Tag: Monteverde

  • Monteverde Backpackers Hostel Review

    Monteverde Backpackers Hostel Review

    Monteverde is a beautiful location, high up in the central mountains of Costa Rica which offers some astounding views. It’s a location very popular for tourists to visit to see the cloud forest which isn’t too far from the small town. However, if you have visited the country, you would know it can be rather expensive across the board. So when we visited we made sure to look for a budget-friendly hostel in Monteverde which was well located to being central to the town and close to the cloud forest. For this, we found Monteverde Backpackers hostel!

    We only stayed 1 night in this hostel but we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and wanted to share our insights. Carry on reading to find out more!

    Make sure to read further to learn more about what to expect when you visit this lovely hostel in Monteverde!

    *This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂

    Mural in Monteverde Backpackers Hostel in Costa Rica. Hostel review by Ourtwostepstart
    1. Location
    2. Hostel room experience
    3. Other Rooms Available
      1. Private Room
    4. Social Areas
    5. Tours Available
    6. Would we recommend
    7. Want help planning your Costa Rica adventure?
    8. Our favourite must-needed travel resources
      1. Where to Fly
      2. Where to Stay
      3. Where to Explore
      4. Where to get Connected
      5. Where to be Protected
    9. Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
    10. Thank you for reading about our Monteverde Hostel Review!

    Location

    The location for the Hostel was right on the centre of Monteverde only being a 2 minute walk to the main road. Around there are many restaurants, gift and clothes shops and supermarkets perfect for convenience. Only a 5 minute walk up the hill and down the other side is a food court which is also the bus station down off the mountain.

    The main attraction for Monteverde is their cloud forests which is a 20 minute drive from the hostel.

    Hostel room experience

    The room we booked was a 4 dorm room which was somewhat small but offered enough space for all your stuff. They were the usual bunkbeds with lockers below the bottom bunk for your luggage. The en-suite was a good size with a very good shower. Although the room was very simple, it’s offered at a good price and was very welcoming for sure.

    Other Rooms Available

    Alternative to the 4 dorm room we stayed in, they offer a 6 person dorm and private rooms. They also provide a ‘deluxe’ 4 person dorm room which offers better beds and 2 bathrooms for the 4 guests.

    Private Room

    The private room is a 3 bed private ensuite room. This is inclusive of one large double bed and one single bed. This makes it perfect for couples or groups of friends to use!

    The cost of the room starts from around €34.72 which across 3 people is cheaper than any other room in the hostel! With the room, breakfast is included with free tea and coffee available. Another benefit is that the room actually includes a kitchen which you can use to cook your own meals if you don’t want to go out for food which is a great perk for budget travellers!

    Social Areas

    The social area is in the reception which includes a long table which many use to gather and mingle with other travellers. There is also a ping pong table in here which is a great icebreaker for travellers and they often host games to get everyone involved!

    The walls are covered in beautiful paintings and drawings of the exotic animals that live across Costa Rica creating a great atmosphere in the hostel.

    Tours Available

    Monteverde backpackers have many tours available with the obvious being the Cloud Forest which is there most popular. However, there are so many more tours they offer including trips for night walks in the forest, or day trips for adrenaline sports like Ziplining, and horse riding.

    These tours are a great way to see the local beauty in Monteverde and the hostel organise everything for you including everything you do on the trip and even pick-up and drop-off at the hostel.

    Would we recommend

    We would totally recommend this hostel as it is a budget friendly price for it’s location. It’s right on the centre of Monteverde which limits the amount of walking you have to do as it’s very hilly here!

    Also you can book breakfast for a small fee on top of the room which is convenient! If anyone has visited Costa Rica before then you will know that eating out is very expensive so this really helps to budget you time here.

    Most people visit the area for their amazing activities which the hostel provide a host of options for you to do at a reasonable price. The hostel overall offers a great experience for all travellers and is a great place to visit if you are looking for a hostel in Monteverde town.

    If you did enjoy this Hostel review do let us know and we will make sure to provide more reviews to help you on your travelling journey. Check out our other Costa Rica blogs!

    Want help planning your Costa Rica adventure?

