Everything

You Need To Know

GETTING TO OUR CASAS

Flying From San Jose:

If you’re flying from San Jose, please send us your arrival and departure times for in-country Costa Rican flights. (We do not need your international flight info). Please email your flight info to info@casabambu.com

Driving from San Jose:

We recommend National Car Rental. For a 5% discount use this link and promotional code Bamboo when you reserve with National.

You can rent a car in San Jose, once you arrive in Puerto Jimenez, or anywhere else in Costa Rica. They are reliable, have a quick and easy online booking process, good prices and a large selection of cars.

National has a Puerto Jimenez office. It is essential to rent a car after landing in Puerto Jimenez. It’s also very helpful if there is an issue with the car while in our area.

Free pick up/delivery: If you stay at any hotel within 10 km of the San Jose Airport or National’s regional office, National will deliver or pick up your car at your hotel at no charge. Simply select Heredia-San Antonio de Belen for the National office location on the online National reservation form, then lower down under comments write “Deliver to” (and/or “Return to”) Name of the hotel at _:__ am/pm.”

Before your arrival: We need to know where you’ll be staying before arriving at Casa Bambu. Please include your hotel contact information.

Rent your car HERE.

RECOMMENDED HOTELS IN SAN JOSE

We recommend the Buena Vista Hotel. You can reserve by credit card through their secure website. At the bottom of the reservation form, where it says Additional Comments and/or Information, put “Referred by Lyn, Casa Bambu.” They always go the extra mile for our guests.

Many of our guests also like the Adventure Inn. It is currently #2 out of 78 San Jose hotels in San Jose on TripAdvisor, is conveniently located near the airport and has a free airport shuttle. For a 10% discount, reserve with through our link.

Reserve Buena Vista Hotel 10% Discount

Reserve Adventure Inn 10% Discount

ARRIVAL IN PUERTO JIMINEZ

Let us know by emailing info@casabambu.com if you want us to arrange a taxi to meet your arrival flight into Puerto Jimenez and back to the airstrip on the day of departure. The taxi rate out to Casa Bambu is about $ 55 (one-way). They take dollars or colones. Do not rely on their having change.

Please note:

When guests have arranged their own departure taxis from our houses it has sometimes resulted in no taxi arriving and a missed flight. To avoid this we strongly recommend having us arrange your taxis and confirming your taxi the day before departure. This will ensure that you are picked up by the most economical and reliable taxi.

WHAT TO BRING

Life on the Osa is simple and casual. Beach clothes and swimsuits are the usual attire.

Other good things to bring:

Quick-drying clothes
T-shirts, tank tops and shorts
A long-sleeved shirt and lightweight pants for San Jose
Flashlights (with spare bulbs and batteries) are a MUST. A large beam is recommended.
Binoculars if desired
Day pack and water bottle for hiking
Beach sheet or mat if desired (beach chairs are provided)
Footwear
Comfortable walking shoes and/or sport sandals
“Aqua sox” (mesh and rubber water shoes) for ocean and creeks
Flip flops or crocs
Sunscreen (at least 50 SPF – 50+ is better)
Sun hat
Sunglasses
Insect repellent (with DEET, although natural often works)
Antibiotic ointment
Swimmer’s Ear prevention drops
An umbrella or light rain jacket in the green season
Camera (plus batteries)
Books, cards and games
Spanish/English dictionary

Remember that the local flight has weight restrictions, so it pays to pack light if flying!

THINGS TO DO

There is so much to see and experience in the Matapalo area, Corcovado and the Golfo Dulce. Yet with an untrained eye or incomplete knowledge, many wonders are easy to miss. We have been amazed at how much we’ve walked by until it’s been pointed out.

Consequently, many of our guests choose to maximize their visits by using the expertise of local guides and tours. Tour operators are independent contractors and we are not affiliated with them. However, we do our best to find the best and safest tours in the area. To be sure to get the tours you want, when you want – and to facilitate things at our end – contact us in advance to let us know what interests you.

Please Note:
All tour guides are independent businesses and are not affiliated with us or our houses. Of course, we are always interested in feedback, but cannot be responsible for your tour experience.

Land Tours

Water Tours

Arrival To Puerto Jimenez

Map of Puerto Jimenez

If you fly:

Please be sure to send us your arrival and departure times, if you have not already. We will have a taxi meet your flight and take you to the grocery stores, banks and restaurant if desired.

If you drive:

See driving directions, map of Puerto Jimenez and map of Matapalo below.

