Bodhi Surf + Yoga — Hotel in Bahía Ballena

The Accommodations We (Myself, my wife, our two daughters, 5 & 9, our surfing pal and her wife and son, 9 as well), rented out the entire place, sort of a function of pandemic craziness. So we had a chance to see all the rooms and they are all lovely. Each is amply sized with a private bathroom and several rooms included a full kitchen. Room service freshened up our rooms everyday during activities. Despite some of the staff's complaints of how cold it was some of the nights, we never used more than a sheet. In the day, the fans and natural air circulation were adequate.

The dining/common area was open, airy and furnished with hammocks and couches. The pool was small, which I thought was ideal since only the kids were interested in even more water play after a day at the beach.

Lastly the incredible concierge level service from Adrienne in meeting our every wish and desire (Waterfall? Brewery? Massage?) was really without comparison.

The Surf The beach provided good options for beginners on the inside (whitewater) or intermediate surfers in the line up, and an easy option to try to move from one to the other, The water seemed very safe situated as it was in a cove. Discussing the surf without talking about the incredible education (and in some cases emotional) support of the staff won't do the spot justice.

The lessons were very practical with some time spent on the beach covering a different topic each day (the board, the spot, etc.) and time in the water on our boards. Travis was excellent at meeting us where we were and encouraging us to challenge ourselves to get to the next level. All of the instruction was super chill, with no pressure and total acceptance of where we were at and where we wanted to go.

I feel I can comfortably say I learned more in the one week than the two years of previous surfing and that I moved firmly into the intermediate category. My wife and I now regularly head to the line up back home, something we never did before Bodhi Surf Camp.

The kids were also encouraged to head to the water and try things at their own speed. They all thoroughly enjoyed their time, building huts out of logs, cracking open coconuts and enjoying the 'bath tub water". Our five-year-old even surfed with some support from Adreinne (''This is the best day of my life!").

The Food

The food was amazing, made by Fanny who also was happy to chat with our bilingual kids in the morning, allowing us a bit more sleep. The schedule had us eating out a few times (the day we arrived and the free day) but otherwise we had the great fortune to have the 'national treasure' that is Fanny, prepare each of our meals. While we had no dietary requirements, there were lots of opportunities to provide them if we did. There was alway plenty of fresh delicious food.

Additionally, the food around town was incredible. Just across the street we had dinner at a restaurant I'd probably frequent regularly if it was closer to home. The town provided an opportunity for delicious options(we tried about four places and all were excellent).

A note about the water: It was great. Some beach towns suffer from less tasty (though totally safe water) due to the depth of aquifers near the coast, but the water at Bodhi is sourced higher up in the hills and is delicious).

The Town/Country Ticos are notoriously friendly and kind. Tourism makes up a large part of the economy, and bilingual staff is the norm nearly everywhere we might want to go, which was a shame when we wanted to practice Spanish. The town itself is geared towards tourism but at least in my view, not in a way that is gaudy. I felt extremely safe at night alone. Bodhi provides a community tour the first day which provided us with a background in the history of the town, it's geography, the ecology of the area (miracle fruit, leaf cutter ants, a sloth!) as well as practical information (how to navigate the area, local shops, where to get ice cold coconuts).

Who...

Tl;dr: solo female traveler. I had a seriously magnificent trip. The 7-day (really 6) surf and yoga package is as described (and better) and the staff is fantastic. It’s something I’ll recommend to friends and do again myself. I’ll jump into some specific points that might be helpful if you’re debating going below.

My must-bring list: ear plugs (hello, howler monkeys), bug bite relief (and picaridin bug spray), biker shorts or longer workout pants to wear surfing (see below), protein bars, plastic bags for wet stuff flying back, jacket for bus, canvas bag for walking around, Gatorade or liquid iv mix packets, and extra underwear (you change clothes a lot with the activities and heat, just trust me)

I left Bodhi refreshed, full of memories, and excited to have learned a new skill (surfing). They meet you where you are in terms of starting skill and desire to challenge yourself, in surf and yoga. You can fill the open time with more outings (eg horseback riding) and even a massage. The surrounding town has multiple food options and is super easy to walk.

Definitely can do this as a solo traveler! If you also don’t do a ton of additional adventuring in San Jose when you fly in or out, you can get away with no cell service and use Wi-Fi when you need it (what I did). Wi-Fi is good for working. Bodhi will happily accommodate any of your dietary needs for their provided meals (but at restaurants in town, you must ask). The hotel they put you in is fine (safe, actually good restaurant and free breakfast. Just loud and has uncomfortable beds). You can book elsewhere that Friday night upon return if you’re planning to stay a couple more days.