    We now offer custom travel planning support! Experience the pinnacle of travel planning, ensuring your journey is luxurious, well-organized, and unforgettable! Find our Basic package, Standard package, and Luxury package, ready for your Costa Rica trip! We have made a blog post explaining these packages further here!

    Where to Fly

    Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.

    Kiwi – Use Kiwi’s amazing service that is pioneering in the flight space! They use virtual interlining, which means they can provide seamless connecting flights into one single itinerary!

    CheapOair – Being one of the fastest growing online travel companies in the US, CheapOair offers great flight deals, hotel rooms, rental cars and more!

    Where to Stay

    Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!

    HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!

    Vrbo – Find stunning vacation rentals with Vrbo! Offering over 2 million paid listings in 190 countries, find memorable experiences with this accommodation service!

    Where to Explore

    Viator – A trip advisor company, viator offers over 300,000 experiences over 200 countries, including water sports, walking tours, boat trips, food tastes tours and more! Including activities for many budgets, check out Viator!

    Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!

    Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common too!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!

    Where to get Connected

    Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!

    Where to be Protected

    ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!

    Backpack – Osprey Farpoint 40 – This backpack is a staple amongst many travellers! Being a lot cheaper than the luxury brands, this is a quality backpack from a well known brand. It boasts quality durability, is lightweight with a great framework and is a great option for most people! This backpack has a hip strap to help carry the bag, a breathable harness strap, and comes in multiple colours!

    Compression Packing Cubes – Compression cubes are our favourite packing accessory! These cubes are similar to the normal packing cubes, but feature a compression zip, meaning you can compress your clothes down… this makes packing easier, limits the space you are using, and means more room for souvenirs etc!

    Powerbank – Don’t lose power when travelling! It isn’t always guaranteed to find charging ports, so we would always suggest carrying a spare power bank, just incase you do run low on power when you need it!

    Universal Travel Plug Adapter – Most backpackers/travellers visit multiple countries during one trip. And that means it isn’t guaranteed you will be using the same plug head during each place. A universal plug is great as it lets you switch between each plug head style all in one item! We love ours, it has USB slots meaning multiple items can be charged at once.

    Find our full packing list guide here.

    Thank you for reading about our Monteverde Hostel Review!

    If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!

    We post weekly Youtube Videos now! Please check out our newest Vlog!

    Check out our Social Media’s below!

    Finally, share this post with your friends! Let’s build those travel plans and make memories!

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    Thank you for reading this blog, and have a good day.

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  • Monteverde Ziplining Experience | Best Adventure in Costa Rica

    Monteverde Ziplining Experience | Best Adventure in Costa Rica

    Costa Rica is a country full of adventure, experiences, and lots of fun activities! Deep in Manuel Antonio you will find this experience that is sure to help you make lifelong memories! The Monteverde ziplining and Tarzan swing experience is one you need to make a guarantee on your Costa Rica itinerary!

    *This post contains affiliate links, which we may earn from. This does not come at an additional cost, but helps us to pursue this dream 🙂

    1. Monteverde Ziplining & Tarzan Swing
      1. The experience
      2. How to book the trip in Monteverde
      3. What’s included in the Monteverde Trip
      4. Our Experience at the Tour
      5. Advice for this Monteverde Trip
      6. Is it worth it?
    2. Our favourite must-needed travel resources
      1. Where to Fly
      2. Where to Stay
      3. Where to Explore
      4. Where to get Connected
      5. Where to be Protected
    3. Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
    4. Thank you for reading our Monteverde Ziplining Guide!

    Monteverde Ziplining & Tarzan Swing

    The experience

    This ziplining and tarzan swing tour is one to remember! Enjoy the adrenaline rush as you zipline through the Monteverde forest, being thrown out into picturesque views for miles. Included in the trip is multiple ziplines, including different styles such as the superman line! There are many hikes to each spot, meaning you can soak in your surroudings, alongside an epic 148ft tarzan swing at the end!

    Part of the famous Monteverde cloud forest, this trip isn’t one for the feint of heart! You will face non-stop thrills, meaning this trip may not be suitable to everyone.

    You are given a full safety demonstration and safety equipment, meaning you can learn the main skills needed to enjoy this adrenaline-lovers activity!

