Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

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329 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Carolyn Thomas

Reviewed August 2015

Discover Costa Rica

This was a wonderful holiday for getting in touch with nature. I became glued to my binoculars trying to spot birds, animals and insects. All of the lodge/hotel stops showed a different element of the country and it was nice to sit and listen to the life around us. It is a lot of travelling and moving around the country but it allowed some people to catch up with their sleep and others to watch the scenery move past.

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing at a feed station for hummingbirds trying to get photos and feeling them brush past my head was such an unusual experience that it will stay with me. Also going to a local school on the last day was a wonderful way to finish the holiday. The children were very welcoming and it made me feel we understood a little more of their country.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour guide Guillermo Arrieta was extremely knowledgeable about his country and was keen to tell us about the rainforests, cloud forests and all the wildlife we should be able to see. His enthusiasm was infectious. He was sensitive to the needs of the group and readily joined in with the gelling of the group. Our driver Orlando was equally friendly and kept his vehicle spotless, washing the windows and the floor everyday and always putting the seat belt back to its original size and position. He also became quite keen to spot birds as we travelled around.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Essentials for the trip are a good pair of binoculars and a good camera otherwise you will become frustrated trying to record what you are seeing. A light pair of waterproof walking shoes are also highly recommended. If I was going again I would put in some dressier clothes for the evening and a hairdryer as these are not available in the rooms although can be asked for at reception providing no one else was using it. I wrapped up every item of clothing in plastic bags to stop my clothes feeling damp and this seemed to work. I was unsuccessful in getting washed clothes dry so be prepared to use the hotel laundry services or take lots of clothes. Advice particular to spectacle wearers - take a spare pair. My husband lost his when swimming near a waterfall and spent the rest of the holiday using his binoculars to help him see. This ended up being a very expensive loss.

Neil Thomas

Reviewed August 2015

So Many Natural Wonders to Enjoy

What a thoroughly enjoyable experience! This trip covers a lot of ground with 2-day stops at six different venues and in so doing offers the chance to learn much about the natural wonders of this remarkable country. We went from rainforest to cloud forest and back again, via the Pacific coast, and clocked up an impressive number of sightings of mammals, birds, butterflies and reptiles.

Most Inspirational Moment

Waking up to a dawn chorus of howler monkeys at Tortuguero and La Fortuna; hearing the frogs' chorus at Esquinas; finally spotting the elusive resplendent quetzal in all its finery near Savegre.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Guillermo Arietta (known to us all as Memo) is a naturalist's guru! He was so knowledgeable about every species we saw. However, his real talent was in knowing intuitively where we might see a creature of interest. He would regularly stop the bus to let us get out to photograph monkeys, sloths, snakes or macaws.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a good pair of binoculars and a camera with a high-powered zoom. So many opportunities to take great wildlife pictures come your way it's frustrating if, like me, you can't make the most of them. Fortunately, all the members of our group got on famously, so there's a bit of image-sharing going on post-holiday.

Lesley Hume

Reviewed June 2015

Discover Costa Rica

A comprehensive trip including many special places in Costa Rica. The leader and group of 16 were both excellent.
If you don’t like birds and slow walks through rainforest spotting plentiful, but elusive wildlife, then this holiday is not for you.
While the trip is rated as leisurely, day 1 started at 6am in an effort to beat the traffic in San Jose. We however saw 2 three toed sloths at the place we had breakfast on the way to Tortugero.

