we found casa chemeleon, and mal pais to be a wonderful adventure for our 5 day stay in january.
the villa we stayed was spacious, clean, and comfortable. the view is from high on a hill overlooking the pacific ocean.
we did not have the patio with the private pool, but the main pool was just lovely.
david our host could not have been more gracious and accomodating, very knowledgeable about everthing the mal pais areahads to offer.
we rented a small suv which is a must. we hardly ever got out of 2nd gear. villa's up up a steep hill, and hard to recognize the 1st time before checking in.. otherwise it's not difficult and actually fun to drive virtually "off road" wherever you go within 35 km of malpais. i cannot describe how bad most of the roads are.
kevin is a terrific chef and fun guy. try to have david direct you to the fishing village and set up a 2 hour, very early morning fishing quest. the fish which you certainly will catch can be prepared for you by kevin, and it's delicious.

also go for the horseback ride, surfing (body surfing in my case)
hike in csas blanco, see montezuma, and explore all the beaches, the very best of which was" playa hermosa"

eat at kevin's, mary's of course, breakfasts and sunsets at soda pad mederia.

thanks to david, and the owner anthony, who really care, we loved our trip to casa chameleon.

My wife and I just returned from spending 5 nights at Casa Chameleon in celebration of our 10 year anniversary. All of the reviews are ABSOLUTELY justified. This place was incredible. I am almost reluctant to write a review since we want to keep this entire area of Mal Pais, including Casa Chameleon, a SECRET, but after further thought- what the heck, let me tell you a bit about our experience.

We stayed at the Villa Vista ($235/night). The view from the balcony- even the shower- was incredible! The bed was fabulous (double bed, not a queen in case this makes a diff. to you). We ate breakfast on our balcony every day enjoying Kevin's "Americana" breakfast including banana pancakes, bacon, eggs, tropical fruits, OJ, etc. We booked two private dinners and they were among the best meals of our stay. Kevin is a superb chef. His creations were delicious. We never ate lunch at Casa Chameleon since we went on excursions almost every day. One of the most incredible dinners was at a little place called "Langosta Paraiso" (Lobster Paradise) located about 30 minutes north in Manzanillo. Lobster is pulled right from the ocean DAILY. Mary's is great. So is Pizzeria Carmen and Piedra Mar. We ate one dinner at Flor Blanca which is expensive but very good.

Our daily excursions included zipline canopy tours (10 min. from Casa Chameleon), Horseback riding at sunset and on the beach (10 min. from Casa Chameleon), surfing at Playa Carmen (surf boards rent for 10 bucks a day at Alex's surf shop, 5 min from Casa Chameleon), walks on the beach, day trip to Montezuma (incredible beach and shops), snorkeling at Sunset Reef (10 min. from Casa Chameleon). Casa Chameleon is located about 400 yards on a hill from the beach. The road is very steep and I would not recommend walking to the beach or activities. Rental car is a must and we loved zipping around the area. I actually wish we had spent more time enjoying the incredible pool and grounds at Casa Chameleon but every night we returned from excursions we felt like we were at a spa, pampered by such an incredible little resort. We did order a massage one day and the therapists were excellent.

Dave was the most amazing host! He was on call whenever we needed him- always available. He knows all the secrets of Mal Pais, the best restaurants and is always available to provide directions, maps, etc. Thanks Dave for taking so many pictures of us and for your amazing service. Dave works tirelessly for guests and is available as often (or as little) as you need him. Believe me, as REMOTE AS MAL PAIS IS, Dave is an incredible help.

We will DEFINITELY be returning. My only fear is that this place grows too popular. They are already talking about paving the main road. I don't want this place to turn into Tamarindo, with issues of sewer and larger crowds. Be prepared to drive on dirt roads the entire time. You need 4WD. I brought bug spray but NEVER USED IT. We had a few bugs and ants in our room but they never bothered us. The room has A/C so we slept cool every night. Be prepared for lots of noises from nature at night (birds, monkeys, etc.). Remember, this is the jungle but not rain forest so the bugs are very tolerable. I would recommend staying during dry season. We never saw a drop of rain and weather was in the 80's all week - at times the roads were hot and dusty. The ocean is incredibly warm. Pack LIGHT- we brought one pair of pants for horseback riding. Never wore long sleeves. Hopefully this helps you!

Thanks Casa Chameleon for making our trip unforgettable. We will be coming back soon!

After reading many glowing reviews of Casa Chameleon on Trip Advisor, we decided to trust the community and stay here. We stretched our budget a bit beyond what we would otherwise spend, and we were not left disappointed. I won't go into the describing the property since the many other reviews and websites do a great job. I'll just say that the grounds were amazing, the room was perfect, the view incredible, and the staff was friendly and catered to our every need. We did not stay in the ultra deluxe suite, but thought our normal suite was perfect. We did peek at the other, and while impressed with the private pool, we really would have missed our awesome jumbo shower set on granite tile. Our only complaint was that the property has an awesome poolside and cabana set up, but since there are only three casaitas (and some guests prefer their privacy), everything was empty most of the time. We enjoy socializing and found that the staff was very fun to hang out with. Congratulations CChameleon for living up to your fabulous reputation. Well done!

My wife and I stayed in the Villa Vista suite for 5 days in early January 2008. Overall, we had an excellent experience and would highly recommend it. Below is a breakdown of the hotel and area:

Room: The suite was well kept and had an outstanding view of the ocean and trees. It was the norm to see squirrels, birds, and lizards from the balcony. The stone shower was impressive and also had an incredible view. The only issue we had was the lighting was kind of dim, so if you plan on reading at night you should bring a book light. Also, a few bugs will come in and out of the room, but that's kind of the norm for where you are.

Grounds: Absolutely stunning grounds with tropical flowers, hardwood walkways, and a nice pool. The max amount of people sharing the pool is 2 couples, so its pretty much a private pool. The upgraded room at $450ish has a private pool. I was quite happy with the "shared pool" that you really have to yourself for $235. We ate breakfast in a thatch covered seating/eating area that was very nice. They also had covered hammocks and a yoga area.

Service: This is where they really distinguished themselves. Kevin, the chef was excellent. We did breakfast everyday at Casa Chameleon and one dinner. Everything was from scratch and outstanding. Breakfast and Lunch are quite reasonable. Dinner is a little more of splurge at $120 for a couple, but most people staying here can probably do that at least a few times. David was awesome. Everyday he made recommendations on where to go and where to eat in the area and provided extensive directions and maps. They really have mastered being helpful, yet unobstrusive.

Food in Area: Mary's is the best bet for dinner. They are reasonable, friendly and the food is outstanding. Los Piedros has outstanding fire grilled chicken and is reasonable as well. My wife liked Piedra Mar soda, which was very reasonable. The people are not overally friendly at Piedra Mar, but the food is excellent.

Misc: American dollars are accepted everywhere. Curu was an awesome wildlife experience. Montezuma was an interesting little town that was worth a visit as well.

Overall, a great experience with Casa Chameleon. At $235 a night it was well worth it. If you are on a budget there are cheaper places in the area, but it was an outstanding value compared to most travel destinations and a sure bet.