I’m young and have limited physical restrictions, but you can be any age and generally any ability and have a good time, participate, and learn. If surfing isn’t your thing, bodysurfing and boogie boarding are options, too! If you have night vision issues, bring a headlamp for walking at night.

At Bodhi you’ll have near personal attention from the staff member overseeing the compound (I’m not going to call it a resort), the surf instructors, and the yoga instructor. Their mission is weaved into everything they do and continue to build. You use what’s app to communicate, and they are very responsive with email prior to your visit. You will be spending time with the other guests—my week’s dynamic was dynamite but that’s something to consider. For example, my week was all adults.

I do hot yoga frequently and they have great mats—if you’re sweaty, I’d suggest bringing a yoga mat towel or two, otherwise they’ve got you covered. Speaking of covered, you can skip buying rash guard and use their shirts. (Though, sizes may only go to xl in men’s, so check in on that). They have sun hats to borrow, too.

I feel like it’s obvious but Uvita is HOT. Check the weather for uvita beach, not San Jose!!! You will spend most of this trip sweating (I mean, I did), which is honestly great for your skin. If you’re someone who gets skin rub, megababe makes a great skin rub protectant if you want to wear dresses in this heat, though. Uvita is a very casual town, though.

For surfing—I often went with a sports bra under their rash guard and bikini bottom under biker shorts (I brought longer pants but they slipped down a lot. Still, pants or anything below the knee will help with rashes if you’re worried about it). Skip the loose bikini bottoms for surfing unless you want to lose them.

Credit cards are widely accepted (visa and Mastercard, Amex occasionally)—ask them to charge you in colones. US...

Truly magical week of community, surf, yoga, food, sustainability!

Bodhi Surf & Yoga is seriously a true gem, one of my favorite trips of all time. This is my third surf yoga camp, and it blew the others completely out of the water. There has clearly been a ton of thought put into making sure that campers have an amazing experience from the time they inquire about booking to the time they get home. It was a seamless experience filled with little details that made me feel cared for and loved. I did the one week experience, and I will for sure be back. A few notes -

The vibe This is an excellent camp for solo travelers looking for a chill vibe, couples, families. It's NOT a party camp. You surf and yoga all day, share stories and chats, and you are tired and ready for bed by 10. You wake up at 6:30 to be ready for 7 am yoga. It's an amazing chill vibe!

The surf Travis is an amazing surf instructor - he has clearly put a ton of time into making sure he conveys the information in a way that all different types of learners can grasp. Unlike other camps I've been to, you really start to get an understanding of the water and how it works, and what environments you can handle given your current surf ability. He also focuses on giving you the lay of the surf lingo - again, basic, but something I haven't gotten elsewhere. Also the waves there are perfect for beginners - our whole group was standing up by day 2 and consistently standing up and catching their own waves through end of the week. We all got lots of personalized attention - there were 4 students for one teacher.

The yoga Both Pilar and Anki are wonderful yoga teachers, adapting the class to the level of the students. The classes are 1.5 hours each surf day, with an optional 1 hour class on Wednesday. The time flew by, with the perfect mix of flow, restorative, stretching, savasana. I've practiced yoga with many teachers, and Pilar and Anki were both first class. The yoga platform was magical, surrounded by the jungle. They are stocked with excellent props and mats.

The town I loved the surrounding towns near Bodhi. Riding my bicycle around town (rented at Bodhi from George!) was a true delight. There are lots of back roads to lose yourself in. The people in town are delightful and friendly - the community is clearly connected albeit changing with all the tourism.

Sustainability Last but not least, the commitment to sustainability. You truly feel it at Bodhi. From the food they cook, to the trash they weigh, to the way they compensate their staff and encourage guests to bring their own water bottle, it all feels authentic and legitimate. It's important to me that I consistently live in alignment with my values, and I left feeling really good about choosing this as the place to support in my travels.

The cons - I think I'm supposed to put any bad parts I can think of so this doesn't seem like a fake review - so here they are. We happened to be there for a very hot week - it didn't bother me because I was so blissed out, but if don't like very hot weather, don't go in February! Also, I happened to book during a festival (Envision) - this meant cabs were harder to book and some tours in the area weren't happening. It was a blessing because it just made me chill more, but something to consider if you are hoping to hop around town via car while you are there.

Bottom line, you should definitely book this. You will thank me later, and so will your surf and...