Unique Stay Under Canvas: Rafiki Safari Lodge Costa Rica Review
This post contains affiliate links. Making a booking via these links will mean that we receive a small fee but this is at absolutely no cost to you. The price you pay will always remain the same. For more information please see our Privacy Policy.
If you’re planning your family trip to Costa Rica you’ve probably got the big-hitting destinations like Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna and Tamarindo in your sights. But if you’re also craving a real off-the-beaten track experience that will COMPLETELY immerse you in the flora and fauna of Costa Rica, then a detour to Rafiki Safari Lodge is well worth it.
This lodge, right in the heart of Costa Rica and miles from anywhere, is a real once-in-a-lifetime chance to stay under canvas in the jungle. We spent several weeks travelling coast-to-coast in Costa Rica and this was a completely unique stay unlike anywhere else we ventured. Kids can gaze in wonder at the wildlife and adults can switch off and truly leave real-life behind.
If you want to get away from it all and soak up the biodiversity of Costa Rica, then a family trip to Rafiki should be right up at the top of your Costa Rica list. Our Rafiki Safari Lodge, Costa Rica review gives you our first-hand, honest experience of our stay here, including costs and top tips for planning the perfect retreat to the wilderness.
Table of Contents
- Where is Rafiki Safari Lodge and how do you get there?
- How much does it cost to stay at Rafiki?
- What to expect at Rafiki Safari Lodge
- What are the rooms like at Rafiki Safari Lodge?
- What is the Rafiki Safari Lodge menu like?
- What activities are there to do at Rafiki Safari Lodge?
- Rafiki Safari Lodge Costa Rica Review: Our Honest Family Experience
- Tips for a stay at Rafiki Safari Lodge
- Planning a family adventure to Costa Rica?
Where is Rafiki Safari Lodge and how do you get there?
Rafiki Safari Lodge is a 600+ hectare private reserve, 30km inland from Manuel Antonio, situated on the Savegre River. It’s in a glorious spot – there is absolutely nothing for miles around (and we mean NOTHING – this is remote Costa Rica). The views out over the winding river and the lush jungle are amazing.
There is no public transport to Rafiki so your only options to either drive there yourself or take a private shuttle.
By car
Hiring a car in Costa Rica is pretty straightforward and can save you a lot of hassle if you’re travelling as a family of 4 or 5 people. It can also be very cost effective, as the cost of shuttles and bus journeys for 4-5 people quickly add up!
Driving in Costa Rica in general was SO MUCH EASIER than I expected. If you carefully plan your routes in advance you can stick to paved roads and avoid any tricky river crossings. However. If you’re driving to Rafiki, be aware that there is a long stretch of the road that is unpaved and VERY uneven and winding. This particular route is NOT a drive for the faint-hearted! It is doable but you’ll need to factor in plenty of time and patience.
By shuttle
The alternative to driving it is to book a private shuttle. This is the option we went for to/from Rafiki – it was easy and completely stress-free (but still a bumpy ride!).
Rafiki organised the private shuttle for us – they can arrange to pick you up from your accommodation and drop you back wherever you need to be next. We were collected from our stay in Manuel Antonio and dropped off after our stay in Quepos (where we did then collect our hire car).
This cost us US$95 for the return journey (this was for 3 adults and 2 children under 12). The shuttle took around one hour from Manuel Antonio (and around the same back to Quepos on departure).
How much does it cost to stay at Rafiki?
We stuck to a backpacker budget for our travels around Costa Rica. With some careful planning you CAN travel in Costa Rica with kids on a budget. Having said this, our stay at Rafiki Safari Lodge was a real splurge. It came in much, much more expensive than anywhere else we stayed. But boy was it worth it!
A safari tent sleeping four (with one double and two single beds) comes in at £180/US$242 per night. The maximum occupancy per tent is four – the rate for a double for two adults is £145/US$195.