Its a busy holiday with 2 nights in most places but generally starts were before 9am. If you want to see wildlife you need to look at the best times early morning or evening

Most Inspirational Moment

The variety of wildlife was exceptional. The opportunity to say in places like Tortuguero where you explore mostly by boat, Manuel Antonio with its beaches, Esquinas rainforest lodge in a remote location and Savegre in a very comfortable hotel was a great combination. Montverde was a bit disappointing in comparison as in the cloud forest during the day we say very little wildlife. The night walk was more rewarding.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gustavo was a very professional and personable guide. He was excellent at his job and did it with humour and sensitivity. He was always helpful and patient with the many questions posed.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Its a great place to see wildlife, particularly birds. Knowing how to get the best out of your camera would be a great advantage. You will take lots of photos. Hummingbirds are great little birds and you see many of them as several of the Lodges have feeders. It was quite wet when we were there , so take good rain gear. Chilean wine is usually available by the glass at a reasonable cost. Free Wifi is available in most places but sometimes only in the lobby area of the hotels.

Frances Connell

Reviewed June 2015

Discover Costa Rica

An interesting trip with a wide variety of flora, fauna and climate. As always, a good group and a good group leader make a trip like this and we had both.

Most Inspirational Moment

The visit to Tortuguero with its flowers, wildlife and calm waters, Arenal volcano emerging from the clouds and the thunderstorm in Esquinas were all memorable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gustavo was very friendly, knowledgeable and professional. His experience and advice meant we were able to see things we wouldn't otherwise have seen.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for rain at any time! (advice from Gustavo) Expect your clothes to get creased and crumpled due to the high humidity but be assured there are opportunities to get them washed. Take waterproof footwear, not necessarily walking boots, is an absolute must. Most of the walking is not too strenuous, but be prepared for lots of steps up and down.

Dymphna Lee

Reviewed June 2015

Beautiful country with stunning wildlife!

If you want to see wildlife then this is the country to visit, you will not be disappointed! The weather is warm pretty much everywhere except at altitude (but nothing us Brits can’t handle), very laid back itinerary with plenty of free time to work on that tan. The hotels and lodges are of a very high quality, as is the food, we were spoilt with all the fresh tropical fruit on offer!

Most Inspirational Moment

Any time I saw (or heard) a Howler monkey, what a fabulous alarm clock! Also for a top notch day out Manuel Antonio National Park is unbeatable, gorgeous beaches and trails for miles. If you hadn't already seen all the animals on your bingo card, you will catch them all here.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andres - he knew a lot of species of animals off by heart, particularly birds, which was quite impressive. However he seemed otherwise lacking in enthusiasm and not particularly sociable at mealtimes, which was disappointing. The group however were full of beans and more than made up this!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take an umbrella! It will rain, you can't avoid it, but waterproof jacket did not help me much, you can at least take pictures under your umbrella. The tap water is perfectly drinkable, but if you do find yourself feeling unwell, it's a good idea to switch to bottles for a bit. Make sure you pack plenty of changes or clothes, or be prepared to launder them on the way. The humidity makes it hard to dry things. Take advantage of the luxury optionals on offer, The Ecothermals hot springs at Arenal is wonderful, as is the spa at Savegre.

Wendy Pountain

Reviewed May 2015

Great trip, beautiful country, new friends...what more could you ask?

I read all previous reviews before booking and they were all useful information – if you are planning this trip I suggest you do likewise.
I booked this as the dates suited me but we had a bird-watching expert and it was interesting to be part of a group some of whom were ‘on a mission’. Despite the specialism I don’t feel that we ‘non-birders’ missed out on anything and our guide also pointed out animals, gave information on culture, geography, etc.
All in all a well paced trip and having two nights at each place meant less pressure to pack up every morning.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many, others have described them, I think the sunsets at Tortuguero took some beating and SAvegre was my favourite lodge.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Guillermo certainly had his work cut out, a very diverse group, several of us fell ill at various points and he coped well. I think we tried his patience at times but he mostly stayed in good humour. He explained all the options and his recommendations for optional trips were pretty good too. He also gave us some extra treats like taking us to meet his friend who had a horse ranch and showed us his favourite horse in action (as a horse-lover this was lovely). I can't speak for the bird-watchers but he seemed to know his stuff and spotted lots of birds. He also held a meetingmost evenings to talk over the daily 'list' of birds seen,

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just do it, I'm 50-something, overweight and very unfit, and I coped with it. Do go swimming at La Fortuna, do go on the suspension bridges walk (I'm not good with heights but it was very solid and a superb view), do support the turtle museum at Tortuguero. Definitely tell the guide if you aren't well - several of us were poorly at the same time and our guide took us to a pharmacy, explained our problems and negotiated a good deal on medicines.

