The people staying here - both long-term and not - are very friendly! They were eager to strike up conversation and ready to share local sights and to-dos. All of the positive elements of the other reviews posted here are accurate. It is a great place to come and connect with others, have a space for yoga, enjoy the jungle and less touristy side of the island, etc. It’s a fun property to learn about off-grid living. And, the warm pool/wood-fired hot tub were a treat on cool, rainy days.
All that being said, it really isn’t the ideal spot for couples seeking any bit of privacy, or people looking for more of a standard level of comfort in an Airbnb. For example, the walls are indeed paper thin. Additionally, there are thin, slated bamboo-type shades that barely provide privacy in the daytime and become transparent in the nighttime.
The room is in a complex of rooms- 4 on the second floor and 4 on the bottom. The bathrooms are outside in a separate building. So, in the middle of the night, rain or shine, you will have to go outside to get to the bathrooms. Since this is a work-stay property for some people, projects will be undertaken around the property during your stay. We had people painting right outside our window through the two days we were there, again, with no shades for privacy and paper thin walls.
Composting toilets are cool, we even have one in our house, but having to sweep for fire ants around the seat, and fear for cockroaches falling on your head at night was really unfortunate. There is a flush toilet on the property.
There are lots of specific rules to learn and you are living with others who are doing this full-time. Don’t be fooled by the fruit picture in the posting - out of season there won’t be much fruit at all. And, there are no fresh vegetables to use in the communal fridge for breakfast or lunch as part of the meal plan. Dinners are where all the fresh groceries go to - they are good but not entirely something to write home about. Overall, it’s a good place to stay for the right people!
-Brayden & Brielle