F.A.Q.

Read this page if you have any questions, if you can't find an answer you can send us an e-mail to info@costaricatreehouse.com

• Snorkeling
• Payment
• Food store
• Bed size
• Shared shower or kitchen?
• Taxis or buses
• Malaria
• Two separate bedrooms
• Community
• Internet
• Dolphins
• Bikes
• Swim
• Towels
• Wet or "buggy" time
• Activities
• Jungle House
• Drive from San Jose
• Security
• Reservation
• Electricity
• Lock doors
• Screened
• The bathroom
• The kitchen
• Safe for kids?
• Beach
• Airport

 

 

Is snorkeling good? Do you rent snorkeling equipment?

Depending on the time of the year the snorkeling is fantastic. Most recommended months for snorkeling are April/May and September/October. You can also enjoy snorkeling during other months when the tide is low and the ocean calm you wil. We do not rent snorkeling equipment, but there are many places around which do.
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Can we use Credit cards?

Unfortunately we can not offer you this service, other than your first payment over Paypal. If you are willing to pay paypal's commission yourself on top of the total, we do accept your balance payment with paypal. The commission is 5%. We take cash money, dollars and colones. However, we will take Traveller checks as well. If you decide to pay with traveller checks we ask you to pay at your first day. This due to the long period banks take to clear the checks.
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Is there a Grocery store near your hotel?

At less than a 5 minute walk from the Tree House Lodge, you will find two small Pulperias, little grocery stores in Spanish. Morenos store, Pirripli and El Duende Gourmet offer a wide range of products. From all fresh milk products and home made whole wheat bread to a wide assortment of vegetables and many Italian specialties. All kinds of little national and international restaurants are also at walking distance from the Tree House.
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Which bed sizes are the beds in the rooms?

All the houses have good orthopaedic mattresses. The Beach house and Bambu House have a queen size bed and a king size bed each. In the tree house you will find a bunk bed and 2 queen size beds. The Beach Suite has two Queen size beds and a king size one.
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Are the shower and kitchen shared with other costumers?

No, you never have to share any of the houses with any other customers. Each house offers its own facilities and they are completely private.
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Can I get a taxi around?

It is easy to find a taxi in Puerto Viejo. The fare to the Tree House is about $7. At night up to $9. We can always get you a cab from the Tree House Lodge. If you want to make your reservation in advance you can contact Luis 8838-3981. It takes about 10 minutes to drive from the Tree House Lodge to Puerto Viejo.
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How far is the bus stop from the Tree House Lodge?

Buses leave from Manzanillo at 5:00, 8:15 and 17:00 hours. They pass by the Tree house about 5 or 10 minutes later. These buses get about 2 hours later to limon. More buses stop in downtown Puerto Viejo. Buses leave to San Jose at: 7:00, 9:00, 11:00 and 16:00 hours. Buses from Autotransportes Mepe leave from San Jose to Puerto Viejo at the terminal del Caribe. They leave at: 6:00, 10:00, 13:30 and 15:30 hours. You will have to take a taxi from Puerto Viejo to the Tree House. The bus fare from San Jose to Puerto Viejo is about $9.
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Is Malaria a problem where you are? Will I have to be vaccinated?

Fortunately malaria is not a problem around Puerto Viejo. Around Bataan, 40 km west from Limon Malaria was reported in October 2008. However, this is almost 100 km from our area. In the areas around Puntarenas, at the pacific site, several cases are reported. If you feel safer, or you travel through different areas where malaria is reported, we would recommend you to keep taking your prophylaxis tablets. If your doctor prescribes you Lariam, that can be too much!! Watch out with that stuff!! A Dengue infection can be more alarming. They are frequently reported, but if you take proper precautions the chance to get infected is very small.
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Do I understand this correctly? The Tree House has two separate bedrooms so that it can accommodate two couples?

That's right.  Both the rooms have a double bed (195x140cm) besides; the bottom room also has a bunk bed.  The tree house can sleep in total up to 6 people. Besides, the upstairs room has its own private bathroom.
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Is there is a community of people living on these 10 acres of property around the tree House?

It is just a whole bunch of iguanas who live here all year round. The place is very quite and private. However, there is a chance you have to share the place with the Monkeys and sloths who frequently visit the tree House. Many times they just hang out right around the trees around the Tree House. If you leave fruits or other nice food on the counters at night, you have a good chance the Racoons will pay you a visit to share the food with you! But don't worry, they are not dangerous at all and very cute.
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Is there any internet access?

Only 5 minutes walking distance fom the Tree House Lodge, you will find a small internet cafe. For WiFi connections you have to go the Cocles community. At the Café Rio Negro, managed by a girl Marleen and her boyfriend, you can use high speed internet connections.
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Can we see Dolphins?

You can find dolphins in Manzanillo, 5 km south of the Tree House Lodge. There are 3 kinds of dolphins reported, including the very rare and recently discovered Amazon species "Tucuci". People from the dolphin foundation in Manzanillo, Aquamore, can take you on tours and it is almost guaranteed that you will see Dolphins. However, they won’t allow you to swim with them.
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Do you rent bikes?

300 meters from the Tree House Lodge, you can rent bikes. The price for one day is about $3. On a week rent, you will get a little discount. You might get better deals in Puerto Viejo, but it's a longer trip so it will be a little inconvenience on your last day when you have to take your bike back. You can also go off road and explore the area towards Paradiso, on the other side of the mountains.
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Can we swim in front of the Tree House Lodge?

