Unión Milagreña Vacations from $283

This eco-lodge has potential, but the manager is its downfall. Huge factor: If you are traveling independently as we two were (as in, not w/ an organized group), you’re at the mercy of manager’s hire of a free-lance guide, who’s with you from airport pickup to drop-off. And our guide was, essentially, a madman who repeatedly exhibited terrible judgement. He ruined our expensive stay and even endangered us. He remained blissfully unaware of our interests and needs—or ignored them. Not mean-spirited. Just terribly unprofessional. He often took us on dangerous paths while staying 20 meters ahead and even out of sight. We waded through yards of water up to our knees, slipping and inching along. We trudged through seemingly endless traks of mud. I slipped a total of five times, going down hard each time. He didn’t even know, and when he did, he just stood there, making no effort to help. Mud and water in the rainy jungle? Sure. But re-routing never occurred to him. And we saw virtually nothing after hours of exhausting hiking. By far, we saw more at the lodge at two lunchtimes—monkeys, birds, fauna—than all hikes put together. We should have just sat there. When I expressed my concerns to the elusive manager—who had never even greeted us—he was sympathetic. The guide would never be hired again! But if this mgr did the hiring, who will he choose next? As we left in a.m., he held the boat rope but didn’t even say goodbye to us. Spend $1300+ for less than 40 hrs elsewhere!

Excellent, very recomended