I absolutely love living vicariously through Bela and Steve’s increasingly adventurous escapades! It’s always a pleasure to work with them, and I’m hugely appreciative of their willingness to share their stories and wonderful photos...
Jo has expertly organised our holidays for many years, and with Costa Rica high on our wish list, we were eager to see what she could piece together for us.
The wildlife was something we were especially keen to focus on, and Jo provided us with an exciting itinerary, to which we added a couple of destinations as the discussion progressed.
We decided on a thrilling 19-day adventure, visiting several amazing places filled with fantastic excursions, breathtaking scenery and incredible creatures.
Other than a technical issue with the return flight, which resulted in an additional overnight stay, all our transfers between destinations were seamless.
We began with a lovely stay at a coffee plantation stay just outside of San Jose before working our way overland to Tortuguero, Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio National Park, Drake Bay, and the Osa Peninsula.
Each accommodation was excellent, featuring thermal baths, diverse restaurants, and swimming pools where available.
Our favourite was the fabulous boutique hotel Aguila de Osa overlooking Drake Bay.
This was closely followed by the thermal baths at the Volcano Lodge in Arenal.
The service at all resorts was exceptional, and we felt very well looked after throughout.
Most of our excursions were prearranged, and we added others, including the 7 bridges walk and zip-lining, which was a first and a real thrill (although perhaps only for one of us 😉).
We enjoyed a variety of other exciting experiences such as thermal springs, volcanoes, hikes, snorkelling, and memorable encounters with the most vibrant and spectacular wildlife and nature.
My favourite excursion was at Arenal, where a passionate expert guide drove us around to look for sloths high up in the trees. He set up his special scope for closer views and helped us take photos of toucans and other strikingly coloured birds, including the beautiful macaw, using our iPhones.
Steve was particularly captivated by the frog sanctuary and its array of species. Most guides in Costa Rica bring their high-resolution scopes and stands to help tourists see wildlife up close, provided the creatures remain still long enough! These bonus views, which we’d never experienced before, made the adventure even more memorable.
Speaking to guides and other travellers, we learned there is so much more wildlife we didn’t manage to see. We would love to return one day to try and explore other areas of this magnificent country.
We certainly managed to cram a lot into our time, with several boat trips, National Park visits, and even some downtime at the beach and hotels in between.
Thanks, Jo, for another fantastic holiday and magical memories.
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