Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the countryside.
Thoughts on Group Leader
David was exceptional, very knowledgeable & helpful.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for bad weather. Busy itinerary with lots to experience
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Well organized tour.
Good experience despite the weather that forced us to miss a few highlights.
amazing, stunning and just so much to absorb
So much to see and senses were bombarded
Most Inspirational Moment
There was so many but I liked Tortuguero - i felt my senses were bombarded. There was so many animal sounds, so much to look at with the sights and smells and then the feeling of it all. From being on the water looking at the birds and wildlife to feeling the humidity it was amazing.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Randall was oustanding.He was the ultimate professions and delivered his knowledge and insight very effectively. He shared information on the wildlife, flora and fauna as well as information on Costa Rica's social, historical and education systems. His answers were always articulate, well explained, patiently delivered and never too much effort. He was clearly liked and respected by hotel staff and locals wherever we went which was lovely to see. He made our trip truly memorable and nothing short of outstanding. (Oh and he solved my problem efficiently and effectively when I left my passport and other items in a hotel safe that we'd checked out of around 90 mins before!)
Advice for Potential Travellers
Moving on so regularly takes a bit of planning in terms of luggage and packing. Whilst my suitcase was big enough for the stuff I was taking (around 16kg inc case), a slightly bigger one would have been advantageous for packing up and moving on and made things a bit easier.
Amazing variety of habitat
We hadn’t realised the incredible variety of habitats within Costa Rica, and this trip allowed us to sample them with Johnny, our superb tour leader.
Hotels were all good and some were exceptional, particularly Cuna del Angel, where the views from the restaurant were wonderful, and the Savegre Hotel, where the grounds were beautiful. The pace of the trip was good, it was nice to have 2 nights in each hotel.
We enjoyed seeing sloths, monkeys, crocodiles and hundreds of birds. The weather was very hot in some places, but the walking was never too fast paced. The cultural experience at the farm was lovely.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing quetzals in the grounds of the Savegre Hotel, and then again on a wildlife walk the next day
Thoughts on Group Leader
Johnny's enthusiasm for his country and its conservation was infectious and we learned an extraordinary amount. Johnny is an expert bird and wildlife spotter and was kind and considerate to every member of our group. The places he chose to eat were great and the early morning walks were lovely. We couldn't have had a better leader!
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you go to the Savegre Hotel, take advantage of their hide in the gardens, we spent a couple of hours engrossed in watching the hummingbirds - magical
A memorable trip with a lovely group!
A thoroughly enjoyable tour which enabled us to experience the different regions of this beautiful country together with its amazing and varied wildlife.
Everything ran smoothly and the (many!) early starts were a great idea meaning that we could visit places whilst they were still quiet and uncrowded.
Our driver, Randall, was extremely friendly, helpful and skilful in his role – a great asset to the trip overall.
Most Inspirational Moment
Many moments…..! Exploring the quiet waterways of Tortuguero. Early morning swimming in the pool of the waterfall at La Fortuna. Seeing the cloud formations at the Continental Divide. Walking/swimming at the deserted beaches of Manuel Antonio NP. Experiencing the relative isolation of the Savegre valley….and more!!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Andres was an exceptional group leader - the best mix of educator and entertainer. He is very knowledgeable and passionate about flora and fauna and we learned so much about the rich biodiversity of Costa Rica. He also kept us interested and amused with information about culture, politics, education and more personal tales, when his sense of humour shone through. He was very concerned for our safety and well being, making sure we were always aware of any potential dangers/problems.
Advice for Potential Travellers
As advised in the notes, pack for a variety of weathers. We were lucky and had mostly lovely warm/hot weather but also a few cooler days with the inevitable rain when waterproofs were useful. There are a couple of opportunities for doing laundry as items do take a long time to dry.
A brilliant adventure
The trip was very enjoyable. The only blip was our stay at the hotel in Monteverde…amazing views but the rooms left a lot to be desired, would not recommend. We had good food everywhere, but perhaps felt that rather than have the same menu every evening at the all inclusive hotels (except at Tortuguero) we could have gone somewhere different for dinner. All the other hotels were lovely.
excellent, we shall certainly travel again with Exodus.
Most Inspirational Moment
Too many to single one out!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Andres exceeded all expectations. He was so knowledgeable and passionate about all aspects of Costa Rica. He was patient, empathetic and wanted us to experience as much as possible in the two weeks visit. He had a great sense if humour and spoke excellent English.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be careful, easy to overeat! Three courses at lunch and dinner was too much!
Costa Rica
Excellent tour. Well planned. Excellent guide and driver. Hotels ranged from adequate to very good. Food very good.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walks in rainforests.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent. Very knowledgeable, hard working and caring
Advice for Potential Travellers
Very warm. Sun tan lotion, insect repellent and binoculars essential. Think carefully about clothing and footwear for daytime and evenings.
Reply from Exodus
We’re delighted to read that John had such a great time in Costa Rica, but did want to acknowledge his comment about having shirts stolen from his suitcase, possibly at one of the lodges on this trip. This was raised with John’s tour leader during the holiday and the management of both properties John mentions were contacted, but had no success in finding the missing shirts. We’ve used the Laguna Lodge and the Hotel Eco Arenal for some time now and have never had customers face any issues to do with theft. While we can’t pinpoint exactly what happened to John’s shirts, we do apologise that they went missing on the trip.
– The Exodus Travels Team
My favourite trip!
Costa Rica is incredible and made more so with our guide Johnny.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing a sloth
Thoughts on Group Leader
Johnny was the best guide I have ever had. He is extremely knowledgable.
Costa Rica
We enjoyed our tour very much. Pick up from the airport was a little chaotic as a lot of flights had been altered due to strikes and we didn’t seem to be on any of the reps lists. Other arrangements went well. Saw a lot of the country in a short time and the programme had been well thought out.
Some of the accommodation in the early part of the trip was very dated and needed some serious reinvestment.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing so much wildlife and beautiful flora.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader David was excellent. Always willing to help and was very good at spotting all manner of wildlife especially birds. He went out of his way to put in extra activities and it was really appreciated by all the group.
Not sure what 'review title' means!
The trip fully met my expectations. It was a full on experience involving (voluntary) frequently pre-dawn early morning bird watching walks; seeing some amazing natural sites (waterfalls, (dormant) volcanoes; Pacific and Caribbean beaches – where swimming was possible, bird and animal watching close up – the fauna seemed a lot less afraid of mankind, and as a result good views were easier. The guide was more than capable of giving us a full-on Costa Rica experience.
Most Inspirational Moment
Fulfilling a dream of getting to Costa Rica to experience a truly different natural environment; getting up close to the wildlife, whether it be birds or animals; swimming in the Pacific - a truly warming experience.
Thoughts on Group Leader
I think that we were lucky to have Andres Herrara as our guide. I addition to his years of experience we benefitted from his knowledge and expertise on his personal subject (the botany of Costa Rica); his incredible knowledge of the birds and animals that we saw (or were helped to see) and his enthusiasm for Costa Rica's history and it current affairs.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do not overpack. British Airways gives the option of hold luggage and two items of cabin luggage (small case and ruck sack). I would have coped better with a larger suitcase and a back pack. What I had was cumbersome, particularly in transit by plane. Given the time of year (February) and the weather (almost universally good) I think that pair of strong walking shoes would have sufficed. I took strong walking shoes and walking boots, and the latter were hardly used - see above re packing / weight).
Exceeded expectations
We loved our trip to Costa Rica. Organisation was great and saw everything on our list and more.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing sloths close up
Thoughts on Group Leader
Johnny was so knowledgeable and friendly
Advice for Potential Travellers
Just go there