    How to book the trip in Monteverde

    There are many places online to book this tour, however, we booked this one and we would highly recommend! All activites were included too (including the tarzan swing which is sometimes classed as additional)!

    You simply give your accommodation name/location, and get ready for your fun adventure!

    What’s included in the Monteverde Trip

    Included in the trip is around 10 ziplines throughout the Monteverde canopies, experience a superman flight, take on latin America’s longest and highest zipline, then enjoy the high tarzan swing!

    We were collected from our hostel accommodation, then taken to the adventure park, ready for our safety demonstration and equipment!

    Our Experience at the Tour

    We can honestly say we loved it! Aimee’s health has been up and down, so her fitness levels weren’t ‘usual’, and this is a trip where we would definitely having good fitness levels due to the fitness demand. There are many steep hills to walk up (you are in the forest!!), meaning if you aren’t fit this may be a struggle! Mix this in with the hot Costa Rican sunshine and humidity… it can be a struggle for sure! We did manage to see wild macaws which was so amazing.

    We met two lovely women from Canada who we ended up going for lunch with whilst on this trip, and everyone was in agreement it was great! We had beautiful conversations with these women, and was a highlight of our trip. Sadly, one of them hit a weight restriction issue, meaning she wasn’t able to partake in the Tarzan swing for safety issues.

    Advice for this Monteverde Trip

    Our top tips are make sure you are well hydrated and full, however, maybe leave a gap between food and these activities! Make sure you read all of the safety advice and pre-requirements, as things like heart health and weight could cause issues (and we would hate for anyone to experience that upset).

    The tarzan swing is an extremely intimidating experience, one we almost both stopped doing! However, were both very glad we went ahead with it! The adrenaline rush is very real, and makes for a fun end to the tour!

    Is it worth it?

    Yes!! We would always highly recommend this tour, and was of our main highlights of our Costa Rica trip! The prices can seem high, but realistically Costa Rica travel isn’t budget friendly, and the cost is similar to other activities across Costa Rica!

    Where to Fly

    Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.

    Kiwi – Use Kiwi’s amazing service that is pioneering in the flight space! They use virtual interlining, which means they can provide seamless connecting flights into one single itinerary!

    CheapOair – Being one of the fastest growing online travel companies in the US, CheapOair offers great flight deals, hotel rooms, rental cars and more!

    Where to Stay

    Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!

    HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!

    Vrbo – Find stunning vacation rentals with Vrbo! Offering over 2 million paid listings in 190 countries, find memorable experiences with this accommodation service!

    Where to Explore

    Viator – A trip advisor company, viator offers over 300,000 experiences over 200 countries, including water sports, walking tours, boat trips, food tastes tours and more! Including activities for many budgets, check out Viator!

    Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!

    Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common too!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!

    Where to get Connected

    Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!

    Where to be Protected

    ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!

    Backpack – Osprey Farpoint 40 – This backpack is a staple amongst many travellers! Being a lot cheaper than the luxury brands, this is a quality backpack from a well known brand. It boasts quality durability, is lightweight with a great framework and is a great option for most people! This backpack has a hip strap to help carry the bag, a breathable harness strap, and comes in multiple colours!

    Compression Packing Cubes – Compression cubes are our favourite packing accessory! These cubes are similar to the normal packing cubes, but feature a compression zip, meaning you can compress your clothes down… this makes packing easier, limits the space you are using, and means more room for souvenirs etc!

    Powerbank – Don’t lose power when travelling! It isn’t always guaranteed to find charging ports, so we would always suggest carrying a spare power bank, just incase you do run low on power when you need it!

    Universal Travel Plug Adapter – Most backpackers/travellers visit multiple countries during one trip. And that means it isn’t guaranteed you will be using the same plug head during each place. A universal plug is great as it lets you switch between each plug head style all in one item! We love ours, it has USB slots meaning multiple items can be charged at once.

    Find our full packing list guide here.

    Thank you for reading our Monteverde Ziplining Guide!

    If you did enjoy the blog be sure to like and subscribe for more WorldwideTravel content. We also post our daily travel experiences on our social media’s which we have detailed before if you would like to check it out!

