I absolutely loved Selva Verde Lodge & Reserve which sits within 500 acres of vibrant tropical nature in the heart of Costa Rica's Sarapiquí county. The river rages and is great for white-water rafting. My room was at the far corner of the beautifully spread out complex and I could lie in my private hammock strung up on the walkway right outside my door and watch the shrieking kayakers (and birds) fly past.

It's a nature lovers' paradise - so many birds, butterflies and amphibians to see both right under your nose on the grounds or over the canopy bridge (not for those of a nervous disposition) in the unspoilt primary rain forest. The night trail was fantastic (a big thank you to my guide Ronald Jiménez Saborío who is incredibly knowledgeable and totally in tune with the environment) and I saw many different frogs/toads. Melany Ocón Rojas was my equally brilliant early morning birding guide. 

Right next to the lodge is La Selva Biological Station which is a protected area encompassing 1,536 ha of low-land tropical rain forest. It's owned and operated by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), a consortium of universities and research institutions from the United States, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico.