Highlights
- Intimate Tortugeuro Eco Lodge
- 12 Air Conditioned Rooms
- Wide range of activities, turtle hatching
- Restaurant highly regarded
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Manatus Hotel is one of the best lodges in the Tortuguero area of north east Costa Rica. Manatus stands out from many of the other options in the area with its smaller and more intimate scale with just 12 rooms and its upscale a la carte dining.
Manatus is set on a narrow strip of densely forested land beside a beautiful, jungle-fringed canal, just a short boat ride from the national park and the village of Tortuguero itself. The property has a traditional, characterful feel, and its warm hospitality and excellent service sets it apart. The pretty gardens are home to a colourful variety of plants and flowers along with an array of bird species and playful monkeys swinging in the trees, and there’s a huge amount to do in the surrounding area.
There are a dozen pristine suites, all offering a particularly good level of amenities and facilities in relation to some other hotels in the area. All twelve suites are air conditioned and have free Wi-Fi, as well as satellite TVs. The rooms come with an outdoor terrace area complete with a private shower; there’s also an indoor shower with hot water. Children are welcome, and those aged 10 years and below can stay for a reduced rate. Children over the age of 10, however, are required to pay adult prices. All rooms have two queen beds meaning that suites can accommodate a maximum number of four guests – note that there is no possibility to bring in extra beds.
There are a number of guest packages to choose from, and all of them include a canal boat tour through the national park and a guided visit to the village of Tortuguero and the nearby Caribbean Conservation Company. In addition, there are lots of optional activities that can be booked for an extra charge. Examples include the Twilight Tour which takes guests along the walking trails that stretch throughout the hotel’s expansive rainforest surroundings, and the Night Turtle Nesting Tour which offers the rare opportunity to witness turtles laying their eggs on the beach (seasonal). For the more adventurous, there’s the chance to go kayaking and zip lining through the forest canopy. The area is a top catch-and-release sport fishing destination, so fishing is also a very popular choice.
When not out exploring the national park and the charming village of Tortuguero, there are plenty of on-site facilities to make use of. There’s an art gallery showcasing works by the artist Marcela Crespo Gallegos, as well as a swimming pool with lovely canal views, a billiards table beside the bar, a well-equipped fitness room and a spa with a wide range of treatments on offer, from manicures and pedicures, to stone massages and facials. Ara Macaw is the hotel’s restaurant and is the only gourmet eatery in the area. Its menu specialises in Afro-Caribbean fusion cuisine, with food prepared to a very high standard.
Dear Lisa. On behalf of the three generations of the Rowland family. Thank you, so much, for organising our wonderful holiday to Botswana and the Victoria Falls. The trip of a lifetime. The week mobile camping in the bush, with our guide Nandos and his crew was a fantastic adventure. How they manage to cook such wonderful food on an open fire is amazing. The sites were constantly visited by monkeys and once by elephants. We were even lucky enough to see two packs of wild dogs, once with a kill. Waterberry Lodge on the Zambezi River is a wonderfully tranquil place. Ideal to relax after the adventures of our safari and visiting Victoria Falls. Very many thanks once again
Godfrey R
reviewing Private Mobile Family Safari in Botswana
on 25 September 2023
We had a great time - even with the flight between Governors and the coast being two flights and a car! We also experienced a power cut At Nairobi airport on the way home so 2+ hours late taking off. Governors. Wonderful people and dealt with the flight delay very well - taking us back and letting us know that we could stay there if the flight was delayed overnight. The game drives were excellent and our guide (Erick) obviously very experienced and managed to find all the key animals - no rhino in that part of the Masai Mara but everything else in abundance - never seen so many herbivores (many many elephants as well as all the others) as well as two prides of lions. Could not have asked for more. The ‘tent’ was excellent and comfortable and well serviced. The only ‘complaint’ would be that the