Rafiki Safari Lodge — Hotel in Río Nuevo

This is third time we have gone to Rafiki Safari Lodge for the white water river rafting and it will not be the last. The staff and guides are some of the nicest people I've ever come across. The day starts with a staff member picking your group up from you're staying and driving you to the lodge. While there you'll have the chance to ride their river-fed water slide, which I highly recommend! Be sure to say hello to Flash, the 'Killer' poodle. He's a sweetheart. Once the crew has everything loaded up you'll climb into an open-air transport for the ride up the mountain to the put-in, where you'll receive safety instruction and pointers from your guide. There will be one guide per raft and each one of them is absolutely great! This time around our guide was Kenneth, and we've had him before in 2012. He is just a wonderful guy that lives life to the fullest, always a kind word and just a genuinely fine human being. There is also Randall who is equally as nice and really knows how to have a great time. He was our guide in 2015. Both Kenneth and Randall are from a very small town called Santo Domingo there in the mountains and they know the river ( Rio Savegre) like the back of their hands. The excursion starts out with a few rapids and goes for about 45 minutes to an hour and then you stop for a short walk into the jungle for a homemade lunch. The lunch has always been great and includes homemade cookies that are still warm! After lunch it's back into the rafts for another 15 to 20 minutes before stopping for another short walk to a beautiful waterfall where you can swim and take pictures before continuing down the river for another 30 to 45 minutes. It is a wonderful excursion and we feel absolutely safe the entire time. These guys really know what their doing. Rafting with Rafiki is our favorite thing to do in Costa Rica and we always save it for last because nothing else compares to it. Of note, the lodge itself is stunning. They have African safari tents set up like bungalows, complete with ceiling fans, bathrooms and balconies. The grounds at the lodge are gorgeous and well taken care of. The lodge provides employment for some of the locals and I'm sure it's making a much bigger impact than it's primary role of Tapir reserve. They produce much of their power from water diverted from the river and they do their best to be a model of sustainability. It truly is a beautiful, unique place and I would recommend it to anyone without a...

We stayed at Rafiki Safari in March for three days during our children’s Spring Break. It was the most incredible experience. ||As soon as you arrive, they help you with your bags and immediately give you a refreshing drink which was delicious! Afterwards, they show you to your tent which has all the modern amenities you could imagine, minus air conditioning. The tents come with an overhead fan and a floor fan so all night long, you have a nice breeze. It was pleasantly cool in the tent at night. There’s also a huge private bathroom attached to your tent with a big shower and places to hang up your clothing. ||We chose the package that included the activities, which was the best decision! We did whitewater rafting the first day and the waterfall hike the second day. I would recommend the rafting for any age but the waterfall hike was much more strenuous than I expected. We walked 4.5 miles up the mountain and were rewarded with an incredible view! Our family (ages 41, 40, 13, 11) did fine with the hike but I imagine it may be hard for some. Definitely wear good shoes for the hike but also bring water-shoes for the waterfall. We also added a night hike and learned so much about the local plants and saw many nocturnal animals like skunks, scorpions, frogs, snakes, etc. The guides for all the tours are so amazing and knowledgable. Also, each tour comes with lunch and both were excellent!||You typically return around 1-2pm from your excursions and you have the remainder of the day to hang out in the lodge or by the pool. The bartender is great and the drinks are innovative and so good! If you are brave, try the slide at the pool. It's thrilling and fast. We all enjoyed it very much!||The food is awesome! Every morning we were treated to a delicious breakfast. There was a menu you could choose from which included, eggs, pancakes, french toast, plantains, rice/beans. For dinner, you can choose from 3 options and there's also a kids menu item. Dinner is by candlelight and the ambiance is perfection!||All in all, our stay at Rafiki Safari was everything I hoped it would be. The owners are on-site a lot of the time and will interact with the guests and give recommendations and information. They are two of the nicest people and you can tell they truly love what they do. ||Book your vacation at Rafiki - you will not regret it! ||Rafiki, you will forever hold a special place...

We stayed at Rafiki Safari in March for three days during our children’s Spring Break. It was the most incredible experience.

As soon as you arrive, they help you with your bags and immediately give you a refreshing drink which was delicious! Afterwards, they show you to your tent which has all the modern amenities you could imagine, minus air conditioning. The tents come with an overhead fan and a floor fan so all night long, you have a nice breeze. It was pleasantly cool in the tent at night. There’s also a huge private bathroom attached to your tent with a big shower and places to hang up your clothing.

We chose the package that included the activities, which was the best decision! We did whitewater rafting the first day and the waterfall hike the second day. I would recommend the rafting for any age but the waterfall hike was much more strenuous than I expected. We walked 4.5 miles up the mountain and were rewarded with an incredible view! Our family (ages 41, 40, 13, 11) did fine with the hike but I imagine it may be hard for some. Definitely wear good shoes for the hike but also bring water-shoes for the waterfall. We also added a night hike and learned so much about the local plants and saw many nocturnal animals like skunks, scorpions, frogs, snakes, etc. The guides for all the tours are so amazing and knowledgable. Also, each tour comes with lunch and both were excellent!

You typically return around 1-2pm from your excursions and you have the remainder of the day to hang out in the lodge or by the pool. The bartender is great and the drinks are innovative and so good! If you are brave, try the slide at the pool. It's thrilling and fast. We all enjoyed it very much!

The food is awesome! Every morning we were treated to a delicious breakfast. There was a menu you could choose from which included, eggs, pancakes, french toast, plantains, rice/beans. For dinner, you can choose from 3 options and there's also a kids menu item. Dinner is by candlelight and the ambiance is perfection!

All in all, our stay at Rafiki Safari was everything we hoped it would be. The owners are on-site a lot of the time and will interact with the guests and give recommendations and information. They are two of the nicest people and you can tell they truly love what they do.

Book a vacation at Rafiki - you will not regret it! Rafiki will forever hold a special place...