Do the words beach and jungle fill your travel fantasies? Does the idea of eco-friendly luxury make you smile? Throw in the fact that this can all be yours for an affordable price, and you can see why Central America has become the premier destination for eco-travelers. Costa Rica and Nicaragua have particularly outdone themselves in the sumptuous eco-lodge arena, so we’ve chosen to highlight two of our favorite Central American basecamps today for your reading (and travel-fantasizing) pleasure.
Lapa Rios Ecolodge, Oso Peninsula, Costa Rica
Remote, secluded, pristine. These words describe the amazing, off-the-beaten path destination of Osa Peninsula (Corcovado), Costa Rica. Set in a private nature reserve of over 1,000 acres of lush tropical rainforest, Lapa Rios Ecolodge overlooks the pristine point where the Gulfo Dulce meets the Pacific Ocean.
Lapa Rios was built in harmony with the surrounding forest and beach and has won worldwide awards for social and environmental excellence along with Costa Rica’s highest sustainable tourism certification. No luxury was spared in their quest for eco-friendliness, however.
While enjoying your time in a private thatch bungalow overlooking the amazing ocean vistas, don’t forget to call in for room service from the gourmet international-cuisine restaurant. And of course you can get a massage, do some yoga, participate in a plethora of hiking and water sport activities, or just sip a tropical cocktail as you watch the monkeys stroll by from the comfort of your heavenly hammock.
At the end of your vacation in Southeast Asia, you gaze longingly at the the deep, cerulean horizon. The real world seems impossibly far away, and you'd give anything for one more day in this paradise... 
