But, I kept feeling like I was running into roadblocks searching for luxury camping spots. High end destinations in the states were outside our budget...by a lot.A few places I found in Canada were too hard to get to. With a week for the trip (and in our infancy days of travel planning), Europe felt too far. After spending hours combing through the depths of the Internet, one place finally appeared. It truly felt like it came out of nowhere, but somehow I stumbled upon Rafiki Safari Lodge in Costa Rica.
Communicating with the team beforehand was so great. It’s a family run affair, and all their employees come from the small villages they border. Typically, the Super Lekker starts at the Lodge and then heads to the Beach, but because our flight was getting in late, they suggested we switch it up, as the road up to the Lodge in the mountains isn’t great for driving at night.
The safari tents are beautiful! A king bed and an attached bathroom with a porch and patio furniture: they’re so comfortable, and quickly felt like home. While the beach was more humid, the tent had a fan inside that helped cool the place down.
It was the perfect wake up surprise after traveling the day before! We had fresh fruit, plantanos, and a robust breakfast waiting just for us, and someone to let us know when our car would be there to take us to our canopy zipline tour.
Ziplining through the rainforest was incredible, and our guides were great, including trying to get us to flip upside down as we went. We didn’t partake, but it was fun watching them spin mid-zip!
But, the real highlight of the beach camp (other than all of it!) was the kayaking adventure through mangrove forests. We launched in an estuary of the Savegre River, and took that down until we hit the Pacific Ocean. When I tell you that there were monkeys everywhere, I mean it! As the mangroves canopied over us, you could see monkeys hanging out in every direction, just watching and enjoying having some human company! It was a surreal experience. At the end of it, we headed back to the Beach Camp for an amazing BBQ, where we got to just hang out in the pool while the staff made our food.
Once we got done eating and packing, we had our van waiting for us to take us up to the Lodge! As breathtaking as the beach had been, the Lodge is still one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Driving up to the incredible main building, we were met with some fruity drinks and given a quick tour. Each night, we had two options to choose between for dinner. We obviously chose to get one of each to share and try them both! That first night, I remember a shrimp and rice that was so delicious. All the food at Rafiki is locally caught and sourced, and you could taste it in how fresh the food felt.
The main lodge offers three excursions, all included in the Super Lekker: whitewater rafting, a waterfall hike, and horseback riding through the rainforest. All were incredible, but what especially stood out was the waterfall hike. Their local guide takes you back into the rainforest, discovering waterfalls that only a true local could know existed. The remoteness of every spot was overwhelming. It felt like we were the only people on Earth, experiencing something that so few people would ever see. And every excursion left us with time in the afternoon to get back to those porch rocking chairs.
Leaving Rafiki was a sad day, and since we’ve been, parts of their reserve have been destroyed by wildfire. But, the resort is still going strong, and for around $2500 for 2 people, was a steal for an all-inclusive honeymoon experience. It’s a place we’d love to go back to some day, and for anyone looking for a more adventurous all-inclusive vacation, it really can’t be beat!
