Most Inspirational Moment
The whole trip was a highlight, hard to pick one thing. Seeing the sloths moving (so slowly!) was good.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our guide Johnny Villalobos was excellent, its no surprise he won tour leader of the year - great at managing the tour and the group, extremely knowledgable about wildlife and nature, and always arranging extra (optional) walks. His enthuiasm was infectious, and this really added to the enjoyment of the trip.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Carry a waterproof poncho at all times, even in the “dry” season. If you are prone to being bitten by mossies, DEET is best, especially for Tortuguero, so use it from day 2. Not all hotels have hairdryers, so if having one is important to you, bring one - I didn’t miss it for the few nights we didn’t have one. You do need a light fleece for 2 places which are at higher elevation and therefore cooler. Plan to wash clothes at Manuel Antonio, as it’s the hottest/dryest place. You can use dollars or colones or credit card in most places. I went on the BA direct flight, which seemed much better than the via USA options. Bring a good zoom lens if you want to photograph the wildlife, and binoculars too if you want – but the guide will have a scope for you to look through to see stuff close up, so don’t worry too much if you don’t own any and don’t want the extra expense/weight. Bring closed shoes (eg walking trainers) as well as walking sandals, as you will need them for some walks. Two swimming costumes would be useful, as they don’t always dry in 1 night. The spa at Savegre lodge was nice, reasonably priced (with Exodus discount), and you can still watch the hummingbirds from the jacuzzi!
