Gaia Hotel and Reserve in Manuel Antonio is NOT for the budget-minded traveler. Matter of fact- Gaia is TOP SHELF all the way... so Top Shelf, I'm almost surprised they don't have their own vodka. From its views, to it's restaurant, spa facilities, kick-ass rooms, friendly staff- Gaia is a perfect example of getting what you pay for. The villa we stayed in and is featured in the video below, goes anywhere from about $900-$1200 depending on the season. But don't let that scare you, they also have smaller rooms for MUCH cheaper but still all the amenities.
The terrace outside our room at Gaia Hotel. And the MOST important amenity a hotel can offer- Cacique...Whoo Hoo.
Truth is, we don't often get to travel like ROCK STARS but our friends and owners of Gaia, David and Boris, said they'd be delighted for us to use the room for a few days while we were doing some video shooting in Manuel Antonio. So for us, that's a TOTAL SCORE!
So we decided to go ahead and shoot another video for Gaia since we did the original about 3 years ago but also as BIG Thank-You to David and Boris for letting us hang-out for a few days.
If you're ever in the Manuel Antonio area and want to be treated like Rock Stars or impress that special someone with a romantic get away... Check out GAIA Hotel and Reserve. And here's their website for more INFO- Gaia Hotel and Reserve
Here's the original Gaia Hotel and Reserve video we did back in 2009.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Gaia Hotel and Reserve in Manuel Antonio Costa Rica where we stayed a couple of weeks ago... Yup, every now and then we get to live like ROCK STARS.
A friend was taking her niece to Manuel Antonio and asked us if we wanted to go along. SWEET- a ride. Believe me, riding the buses gets a SOoooooooo old. To make sure we had a place to stay, I called our good friends at Gaia Hotel who said they would love for us to come out and since D'Angelo and I aren't in the position to turn down free rides and lodging (at a 5-Star resort no less), we obviously decided to go. We love living in La Fortuna, but it is nice to get away every now and then.
We love Manuel Antonio, but we love it more during 'low' season. During 'high' season it just gets to darn touristy. And the way Manuel Antonio is laid out makes it seem even more so. Basically one road in and out dotted with restaurants and hotels and during 'high' season, just too many cars and people for our liking. But that's cool too, a lot of people like a lot of other folks around. We just don't happen to be among them.
Anyway, we'll be putting out a few videos in the near future about our little excursion there, so be on the look-out. In the meantime, here's couple Manuel Antonio pics.
Most girls couldn't pull this l@@k off, but she totally ROCKS it.
Surfing is popular in Manuel Antonio.
This is how we like Manuel Antonio.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica is a tourist destination for a VERY good reason- Nice beaches, picturesque sunsets, hotels and restaurants to fit any budget, and it's also home to probably the most visited park in the country (Manuel Antonio National Park)... and of course the wildlife in the area is also a MAJOR attraction. Although not necessarily a good thing, it is possible to get quite close to the wildlife in the area, so photo and video ops are around every corner. Especially in the park, and double especially with the capuchin monkey's, iguanas, and squirrel monkeys.
We had just checked out of Gaia and were making the trek down the hill to our car in order to head back to our town, La Fortuna, approximately 5 hours away. But a TREAT was in store for us, because passing through the Gaia Hotel and Reserve was a community of squirrel monkeys.
These little guys are SOOOO CUTE.... much smaller than the capuchin's and the howlers in the area, but in my opinion, WAY cuter and more FUN to watch. Unfortunately, these species of squirrel monkeys that call Manuel Antonio home, are not doing so well. The corridors in which they roam are being cut down to make way for what the 'powers that be', like to call 'PROGRESS'. Habitats are destroyed, and 'HOME' is becoming smaller every year. There's only about 1500 of these little guys left. My take on Costa Rica's conundrum: Costa Rica- SLOW Down
Here's our VIDEO. If you dig monkeys, this is pretty nice footage, so sit back and ENjOy. And if you 'd like to help the plight of the squirrel monkey, please contact us at TravelCostaRicaNOW@gmail.com
Manuel Antonio National Park is perhaps the #1 tourist destination in ALL Costa Rica, with places like La Fortuna,Tamarindo,Jacó and a few others- a couple steps behind. Manuel Antonio is like the Poster Boy for Costa Rica, the CREAM of the CROP, the successful SON, the CROWN JEWEL; but NOW it appears Manuel Antonio is about to be pushed off the pedestal- HARD! Why, because Costa Rica has shot itself in the FOOT (actually the FACE), yet again.
Here’s the Costa Rican NEWS today:
The Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio could be shut down the end of the month unless the Ministerio de Ambiente, Energía y Telecomunicaciones (Minaet) corrects a number of deficiencies signaled by the Área Rectora de Salud de Aguirre (local health department), following a visit to the park last week.Read FULL story here.
Read the story if you must, but it’s all about SHIT; shit in the ocean, shit in the lagoons all around Manuel Antonio National Park- nothing but shit, shit, shit. There’re also a few problems with ‘exceeding park capacity,’ and ‘junk vehicles found in some of the trails,’ but mostly SHIT, and ‘flowing’ from the RANGER STATION- are you fuck’in kidd’in ME.
This story disgusts me. There’s nothing to say, and I don’t want to even THINK about the implications- let’s just say if this is happening in Manuel Antonio, what about the Parks and places around the country that don’t get as much ‘PLAY,’ or have the resources Manuel Antonio has been privy to over the years. And don’t get me started about the Eco-friendly, GREEN, Self-Sustainable, ‘BULLSHIT moniker’s,' Costa Rica has been waving in the AIR the last 10 years or so in order to entice the eco-tourist, they’re obviously not SERIOUS about this SHIT. pun intended.
I DON’T GET IT. It’s not, “What are you thinking?” it’s “Are you thinking?”
I want to SEE HEADS ROLL.
I want SWIFT ACTION.
I just want the SHIT to stay in Jacó where it belongs.
What trip to Manuel Antonio Costa Rica would be complete without a trip to the Manuel Antonio National Park?
You’re right, it wouldn’t.
Manuel Antonio National Park is actually one of the smallest in Costa Rica, but IS one of the most visited. So much so, they limit the amount of guests per day, (currently 600). So, think about arriving early, plus, early provides a better chance of viewing wildlife, since many animals tend to be more active earlier rather than later.
You WILL see a sloth(s). You will see white-faced capuchin monkeys,howlers, and squirrel monkeys, although the latter will be a little more difficult. You’ll see the colorful crabs, not by the beach, but on the main pathway, kudamundies (raccoon family), iguanas, plus the beaches in the park are FAR superior to the main beach in Manuel Antonio, meaning, more animals, more scenic, and less crowded - always a good thing.
Bring those cameras; you will rarely get this close to white-faced capuchin monkeys that aren’t behind bars. Unfortunately, they’re fairly comfortable around humans, but boy does it offer a great chance at the perfect pic or video.
Want to see hundreds of videos about ANYTHING Costa Rica? Go to the Costa Rica Travel Channel and for tons of information about traveling to Costa Rica, check out Travel Costa Rica Now
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