy to know that the casita met our guests’ expectations. We've added photos from Kim and Andy and more information about the Waterfalls and zip line to our personal web site: norm-collie.com/casita/activities.htm

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, age 55+.

Wonderful Costa Rican Getaway

Guest: Sarah (US)
Date of Stay: 03/08/11 Review Submitted: 04/05/11

We really enjoyed our stay at the casita. Beautiful mountain view so high up in the mountains you can see the ocean 30 miles away. Very private and quiet location. Lovely landscaping and hiking trails. Norm and Collie were great and very helpful and informative. We would love to go back. Thanks Norm and Collie! -Sarah And Will- Newlyweds from Texas

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, girls getaway, age 55+.