Reviews

Contrasting regions of Costa Rica

This was a really good and varied introduction to the country, taking in both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, and a number of types of forest in between. We saw a wide variety of birdlife, flora and fauna and enjoyed the different types of accommodation, all of which were very good or excellent in different ways. The food was generally first class and served with a smile by friendly and helpful staff. The visits to a village school and a local cheesemaker on the final day were both interesting and enjoyable, in spite of our misgivings beforehand about this sort of activity when we saw it in the notes.

First Visit to Costa Rica

An excellent introduction to the wildlife around Costa Rica. The focus was on birds but there were plenty of flowers, mammals and invertebrates to add interest. A little more strenuous than suggested by the rating but the guide did give the option not to go on some of the walks. The country is safe and reasonably clean (water in hotels was all potable) and the accommodation was of a good standard throughout.

Discover Costa Rica Tour was Wondeful

We chose this tour because it visits areas of Costa Rica that a lot of tours don’t reach. Having returned home and reflected on the experience we could not have made a better choice. Every lodge or hotel we stayed in was perfectly placed, comfortable and relaxing. Where food was included it was always good to excellent. The gardens surrounding all the accommodations were wonderful, with birds, mammals, frogs and reptiles as well as beautiful flowers providing fantastic photo opportunities.

Coming home with such a great feeling about the trip would not have been possible without the company of such a lovely group of people. All 14 of our fellow travellers were great company and got along without any problems. However, without a great tour guide, holidays can fail to achieve the magical tour that we had. Johnny Villalobos was tremendous and went out of his way make sure we saw everything we possibly could in the time available. I have said more about him below.

We loved every part of this tour and we are so glad that we chose this tour over all the others that were available.

Incredible destination

We have just returned from the most amazing trip of our lives, Costa Rica is a stunning destination.
From start to finish our party was enthralled not only with new discovery’s at every turn but also by the knowledge & obvious love of nature shown throughout by our guide Johnny, he was amazing.
Costa Rica has so much to offer with every destination offering new & exiting discovery’s everyday.
The lodges are all top class with good food comfortable rooms surrounded by nature.
The rain forests visited are stunning with an incredible diversity in plant & tree life, add the wildlife & you are in heaven.
I would recommend this trip to anyone of any age or ability as all paths are manageable for anyone with reasonable mobility.
But it is the wildlife that makes this trip, be it birds, reptiles, mammals, they are all there in abundance.
You will need a poncho, you can guarantee rain & these slip on easily to keep you dry & protect your Camera & binoculars, raincoats are to cumbersome & the humidity will drain you

Costa Rica is a paradise waiting to be discovered for anyone that has a love of nature, enjoy

Discover Costa Rica WUC - fabulous trip!

Clearly a well thought out itinerary to explore the many different regions and ecosystems of Costa Rica. Timings worked very well but all you ever wished for was more time in each location but this would then make it a 3 week trip! No matter how much literature you read before the trip the diversity is amazing and just how much is packed into this small country is incredible; the wildlife, the insects, reptiles and plants exceed all expectations. Each location is so different you just never tire of what you will see next. We went on a bird watching departure, this suited both nature lovers and more serious ‘birders’ alike. I believe we saw and appreciated so much more due to this type of departure – would recommend it highly.

Discover Costa Rica

I really enjoyed the Costa Rica highlights trip which gave a great insight into the wealth of wildlife in the country. Our guide Guillermo was very knowledgeable but struck a good balance between enough but not too much information. The group was, as on previous Exodus trips, an interesting mix of people sharing a common interest. We covered a lot of distance but travelling was broken up well with viewing and refreshment stops.
Food was almost always very good and sufficient variety at buffet meals for the length of time we stayed at each place.
Eating out felt a bit expensive probably because of the recent decline in the value of sterling. Similarly it wasn’t easy to find souvenirs at good prices.
We expected the travel to be much more strenuous on unpaved roads but in truth it was rarely uncomfortable. San Jose, where we stayed for an extra night, doesn’t have a lot to offer but we were lucky to experience the main drag on a Sunday “family fun day”. Quite a few things are closed on Monday so it’s worth checking in advance. Many guide books advise extreme caution in San Jose but we felt as safe as any other city we’ve visited whilst keeping to the central area.
If anything was lacking it was perhaps the opportunity to meet with more local people and learn a bit more about daily life in Costa Rica but I think this would need a longer or different trip. The visits to a school and cheesemaking family were very interesting.
I will be recommending this trip to others.

Explore Costa Rica WUC

This was an excellent trip full of variety and interest. The range of scenery was amazing and the pace of the trip just right with enough time to explore each diverse region.

Costa Rica WUC 170205

2 weeks touring the different ecological areas of Costa Rica

Discover Coast Rica Birds

We choose the bird watching guide holiday and we saw over 200 bird species as well as animals, reptiles and butterflies. The guide was amazing at spotting birds and other wildlife and indicating to the group.
Lodges were great and food tasty and often local.
The minibus and driver made the journey and we had WiFi almost continuously on the bus!

Discover Costa Rica

Holiday was everything I expected and more. We managed to see lots of things that we were not expecting to see and the weather was great (we only got rained on once!). Our tour leader was very enthusiastic and made the trip extra special. All the hotels and food were of a very good standard and our transport was excellent (even WiFi on the bus!).