food - especially dinner - could be improved (I think we got a bit bored of soup as a starter for every meal bar one) and the main courses were not at the same level as Kinondo Kwetu and while all were explained there was no choice offered. The breakfasts were just what was needed after an early game drive. Kinondo Kwetu. What a great location and the welcome when we arrived at just gone 11.00pm was better than you could have ever thought possible - they we’re disappointed that we did not at that time want the full dinner experience! The rooms we’re comfortable. The food was excellent but again no choice was offered - other than for allergy reasons (which we do not have). May be some choice would be nice. Having said that the food we did have was excellent as were the wines (albeit a short list!) and other drinks. There were (as you know) lots of facilities/sports options - but we spent our time relaxing which was exactly what we needed and there were lots of places to do that. Overall. We would go back to both places - perhaps a few more nights at Kinondo Kwetu next time but 3 nights at Governors was perfect for us. Thank you for organising and recommending both places. That you and your colleague for trying to find out about the plane (flat tyre) but communication by the flight company left a lot to be desired (Governors were furious that they were not told and had taken us to the airstrip). Phil
Philip R
reviewing Masai Mara Safari & Kenya Beach
on 01 September 2023
It was certainly a holiday of a lifetime for us and we loved every minute!! The standard and location of each accommodation was excellent, as was the variety of each different accommodation type. Our schedule was perfect and we managed to achieve everything on our to-do task list. Your documents were also really helpful, as were the driving directions. We all thank you for making this such a wonderful holiday. Happy to leave a review publicly if you point me the right way. Best Steve
Stephen H
reviewing Classic Garden Route & Eastern Cape Safari
on 01 September 2023
Dear Lisa. On behalf of the three generations of the Rowland family. Thank you, so much, for organising our wonderful holiday to Botswana and the Victoria Falls. The trip of a lifetime. The week mobile camping in the bush, with our guide Nandos and his crew was a fantastic adventure. How they manage to cook such wonderful food on an open fire is amazing. The sites were constantly visited by monkeys and once by elephants. We were even lucky enough to see two packs of wild dogs, once with a kill. Waterberry Lodge on the Zambezi River is a wonderfully tranquil place. Ideal to relax after the adventures of our safari and visiting Victoria Falls. Very many thanks once again
Godfrey R
reviewing Private Mobile Family Safari in Botswana
on 25 September 2023
We had a great time - even with the flight between Governors and the coast being two flights and a car! We also experienced a power cut At Nairobi airport on the way home so 2+ hours late taking off. Governors. Wonderful people and dealt with the flight delay very well - taking us back and letting us know that we could stay there if the flight was delayed overnight. The game drives were excellent and our guide (Erick) obviously very experienced and managed to find all the key animals - no rhino in that part of the Masai Mara but everything else in abundance - never seen so many herbivores (many many elephants as well as all the others) as well as two prides of lions. Could not have asked for more. The ‘tent’ was excellent and comfortable and well serviced. The only ‘complaint’ would be that the food - especially dinner - could be improved (I think we got a bit bored of soup as a starter for every meal bar one) and the main courses were not at the same level as Kinondo Kwetu and while all were explained there was no choice offered. The breakfasts were just what was needed after an early game drive. Kinondo Kwetu. What a great location and the welcome when we arrived at just gone 11.00pm was better than you could have ever thought possible - they we’re disappointed that we did not at that time want the full dinner experience! The rooms we’re comfortable. The food was excellent but again no choice was offered - other than for allergy reasons (which we do not have). May be some choice would be nice. Having said that the food we did have was excellent as were the wines (albeit a short list!) and other drinks. There were (as you know) lots of facilities/sports options - but we spent our time relaxing which was exactly what we needed and there were lots of places to do that. Overall. We would go back to both places - perhaps a few more nights at Kinondo Kwetu next time but 3 nights at Governors was perfect for us. Thank you for organising and recommending both places. That you and your colleague for trying to find out about the plane (flat tyre) but communication by the flight company left a lot to be desired (Governors were furious that they were not told and had taken us to the airstrip). Phil
