The magic of your vacation

We had an incredible 2 night stay at the tree top studio (with kitchenette)! The tree house appealed to us especially our kids, ages 8 and 11, because walking around the house, with its balconies, spiral stairs and quirky and charming corners was an adventure in itself. We were fortunate to have the entire house to ourselves (luckily no other renters at that time), which made it great and private retreat. The Selvatura canopy/zipline and suspended bridge tour were absolutely the adventure of a lifetime! 13 cable platforms, with one of the cables almost a mile long, and a tarzan/bungee treat to boot. People were in awe with my kids raw nerves and guts to do it. Tt was a bit scary at night because it was sooo windy, you could hear the wind and trees pounding at the house. But overall, the kitchen was well equipped, beds comfortable and cozy, and most importantly, we had a land line phone for our use. We would definitely recommend the house and Sabine's kind hospitality.

This was the first trip to Costa Rica for my best friend and I and Monteverde was the second stop out of four cities. We stayed in hotels the other three places so this was an exciting change for us to stay in our own little home. We stayed in the Forest Level (bottom level) apartment and it looked exactly like the pictures, clean and pristine, and we felt at home the second we walked in. The beds were comfortable, there was plenty of space, and the view of all the trees just outside the windows was fantastic! We did have a run-in with two scorpions, which gave us a bit of a scare, but this is Costa Rica, so, jumbled nerves aside (after capturing them and setting them free!), we were fine.

We did not have a car and I was a little worried that we were not walking distance to everything as the ad says. But we were! We walked EVERYWHERE. 5-15 minutes away from stores, restaurants, markets, etc, just as she said. (The walk from Santa Elena to the house is about a half hour with a very large hill at the beginning, FYI). We even walked the three kilometers to the Reserve (most of it is uphill, be warned). We felt very safe, even walking at night (though bring a flashlight!!!). Tramonti Italian Restaurante was our favorite restaurant down the street from the house. Stella's bakery was delicious too. We picked up cereal and milk from the store (a fridge is provided but no stove or anything to cook with which was fine with us) and ate our breakfast in the beautiful garden each morning.

From the very beginning, Sabine was extremely friendly and helpful. She booked our transportation from Arenal for us and I gave her the name of the transportation company that i booked to take us to Mal Pais and she called them to make sure they knew how to get to the home to pick us up. (She even called to tell me that they got lost but assured me they were on their way!) She called to check in and make sure that we were okay and everything was going well and she answered our questions. She also provides a booklet of information all about the area, from restaurants to tour advice to phone numbers for taxi's. It was extremely helpful. (the Aventura canopy tour was fantastic!)

I am telling everyone I know who plans on visiting Monteverde to stay at the TreeTop House! It is charming and unique and Sabine makes you feel right at home! I miss it already!

The owner was very helpful & sweet. The house is great but configuration is confusing until you get there (again, owner is very responsive & can help work through this before arrival.) The house is conveniently located but still feels isolated (in a good way). The house & its surroundings are beautiful. There's also nice outdoor space to hang out in. Our party of 2 couples was in the room on the top floor & a room directly below. The top floor sounds quite creaky to people in the room below. The top floor has 2 beds (sleeps 4) but little privacy - 1 bed's out in the open & the other's tucked back in its own room but there's no door - just a sheer curtain.
I'd recommend this to a group of friends or a familyfamilies with older kids who aren't looking for privacy. The top floor by itself would be nice for a couple by themselves.

Living in the tree top house was a bit like living in a cabin. It is a funky building. A little limited in cooking capacity. Sabine was there to show us around and was very good about staying in contact with us when we agreed to rent it online. She was right when she told us that the top bedroom was a bit noisy in the wind. The place was clean and presentable. Within 3 minutes walking distance of excellent restaurants, an interesting "bat tour" and a very good guided night walk. A long walk from down town Monteverde. If you're looking for a fun bit of adventure without a lot of luxury, this is a good, inexpensive place to stay.

Sabine's TreeTop House is a unique hideaway in the clouds of Monteverde. Comfortable, conveniently located and very tranquil, this is the perfect personal accomodation for those looking to avoid hotels and live in a more home-like setting. Sabine's attention to design details makes this a fun and interesting place to stay.