Puerto Jimenez has several grocery stores, two banks with ATMs and three Internet cafés with telephones and fax machines.

There are restaurants facing the harbor with views of the water and others in the central part of town. There are gift and souvenir shops and great homemade ice cream on the main street. (See your Puerto Jimenez map for locations).

We recommend visiting the lagoon on your map that is home to caiman, crocodiles, turtles and a fascinating bird colony. The caiman will probably swim up within view, in the hopes that you’ll throw in a snack.

Money:

Everyone accepts U.S. dollars and Costa Rican Colones. Generally, things cost about what they do in the U.S. (Some items, such as most produce, are less.) Nobody accepts personal checks. If you use USD for purchases, you could lose over 10% on the exchange rate. Instead, we recommend changing USD to Colones when you arrive in the San Jose baggage claim area. There are two money changers there that give the bank rate. If you go to a bank, you will have to wait, sometimes an hour, to change money.

Cash advance:

There are two banks with ATM machines in Puerto Jimenez. If the machines don’t work you can go into the bank. (You will need to present a passport).

Credit cards:

A few places in the area accept them. This includes at least two grocery stores. Many tours, if they accept cards, charge a fee.

Food:

If you want to eat after arriving in Puerto Jimenez, the taxi will take you to a restaurant and wait for you.

Or they will take you directly to the B&M Supermarket. Supermarket hours are 6 AM – 9 PM, Mon. – Sat. and 8 AM – 8 PM, Sundays. Other stores, such as gift shops, are generally closed Sundays. The supermarket accepts US dollars, Colones and credit cards. There is also a produce market, which has a big selection and best prices. These stores are indicated on your Puerto Jimenez map.

For fresh fish, (not always available), there is a fish seller. He is across the street from the supermarket and one door to the left. There is no sign, just knock on the door.

If you want cooking services, please refer to the menu below of our staff’s specialties for ingredients to buy. They are not limited to this menu and can cook whatever you like. They get rave reviews and are very reasonable!

Ice:

Because the house has a solar fridge but no freezer, if you want ice for drinks, etc. you should buy it with your groceries. Have them wrap it in newspaper at the checkout to keep cubes frozen. When you arrive at the house, put ice in the small cooler in the refrigerator, along with any well-wrapped frozen food you don’t want to thaw immediately. It and the ice will stay frozen for up to six days in the cooler if you keep the lid of the cooler shut.

The house is equipped with toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, log lighter, salt & pepper, sugar, hand soap, dish soap, sponge, laundry soap, and a Tico-style coffee maker that makes great coffee. (There is no grinder).

Water:

The water at the house is pure and delicious, originating from our well, so no need to buy bottled water. We do ask that you not waste the well water by leaving hoses, etc. running after use, as this can deplete the system.

We strongly recommend you buy more food than you think you’ll need! Most of us are used to the conveniences of civilization and being able to go to the store whenever we want. But you have left civilization! It’s better to have plenty to eat on hand than to spend your vacation time going back into town for food.

After shopping:

You will take the scenic and exciting ride out to Matapalo and our casas! We will be waiting to welcome you.

COOKING SERVICES MENU

Leda & Oliva can cook whatever food you like and come up with something wonderful, in authentic Tico style. One guest said they are like the Iron Chef: they make magic from whatever is in your kitchen!

However, in case you want to plan ahead, below are the ingredients (in Spanish) for some of their most requested meals. You buy the food, they make their magic, turning your bamboo house into a fine restaurant. They charge $5/person/meal ($15 minimum) and there are usually plenty of leftovers. The best deal around!

Rice and Chicken Casserole (Arroz con Pollo)

1 bag of rice (Bolsa de arroz)

1 package of chicken breasts (bandeja de pechuga de pollo)

1 red bell pepper (chile dulces, similar to bell peppers)

1 onion (cebolla)

1 head of garlic (ajo)

1 carrot (zanahoria)

1 bunch of cilantro (culantro)

1 can of sweetened corn (lata de maiz dulce)

2 cubes of chicken consume (consume de pollo)

1 small bottle of Lizano sauce (salsa lizano pequena)

1 liter of oil (litro de aceite)

Rice, Beans and Chicken or Beef or Fish Fillet with Potatoes

(Arroz, Frijoles y Pollo o Bistek o Filete Pescado con Papas)

1 whole chicken (pollo entero); or Beef tenderloin (lomito) or a less expensive cut, whatever looks good; or Fish fillet (filete pescado). See your info packet for where to buy fish, or get frozen fish at the supermarket.

