What to bring
When getting your luggage ready, make sure you bring the following items:
• All terrain light shoes for trekking and walks along the river
• Binoculars for those who love wildlife- and bird watching
• IMPORTANT! Flashlight
• Bathing suit and privat towel for your visits at the waterfall and river
• Sunscreen, sunhats and mosquito repellant
• Adequate clothing for climate changes: The temperature drops down at night to about 15°C (59°F). During a sunny day, temperature rises up to 26°C or 27°C (around 80°F).
• Comfortable and loose cloths for the training, as well as light shoes (chinese type) for exclusive use in the temple.
• It is good to bring a sweater as well, since it can become chilly in the temple in between the practices, when sitting still.
Travel documents
If you are from Europe, Canada or USA, you may enter Costa Rica without a tourist visa and can stay up to 90 days. You only need the following documents to enter Costa Rica:
A valid passport with at least one blank visa page. The expiration date of your passport must be greater than 30 days from your date of entry to Costa Rica.
A pre-paid airline ticket to exit Costa Rica or proof of financial resources.
If you are from another country, please check here for detailed VISA INFORMATION
How to get there:
If you have booked one of our scheduled seminars:
Our bus driver will wait for you at the arrival gate of the San José airport (SJO) at the time indicated to you, when you made your reservation, and gather all participants for the collective transfer to our Mountain Retreat Center in the Chirripó Mountains. He is holding up a sign with the "La Montaña Azul" logo and all your names on. You will individually and in advance be informed about the arrival details by email.
The adventure begins, driving along the Interamerican Highway, into the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve and the Tarapanti National International Park, passing through dense primal forest. The road is extremely scenic, yet safe and comfortable and is the highest of the country, culminating at 3500 m (11500ft) altitude. From then on the drive down to San Isidro del General, our nearest little market town, is simply majestic. There, a small country road passing through authentic rural Costa Rica brings you to the final destination, The Shaolin Wahnam Mountain Retreat, where we will wait for you with a delicious welcome dinner and a cozy fire in the fire place of the Maloka.
Welcome to the Garden of Timelessness!
If you are travelling on your own:
From San Jose you want to start the drive along the Interamerican Highway in the daytime. Take the direction of San Isidro el General, indicated at the southern exit of San José. When arriving there, on the southern exit of San Isidro, turn left towards Rivas (10 km). At Rivas turn right on the dirt road to Chirippó National Park until Canaan (7 km). At Canaan, turn right towards Los Angeles. After 1 km, turn left towards Talari and Los Angeles. Pass Los Angeles school and football field and continue until the end of the road.
If you choose to come by bus, go to the MUSOC busterminal. Busses to San Isidro del General leave every hour. The last bus is at 5:30 pm. Arrival in San Isidro 3 hours later.
Then take a 4 wheel drive taxi to Los Angeles de Rivas, giving the driver the same instructions as mentioned above.
Welcome to the Garden of Timelessness!