Philip R
reviewing Masai Mara Safari & Kenya Beach
on 01 September 2023
It was certainly a holiday of a lifetime for us and we loved every minute!! The standard and location of each accommodation was excellent, as was the variety of each different accommodation type. Our schedule was perfect and we managed to achieve everything on our to-do task list. Your documents were also really helpful, as were the driving directions. We all thank you for making this such a wonderful holiday. Happy to leave a review publicly if you point me the right way. Best Steve
Stephen H
reviewing Classic Garden Route & Eastern Cape Safari
on 01 September 2023
Hi Lisa, Holiday has been a huge success and we have thoroughly enjoyed it all, such a wonderful experience. Many thanks for all your help. Best wishes, Leona
Leona L
reviewing Family Holiday: Inca Trail and Amazon
on 18 August 2023
Hi Lisa, Thanks for your email! It was amazing thank you! We had the best time, everything ran smoothly (aside from a break-down due to faulty clutch on day 1 of the tour, but our guide / driver sorted that and we were back on track by that evening). Saw all the things we wanted to see, even a mum and cub cheetah. Our boys have had such a different holiday and a fab taste of the world! Thank you so much for organising this for us. We’d definitely recommend our guide/driver (Tuhafeni) and assistant (Frans) again. Nicola
Nicola T
reviewing Highlights of Namibia - Family Group Tour
on 18 August 2023
We had a fantastic time. Thank you for all your help, advice and guidance in organising our holiday. As this was not our first booking with Tourdust we were confident that all our transfers would work perfectly and they did - everything ran so smoothly! The riad in Marrakesh was stunning - a truly beautiful oasis of calm in such a busy, bustling city. As you can imagine, we were very grateful for the air conditioning in our room as outside was so hot! I was nervous about walking through the souks at night, but as they were well lit we felt perfectly safe and found our confidence grew in navigating the journey home each time we ventured out. When we arrived at our lodge in the Atlas Mountains we were blown away by the scenery. The views were amazing and the beautiful lodge gardens were the perfect place to sit and relax before taking a dip in the pool. Our day trek was truly amazing - no small thanks to our guide Rashid, who was so helpful and knowledgable. The lunch in the traditional Berber village was delicious and we were were made to feel so welcome. The home owner showed us how to make bread and then cooked it for us in her traditional clay oven. This was a memory we will never forget as we stood surrounded by her chickens and goats watching her use her bare hands to prepare the fire! Our night in the desert was breathtaking. The camel ride at sunset was so incredible and the quad biking the next morning was brilliant fun. I am so glad we added in these extras as they really made the experience! We finally made it to our hotel at the coast, where the surf lessons were a hit and the hotel was a great place to relax and read! Thank you again for all your help. We would definitely recommend Tourdust to all our friends and family. Tanya
Tanya G
reviewing Marrakech, Mountains & Coast Family Holiday
on 18 August 2023
Hi Lisa, Just wanted to say thank you so much for organising our trip to Thailand. We had such a good time and all the arrangements were perfect. Our tour guide in Bangkok, Nathan, was fantastic. Super-knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Definitely 5 stars. We enjoyed Elephant Hills - think three days was a perfect amount of time there. The activities were wonderful and varied (elephant feeding such a highlight but also loved the canoeing and river trips), the food here was excellent too and guides great. It was so lovely after all the hustle and bustle to relax at the Bo Phut resort in Ko Samui. The Fisherman’s market was full of interesting things to buy and we enjoyed a good boat trip out to Pig Island. Thank you for all your advice along the way. All the best, The Murray family.
