Most Inspirational Moment
All of it......!! I can not pick out one moment as the whole trip ran so smoothly due to the efforts of our guide Eduardo......
Tortuguero - an enjoyable boat ride, great lodge (although quite busy with other groups), lovely swimming pool, excellent food from the buffet, the Caribbean Sea (which you can not swim in due to the rip currents) and superb bird and wildlife sightings from the boat - not covered so make sure you wear a long sleeved shirt and trousers otherwise you will get sun burnt (even though it is a 530am and 3pm excursions).
Arenal - the hotel is situated a 2 minute walk from the main square where there are restaurants and souvenir shops (and a good coffee house behind the church). A good walk in the forestry and across the lava field to see the views of the Volcano and Lake followed by a very cooling swim in the river below the waterfall. Eduardo changed the order for today so we did the walk when the weather was cooler and before the rain was likely to come and then we swam in the afternoon to cool off!!
Monteverde - We did a group walk in the morning and then Eduardo offered to take us up to the viewing tower (extra) before lunch. Followed by the (optional but worth doing) "canopy trail - suspension bridges" - even if you are apprehensive of heights, just go for it as the bridges are in good condition and stable! It was great seeing the trees from above instead of getting neck ache looking up the whole time! Most of the group also visited the Orchid Garden (optional) and did a night walk which were both very interesting.
Manuel Antonio - prepare yourself for humidity, heat and a busy town of other tourists!! That said, we did a walk from 7am (the time the park opened) and got ahead of the crowds and the heat too! Saw lots of birds and iguana and the beaches were relatively empty until about 10am when we finished the group walk. We then had the rest of the day free to explore the park further (I walked all the other available trails and got back to the hotel about 3pm - make sure you pack plenty of water and snacks with you), swim in the Pacific Ocean which was very warm, chill out and watch the great sun set!!
Golfito / Esquinas Rainforest Lodge - was an excellent lodge and location set in a very peaceful area. A couple of walks over rough, wet and muddy terrain (you need walking boots although wellington boots are available to borrow) but we saw lots and really felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. Probably the best lodge on the trip for remoteness!!
Savegre Valley - a very different lodge, but very pleasant with good views and you can sit outside your room and the birds come to you! We were lucky enough to have 2 sightings of the male and female Resplendent Quetzal bird (very shy) but we did leave the hotel at 530am to get ahead of any of the other groups. We also had our "Last supper" at this lodge
School and farm visit - an enjoyable morning and the children made us very welcome - so pleased to see us!! Eduardo translated for us but the children did all try speaking English too. The farm visit was very interesting too and we had some very tasty food provided too!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Eduardo Caravaca was a superb leader with more than 15 years of guiding experience and is a very keen naturalist too - his knowledge, passion and enthusiasm for Costa Rica are huge and this comes across to all the guests the whole time. He is obviously very proud of his country and loves sharing all his extensive knowledge.
He has "eyes like a hawk" so rarely missed any birds, mammals, reptiles and was keen to share sightings through his scope with us. So much so we saw more than 120 different species of bird (and we were not on a bird watching departure), 2 & 3 toes sloths, monkeys, snakes, frogs and the very shy "Resplendent Quetzal" bird. He arranged a 530am walk most days as he was so keen to go out and look for wildlife himself and always asked the group members to join him - that is dedication to the job!!
He was extremely well organized, caring, on time, explained everything to us about the optional extras and the day to day schedules for us. He suggested various restaurants to us, for when meals were not included and generally we all ate as a group at his very good choices - plenty of different dishes to choose from etc.
His inter-action with the school children and with the lady at the farm / house visit was great.... the children were so engaged with him and were listening to everything he was saying and you could tell that Eduardo was having a great time too!!
This was my 36th group holiday with Exodus and various other operators and Eduardo is one of my top 6 guides (who are all equal first!!) - so much so I have nominated him for Guide of the Year.
The driver, Walter was excellent too and took great care when driving, the vehicle was very comfortable and in good condition with plenty of space too.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure you pack plenty of memory cards and spare batteries as you will take thousands of photos. The plug adapter required is a 2 pin flat type and there were plenty of sockets available in most of the bedrooms for charging.
Water is drinkable from the taps and drinks coolers and no need to use purification tablets. Salads and fresh fruit are readily available too with no problems.
A waterproof coat is a must and potentially a poncho is better as it covers your camera and ruck sack and when the rain comes it is very heavy and the weather conditions become humid too.
Walking boots are a must as some of the terrain in the national parks is very rough and muddy. Warmer clothing, (a fleece) for the coolness of the air-conditioned transport, the Santa Elana Cloud Forest (Monteverde) and at the Savegre Valley which is at 2208m above sea level is also required.
Although driving days are about 4-5 hours, there is plenty to look at en route and we stopped for photos, "comfort" breaks, coffee stops etc!
All the hotels / lodges have free Wi-Fi and connections are generally very good.
Pack some pens, pencils etc for taking to the school but make sure you give them to the head teacher who will distribute them accordingly. You can also donate to the school for buying equipment in the future.
Just book the trip!!
