The howler monkeys are my alarm clock. At 4:30am, I lay awake under the diaphanous mosquito netting covering the bed, watching the array of colors and clouds that will evolve into the perfect sunrise. The many species of birds begin to rouse the rest of the diurnal residents of the rainforest. I can't help myself. I walk out onto the deck and watch the light skim the ocean, hit the canopy, and caress the thatched roof of our bungalow. As the howlers' song fades, the waves become audible, and soon the surfers will be rewarded with a long, lovely ride to shore...

Magical places. The Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica is one of those places - it got under my skin, entered my soul and remains there with a longing to return. It is a place where I was forced to be "unplugged" - no phone, internet or television. No distractions, except for the constant flow of life before me.

From the sloth sleeping in the tree outside our bungalow, to the scarlet macaws flying overhead, to the capuchin monkeys wrecking havoc by the pool, I experienced “pura vida” every moment of my stay at the remote and luxurious Lapa Rios Ecolodge and Wildlife Reserve. In just a one-hour flight from San Jose you can have your own “pura vida” moments.

Experience everything you want in a rainforest experience right at the sustainable resort or choose to venture farther out. I highly recommend the waterfall hike, night walk and dolphin boat tour in the Golfo Dulce Bay. Pura vida!