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Upala Vacation Packages

Our party of 3 arrived the evening of Apr 3rd for a 3 night stay. The owner showed us to our cabin, and it was in terrible condition. The stairs were loose, the handrailing was rickety, the door didn't fit properly. Once inside, we could see it was poorly built, the bathroom was dirty, and it appeared not to have hot water, although we never had a chance to find out for sure. We went for something to eat, and then came back to the cabin for a shower and a nights sleep. My 2 friends were outside, and I went into the bathroom to use the toilet. The shower was on the left, sink in the middle, and toilet on the right. I lightly placed my left hand on the sink while raising the toilet seat, when the sink fell off the wall! The ceramic sink hit my legs, knocking me off balance, and I fell to the left, landing on my right hip, and knocked both shower doors off the track with my left shoulder. My friends rushed in as I was picking myself up, and noticed my left arm was bleeding. The sink flipped upside down on the floor when it fell, and I think the metal drain that was sticking straight up caused the cuts on my arm. The metal sink support brackets on the wall were rusted paper thin. In respect to making things worse, it was fortune the shower door panes were plastic and not glass. If glass, and they broke when I hit them, my injuries could have been much worse. We have pictures of the sink, and the injuries to my arm.

My family and I had a great stay here! JP and his associates welcomed us and made us feel at home. Complimentary breakfast was great and the other meals were delicious. The room itself was great given you are in the jungle, so there was no a/c and typical sugar ants but nothing unexpected. The pool and the views were gorgeous. The hot tub was down while we were there but it wasn’t missed. We took advantage of the Lake Tour and La Tia’s massage services which were both worth the money. We traveled to La Fortuna and used a shuttle service that picked us up right from the hotel. Overall, we would definitely stay here again!

My 2 kids (9yo, 11yo) and I went to Rancho Margot for 5 days seeking an immersive experience at a sustainable working farm in the rainforest, near Arenal. It’s about 30 min from La Fortuna. And we got it! We loved it. We experienced what a circular economy looks like, and how it can work. We enjoyed their fascinating workshops on how to make soap, chocolate, and cheese (queso fresco). We swam in their lovely pool. We also did zip lining and thermal springs off-site. Their food is so good and fresh and healthy and grown on the farm, or locally sourced. Breakfast is included. Lunch and dinner can be purchased their which we HIGHLY recommend. More importantly, we made friends for life. If you choose Rancho Margot, you must manage expectations: - There will be a few bugs in your room. - There will be mosquitos so buy natural repellants with eucalyptus oil, and then learn how to crush the farm’s citronella leaves to then apply the oil on your skin - it works! We found out like a day too late LOL). - It does rain quite a bit. - It is warm and can be humid. - Things can stay damp. - Rooms are made from lovely wood and have what you need but there is no TV or ac. There is WiFi. - They will show you how to use the thick curtains to sleep at night and can provide mosquito nets upon request. This is NOT a resort or an American style hotel if that is what you want or seek. This is a working farm that is energy self-sufficient, fed by almost pure water. It is a treasure.