United Kingdom

Thomas

Out of dozens of vacation rentals in Central America over the years this may be the best in every category. Monkey viewing from the pool, check. Toucan alarm clock, check. Snoozing in the hammock for sunset with no bugs, check. Private nature trail with dozens of birds, lizards and critters I have never found before, check. Thomas and Holly were a delight. Be sure to try their dinner at least once.

Casa Zenn

Many homes keep the world out; Casa Zenn welcomes it in. The walls serve only to frame windows in every direction, letting in sea breeze and the sound of the surf. Everywhere we looked we saw lush greenery, flowers, butterflies and birds. Through screen windows that were forever open, there was no boundary to the sounds outside. Squawking parrots, howling monkeys, songbirds and the other worldly call of cicadas at dawn… in the constantly changing soundscape, we grew quiet within, humbled by the glorious diversity of life all around us.

The yard offered a clear view of the surrounding canopy and the ocean below. We caught parrots preening, monkeys hurling themselves across open spaces, toucans strutting along branches. We spent our mornings quietly walking the long, rugged road that led up the hill to the casa, lingering with every encounter.

On a nature tour, you get to see wildlife and that's wonderful. Casa Zenn offers the time and space for prolonged observation. I devoted entire afternoons to single species of butterflies. A tree frog sleeping in the shadows of the patio, hummingbirds flitting through hibiscus, the cultural norms of squirrel monkeys, the eating habits of white-faced capuchin, the untraceable flight pattern of blue morpho butterflies… all this is holy although I know no religion. Within the bigger world we could never make, as humans we are small.

Thank you Thomas and Hollie for sharing this special place, for being consistently thoughtful and helpful, and for being the warm hearted souls that you are.

Very warm welcome, we had even a Christmas tree! We live in Costa Rica permanently, but found this place is special. Great views to the ocean, nice garden, refreshing pool and a rancho with BBQ and hammocks. The house was comfortable and fully equipped with everything you need.

Casa Zenn is The Dream and is, in every way, a perfect example of the Costa Rican Experience. Hollie and Tom are consummate hosts who saw to our every need. Their home is extremely comfortable, light and airy, up a little hill to catch a refreshing breeze and with stunning views across the forests to the Golfe Dulce, the Pacific ocean and the distant mountains. Breakfast and dinner were feasts in themselves. The pool and grounds are exquisite and perfectly maintained, with their own area of jungle with exotically colourful flora and fauna. The Capuchin and Squirrel monkeys are an amazing sight to see in the trees close by. Zancudo is an excellent village with the waters of the Golfe nearby, a day at sea with dolphins, arranged by Tom, was not to be missed.

The place is a true lush paradise of vegetation and wildlife, we could observe a huge variety of birds and mammals in their natural habitat.
The bedroom is very comfortable and includes a wonderful sea view.
You cant miss the food of the place, we were really surprised by the amount of flavors and exotic species they use, and best of all, it is very reasonably priced.
We had to extend are stay because we felt at home, thanks Thomas &amp; Hollie for being tremendous hosts.
We look forward to visiting you next year!
N&amp;N

We stayed for 3 weeks in this beautiful, well-kept property situated in the jungle. The house has a welcoming layout with a large living room. The bedroom and private bathroom are comfortable, spacious, and very clean. From the garden, we saw amazing wildlife. We saw Squirrel monkeys, Capuchin monkeys, Tucans, Scarlett Macaws, and lots of Parrots while enjoying the swimming pool and the terrace. The property even has a short jungle walk. The meals Tom and Hollie prepared for us were exceptional and we recommend getting breakfast and dinner at least once. Tom and Hollie are also very attentive hosts and make you feel very comfortable. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will definitely book again if we are ever in the area.

My partner and I stayed at Casa Zenn for a whole week and it was such a great experience. We were greeted by Tom and he was the most helpful host. Casa Zenn felt more like a home than any other place we have stayed at. The view was beautiful, the pool refreshing after little jungle walk on the property (no sloths for us, maybe next time), monkeys coming to visit, toucans flying around. We did not want to leave. Tom, thanks for being so awesome! Pura vida!

If you're in the area or even just looking for a getaway to disconnect from everything, Casa Zenn is the spot to go. It's the road less traveled tucked away just off of the SW coast perched atop one of the higher lookout spots available. Facing the coast, hidden just enough by a bit of jungle Casa Zenn's views, botanics and pool are the best way to lounge your way into sunset.

While staying here, my girlfriend and I spent every meal on the covered outside patio whether sheltering from rainfall or watching the vibrant wildlife (monkeys, sloths, toucans and more) make their rounds through the trees or overhead.

Tom and Hollie were wonderful as well providing us the know-about of the area with maps, books and personal knowledge on anything, everything Costa Rica.

Only a short drive if heading to the beach yet far enough to be exclusively between yourself and nature made this the perfect haven for us. Wasn't wildly familiar with this area of Costa Rica as it's not as traveled as the central to NW coast but definitely made the right decision coming here.

Lastly a perk, if you surf. One of the worlds longest lefts, Pavones sits just 45 minutes north of the lodge.

Without doubt this was my favorite holiday of all time. We travelled from London with our 1 year old son to stay at Casa Zenn.

The owners, Tom and Hollie had asked us before we arrive what kind of trip we wanted, they had organised some amazing trips for us as well as leaving us with plenty of time to relax and enjoy the wildlife in the garden! We saw monkeys, frogs, toucans, parrots and other amazing birds.

The house itself has everything you could possibly need to have a wonderful stay. The beds are spacious and very comfortable. If it's really hot there are extra fans to keep you cool. I'll never forget being woken up by the sound of birds every morning.

Another highlight of our stay at Casa Zenn was the food. Every meal that Hollie and Tom prepared was made fresh. It was healthy and so delicious. They use local ingredients and can cater for your every foodie wish! My favourite were the fish tacos - they went directly to the fisherman to buy the mackerel and whipped up an incredible feast for dinner. If you stay, make sure you sample lots of their cooking!

On our son's first birthday, we were taken on a boat trip where we saw dolphins playing along side the boat. There were so many of them, it really was a trip of a lifetime!

Casa Zenn is like a little taste of paradise and we couldn't recommend it highly enough!

Beautiful. Loved it here. Stayed for 3 nights and it was an unforgettable experience. I think about it all the time! Miss it so much!
Amazing hosts!
Awesome food!
Beautiful views!

Thomas

1 property