| For wildlife lovers Costa Rica is a must visit destination and this holiday delivered an abundance of birds and animals. From the moment we entered the waterways of Tortuguero National Park there were caiman, turtles, sloths, monkeys, iguanas and an extraordinary variety of birdlife.The Monteverde cloud forest delivered more wildlife: a sighting of the Resplendent Quetzal, humming birds, armadillo, and tarantula and viper on the optional night walk. The optional zip-line 'tour' is not for the faint-hearted (and be prepared to get very muddy, cold and wet over the two hours!). More wildlife and birds on a boat trip on the River Tarcoles - a chance to get close (but not too close!) to American crocodiles, toucans and scarlet macaws. The Manuel Antonio national park was heaving with Christmas vacationers but delivered sunshine and sandy beaches. The trip doesn't just cater for the wildlife enthusiast as there's the opportunity to see two volcanoes (although the scheduling of the first tour briefing means that it's impossible to arrive at Poas Volcano to see the crater before it disappears beneath cloud which descends late morning). There are lots of optionals offered on this trip; if you can, budget to do them all. If you go at Christmas be prepared for the possibility of cold, wet weather. We lived in damp clothes until reaching the Pacific Coast towards the end of the trip. We had mixed experiences with accommodation with three hotels being changed from the original itinerary owing to Christmas overbooking. Two - at Tortuguero and Monteverde - were super, the rest about the same quality as a 'normal' Explore trip. A fantastic holiday that whetted my appetite for more trips to cloud forests and wetlands, and a return visit to Costa Rica some time to see more of its wonderful national parks. |
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