Manuel Antonio, the emerald of Costa Rica where the color green was conceived. I first came here 20 years ago as a freelance wildlife photographer. Primates are my specialty and Costa Rica has 4 species. I’d photographed gorillas in Rwanda, chimps in Uganda and orangutans in Borneo and was looking for primates in a place that didn’t take 2 days to get there from Manhattan Beach, California.

My passion for apes and monkeys began when King Kong first stole my heart in the front row of the Jewel Theater before my feet could even reach the ground. From my very first trip to Costa Rica the dream to live on a beach with monkeys in my yard wrapped itself around my brain. I moved here 5 years ago and now enjoy daily visits from 3 species of monkeys.

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If you’re heading for a vacation rental home near Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica, you’re in for an incredible nature adventure. In addition to iguanas, toucans, coatimundis and more, there are 3 species of monkeys indigenous to the park.

Manuel Antonio National Park

Red-backed Squirrel Monkey

When the park boundaries were established in 1972 no one bothered to tell the Howler, Red-backed squirrel and Capuchin monkeys, so they continued to follow their established foraging routes beyond the park limits. Not all but many of Manuel Antonio’s vacation rental homes are located within these natural foraging routes known locally as the “Monkey Corridor.” However, staying in one of these vacation rental homes carries with it a big responsibility. It may seem cute, funny or thrilling to hand feed the monkeys, yet it’s extremely damaging to them in many ways.

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Picture a dead end job with the glass ceiling weighing heavy on my pride. I know I’m good at writing letters because I consistently get results from them for my firm. I wonder how I can turn this skill into a bullet train ride out of here. The book I’ve just read, Gorillas in the Mist, pops into my brain. I touch pen to paper and out flows, Dear Dian Fossey. She had a reputation for liking gorillas more than people and this is the longest shot I’ve ever taken. I don’t know it at the time but this letter is my bullet train. Even though this took place more than 25 years ago, the lessons learned are still relevant today.

My story begins at the Jewel Theatre in East L.A. before my feet can even reach the gooey ground. I’m sobbing like a kitten just got run over by a truck as King Kong lands with a nauseating thud in front of the Empire State Building. I rage at the injustice. Why did they have to kill him? Why didn’t they take him back to the rain forest? Couldn’t anyone see he was the good guy! I was sure no one understood King Kong the way I did. This left me with an unresolved ache I would someday heal.

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We all take photos on vacation but do we all take good photos? If you’re one of those people who’s more disappointed than pleased with your vacation photos, the good news is that’s all about to change.

Many years ago I was fortunate enough to take classes from National Geographic photographers at UCLA. The 3 most valuable secrets they shared will make a dramatic difference in your travel photos. The beauty of these 3 secrets is their pure simplicity.

Secret #1: Place Your Main Subject Off Center

Everyone puts their main subject in the middle of their photo. Bor-ing. When you place your subject off-center viewers find it intriguing. Though they may not consciously know exactly why, they’re compelled to take a closer look. To compose an attention-grabbing photo nudge your main subject toward one of the four corners. First focus it in the center by pressing the shutter half way. Without releasing the shutter shift your camera so your subject is off center then gently press the shutter the rest of the way. Your subject will remain in focus.

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Howler monkey

If you’re an animal-lover looking for an over-the-top nature experience, spend some time in a vacation rental home near Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica just a 10-minute drive from the town of Quepos on the Pacific coast. Iguanas, birds, sloths and many other animals can be found in this park known as the “Jewel of Costa Rica,” but its biggest draw is its 3 species of monkeys, the Mantled Howler, Red-backed Squirrel and White-faced Capuchin.

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Volcan Arenal

If you’re looking for a vacation hot spot Costa Rica is the place for you, literally! Out of Costa Rica’s five volcanoes three of them are active to different degrees and all are national parks. It will be worth the trip just to watch your neighbor’s jaw-dropping response to your volcano vacation stories. Arenal is by far the most spectacular. Poas and Irazu have rain water filled lakes and much of the action takes place underwater.

Costa Rica is also a hot spot for vacation rental homes. With more than 1200 to choose from you can decide if you want to stay near a volcano or simply use your vacation rental villa as a jumping off point. Let’s start with the most active volcano.

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Baby Boomers set their first travel trend in the 60′s when they strapped on backpacks and explored the world. Travel was an intoxicating, powerful drug. It was an ever changing high from the Gringo Trail in South America to the beaches of Costa Rica. Boomers were hooked.

Travel as a primary essence of living defines the 78 million-strong Baby Boomer generation as much as feeling “forever young” and being born between 1946 and 1964. Now that Boomers have more ka-ching they reminisce fondly about their tattered backpack days but their taste in travel has evolved. They feel they’ve earned the right to be pampered a little. Boomers have traded their sleeping bags for luxury vacation rental homes.

Heather Blanchard is the owner of Manuel Antonio Vacation Rentals in Costa Rica and represents some of the finest luxury homes in this beach community. She says, “In the last 3 years our number of Baby Boomer clients has sky-rocketed. They began as a trickle in 2007, now they dominate our guest list.”

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Manuel Antonio has a surprisingly abundant live music scene. Whether you’re in the mood for rock, soul, Latin, reggae or country you’ll find it here. Venues range from tropical restaurants to 5 star hotels to the local’s hang out bar in downtown Quepos. From time to time I’ll feature different groups here. One you don’t want to miss is song stylist, Kezirah.

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Howler Monkey

I can’t explain why primates fascinate me any better than explain why I love chocolate. My earliest childhood memory is empathizing with “King Kong” at the movies; I looked into his eyes and felt his pain. At the zoo I hung with the primates and studied their reactions to their human gawkers and asked my silent questions; “Do you hate it in there?” “Do you miss the rain forest? My fantasy was to hide in the bathroom until after closing and set them all free.

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Hola Amigos,

Those of you who’ve been our guests at the Monkey House remember the horrid road. It was so bad local taxi drivers called it the “Costa Rican Massage.” Several of the hotels and private homes, including the Monkey House, got together and contributed funds to pave the road. Thank you to the following hotels for spearheading the project: Parador, Makanda and Issimo. And because I wouldn’t have believed it myself unless I’d seen it, here’s a short video to commemorate the event.

Paradise awaits!

Evelyn