Great trip. Full on pace, would have to skip activities to slow down! A cultural and nature trip. Guatemala was my favourite country; the Mayan history and culture. The archeological site at Copan adds to the diversity of experiences on this trip. As well the more recent history of regime change in Nicaragua. The Spanish colonial architecture was highlighted at all destinations, quaint hotels. Nature’s beauty and wild life was showcased throughout. Overall, a diversity of experiences filled the two weeks!
Active and outdoorWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
The priceless memories I have from our group tour to Belize made me feel like I made the right decision to book with CharlieTheTraveler. The company has a personal 'touch' to its services and really does care about its customers. The tour guide also cared a lot about us, ensuring we were never bored and instead were having a great time. He did a great job.
Thomas Morales (Tommy) is a fantastic tour guide. He is highly knowledgeable of all the areas we visited, extremely helpful, nothing was a problem, guided and advised us, helped with border crossings, had restaurants booked, carried bags, and gave you the feeling of safety, that he knew what he was doing and was taking you on the right path. A pleasure to be with for four weeks he made the experience wonderful. Thank you, Tommy!
Active and outdoorExplorer
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Eco Lodge, Lodge, Villa
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Panama City, Antigua, Rincon de
Panama City, Antigua, Rincon de la Vieja Volcano National Park, Ometepe, Granada, Leon, San Salvador, Suchitoto, Copán Ruinas, Boquete, Bocas Del Toro, Sarapiqui, Arenal, Monteverde
This was my first Contiki trip & I'm not sure that any holiday will ever be the same! I had the most amazing time in Costa Rica with the best group of people. From chill beach days to zip lining over the rainforest we did such a variety of things but still had plenty of free time (in Monteverde we used our free time to go & do the highest bungee in Central America!). Our trip manager & driver were incredible & really made the trip unforgettable with crazy knowledge of the local areas & wildlife. Pura Vida!
We loved the La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Sarapiqui River tour! La Paz is beyond beautiful with orchids, hummingbirds, frogs, toucans, scarlet macaws, parrots, coatis, sloths, ocelots, margays, and a jaguar. The gardens and waterfalls are exquisite. A wonderful buffet lunch was included.
Our trip down the Sarapiqui River in a covered boat was so much fun! We saw two caimans, iguanas, Anhingas, swallows, butterflies, and five troops of Mantled Howler monkeys.
Oscar and Armando, our guide and driver were so kind and taught us so much. We stopped at a lovely coffee finca to see the beans ripening, a sopa (local restaurant) in the mountains to take in spectacular waterfall and hummingbird views, we watched whitewater rafters, and sampled fresh pineapple at a farmstand.
Oscar and Armando treated us like family and made our first day in Costa Rica amazing!
National parksRaftingVolcanoes
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge, Eco Lodge, Resort
Age Range
8-79 yrs
Operated in
english, spanish
Destinations
San Jose, Tortuguero National Pa
San Jose, Tortuguero National Park, Arenal Volcano, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Orosi, La Fortuna, Cahuita National Park
The itinerary requires lots of long driving days so I give it 4 stars but it’s also the only way to do it all. Hotels were a nice upgrade though little time to enjoy them as days are full on.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Outstanding trip. Oldemar was our contact person and itinerary organizer. He did a phenomenal job. he took care of all the logistics and they were excellent. I would recommend this trip to anyone
National parksVolcanoes
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge, Eco Lodge, Resort
Age Range
6-79 yrs
Operated in
english, spanish
Destinations
San Jose, Manuel Antonio Nationa
San Jose, Manuel Antonio National Park, Tortuguero National Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve, Arenal Volcano, Cahuita National Park
An excellent way to explore Central America on two wheels—what a ride! I loved every segment of the tour. Just a heads-up: you’ll need more than basic cycling skills… and a truckload of grit. Some of the dirt roads, especially the downhills, are the kind that make you suddenly remember every loved one you’ve ever had. Definitely not for the faint-hearted.
About the hotels: a few of the one-night stays were… let’s say “character-building.” The stop in Turrialba in particular did not meet even basic standards. Explore, you can do better—please save future cyclists from that experience.
Now, about our tour leader, Mike. After ~15 tours across ~20 countries, I’ve finally had a tour led by a real pro athlete. And wow—what a difference. Mike’s professionalism, enthusiasm, ocean-level patience, and that trademark toothy smile made even the toughest (undualating😄）climbs feel manageable. He set the bar so high that my future tours may need oxygen just to reach it.
Absolutely recommended. And if you’re lucky enough to get Mike, prepare to have your expectations ruined—in the best possible way.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
