Privacy and Relaxation

Guest: Simon B.
Date of Stay: 12/24/11 Review Submitted: 01/16/12

My wife and I just got back from two blissful weeks in Costa Rica, spent almost entirely at Casa Toucan, surrounded on all sides by lush greenery. This is the most secluded place we have ever rented. If you stand at the far end of the very nice pool, you _might_ see your closest neighbour, still quite a distance away. What you do see is jungle, everywhere jungle, with all the little pleasant surprises that accompany such a setting: toucans, monkeys (howler and capuchin), butterflies, hummingbirds, etc.. You get the picture. This is not to say that you are seeing all these animals non-stop, but you will see animals on a regular basis. And some may wake you up in the early morning hours too! The house itself is fantastic with all the amenities you would want or expect. Fridge, oven, washer, dryer, dishwasher, dishes, utensils, myriad kitchen gadgets, BBQ (though we didn't use it), tv, DVDs, cleaning agents: it's all there (with one odd exception, no corkscrew, which I'm sure will be rectified, given the attentive nature of the owners). Without a doubt the best stocked villa we have ever rented. The views from inside, from the excellent patio and from the pool level are all fantastic. The sunsets are amazing. I can truthfully say that the villa is actually better looking "live" than what you see in the pictures. The villa is located about 10-15 minutes from Uvita which has two supermarkets, a drugstore, liquor store, restaurants, etc. Also nearby is a national park with whale watching, snorkeling, or just hanging by the beach, though we mostly spent our days lounging by the villa's nice pool, catching up on some reading. All of this does however come at a price, and that's the steep drive from Uvita up the hill (and down the hill later), which can be a bit scary at first, but becomes much easier to navigate once you've done it once or twice. The owners pretty well tell you that you will need a 4x4 car, which we did. We never actually went into 4x4 mode, but we did go into low gear and were thankful for the clearance. This is the only downside, and its a small one, for staying at the villa. Bottom line is that we highly recommend Villa Toucan. I am still scratching my head as to how they ever got the internet in such a remote location!

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Wonderful House and Owners!

Guest: Merryn (Seattle, Washington, USA)
Date of Stay: 06/17/11 Review Submitted: 07/26/11

My friend and I had the pleasure of staying at Casa Toucan this past June. I have been to Costa Rica before, and I have rented houses there and other places internationally. First, the owners of Casa Toucan are very responsive and helpful - the best experience I have had renting a home! All of our questions were not only promptly answered, but the owners provided us with lots of additional information, which we very much appreciated. Second, the house is lovely! It's spacious, well-planned out, and very clean, and we were very comfortable during our stay. Yes, the hill is a bit daunting the first time, but after that, we got used to it and drove it daily, including at night...in the rain, etc. (We did have a 4WD). The house also well-stocked - more so than any other house I've rented. We didn't need to purchase anything extra aside from food - the owners provide plenty of everything, from dishwashing soap to laundry detergent to paper towels - thank you! Finally, the setting was gorgeous...the sunsets were incredible, and the jungle sounds - especially at night - were like listening to a nature CD! The house exceeded our expectations as far as view, layout, and comfort. It really is lovely. It's clear that the owners take pride in their home, and they go out of their way to make sure that travelers feel at home during their stay. The house is truly a "jungle retreat." We'd absolutely come back, and I'd recommend it to anyone traveling to the Uvita area.

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

Really enjoyed our stay

Guest: J&P (Calgary, Alberta)
Date of Stay: 06/06/11 Review Submitted: 07/03/11

We spent 4 nights at Casa Toucan in June, the early rainy season. We loved it. The property is clean and well equipped. The owners are very well-organized and have seen to most needs. The home is spacious and nicely laid out. The location is beautiful, though a four-wheel-drive is certainly essential to get there. The temperature and humidity were more comfortable at the higher elevation. We heard the howler monkeys nearby, but were not lucky enough to see them. There were plenty of birds. There are some beautiful beaches nearby.

