Yes, Bolita is in the jungle. You have to hike 30 minutes and wade through a river to get there! Yes, you do have to take your food and there is no refrigeration. But people get very creative. Also, Ron brought some groceries up and put them up for sale in the kitchen. One night he also brought a cooler with beer. I am sure staying in the village is fine too but I can't compare of course. I just know at Bolita we really felt like we were deep in the jungle. And every morning we all started exploring very early (to see the sunrise and because the wildlife is more active in the morning) and the trails start right there. The trails too make you feel really immersed in the rainforest. The trek back to the hostel through the river was fun and adventurous. From the lookout you can see the sunrise over the gulf. The valley trail is breathtaking (also great at sunrise). The waterfalls are beautiful and fun...
We slept in the one double bed they had in the dorm area (separated by a sheet from the dorm). They had a few other basic double "rooms" as well but I see their cabanas are now finished (they were working on them when we were there). They are $35 for two people. We paid $24 for two people for our double room.
Well we booked 3 nights in a cabina ($30/n) at Bolitas, which sounds amazing from your posts, and every other mention of the place! We won't do the trek to Sirena, although I would love too.
Still unsure for the rest of the trip. Might rent a car from PJ, visit Matapalo, stay a night in a lodge then drive back up to Orosi following the Pacific coast, staying a night or 2 in Uvita, and heading inland from Dominical.
After that we may go to Poas and a stop at Territorio de Zaguates (!) on the way back down to SJ.
Got a quote from Solid car rental, for 7/8 days pickup in PJ and drop-off in SJ : Suzuki Jimmy 4x4, 4 passenger: $384.43 including free mileage, basic insurance, drop off fee and plate fee. Seems reasonable, though taxes may be extra.
I have not seen the cabinas at Bolita as they were not ready yet when we were there. Take a trail map (or take a picture) and hike every single trail. Ron and Val will tell you everything you need to know when you meet them at the office in Dos Brazos before heading out to the hostel. Tell them Sonia and Ray from Canada say hi!
Since you are not doing the three day trek to Sirena I do, again, highly recommend going to Cabo Matapalo even if it is just for the day. You will see lots of wildlife there just walking on the road and on the beach road (and there is also a waterfall you can hike to). You will also enjoy the beautiful wild natural beaches in that area. There are amazing lodges but too expensive for us. For example:
http://www.bosquedelcabo.com/index.html
I have never rented a car in CR but I have heard the mandatory liability insurance mentioned a lot. Some rental car companies apparently include it in their quote and others don't.
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