Our two teenage children enjoyed seeing the monkeys and toucanets in the mornings. We all felt fortunate to have discovered The TreeTop House and its owner, Sabine.

Our family travels to Costa Rica often and we usually end up in our favorite spot - Santa Elena in the Monteverde area.

The owner of Tree Top house was converting it from a world-renowned art gallery to guest lodging on our last visit, but we spent a substaintial amount of time during the mornings, afternons and evenings at Tree Top House on our last visit(it wasn't quite ready yet for overnights - but it is now).

Here are our observations: first, the location is wonderful - it's set back off the main road but only a very short walk to everything you could want - the village of Sta Elena, places to eat and shop, and the natural attractions the Cloud Forest Offers. We personally found it's easy to walk to everything - we just parked the car and wandered.

Second, the architecture of this place is breathtaking! When we first visited several years ago, it housed an art gallery (Galerie Extaxis) It hugs the side of a mountain and is multi-storied. Every apartment/studio offers outdoor areas that cannot be described as "balconies", but as extensions of your lodging area. You will never find anyplace like this.

While we were there, the owner was putting the finishing touches and outfitting each apartment/studio unit with everything you could want - including TVs and internet access (my husband and the teens were thrilled!!). I appreciate these, but just wanted to go horseback riding! Furniture and accessories are new, clean and well maintained. Kitchennettes and bathrooms are well equipped and provide couples or families with all the requirements. Our teenagers (ages 18 and 14) fell in love with the nooks and crannies - our daughter didn't want to leave her spot on one of the outdoor porches and our son liked the fact he could walk to get a pizza and leave us "oldies" sipping wine and listening to the sounds of the cloud forest at Tree Top.
Since there's a kitchennette, it's also handy for visitors to know there is a very nice full service grocery store in Sta Elena - you can stockup (get the coffee from Monteverde) or stop by the bakery in town.

While you're there, take one of the horseback rides. We always go to Smiling Horses - the horses are so well cared for and the 3 hour trip is perfect for us, but longer trips are offered. Also, try the zip-lines and butterfly gardens.


Enjoy your stay! this is a place not to be missed!

I was looking for a retreat and Sabine’s house was perfect for me. It is such a beautiful place – it was clearly built with a lot of love and artistic detail. My bed was located in an overhang under a tree so that my view lying on my back was wonderful. I had brought my iPod and I barely used it: the sounds of the water below, the birds and bugs and the wind in the trees were a much more soothing and energizing background. The house is in walking distance to some sights, food, arts and crafts. I had a really wonderful time and definitely returned to the world of stress and problems in a very peaceful state. I look forward to bringing my children and grandchildren as they would all enjoy the house.

We wanted to stay somewhere in Montverde that is off the beaten path, a little rustic, but that has style and a few amenities. So, we took a chance on the Tree Top House and WE LOVED IT.

Our unit (top level) is very clean and comfortable, rustic-artsy, quiet and secluded, plenty big (4 adults or 2 adults with a few kiddos), 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, TV, telephone, a large kitchen with really cool table/chairs (probably carved right outside), other unique items and parking. We cooked in the kitchen daily (everything worked but supplies are limited), though the little restaurants around are a great deal (approx. $5 USD per person for a traditional Costa Rican meal).

Each morning we awoke at 5:30 AM, made coffee and sat on the 2nd story landing (which has a futon, rocker and hammock chairs) and waited for white-faced monkeys (they seem to move in the early morning only). We left bananas on the roof outside of our windows and then watched them eat in the trees (we saw a tiny baby on its mother’s back and one very greedy little monkey). We even made some puppy friends.

Nature, peace and beauty galore—what else could you want in a rental?

Tree Top House is also a 5-minute drive to town, walking distance to cheese factory/bat exhibit, there are 2-3 rustic art galleries are within a stone’s throw and it’s on great property with a quick moving creek at the bottom of the hill. There are also A LOT of other things to do within a relatively short drive. You cannot run out of things to do.

The owner is very nice and accommodating as well.

The only things I would make potential occupants aware of, not just at the Tree Top House but everywhere in Montverde, are the lack of hot showers (not cold, but not hot either) and the inevitable encounter with bugs (scorpions included). BUT DON’T LET THESE DETER YOU—these things are everywhere in Montverde and definitely worth enduring.

Would I recommend the Tree Top House and/or stay there again? YES!