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

Peaceful Seclusion

Guest: Ron (Dublin, Ireland)
Date of Stay: 01/07/11 Review Submitted: 01/16/11

Myself and my wife had a truly wonderful time at Casa Toucan, paradise really. The photos don't do it justice. Amazing view with stunning two-hour-long sunsets, loads of wildlife, with monkeys leaping from tree to tree right in front of the terrace and it felt very luxurious having our own totally private, secluded swimming pool. Everything was perfect with the house, couldn't fault it anywhere. The worst thing about it was leaving.

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

Casa Toucan

Guest: Ana (San José)
Date of Stay: 12/26/10 Review Submitted: 01/07/11

We had an unforgettable holiday in Casa Toucan! The place is just magical. It has a fantastic view. The house is very clean, organised and it has everything you need to have a very pleasant and wonderful stay. It's in the middle of the jungle so you can hear the monkeys and see the toucans and other lovely birds on a daily basis. Rob and Lynn are very nice and they make their home feel like yours. We definitely recommend Casa Toucan and we hope you have as much fun as we did!

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

Easter in Toucan House

Guest: JoseB (San Jose, Costa Rica)
Date of Stay: 03/30/10 Review Submitted: 04/06/10

I was pleasantly surprised by the architecture of Toucan House as well as its location. This house is unique. The rooms are designed to let you feel you are in the wild, day and night. The master bedroom is very spacious, with an open master bath. The views of the ocean and the mountain are spectacular. An important feature of this house is privacy. It is located up in the hills, wild tropical vegetation surrounding the house. Nevertheless it is only minutes away from the infrastructure of the town of Uvita and the beaches in the south Pacific coast of Costa Rica. All descriptions were detailed and accurate, the property was clean and well maintained. I would definitively recommend this property to a friend or relative.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, families with young children, pet owners, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

exotic Casa Toucan

Guest: upholsterypal (clinton, Ct. USA)
Date of Stay: 03/01/10 Review Submitted: 03/24/10

We really enjoyed our stay at Casa Toucan! The villa is nestled up on a mountain in the rain forest. Every morning two large toucans greeted us. We saw lots of exotic birds and one morning we saw a family of howler monkeys! Everyday we explored the many different beaches. Each one has its own charm. Costa Rica is known for its surfing and sport fishing. My husband and son took a charter and caught a large sailfish. Everyday was sunny and very warm. I hope we can come back.

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

Wish we could have stayed longer!

Guest: Two happy Nova Scotians ( South coast of Nova Scotia, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/18/10 Review Submitted: 03/22/10

We wanted to thank you for renting us your beautiful house in Uvita. We were so glad to get there after ten days of travelling, hiking and driving, (and after the climb up to the house!) that we didn't come down the hill again for over 36 hours! We just loved the place. It had everything we could have possibly needed and more. We really appreciated the list of recommended restaurants and attractions. We liked having a coffee grinder to make the most of the excellent Costa Rican coffee we had bought at an organic plantation in Paraiso. We liked the BBQ, fluffy beach towels, watched one DVD, took a walk down the grassy hill behind the house, did laundry, but basically just enjoyed being together in a beautiful, quiet setting. We loved the beautiful view, sunsets, tranquillity and, especially, the privacy. After doing all that laundry, we didn't want to get it dirty again, and luckily we didn't have to wear much here! We were in the pool at least 4 times a day. It was perfect! On the Sat. morning, we forced ourselves (having almost run out of food...) to go down to the town, where we poked our noses into the nice market (interestingly most of the vendors seemed to be expats), did a quick email check at the nice little cafe opposite the market, ate lunch at Citrus (which was great), looked at a couple of the beaches (hot, hot, hot! and little or no shade), and ran back "home" to make the most of the day we had left! We had only booked for 3 nights and wished we had had the house longer! Think we are in our 20s or 30s? No way; one of us is in her mid 50s and the other in his 60s!

