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CharlieTheTraveler does such an excellent job balancing out trips, such as this Costa Rica trip. I enjoyed the balance between active daytrips and daytrips that allowed me to relax and enjoy my time away. This was the perfect vacation for me and something I would not have been able to plan on my own.
It is truly an experience that should be cherished and embraced at least once in a lifetime. We were incredibly fortunate to have been blessed with a sunny day, which enhanced the perfection of every moment.
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
Arturo was a fantastic leader and guide. Knowledgable, helpful, caring, experienced and amusing. This was my 11th Explore holiday and Arturo is up there with the best guides. The porters and cooks are heroes - we were very happy to tip them generously. The itinerary was perfect, though no one should underestimate the challenge of around ten hours walking on day three. Cusco hotel staff were fine but the layout around a central atrium means the rooms are very noisy. The hotel near Machu Picchu was lovely but the staff were rude, unhelpful and disinterested. Overall I’d fully recommend this trip - but be sure to get into shape beforehand and consider your kit carefully.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
This tour operator organized a cultural, spiritual and community immersion for me, my husband, my adult daughter and her boyfriend for 16 days in late February/early March of 2023. It was the most exciting trip I’ve taken. This is saying a lot considering I have spent a lifetime of travel, both personal and professional, focusing on Latin America.
Everything ran smoothly, even with chaotic settings and complex logistics. A big part of this was by providing us with amazing guides, starting with Jahel Amaru, who met us at the La Paz airport to whisk us across the altiplano to Oruro for its truly spectacular Carnival. Jahel is knowledgeable, patient, down-to-earth, smart patient, funny, and an extremely enjoyable person to spend time with. She guided us through the hectic Oruro Carnaval during its culminating weekend - with boundless energy and contagious enthusiasm. We had the time of our lives cheering on the colorful characters as they paraded and danced thanks to Jahel knowing exactly where to go, when, and providing invaluable context.
Community tourism (where visitors are connected with everyday Bolivians to learn about their lives) - has started to blossom in Bolivia, and this company is one of its pioneers. We got to experience it in Potosi, where we had another excellent guide, Marlene Quispe. She took us through Cerro Rico mine, which was the world’s leading supplier of silver. Marlene has close ties to mining: her brothers, parents and even she has worked there. As we ventured deeper into the earth, we learned from her about the mining process and cooperatives involved with it. She also introduced us to one of the mine's “tios” (“uncles” who are believed to protect miners), to whom she made an offering as she explained his importance.
Marlene took us to the Quechua community of Phuto Phuto, one of several in the rural district Cabanias that welcomes visitors as part of its community tourism program. Families take turns showing visitors their homes and traditions, including cooking huts with steaming pots, whose contents you later share for lunch. Marlene and one of the family members we met then led us on a beautiful hike to a spot where they invited us to participate in a ritual offering to Pacha Mama (Mother Earth). It was an incredible day I will always remember.
Another wonderful community tourism experience was in the majestic Cordillera Real (Central Andean range), where we appreciated both the nature and culture of the region by staying near the town of Tuni with the multi-generational Quispe family (not related to Marlene). Family members share with guests Aymara traditions like placing fishing nets, spinning yarn, making quinoa flour, and shearing alpaca fleece. Patriarch Jaime is a charismatic host and a certified mountain guide who along with his adult son Denys, also a certified mountain guide, have expertise leading visitors of different ages and abilities. We loved staying with them!
There are a few other places that stood out on our trip:
Hostal Las Olas in Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca with gorgeous, artistic “cabins” and lovely views
Templo del Retiro Espiritual Cruz Andina (the Andean Cross Spiritual Retreat Center), in Tiwanaku steps from the ruins and owned by spiritual and cultural guide Rosse Mary Vargas Vilela. It’s filled with cats and crystals and offers delicious vegetarian meals. This is not a stop for everyone, but worth visiting or staying in if you are interested in mindfulness, ancient healing, and/or new age spirituality.
Local culture
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Hostel, Home-stay
Age Range
1-75 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
La Paz, Potosi, Uyuni, Copacaban
La Paz, Potosi, Uyuni, Copacabana, Sucre, El Alto, Yumani, Villamar, Bolivia, Silolio Dykuma, Tomasamil
It was the adventure of a life time, expert guides and the best tour manager anyone could ask for Esteban! From unbelievable nature sites to fantastic cultural experiences, it was an unforgettable trip entirely!
The trek was very well organized from the beginning to end. I was quite nervous to do it but the team was very motivating and attentive, which I really appreciated. The guide was very informative and the food was great.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
