A poncho, binoculars, camera and a change of underpants is really all you need for this trip (the first three are essential, the last one is optional!) If you like wildlife you will love this trip and when I say wildlife, I mean accessible wildlife everywhere you look. If you sit by your lodge at any of the places you stay at you will see wildlife passing you by and if you are really lucky you might even get a bat in your shower.There are some long drives but plenty of opportunities to stop and also to shout out what you have seen out of the window - SCARLET MACAW! TOUCAN! etc etc.The accomodation is excellent and many of the lodges you stay in are on the edges of the rain forest and there are so many trails to discover. The noises at night are amazing. My first night back in England I wondered what was wrong and why I could not sleep - it was too quiet!
A great itinerary covering a number of nature reserves. We have seen so much wildlife and although we had a specialist birding guide there was still a lot to see and discover. The hotels/eco lodges were good with one exception in Manuel Antonio which was poor and the town was very busy as the tour took us there on Easter weekend. The National Park there was a bit crowded and at variance with other locations.
Experiencing Pura Vida adventure in Costa Rica Just back from this brilliant holiday - we've had an exceptional time exploring Costa Rica's flora and fauna with plenty of adventure and activities to keep us entertained over the two week holiday. Our group spotted at least 125 different species of birds, animals and other creatures, from colourful butterflies and birds of every shape and size to adorable sloths, from poisonous frogs to killer tarantulas and scorpions, from humpback whales to dolphins and flying fish. Our tour of Costa Rica took in wet, dry and damp rain forests, incredible scenery, amazing sights and sounds, very rainy rain, beautiful hot sunshine, captivating night tours including a magical, breath-taking experience watching baby turtles hatching and making their first journey out to sea, wildlife walks and hikes, plus fabulous food from pineapple plantations and organic farms. Other activities included flying through the rain forest by zip line, tubing down rapids and horse riding through a wildlife rich ranch, basking in volcanic thermal springs under the stars. We added in a couple of optional adventures: surf lessons at the beach and a coffee, chocolate and sugar cane tour at the base of the Arenal volcano. Our excellent tour leader, Mayer Jimenez brought expert wildlife and bird knowledge to the holiday, a huge bonus for our group. This holiday comes highly recommended.