My first day working at Palmar Tent Lodge and the streak of nice weather has been ruined, it's completely chucking it down with rain. Though not my preference, without the rainy spell Panama's ecosphere would be nowhere near as lush and amazing so a couple of days of rain is a small price to pay to stay in paradise. Everything and everyone moves slowly here so it's a couple of hours before I'm shown my room and not till the next day that I get any painting done (...

Bocas del Toro, just across the Panaman border, is a group of beautiful islands which perfectly represent Panama with great wildlife and gorgeous beaches. A group of us check into Aqualounge, a short 200 metre boat ride from the main Isla Colon. Aqualounge is right on the waterfront and has a large deck, with cut out sections into the sea. There are also swings and a trampoline that you can jump into the water off. It's really chilled out and laid back but it cos...

In Puerto Viejo we were hit by the beginning of the rainy season which ended up reflecting both our moods and our impression of the place; everything seemed a little dull. However, lots of travellers I'd met previously, many from Casa de Olas, all reconvened here and it was nice to see everyone again. Rocking J's was our chosen hostel with a selection of tents, hammocks and dorms and prices to match every travellers budget. I hung my own hammock for just $4 a ni...

From Monteverde we went to San Jose, stayed the night but arrived late and left early and saw barely any of the city. The next morning a load of us, Adam, Ianthe, James, Shayne, Lachie and I (all solo travellers forming our own group), rented a car and had a mini road trip from San Jose to the Sloth Sanctury to Puerto Viejo. The Sloth Sanctuary was my first time ever seeing sloths and was well worth it. First we took a boat ride along the jungle river, infested ...

Here in Monteverde (at last) we stayed in Casa Tranquilo. It's great value for money, especially in expensive Costa Rica, with $8 dorms and a fantastic free breakfast of eggs, fruit and freshly baked banana bread. Monteverde perfectly represents Costa Rica; beautiful with lush greenery, cloud forests, hilltop hikes and extreme activities. The only downside is that it's so tourist orientated and everything seems to have a price tag. Guided tours are in abundance ...