Sarah Niblock

Reviewed May 2015

Discover Costa Rica

Wonderful trip and so full of wildlife. Costa Rica is a beautiful country with welcoming people. This trip took us through many eco systems from high altitude cloud forests, humid tropical forests, very very humid (couldn’t believe it could get much more sticky!) rainforests to beautiful white sand beaches. Most of which were in protected national parks. Saw so much wildlife it would fill a guide book.

Most Inspirational Moment

Two visits stick out. The boat trip along the rivers around Tortugero with monkeys and birds in the trees around us and then returning back to the lodge with monkeys on the roof and a snake at the swimming pool! Magical. Walking on the suspension bridges in the Saint Elena Cloud Forest at canopy level, a view of the trees, birds, monkeys and insects from above.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Johnny Villalobus. he was polite and extremely knowledgeable about Costa Rica and especially its wildlife. His commentary and guiding was just at the right level for all our group to thoroughly enjoy the experience. Even on our 'free' days he put on extra walks to find those elusive birds, frogs and monkeys we may have missed.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would recommend to pack light and for humidity over dry heat. You need clothes that dry quickly. A good pair of binoculars is essential and plenty of memory cards for the camera as I took over 1000 photos.

Robert Robert

Reviewed April 2015

Discover Costa Rica

This was a fantastic trip covering a range of different environments. Highly recommended to anyone interested in flora, fauna and ecotourism. It was all I have learned in Geography and more!!

Most Inspirational Moment

The way the Costa Ricans look after their country and wildlife. Highlights include the rainforest boat trips in Tortuguero, the Esquinas Lodge and seeing the quetzal in Savegre.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Eric was excellent. There seemed to be nothing he didn't know about his country and the wildlife. His animal and bird spotting was amazing - he must have had X ray eyes! We learnt so much from him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We flew via Madrid and seemed to have fared better than those coming via USA. Exodus organised this route at our request. Remember to take an international plug adaptor suitable for Costa Rica! The boat to Tortuguero took all our luggage without any restrictions.

Stephen Haigh

Reviewed April 2015

Discover Costa rica

A wonderful trip. Stayed in some beautiful locations with excellent accommodation

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing two pairs of the elusive resplendent quetzal on the last day

Thoughts on Group Leader

Johnny was a superb guide. Very knowledgeable and entertaining. He looked after the group attentively and the trip wouldn't have been the same without him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you love nature this is a must do trip

Susan Parsons

Reviewed April 2015

Highlights of Costa Rica

We drove some 1,300 miles (or was it kilometres?) in two weeks, travelling every second day so quite a lot of time was spent on the bus albeit with regular stops. The country is very varied with distinct geographical zones.

Most Inspirational Moment

Gliding peacefully along the waterways in Tortuguero. Staying at the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge - wonderful. Seeing the Resplendent Quetzal at Savegre and the wonderful humming birds.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrés was very knowledgeable about his country, patient and imparted just the right amount of information. Our driver was Erik - a very professional and excellent driver who spent much of his spare time cleaning and polishing the bus. It was immaculate.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Monteverde - the suspension bridges/canopy walk was well worth doing, as were the butterfly and humming bird gardens. Esquinas - at $15 their night walk was excellent (much better than the Monteverde walk) and we saw lots of frogs and a very venomous snake which the Esquinas guide gave a wide berth to! Each of the lodges/hotels had laundry services, cost by piece or by the bag so I take a week's worth of clothes and get them laundered half way through as the humidity isn't conducive to getting things dry once washed. I packed my clothes in plastic bags so they didn't get damp.

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