Costa Rica: Selina the Nomad
For all those that have heard horror stories of traveling abroad and what happens in these cheap stays in local, rundown hostels, PLEASE stay to the end of this post. I PROMISE that this experience with this specific brand will most definitely change your mind. I also have to warn people that I have long refrained from using any hostel due to their outward appearance, amenities provided and the stories told by others so I too understand how people's perceptions of hostels can be negative.
Selina, the name that is whispered all along the shores of the "Rich Coast", almost seems like a tale handed down by generations of Ticos but in reality, Selina is the name of a one of the most popular hostel spots in the country. I found their Instagram page through a quick hashtag search of #CostaRica and quickly fell in love with their clean presentation online but as we all know in this generation, perception is not everything. So I was beyond curious to see the reality of the quality that their brand presented and I must say, I was pleased.
Selina the Nomad, as it is so eloquently coined, is more than just a hostel, it is an experience. What you get by buying into their brand is much more than a place to stay, the creators of Selina have done an amazing job at creating a community around travel. Staying here for the 2 days that we did was transformative and I understand how cliche and corny I sound, but the ability to live next to locals in a community setup to help travelers experience the country from a real perspective and providing local staff members with the ability to work and move throughout the Selina system is unmatched. We only got to experience the location at Puerto Viejo, had plans of Tamarindo and Jaco but didn't get to make it there because we enjoyed our time in Puerto Viejo so much and that larger was due to our time t Selina. I had the opportunity to meet some very cool people there, having some cool convos and understanding the connection between people across culture. At the end of the day, we are all humans and there is a point where we are all intertwined. Being able to coexist in this type of environment makes traveling easier especially if you don't have a lot of experience in it. Big shout out to David (both of them) for being as hospitable as they were, love to Yariela because her kind energy was appreciated, the homie Dawayne (like the Costa Rican Rock) was always looking out and his energy was electric throughout our conversations and the homie Diego kept it cool too. I've stayed in a lot of places out of the country and I'm trying hard not to gas Selina up too much but they had the coolest staff I've experienced abroad.
Selina, feel free to cut a check for the free promo LOL but in all seriousness, thank you for creating such a great environment for travelers all over the world.
