We had a great trip! Accommodation ranged from good to excellent. Breakfasts were included but some early departures resulted in them being missed. Transfers were good and on time. Andres at the tour operator responded quickly to our questions and solved a few problems for us. The itinerary was great. Although Santa Theresa was hard to get to (rough roads, long drive) it was fun to see. You get to see a lot of Costa Rica on this trip.
Manfred was an extremely friendly and knowledgeable guide, certainly making the trip the amazing experience it was. When it came to which extra activities to do he knew which ones, which places to do them and gave us many things to choose from. Mani also knew little gems to keep us occupied in free mornings/afternoons and was more than happy to use his free time to take us to them. Manfred always had different places lined up for us to eat so we could eat together as a group which had a wide variety to cover all dietary needs and tastes. When it came to the included and extra activities they were all well organised with pick-ups and drop-offs, some doing lunches and a diverse range for thrill seekers or non thrill seekers. I’m just 10 days I have been/done: Home stay with amazing families which including a cooking demo, cycle ride, swim in a river, a home cooked evening meal with locally sourced fresh food and one of the funniest games of football in the pouring rain with the local village children I’ve ever played. White water rafting Horseback riding Local water spot for swimming Sugar cane factory experience (making your own candy) Hot springs water park Waterfall trekking Swimming in the ocean Rock pool relaxing Ziplining and Tarzan swing Night safari Hanging bridges tour There’s definitely more but I think I’ve named enough 😂 Was an amazing 10 days and a great way to see Costa Rica
Nicaragua, Costa Rica & Panama Really enjoyable cycling trip though Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Good group of twelve people who all got along pretty well! Really nice lead guide with an excellent support guide in Nicaragua. Nicaragua was my highlight of the trip as I loved Grenada, Ometepe and San Juan Del Sur. Northern Costa Rica was also excellent especially round Lake Arenal. I was less attracted to southern Costa and the Panamainian island of Bocas Del Toros was my least favourite place as it was just a scruffy hedonist playground on which we didn't get to take our bikes! The pacific coast of Panama was lovely, the sea was stunning and the hotel was great. Couldn't get excited about the Panama Canal (yes I know it is a major engineering feat, but watching boats go up and down was like watching paint dry for me!). Loved Panama City old town and the live Panamanian Covers band in the Irish bar next to Holiday Inn on our night was great!