Years in Business: 14

Region of Operations: Costa Rica, Central America

Samasati Nature Retreat is an organism (as opposed to an organization: a living entity where the energy flow can vibrate from the top investor to the last field worker and to the smallest rose bush, all placed in an exquisite retreat facility and Eco Resort situated on a virgin tropical forest overlooking the Caribbean Sea in the marvelous country of Costa Rica. The artful balance achieved within its environment makes Samasati Nature Retreat an ideal destination for nature lovers, environmental advocates and students, yoga practitioners, group activities and individuals looking for a special, exotic vacation. The retreat is nestled into a 250 acres Biological Reserve. Samasati Nature Retreat is blessed with spectacular views of the Caribbean sea and of the surrounding tropical rainforest. The compound has ten hand-crafted bungalows with spacious verandas and lofts, private bathrooms and ample living room space. There are also four large fully furnished houses and a budget guesthouse providing a wide range of accommodations. Samasati Nature Retreat offers a wonderful array of delicious vegetarian food and fresh juices served buffet style in the opened air restaurant, an exquisite hardwood structure with high ceilings and impressive sea view. Two fully equipped meditation/group/yoga rooms accommodate up to 60 people and are surrounded by nature. It is a convenient walk from accommodations, but distant enough to ensure privacy. Nature trails unwind all around Samasati Nature Retreat, offering the opportunity to our guests of exploring the impressive tropical forest, its creeks and the abundant wildlife.

Two different types of woods have been used in the creation of Samasati. The first type, called “Green Wood”, was obtained with the permit of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) from trees that have fallen naturally over the years around the property that were cut to size “in situ” and pull to the building sites with Oxen, without impacting the forest with power vehicles or roads. The second type of wood used came from young harvested wood brought from the plantations in the central valley of Costa Rica.

The style of each construction is built so that there is a maximization of the ventilation, isolation from the heat, protection from the humid climate, and enhancement of the natural elements of the rainforest such as view, sounds, and breeze. The shape of the roofs and the materials provide isolation in each building, all of which minimize considerably the need for electrical appliances to cool them inside. Absolutely no exotic species of fauna or flora have been introduced into the rainforest to avoid alterations to the ecosystem.

The gardens of the hotel consist of the natural gardens that have been rampantly created by the rainforest. A special custom-made sewage treatment system was designed by a sanitation engineer for the hotel; a strict control of the treatment of the residual water is kept by the hotel and monitored by a sanitation engineer as well as the Department of Health periodically. A large reservoir tank has been built to collect rainy waters from the roofs, to be re-used for bathrooms and showers.

Samasati Nature Retreat only employs people living in the immediate vicinity of the retreat.

Our present management team started as basic workers in the cleaning and maintenance department working their way up to top management.

Our employees at any position undergo a constant training in the following areas: Land Conservation, Human Relations, Languages, Labor Issues and Micro Enterprise.

Inside the hotel biodegradable soap, detergents, shampoo, and conditioner are the only type allowed. Also and most importantly, all aspects from the buildings techniques to the actual running of the day-to-day operations follow the basic guidelines for conservation of the environment.

We ask our clients to live at Samasati Nature Retreat, during their stay, following these guidelines of sustainability, train our local employees to do the same and in doing so we help enhancing the collective awareness and motivation for land conservation. During their stay our guests are in close contact with local people and they can appreciate their hard work and their effort in making Samasati Nature Retreat an example in the eco-tourist industry. By showing our guest all the wonders of nature and providing them with the close encounter with the rainforest and with the local population, we expect to be training them to be future active advocates of the protection of nature and support of a sustainable model of living.