The good news for your pocket is that breakfast IS included. Plus it’s delicious and there is lots of it! Enjoying a leisurely breakfast on the terrace watching the bird life surrounding the lodge is a real joy.
Lunch and dinner are not included in the rates. As you’re in the middle of nowhere there isn’t really any other option but to have all your meals at the lodge. So this is a cost you’ll need to budget for.
Dinner came in at around $18-21 per person depending on what we chose from the daily menu. As we were on such a tight budget, we filled up on breakfast and then managed to get through the day just on the snacks we’d brought with us. This did save us some money on lunch; if you’re not on such a tight budget then I’d thoroughly recommend just paying for all your meals as the food was very, very good.
What to expect at Rafiki Safari Lodge
Rafiki is based around a huge communal covered deck space, with a bar and kitchen. Each of the safari tents are based within a very short walk from this space. The views extend for miles across the Savegre river valley and are really spectacular. The communal terrace is really the heart of the lodge; all meals are served here and it’s such a fab space to spend time in.
On our first night there was a HUGE thunderstorm that went on for hours, with pretty much the heaviest rain imaginable. We ate dinner under the thatched lodge while the thunder boomed and lightning flashed all around us. The lights under the thatched roof attracted quite a lot of insects, which in turn had drawn in the bats, which swooped all round overhead.
We saw red-eyed tree frogs, a giant toad, a glass frog and a pretty big hairy spider on the railings round the edge of the lodge. All on the first evening.To say it was atmospheric would be an understatement!
There’s a large lake to the front of the property and smaller pools to the rear, all of which attract loads of birdlife and animals.
What are the rooms like at Rafiki Safari Lodge?
The rooms themselves at Rafiki are safari tents on decked platforms; ours overlooked a pond towards the back of the site. They have huge decks with rocking chairs and tables where you can sit and watch the wildlife (and the pouring rain!).
The tents are pretty huge inside, with massive bathrooms with hot showers. There are also fans in the main bedroom section, bedside lights and several electricity sockets. This is absolutely NOT roughing it – this is luxury glamping at it’s best.
I’m not going to lie, I love camping but the idea of a bit of canvas being the only thing between us and all the jungle critters had freaked me out a bit before we got there. But to my great relief nothing appeared to get inside the tents. The tents are well protected with a huge swathe of netting running around the outside.
With the fans on the tents were actually quite cool inside, despite the humidity and heat. Our four-berth had a double and two singles and there was still plenty of space to move around/unpack. The beds are full, proper beds and were very comfortable.
Lying in the dark under the canvas – with the rain pouring down and the deafening noise of the jungle outside – was magical. The canvas is so thick and heavy that it’s pitch black inside the tents, even once the morning sun has risen outside.
What is the Rafiki Safari Lodge menu like?
If you’re travelling with kids, then food choices are likely to always be top-of-mind when booking places to stay. Even if you are blessed with non-picky eaters, it’s still good to have an idea of what the options might be (especially when you’re travelling to somewhere so off-the-beaten track that those options are very limited!).
Fortunately the food at Rafiki is excellent. All of it. The breakfasts are huge, with healthy, filling options like eggs and porridge as well as cereal, toast and fruit and that traditional child-favourite – pancakes. If the lodge is busy they operate a buffet system; if there are only a few people staying you’ll order from a menu instead. We had both the buffet and menu breakfast during our stay and both were filling and tasty!
For lunch and dinner the lodge offer a selection of 3-4 main meals that you can order in the morning each day. Again, these are big, hearty meals that really fill you up! They specialise in South African BBQ dishes such as ribs and steaks and these are particularly tasty. The boys loved the big dishes of Pasta Carbonara and Chicken Parmagiana. Everything comes with a range of sides and they have simpler options to appeal to the kids.
And then the cakes are TO DIE FOR. Absolutely delicious chunks of homemade pineapple and chocolate cakes – this was definitely one of the highlights for the kids (and for us!).