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

Right combination of the rustic and the elegant

Guest: Art and Lesley (Nashville, Tennessee)
Date of Stay: 12/25/09 Review Submitted: 03/17/10

For anyone thinking of visiting Casa Toucan we (Art and Lesley) want to say that this is an absolutely spectacular and romantic place. It has just the right combination of the rustic and the elegant. Large picture windows at the back and side give you a real connection with nature. The large window at the rear overlooks the swimming pool lower down and every evening through the back there is an unobscured view of a beautiful sunset over the Pacific Ocean. In the evenings and mornings Toucans flock to the trees, and on some mornings monkeys come down the hill from the opposite direction to visit. The road is steep and a 4-wheel drive is necessary for the 15 minute drive to get up the hill from town, but along the coast, well paved local flat roads take you to easily accessible and very beautiful beaches and some very excellent restaurants. For us the daily drive up and down the hill actually became fun after an initial accommodation and acclimatization in the first day or so. Casa Toucan is well equipped and has some of the better cutlery and kitchen utensils we have seen in multiple visits to other locations in the Caribbean. The outside night lighting is varied and perfect for dinner dining or enjoying the evening air. If you are looking for the experience that you would get in a 5-star hotel in a major city with people to attend to your every need, Casa Toucan is not for you, but if you are looking for a beautiful home that is truly integrated into the similar beauty of the jungle, this is your place. Thanks for a wonderful stay. We would like to come back again some day.

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

CASA TOUCAN

Guest: dawn chorus (UK)
Date of Stay: 02/11/10 Review Submitted: 03/17/10

Casa Toucan did not live up to its publicity but perhaps more important for us was what was not said in the advertisement. A UK estate agent (US realtor) would have been proud of the way this was sold.The setting in the rain forest is quite splendid and it has a nice pool, but this was more than offset by the downsides. The house is 4km off the main road and accessed by a steep rough track - no problem for a reasonably competent driver in a 4WD in daytime. However, had there been a problem at night, contacting and accessing emergency services would have been a nightmare - no house phone and no connectivity for cellphones. The "modern American kitchen" was in fact rather old-fashioned and tired, as was the bedlinen and some of the furnishings. Given the isolation and absence of TV, it would not have been unreasonable to expect a decent selection of DVDs, CDs and literature - what was provided was very limited. It was advertised as "a paradise for birdwatchers" - as well-travelled wildlife enthusiasts we can honestly attest that it is not - certainly not in terms of variety and numbers of species compared to other places we have stayed, including elsewhere in Costa Rica.The ocean views were rather distant. Casa Toucan was poor value for two occupants and would not have been much better for more than two since the second bedroom was spartan and dingy. Sleeping 7 would really be pushing it. Uvita itself is overrated - it looks as though the tourist boom has stalled despite the excellent new road from San Jose, leaving the town and its associated tourist businesses rather down-at-heel. Daytime temperatures of 100oF + inhibited many outdoor activities on the coast. Costa Rica was great and the people charming, but the week at Uvita/Casa Toucan was for us rather a disappointment.

Owner response:I am confused and dismayed by this review. It is so completely negative that I am not sure how to respond but I will try to address these criticisms. All roads off the main coastal road are dirt or gravel. Our road is steep but made of strong gravel and is one of the best maintained in the area. I have never had anyone report that they were afraid of going out at night. We have a brand new state-of-the-art hospital 25 minutes south which has an excellent emergency room. I took my 88 year old mother there just this past year and we were all very pleased with her care. Our kitchen is fully equipped but not fancy. We have over 50 DVD's and around 25 CD's. We try to have a mix of ones good for kids, teenagers and adults. Our library is a "leave one, take one" so we don't have much control over the content. We now have the internet because Costa Rica recently released the sale of 3G modems allowing us to provide WiFi throughout the house. We love our bird population but we are not professional birders. We also love our village of Uvita. It is hot but we are at least 10 degrees cooler up at the house because of the elevation. We have never seen temperatures out of the '80's in the house. We hope you will consider Uvita and our home for your vacation. Please feel free to mention any concerns that this review creates and I will try to give the most accurate picture I can.

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