by J.B. Lester, Uncle of the Bride
A green wedding doesn’t end when the bouquet is tossed. The honeymoon can be a part of your eco-conscious commitment not only to each other, but also to the planet you will share for many years to come. Hallie and Josh chose for their green honeymoon destination the Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica.
About Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge: “Crowning a point 500 feet above where the Golfo Dulce meets the Pacific Ocean, nestled in the unspoiled jungles of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula lies Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge. This magnificent forest reserve features private, spacious bungalows and gorgeous houses perched atop the cliffs of Cabo Matapalo. Bosque del Cabo is first and foremost a Rainforest Lodge, dedicated to a business framework that combines high-quality service and experience with the stewardship and respect for the area’s natural and cultural riches. Over the 25 years since Phil Spier discovered this sliver of paradise, he and his wife, Kim, have converted a small, overgrazed parcel of cut down rainforest into over 750 acres of pristine tropical forest, reintegrating this formerly lost ground into a larger biological corridor that runs all the way to the world famous Corcovado National Park. Combining conservation interests with a responsible tourism mentality the Spiers have turned Bosque del Cabo into a very successful example of sustainable development, one which over these years has combined with other pioneers to help turn Costa Rica’s tourism industry into the leading component of its national development strategy and an international model for sustainable tourism.”
Hallie shares her personal account of their honeymoon adventure. “Our honeymoon was fabulous! We stayed in a remote eco-lodge, Bosque Del Cabo, on the tip of the Osa peninsula in southern Costa Rica. To get there we had to take a bush plane from San Jose to an itty bitty one landing strip airport in Puerto Jemeniz. There are two smaller local airlines in Costa Rica, Sansa Air and Nature Air, both companies set aside part of each ticket to carbon offsets and local environmental preservation.
“When we reached the lodge we were greeted with fruity umbrella drinks (non alcoholic cuz it was 7am) and an amazing “Tico” breakfast. All meals are communal in an open air gazebo. It was great sharing stories of our day with other honeymooners and vacationers around the dinner table. We even met a guy from the Discovery channel’s Shark Week! All the food is local, some from the lodge itself. They have their own garden growing bananas, mangos, coconuts and plantains.
“Our cabana was perfect, a gorgeous wooden framed bed looked out of the french doors to a breathtaking view of the pacific ocean framed by the Costa Rican jungle. We spent most of our time just sitting on our deck watching the scarlet macaws paint the sky red as they flew off in pairs. We never had a day without seeing or hearing monkeys. Because the lodge is so remote; a 45 minute truck ride from town through multiple rivers; no bridges, just rivers; the wildlife was everywhere. We were lucky enough to spot a jaguarundi, a small jungle cat on one of our guided nature walks. The lodge has its own onsite biologist that gives multiple nature walks daily. I know more about leaf cutter ants than the Discovery channel now. These guided walks were fascinating and we were able to not only experience a rainforest, but understand the drama behind how it all works.
“Before I came to Bosqu del Cabo, I was under the impression that eco lodges equal roughing it, no running water, no electricity, no ice. But I was wrong! We were pampered! Our cabina had a wonderful outdoor shower with the best water pressure I have ever experienced not to mention I was surrounded by tropical flowers. Well placed solar panels blended into the landscape and offered us the much needed light, since the sun goes down at 7 every night. A fresh water creek that runs through the property supplies the water and generates some of the property’s energy.
“Lots of people go to Hawaii or Mexico for their honeymoon, but if you really want to get away from it all and spend time just the two of you, I highly recommend going off the beaten path and honeymooning in a remote jungle lodge. No distractions, no light pollution, just you, your love and all the stars in the heavens.”
For more information on Bosque del Cabo, please visit their website: www.bosquedelcabo.com or email: reservations@bosquedelcabo.com. Phone numbers in Costa Rica (from the United States or Canada, use “011” as the prefix before the area code and number): Puerto Jimenez Reservations Office: 506-2735-5206. Lodge Front Desk: 506-8389-2846.
Hallie and Josh wanted to give a shout out to their wedding photographer Chris Werner. “Not only is he a wedding photographer but he also guides mountaineering trips and photographs it all. Because we had our wedding in the mountains we wanted a photographer that was just as good at capturing people as the beauty behind them.” Check him out at chriswernerphoto.com.
Hallie’s final thoughts on her green wedding.
“As I look at our governments inaction in response to climate change, I feel empowered knowing that it doesn’t matter what they decide in Washington, it matters what I decide in Seattle or Colorado or St. Louis. I chose a green wedding because I want those gorgeous mountains in Colorado and the pristine beaches of Costa Rica to still be there when my daughter gets married someday. It was easy, cost effective and beautiful. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”