1 kilo of potatoes (papas)

1 bag of beans (frijoles)

1 kilo of tomatoes (tomate)

1 onion (cebolla)

2 red bell peppers (chile dulce)

2 heads of garlic (ajo)

2 packages of chicken consume (consume de pollo)

1 bunch of cilantro (culantro)

1 bunch of celery (apio)

Beef or Pork Ribs with Rice (Costillas de Res o Cerdo con Arroz)

Ribs (Costillas). Get the kind for eating, NOT soup.

Costilla seasoning (a dehydrated beef consume in small foil packets)

Rice (arroz)

Can be prepared with vegetables, etc. So can any chicken, fish or beef you buy.

Vegetables (Vegetales)

Broccoli (brócoli)

Carrots (zanahoria)

Squash (Chayote)

Red bell peppers (chile dulce)

Cauliflower (coliflor)

Green beans (bainica)

Potatoes (papas)

Cabbage (repollo)

Onion (cebolla)

And any other veggie you want!

Salad (Ensalada)

Lettuce (lechuga)

Carrots (zanahoria)

Cucumbers (pepino)

Tomatoes (tomate)

Avocadoes (aguacate)

Cilantro (culantro)

Dessert (Postre)

Sweet Rice Pudding (Arroz con Leche Dulce)

Rice (arroz)

Milk (leche)

Cinnamon (canela)

Butter (mantequilla)

Fried Plantains and cheese (Platanos maduros con queso)

This sounds weird, but it is really good.

Ripe Plantains (platanos maduros): these are ripe, almost black

Cheese (queso)

Butter (mantequilla)

Costa Rican Breakfast with Gallo Pinto (Desayuno Tipico)

Rice (arroz)

Beans (frijoles)

Eggs (huevos)

Bacon (Tosineta)

Masa (corn tortilla mix, for their great, homemade tortillas)

Green Plaintains (Platanos verdes or patacones): These are not ripe and are not sweet. They are more like potatoes.

Ripe Plantains (Platanos maduros) with cheese (queso)

Red bell peppers (chile dulce)

Onion (cebolla)

Garlic (ajo)

Cilantro (culantro)

Oil or butter (aceite or mantequilla)

YOUR RAINFOREST HOME

When You Arrive

Check in is 2 PM and check out is 11 AM. You are welcome to arrive earlier, but the house might not be ready. In that case, you can drop off your things and go to the beach or explore the neighborhood.

A set of keys will be in the door when you arrive. Please be sure to leave them in the house when you leave!

CAUTION

There is no fire department and bamboo is highly flammable. Please never burn candles or smoke in the house.

Security

First thing after arrival lock all valuables (including electronics and cameras, money and passports) in the safe. We are not responsible for the loss or theft of any personal items.

As an extra layer of security, there is a house alarm mounted on the wall by the front door. Simply activate when you leave by pushing the closed padlock icon (it will beep); and de-activate when you return by holding down the unlocked padlock icon until you hear several beeps. If you forget to deactivate the alarm when you return and set it off, press the unlocked padlock icon until it beeps 4 times. You must do this twice or the alarm will start again in 10 seconds.

However, do not rely on the alarm and leave your valuables lying out and the house open when you leave. A thief could set off the alarm and still grab your things before running off. We have not had many problems in this regard, but we also believe in taking precautions. The few thefts we have had occurred when people didn’t follow our guidelines and left their valuables, etc. out of the safe and windows or doors open when they left the house.

You can also secure the house by lowering and locking the shutters and doors of the main room, both at night and if you leave for a long period for security and in case of hard rain. We leave bedroom shutters open for the breeze, unless it’s raining in.

Thieving Monkeys
The white faced Capuchin monkeys are very smart and will steal your food if they can. They will enter the kitchen through any open window and swipe your fruit, eggs, sugar, salt–any food that is not in a jar, can or box, except for onions, garlic, greens, potatoes, carrots, and other root crops. Put all other edibles in the big plastic boxes or the plastic trash cans marked for food storage and keep the lid on.

The monkeys learned to overcome their natural avoidance of humans over the past few years because guests fed them. Now they have become pests, which is not good for them or us. Please do not feed any monkeys or wildlife ever, or let anyone in your group feed them. Please note: doing so would be a breach of your contract.

Phone
There is now a 4G phone signal here, plus wireless Internet with unlimited bandwidth at the house. The password is: oceanside.

