We loved staying in the Howler House! It was clean and comfortable, and we felt very safe in the house and village. The howlers visited every other day, and we heard them in the distance the rest of the time. We became fond of the friendly croc who always paddled over when we came to the dock. Except for Tony and Val’s house about 75 yards away, we were surrounded by jungle and river, and we spent a lot of time just daydreaming in the hammocks, enjoying the breeze and watching the iguanas and birds. On Friday night the music drifted over from the karaoke bar in the village, otherwise evenings were quiet and we loved falling asleep to the nighttime chorus of frogs, cicadas, geckos, the occasional howler, raindrops on the roof, fish splashing, and dozens of other sounds we couldn’t identify. We took the canoe to explore upriver, walked through the friendly town a few times, and enjoyed cave tubing. The house is great for a couple, fine for 1-2 extra folks if they are comfortable with each other. (The master bedroom is separated from the living room and kitchen only by a curtain, and the bathroom is around the corner from the master bedroom with no separating door or shower curtain.) The house was well-supplied with towels and linens, and the internet connection was very good, which was helpful for lining up tours and checking email. Lots of little corner stores in town carry the basics, and everyone accepts USD – if you prefer a little more variety, stop off at the bigger grocery store near the airport before coming to Burrell Boom.

Frustrated writers out there: this would be a great place for a writing retreat!