If you are in two minds about booking this trip, book!
The cycling was not easy at times due to a combination of hills, non paved roads, distance and heat. However, this added to the challenge, adventure and achievement and our expectations were well managed by our fantastic Costa Rican guide/leader, Jackie.
The journey through three countries provided some amazing rides. Personal highlights were those ending with swims in the Pacific and Caribbean oceans where we would literally cycle on to the beach and jump in for a swim! There were also rides through cloud forests to rain forests, to and from volcanoes, through local villages and through banana plantations spotting monkeys, toucans, sloths and other wildlife along the way!
Along the trip we also enjoyed a couple of optional non cycling days and exciting pit stops. I loved our tour round a chocolate farm, canopy walk through a rain forest, zip lining, red frog island trip and walk through a butterfly nature reserve. The non cycling activities allowed us to experience more of the three amazing countries we visited.
Nature and wildlife feature highly on the trip but the start and end in Granada and Panama City provided a great contrast and are beautiful places to spend a few days. The amazing feat of the Panama Canal was also fitting end to the trip.
The trip was exceptionally organised from start to finish. There were no issues and I cannot think of any areas of improvement. Travel is with a group leader, mechanic and driver who were all fantastic and fundamental to the success of the trip.
Our Costa Rican guide Jackie is a real gem! She provided interesting and informative information about the history, culture and environment of the places we visited and an infectious sense of fun and positivity. She provided excellent briefings about the cycling before each ride, she had a genuine love of Central America and she was a joy to be around. She was also a very good cyclist.
The hotels and restaurants selected by Exodus were well chosen and some were so good they were highlights of the trip.
I will remember this trip and the lifelong friendships I have formed for years to come. Thank you Jackie and the Exodus team and book if you are considering this trip! I will be coming back for more!
The food, views, and people of Costa Rica were amazing. G-adventures made this vacation easy going with the lodging and transportation. I had a great time hearing life stories from the others in my group as well as sharing my own. I didn?t think I?d like the group travel setting but it was honestly the best route to go. You could go off and do your own thing or you could join in on the group fun, whatever suits you the best. Costa Rica is beautiful and I?m sure G-adventures picked out some of the best spots to go!
As an ex trolley dolly I would consider myself a seasoned traveller used to travelling independently. Taking my 11 year old daughter on this trip of a lifetime gave me back my sense of adventure and has inspired her to globe trot. I met an American on a rickety boat in Thailand 20 years ago - he told me to visit Costa Rica as it was beautiful - well he was wrong, it is the most beautiful and magical country I have ever visited!!!!!!!!!!