Lights and fans
110- volt solar electric system powers the house. No adaptors are needed. To keep everything running well, turn off lights and fans when you’re not using them. (Bed fans are especially easy to forget).

Please conserve! Many of us are used to leaving everything on all the time. This does not work with solar power! If you are just a bit conscientious, you will have plenty of power. If not, the batteries can run down. If the battery voltage drops below 11.7 volts, please let us know so we can rectify the situation. The system accommodates just about all demands except hairdryers.

Keep us informed
Everything in the house should work perfectly. If something is not working, please let us know, so we can fix it promptly. We consider this a help, not a complaint, so don’t hesitate! It is challenging to keep things running in the jungle, and we can’t always know when something decides to malfunction.

Kitchen
There is a full kitchen, including a blender, plus an outdoor gas barbecue. There is no toaster, as the solar system can’t handle them. There is no coffee grinder. We have hot water in the shower, but not the kitchen. However the dish soap cuts grease effectively.

The refrigerator is solar powered and works very well. We do not have a freezer, but the fridge keeps food very cold, especially on the bottom, and keeps frozen items semi-frozen for a few days. Please put meat and fish in the plastic box provided in the fridge, as otherwise, it can leak into the fridge.

Ice

Empty bags of ice into the small cooler inside the fridge, along with any well-wrapped frozen food you don’t want to thaw immediately. The ice will stay solid for up to six days in the cooler if you keep the lid shut.

There is an extra sheet in each bedroom in case you get cool at night. If you need more linens or anything else, just ask.

Services
In the interest of conserving the ecosystem, the house is cleaned, sheets and towels replaced, and beds made every three days. If you want cleaning more often, let the staff know. If your sheets don’t need to be changed, tell us and we’ll skip the linen change of linens and just make the bed. (We are off grid and on a well, so frequent laundry loads impact the environment and the system. We appreciate your help in minimizing this impact).

Laundry services are available for $10/load (or 6000 colones). Because of the environmental impact of laundry, please consider requesting this only when absolutely necessary. Instead, consider washing by hand and traveling home with dirty clothes. We provide a clothesline in a sunny spot and laundry soap for handwashing and drying. Not the most convenient, but you’ll be helping the rainforest environment.

Toys
There are boogie boards, kayaks and beach chairs, shared among our houses. Please return them to the storage rack after use.

Surfboards are for rent locally at the following places:
casadosrios@yahoo.com; info@encantalavida.com; felipe@eltumbodelasolas.com; and at Surf Shop Lakos in Puerto Jimenez, down the street from the gas station, (keilor.campos@hotmail.com, phone 011-506-8917-1093). If you are driving from San Jose or Uvita, we’ve heard a good place to rent boards is at http://www.uvitasurfcamp.com/

When You Leave
– Be sure to leave your keys!
– Leave any food you are not taking in the kitchen. It will not go to waste!
– Check the house and safe thoroughly for all your belongings.

If you do leave something that you must have back, we will do our best to bring it to the US when we return and send it to you. In this case, we will need to charge you shipping costs.

See you in the rainforest!

Let us know if you have any questions by responding back to this email.

Casa Bambu

Reviews

Guest Reviews

“WIlliam, the manager (who lives next door) is wonderful. He was an excellent guide on our hike up to the nearby waterfall and is a master at fishing from the shore using the diving pelicans as fish finders.
Early morning swims on the empty beach, evening strolls accompanied by the ever present magnificent birds and monkeys. We are still relishing memories of these magical moments and will be back for more.”

lalomabocas

“William took us on a hike to a nearby waterfall where he spotted wildlife for us that we never would have found otherwise. Our children loved the “set up” at Casa Bambu, where they were able to run around looking for wildlife and even playing with other kids staying in another house on the property. “

gatoathens

“Excellent stay. We woke up every day to monkeys and birds visiting us and went to bed listening to the ocean waves. The location was perfect, with great access to nearby trails and waterfalls, obviously the beach and a local restaurant bar with reasonably priced, good-tasting meals. The owners were very quick to respond to requests. Can’t recommend the place enough.”

Steven K

“William, the property manager, took us on a really fun tour of the Rainforest near this property. The swim at the waterfall at the end of the hike was refreshing and fun, especially for the girls who safely jumped off the rocks beneath the falls several times.”

4travelres

Your Adventure Awaits

Questions?

Reach out and we can help answer any questions you may have.

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Whatsapp: +1 831 324 3428

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