After driving past the sign for Rafiki more than 6 times on our way back and forth to Domincal, we decided to venture up the mountain to check out the mystery. Let me say that this was perhaps the BEST decision we made on our trip to Costa Rica. The road is definitely bumpy (car massage anybody?) but well, WELL worth the trip. When we arrived, we were graciously welcomed by the owner's daughter-in-law who took us on a tour of the property. Although the folks at Rafiki knew we had lodging elsewhere, they still offered us the opportunity to hang out and enjoy their facilities for the day. We (husband, 2-year old, and 5-year old, and me) spent the whole afternoon enjoying the jacuzzi and waterslide!!! Plus, they made the BEST homemade tortillas we had in CR. It was a PHENOMENAL time enjoying the company of other patrons and the owners (who happened to be some of the most hospitable people we've ever encountered)!!! We loved our time at Rafiki SO much that we returned the next day for a whitewater rafting trip. The staff at Rafiki set us up with a top-notch Nanny, Sadie, so that we could take our 5 year-old on the river and leave the 2 year-old safely at the lodge. It was PERFECT!!!! I think EVERYTHING about Rafiki is top-notch!!! Sometimes with children you worry about fitting in, but the folks here were super sweet with our kids and went out of their way to make them have a VERY enjoyable experiernce. In fact, they even delived my son's inflatable arm swimmers to our hotel in Manuel Antonio when we accidently left them there (which was exactly 1 hour away). I can't believe the service!!!! We are certainly going to stay at Rafiki on our next trip to CR.

We really enjoyed our vist to Rafiki. Believe me when I say from the very beginning ( by this I mean the six mile road leading to this adventure) to the end of your visit( guess what- the road), your will find a great place to hang out and have a great time.

This is a family run business. They try very hard to provide a fun and laid back vacation. The class 2 level river rafting trip had a few moments of pure panic but is was mostly a easy ride.

Food was ok one night and 5 star the other night. Drinks were priced right.

We had the honey moon tent. Try to get this. It's worth the extra money. The owners add a few touches that will make you smile. I will say no more.

If you want to see and feel what's it like to be off the beaten track, to sit back and let some dedicated friendly people show you what life can be in Costa Rica, then stop here. I recommend a two night one day visit. Get there around 4 PM and relax. Then take the horse ride to the river for the rafting the next day. You be tired so the rest of the day is time to sit back.

Now- about the horse. Every time my wife makes me ride a horse, the horse takes me for a ride to where ever it wants to walk or run too. This horse was nice. Thank god because this two hour horse ride is straight up and then down many times.

Add rafiki to your visit to CR.

This is class act rafting outfit that makes it fun for all ages! The guides are amazing and really make it a great day. This was our kids favorite tour (age 8, 11, 14 and 16) and we did 7 different tours in Costa Rica. They started our day with a delicious breakfast at the lodge, then our fun on the river was divided with a delicious hot lunch. Keep in mind the level of rapids you are doing and the level of water if you are an experienced rafter. This is not a boring ride by no means but not an adrenaline rush either. It is perfectly safe for familys and you will get soaking wet!

We recently spent a few days at Rafiki recently with our kids, ages 9 and 7. We visited a lot of amazing places during our Costa Rica vacation, but we all agree that Rafiki was the absolute highlight. The setting alone is magic! The kids could have spent days riding the waterslide, exploring the grounds, and playing with Nona, their friendly dog. Loki and his family, and everyone who works at the lodge, were fantastic hosts, making sure we had everything we needed, including cold drinks and delicious meals, during our entire stay.

We opted to ride horses to the site of our whitewater rafting trip, which I would strongly recommend. The kids were so happy on their own, very gentle horses, and we all got to see even more of the beautiful area while Loki told us all about the region, including interesting plants and trees along the way, and he even took amazing pictures of the ride with our camera.

The whitewater rafting was another highlight of our trip! It was the kids' first trip, and they will never forget it. Fortunately, we won't either, because there was a photographer who took fantastic photos that we have looked at over and over since we've been home.

We are so grateful to have found this one-of-a-kind place, which was so stunning, so comfortable, and so fun. As an added bonus, we were able to teach our kids about ecotourism and how the lodge is environmentally sustainable. Before we went, we had no idea how Rafiki could possibly live up to the wonderful reviews, but I can honestly say it exceeded even those expectations. With much gratitude to Loki and his lovely family!