Prunella M
reviewing Relaxing Thailand Family Holiday
on 14 August 2023
We are back home safe after a wonderful trip. Having booked with you before, it was not a surprise that everything worked brilliantly, but this trip was really special. Our trekking in the mountains was incredible - we were well looked after and supported at all times. Mohammed met us when we arrived and our guide for the 3 days was great and provided support when the trekking was tough. We were really impressed with the cooking which was tasty and healthy. All the logistics worked well. Our time at les deux tours was lovely. To finish there after the mountains was amazing. We were really impressed by the attentive service and the place and pool suites you booked were beautiful and amazing. We would love to go back. Thank you for organising such a great trip for us. And yes thank you, we are all good if a little tired! Best wishes Lucy and Mark
Mark C
reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal
on 11 August 2023
Hi Lisa, We loved Costa Rica. The transfers worked amazingly well, Franx from Costa Rica Trails regularly checked that we were happy with everything and made sure we knew the transfer plans, the hotels were all very different. I wish we'd had an extra night in the Grano de Oro to give us a day in San Jose, it was a stunning hotel and felt wasted for the under 12 hours we were there. I very much got the feeling that the Evergreen Lodge was geared towards just a 2 night stay, which resulted in an awkward/funny moment in the 3rd evening when they presented us with specially prepared fish meals for the 4 of us "as we'd already had the 2 nights of the fixed menu and it was cycling round again" The Arenal Observatory Lodge was the star of the show, we absolutely loved it and would have gladly spent longer there time/budget allowing. The staff were brilliant throughout, the setting was breathtaking, the wildlife and walks were amazing and lots to do in the local area. The Gilded Iguana was the nicest hotel by a mile for facilities/appearance (fantastic service too) but Nosara was a little bit of a shock for us two oldies. Took us half a day to click into the feel of the place. Very Americanised, a little more lively than I was expecting. But grew to love it. We wouldn't rush back but the kids would, it was their highlight of the trip. As I said at the start, an amazing trip with lots of variety and superbly well organised. Thanks Stuart
Stuart H
reviewing Costa Rica Adventure For Families
on 11 August 2023
Dear Lisa, We are now back home and had a fantastic time. All the arrangements went seamlessly, transport and hotels were great. Laikipia was amazing, a very personal experience and they did all they could to accommodate everything we wanted to do. The river location was fantastic and ideal for the children as they got to swim in it. It is somewhere we would all like to return to. There might not have been the numbers that you get on the Masai Mara however we got to see lions with cubs, two black leopards, a golden leopard and the wild dogs as well as a huge number of other animals and birds. Thank you for suggesting to stay for 4 nights, it was just the right amount of time. The tamarin Hotel was a good choice as we were able to eat at the Carnivore restaurant which was an experience. Mauritius was lovely and relaxing, just what we needed after a very active time in Laikipia. Accommodation and service was great. Weather was good for most of the time, a few showers over the last couple of days. Thank you once again for organising it all. Sally
Sally M
reviewing Laikipia Wilderness and Plains
on 11 August 2023
Hi Lisa, We are waiting to board our flight to London but just wanted to say that we have had the most incredible holiday. Costa Rica is such a special place and we have loved the wildlife, outdoor adventures and especially the people. We were a little apprehensive before we arrived especially about travelling through the country but Tourdust made everything so easy and all the transfers were seamless. Thank you so much for all your help planning our trip of a lifetime and bearing with us as we deferred it time and again through the Covid years. Just need to save some pennies and then we’ll be in touch about our next trip!
Kind regards, Orla
Orla B
reviewing Costa Rica Highlights for Families
on 31 July 2023
Hi
Well overall it was an amazing trip and we really appreciated the guidance on places to go. On the ground, Victor was very helpful and we liked the mix of places.
The two stand out places and accommodations were Arenal Observatory Lodge and El Remanso - the latter being perfect in so many ways. The day trip to Cocovardo National Park was outstanding.
We enjoyed Tortuguero too - basic accommodation but excellent location and the guide there was outstanding.
Monte Verde was ok - average food, average place to stay.
With hindsight we’d skip Uvita altogether and go to Drakes Bay where snorkelling seems more accessible.Overall an excellent holiday, which went very smoothly and a good mix of things to do.
Thank you.
Francesca
Francesca L
reviewing Costa Rica Wildlife Holiday
on 30 August 2022