    Check out our Social Media’s below! We share our daily activities, all of our budget friendly travel tips, travel inspiration and more!

    Finally, share this post with your friends! Let’s build those travel plans and make memories!

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  • Discover Paradise: Your Ultimate Costa Rica Bucket List Travel Guide

    Discover Paradise: Your Ultimate Costa Rica Bucket List Travel Guide

    Costa Rica is a location that is worth the hype. From plenty of animal experiences and encounters, to endless greenery and stunning beaches, Costa Rica is a gem of Central America and is a place to add to your bucket list!

    *There are affiliate links in this post – they do not come at any extra cost to you, but just means we can earn commission to help us make more content like this 🙂

    Our Bucket List top list of things to do in Costa Rica

    • Visit an ethical animal sanctuary
    • Sip on a coconut on a white sand beach
    • Explore endless beautiful waterfalls
    • Adrenaline seek at the Monteverde Tarzan Swing
    • Learn about coffee at a coffee farm
    • Visit the amazing national parks
    • Zipline through the cloud forest
    • Go on a night tour to find frogs and snakes!
    • Learn about sloths and ethical animal tourism at a conservation centre
    • Embrace surf culture in Santa Teresa

    Activities we recommend!

    Many of these recommended bucket list things can be found broadly around Costa Rica, some are more specific! We will link some of the opportunities below so it’s easier for you to check them out!

    Ziplining Tour in Monteverde

    Complete with guide, equipment, and pickup- experience this amazing tour from £56. Find it here.

    Tarzan swing and Zipline experience

    Visit the Aventura Park in Monteverde, and do a Tarzan swing of 148 foot height! Find this exciting experience here.

    Surfing in Santa Teresa

    Never surfed before? Meet your instructor on the beach, with all the necessary equipment to start this new skill! Find the lessons here.

    Rescate Wildlife Sanctuary

    Visit the place that helped us fall in love with Costa Rica, this animal sanctuary is one of the biggest in Central America, and does so much towards animal conservation! Check it out here.

    Coffee and Chocolate experience

    Learn at a family farm how coffee is made, with opportunities to try samples in a small group! Find it here.

    Places to stay

    We would love to share as many as we can, but unfortunately we wouldn’t be able to fit recommendations for every place! We will include a few options for some staple hotspots in Costa Rica!

    Here are some of our recommendations! We will only be including hostels this time, however, please let us know if you would like to see more location-based recommendations for any style traveller!

    San Jose

    The Selina chain has finally opened a branch is San Jose! With options for every traveller, this hostel has shared and private rooms (and even camping space), co-working space for us digital nomads, an on site restaurant and more! What’s not to love! Find it here.

    La Fortuna

    Hot springs calling your name? La Choza Inn has it’s own free hot springs river, with breakfast included… and its only 15 minutes away from the famous Arenal Volcano. This is a great budget hostel, with it only costing around £12 a night! Find it here.

    Manuel Antonio

    Teva Jungle Hotel and Hostel is a eco hostel boasting acres of forest with plenty of hiking opportunities! Being only a short walk from the commercial area of Manuel Antonio, rooms only start at £10 roughly a night in shared dorms, with the option of private rooms too! Find it here.

    Santa Teresa

    Zeneidas Surf Garden; it’s time to surf, chill and rewind! This hostel is the only beach-based hostel in Santa Teresa, offering BBQ nights, yoga, surf lessons and so much more! From only £18 a night this is such a great find! Check it out here.

    Puerto Viejo

    Located in the centre of Puerto Viejo, El Clan is the place to be! This hostel offers a pool, with many social areas – make the most of your travels! There is both private and shared rooms; however, dorms seem to be booking quick so check this out sooner rather than later! Dorms are only 6 per room which is great for those not wanting to be surrounded by too many other people! Find it here.

    Have you done any of these things?

    Would you add anything else to this list? If you have been previously, what is your favourite thing to do? And if you haven’t been, what is your most idolised thing to do?

    Want to see our trip to Costa Rica?

    If you would like to support our own travel Journey, please check out all our other blogs, and subscribe to the newsletter where we are currently uploading daily blogs!

    Check out our Social Media’s below!!!

    Finally, share this post with your friends! Let’s build those travel plans!