Ik Vertrek 2025 – Lubna & Thomas in Costa Rica
- Lubna
- Sep 26, 2025
- 2 min read
On Saturday, October 4th, 2025, our episode of Ik Vertrek will air on NPO. In this special broadcast, viewers follow Lubna and Thomas as they move from The Hague to the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica.
Being part of Ik Vertrek was a unique experience. The cameras captured many highs and lows of emigrating — from the excitement of starting fresh in Costa Rica, to challenges like pregnancy, birth, and even a divorce. Not everything made it into the episode: encounters with scorpions in our first house, a beautiful hike in Cabo Matapalo where we spotted incredible wildlife with one of our guides, or our very first house-sit (which we left after a single day because it was filled with scorpions — I even caught one with a plastic cup and released it).
Some of the chronology shown is also a little off. For example, my father sadly passed away after the split, which made an already difficult period even heavier, snd the fourth birthday of Naïm was also a couple of months after Thomas left. Still, watching the show back I can laugh about certain things too — like how often I say Pura Vida and Tranquilo. I guess I really am becoming a true Tica.
As for life today: we are doing well.
Naïm will start school in February (yes, with two dots on the ï).
Noë is almost walking and almost has all his teeth.
Thomas is still in the Netherlands.
I am keeping busy with the setup of my own real estate company (Costa Rica Pacific Real Estate), property management, running Don Jiménez Guesthouse, and managing tours and events with Osa Spirit.
Our nanny Jenny has left — and although that wasn’t easy at first, it was ultimately for the better. Sometimes things aren’t what they seem. Overall, life is Pura Vida.
Naïm really wants to see snow (and honestly, so do I, haha) — but for now, we’re embracing life where the jungle meets the ocean.
You can already watch our episode of Ik Vertrek 2025 via NPO:👉 Ik Vertrek – Lubna & Thomas, Familie de Jong, 4 October 2025
And of course, if you want to follow our journey more closely, keep an eye on our website and socials:
🌐 www.thesaltyjunglefamily.com📸 Instagram: @thesaltyjunglefamily | @donjimenez.corcovado | @osa.spirit
Comments