You book a time for your meals the evening before so that the staff can plan; this was very flexible when we were there as the lodge wasn’t fully booked.
What activities are there to do at Rafiki Safari Lodge?
You can do as much or as little as you like during your stay. The decked terraces attached to each tent and the huge communal area are great spots for chilling out, reading books or playing card games.
Wildlife and bird watching
The priority for us was seeing all of the wildlife and spotting as many birds as we could so we spent HOURS hanging out on the decked porch of our tent or on the communal decked area.
The pool to the rear of our tent was a haven for wildlife and we sat on the rocking chairs watching the iguanas swimming, chasing each other and climbing the surrounding trees. We also saw a variety of birds, including little herons hunting in the shallows.
The staff at the lodge put fresh fruit out on the bird feeders just off the communal decked area each day. This attracts loads of different birds (and they have some very handy bird books to help you identify them all!). Watching dozens of hummingbirds fluttering around the flowers was amazing to see so close to us.
Sliding down the EPIC waterslide into the pool
The pictures on the website of this waterslide and the inviting little pool at the bottom were what really triggered me to pull the plug and make a booking at Rafiki. I knew the boys would absolutely LOVE it, and they indeed they did.
The waterslide runs from the communal decked area, through the undergrowth before dumping you out in the small natural pool at the base. It is EXTREMELY fast and a whole heap of fun. As a parent you get to chill out on the sun-loungers by the pool listening to the shrieks of excitement coming from the undergrowth as the kids whip down the slide – one of those travel moments that is completely priceless!
Hiking the trails
There are trails to the back of the property which you can hike. These are through some dense undergrowth so be prepared to be thoroughly immersed in the jungle! It had rained heavily before our arrival so the trails were very muddy – proper hiking shoes are definitely required here. We only hiked the shortest trail (around one hour); the heat and humidity were quite intense and this was definitely all our kids could cope with.
Whitewater Rafting
With the Savegre River running right outside the lodge, this is an excellent chance to have a go at whitewater rafting. There are grade II and III rapids here; the minimum age for kids is 6. The instructors at Rafiki are all certified with years of experience and used to taking families out on Savegre River rafting expeditions.
Horseriding
The guides at Rafiki also offer horseback trails, with the main route taking you along the river basin to a waterfall where you can swim and cool off. Treks can be tailored to your group though, so if you want a shorter or easier route for the kids (or something more challenging!) then the guides can adapt this.
Rafiki Safari Lodge Costa Rica Review: Our Honest Family Experience
If you want a truly unique stay during your time in Costa Rica then a stay at Rafiki is absolutely worth splashing out on. It’s much more than just a place to stay – it’s a whole experience in itself. Even if you just choose to spend your time at the lodge watching the wildlife, reading and occasionally taking a ride down the waterslide in to the pool – that alone is worth the trip.
If you or your kids love wildlife then this is the place to come. Grab a rocking chair on the veranda, switch off and allow yourself to be immersed in the nature of Costa Rica.
Tips for a stay at Rafiki Safari Lodge
- Pack a torch. It gets pretty dark at night!
- If you can budget enough to cover all your meals here. The food is excellent and in hindsight I really wish we had splashed out that bit more to cover lunch too!
- Don’t forget your binoculars – there is so much birdlife here to spot
- Book well in advance – in peak season dates can fill up fast
- Pack plenty of snacks for kids. The meals are great but there isn’t anywhere else to stock up between (and noone wants to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with hungry kids!).
Planning a family adventure to Costa Rica?
If you’re dreaming of taking the kids to Costa Rica, then download our totally FREE Costa Rica Travel with Kids Guide right here. It has all the info you need to plan the perfect trip, including:
- Packing lists
- Two-week itinerary curated specifically for family travel
- Costs
- Where to stay
- What to do
Sign up below and download your pdf version now! We promise never to send you any spam rubbish and we will never pass your details on to anyone else at all.