Right in front of the property the beach is very beautiful and good to take a dip in, but not for real swimming. You can go into the water up to your knees. The coral reefs just out the shore make it almost impossible to cross to deep water. For a real swim you will have to walk 500 east towards Punta Uva, where the sea is safe, calm and has no rip tide.
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Do you provide towels and sheets when we stay at the Tree House Lodge?

As in any other hotel, towels and sheets are included in the price of the rent. We change the sheets and clean your house every other day. If you prefer it, we can clean your house every day, but please let us know at your arrival. You can always ask for more dry towels.
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Wet or "buggy" time?

Question: I am very interested in the design of your Tree-house property, but I am concerned that if we are visiting at a very wet or "buggy" time that the open design of the house may be uncomfortably wet, or too open to insects?

Answer: It is very difficult to prognosticate the weather here. The wet season is normally around July/August. From December to February chances of rains are higher.
The ocean breeze keeps mosquitoes away. Besides, all rooms of the houses are well screened in and the beds have mosquito nets. We rarely hear complaints from people about mosquitoes. It's usually the other way around. People came with the idea to be eaten alive, and it’s such a relieve its nothing like that, they hardly did not notice the mosquitoes.
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When we stay at the Tree House Lodge, what kind of activities can we do around it?

You won't have to worry about activities. There is a lot to do. Jungle hikes in the Manzanillo wildlife refuge are mostly recommended. You can also visit the butterfly farm, do horseback riding, snorkeling, diving, rent kayaks or bikes, take dolphin tours, visit the Iguana Farm, the chocolate farm, take a tour to the indigenous reserve in Bri Bri,  do canopy and wild water rafting and much more.
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How close/accessible are Gandoca-Manzanillo and Cahuita National Park?

The Tree House Lodge is located within the boundaries of the Gandoca- Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. For hiking in the refuge we recommend you to go to Manzanillo, from where nature guides can take you on a tour. The trails are narrow and sometimes difficult to find. The vegetation is very thick, walking off the trails in the rainforest is not recommended. The Cahuita National Park is 15 km North from Puerto Viejo.
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How far is the Tree House Lodge from San Jose?

Under normal conditions, the drive takes probably around 4-5 hours. The road from San Jose to the Tree House Lodge is paved all the way. At night it will probably take a little more. However, we do not recommend you to drive after dark in Costa Rica. People sit on the sides of the roads, there are pot holes everywhere and signs are very poor. We recommend you to drive from san jose to the tree house lodge during daytime.
You can also use our private transportation. The driver will pick you up from the airport or your hotel and drive you all the way down to the tree house. Taxis are cheap locally and it is not really a must to have your own vehicle while being at the Tree House Lodge. Unless you decide to travel trough the country and want to be independent, we do recommend you to use the private transportation.
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Is there security to prevent theft of our personal belongings?

We offer day and night security service. The houses are equipped with a safety box. The safe is big enough to store a large camera or even your personal computer.
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How do I go about making a reservation?

You can make your reservation using PayPal. If you can't use PayPal, you can send us an e-mail to ask for your reservation and as soon as you pay a 30% deposit, your stay is confirmed with us. The 30% deposit can also be payed through our account in the US at wells fargo. For European customers there is also the possibility to make deposits in Holland with the ABN –AMRO bank. We will always send you a reconfirmation of your booking. If you do not receive this within 24 hours after you paid your deposit, please contact us.
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Is there electricity?

Yes, the Tree House Lodge is just like any other Hotel and is hooked up with electricity. In Costa Rica the voltage is 110 Volts.
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Is the area open to the outside and do the doors and windows lock?

The Tree House kitchen and living room are all open. The room upstairs is fully screened and 98% bug free. The downstairs room of has air conditioning. The windows are screened, they do not need to open and there is a good air circulation. This makes the place very cool at night.
The Beach Suite also offers one room with air conditioning. All the beds at the Tree House Lodge have mosquito nets and mosquitoes.
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Do we need bug netting or is the house screened in?

You do not need to bring any mosquito netting, because all the rooms have nets. Mosquitoes are not too bad. The ocean breeze keeps them away. You can only expect some bugs just before the sunset. At night the bats help catch Mosquitoes. Did you know that one bat can eat 500 to 2000 mosquitoes in one night???
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Is the bathroom private? Is it open to the rest of the house? Does it have hot water?

The bathroom in the tree house is not open to the rest of the house, but opens towards the jungle. However, you have your privacy inside the bathroom. All showers in all houses have hot water. Sometimes you have to wait a little while until the hot water reaches the shower. This is due to the solar heating systems we have installed in all houses. In order to receive enough sun, they are sometimes located away from the houses.
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Does the kitchen have a stove and refrigerator?

In the Beach Suite the kitchen is equipped with a stove. Besides, all other houses have a full equipped kitchen with refrigerator.
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Is the tree house safe for kids?

At the tree house: To integrate the roots of the trees in the floor we built the floors at different levels, so watch out your steps. To get to the upstairs room you use the steel expansion cable bridge. The room is built about 4 meters from the ground. To go to your room, you have to watch your steps.  When it rains, the steps can get a little slippery, but anti slip strips on the steps help you get better grip. Kids can not use the bridge as a play ground.
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Is the beach far away?

The beach is only 150 meters from the tree house and the bambu house. The pictures on the website are from the front of the property. Normally, there is nobody out. It is very rare to see people out here. Both the beach house and the beach suite are only a few steps away from the water. From both house you can see the water.
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Where is the nearest airport to the Tree House Lodge?

The nearest airport is in Limon. Both Sansa and Nature Air fly to this airport a few times a week. For more information on fly schedules, visit their websites: www.flysansa.com and www.natureair.com
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