About Us
Kia Ora
In its most simple form, “kia ora,” means “hello.” But these two words have a deeper, more beautiful meaning that signifies much more than a passing greeting. In its literal sense, “ora” refers to a state of “being alive” and when “kia” and “ora” are combined, the “ora” becomes “living.” So when you say “kia ora,” you are wishing the essence of life upon them, which is precisely what we at Casa Kia Ora wish for each of our guests.
A place for your soul to shine
Pura vida…
Casa Kia Ora, founded on love, invites souls to shine. Whether you are enjoying a stay with us for rest and renewal, reunion with family and friends, yoga teacher training, wedding, group event, celebration of life, or one of our kubudas, we believe you will find peace and a place created for your soul to shine.
Birthed from our own awakening, we believe our visitors collectively experience inspiration, rejuvenation, and a personal renewal of your own.
As we collectively experience worldwide change, we listen to our soul’s call to slow down and re-think our time, space, and energy. We awaken and discover new ways to live…not merely exist but thrive.
Our story
Civil unrest to rest
Born in Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe), a tiny landlocked country in southern Africa, during the midst of political unrest, surviving a civil war in their late teens, witnessing the transition from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe and then living under the dictatorship of Robert Mugabe for over 35 years, Nicola and Neville have lived lifetimes of experiences. When day-to-day life became unsafe, they fled Zimbabwe for safety.
In 2007, Nicola and her two children Stephanie and Jeffrey found refuge in Naples, Florida while Neville and his two sons, Zane and Drew, stayed for another year to negotiate the best time for them to also leave Zimbabwe in search of safer, more stable living. By 2008, Neville, Zane and Drew were settled safely amongst Naples, South Africa, and Ireland, respectively.
Arriving in the United States with next-to-nothing, they worked tirelessly, day and night to create a life for themselves. Equipped with their Zimbabwean work ethic and resilience, they poured themselves into building a new life for their family. While appreciating the safer environment, they also experienced the relentless pace of life in a first world country for the first time, and the constant striving for success and past trauma took a different kind of toll.
In 2018 in true Nicola fashion, they looked at a map, saw “Whales Tale,” and decided that would be their place of destination to celebrate Neville’s 60th birthday. They fell in love with Costa Rica, as it reminded them so much of everything they loved about Africa, and they especially loved the people. Saying “YES!” to life, they purchased property immediately and the seed was planted for retirement and where they would share time and space with their special friends and beloved family.
Nicola and Neville have a history of pouring their hearts and souls into what they create, and the same is true for Casa Kia Ora. They have brought with them decades of commitment and experiences of building upon foundations based on Love, which you are sure to feel when you visit.
“The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.”
Meet the team
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Neville & Nicola
Founders
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Jeff B.
Property Manager
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Hanna S.
Social Media Manager
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Niko F.
Reservations
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Drew Davies
Operations Manager
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Wilber
Property Caretaker
Seeking a deeper meaning in life?
Tapping into your soul’s innate knowledge and giving yourself permission to do that which makes your soul shine?
By remembering to live fully present lives, by being where your feet are…in the now, we realize that life is abundant in all ways.
When we ignite this abundance, we become completely connected to ourselves and in doing so we shine. Along the way, we give others permission to do the same.