Upgraded - Costa Rica Wildlife

Costa Rica is amazing. The tour was excellent. We were warned about the long trips but the coach was uncomfortable and the bus was very slow. We were overtaken by other buses all the time. It was a lovely group of people but 16 was too many. We all ate together and having 16 people order drinks, ordering food, eating and paying meant each meal was at least 2 hours. Which in the middle of a 5 hour coach trip was not a good idea! Our guide was excellent, very passionate about his country. He let himself down with arranging times and then changing them which was frustrating. Despite all the above it was amazing.

A very enjoyable trip, showing the whole range of Costa Rican wildlife from the Caribbean to the Pacific. Great tour leader who was an expert in spotting and identifying wildlife. Upgraded tour delivered on the quality of accommodation

The Good review for accommodation is for due to the fact that Hotel Cristal Ballena advertise that they have free shuttle to the beach but when we arrived we were told by the hotel that their vehicle was involved in an accident the week before so they didn't have that facility. For a four star hotel this kind of service is unacceptable. Had it not been for the Explore Tour Leader Alan it would have been very difficult for the whole group to spend half a day at the beach. The hotel change from Arenal Spring Resort and Spa to Tilajari Hotel Resort was disappointing. The Explore Leader Alan is a very knowledgeable, professional and patient tour guide. The trip was made more enjoyable as he ensured that he consulted everyone and we always knew the plans ahead of time. He was also always available to help if we had questions.

Amazing Upgraded Costa Rica Roundtrip – Stunning Nature, Exceptional Guide, but Mixed Hotels We’ve just returned from a wonderful roundtrip through Costa Rica and overall had a good experience. The itinerary was well designed, the landscapes were breathtaking, and our guide was truly outstanding. His knowledge of wildlife, culture, and local history added so much depth to the journey, and he handled every situation with professionalism and warmth. He was easily one of the best guides we have ever had. The only improvement to suggest would be to involve additional local guides at all locations like competitors do. Local knowledge is unbeatable and we had the best animal sightings on this trip when local guides where involved. The accommodation, however, was a mixed bag. Several of the hotels were genuinely five star quality — beautiful rooms, great service, and excellent facilities that made us feel spoiled after long days of exploring. Unfortunately, a couple of the other hotels were closer to two star level. In detail: Studio Hotel, San Jose: a self-styled five-star hotel. In Europe it would be closer to three-star level; with three-star food. Casa Turire, Turialba: a solid four-star hotel with nearly four-star food. Pachira Lodge, Tortuguero. The rooms were very basic, not clean and in need of refurbishment. Very small bar for the number of rooms. Overcrowded in the evening. The food maximum school canteen level with only two choices per meal and repetitive each day at lunch and dinner. Also served like in a school canteen. Unfortunately, no restaurant close by. Luckily, we had some muesli bars. Arenal Springs Resort and Spa, San Carlos: good four-star hotel with good food choices. Unfortunately, they had abolished their bar and there was no place for fellow travellers to gather for a drink. Sibo Lodge, Monteverde: we had very small rooms, no place for clothes, not a single towel hook in the bathroom. What they show on their website is much better than what we had. Max 2 stars for the rooms. Food on the other site was very good in a very nice restaurant. This was four-star level. Cristal Ballena, Dominical: an absolute gem. The best and largest rooms we had on our trip, wonderful pool and huge grounds with their own nature path where we could spot a lot of animals. Their food was the highlight of our trip. By far the best we had in Costa Rica. This was real five-star level and a great way to finish a trip which had some ups and down. Despite the inconsistency in hotels, the overall experience was still memorable and absolutely worth it. Costa Rica is an incredible country, and the combination of wildlife, scenery, and our exceptional guide Diego made this a trip we will always remember. With a bit more attention to hotel selection and food quality, this would easily be a five star tour from start to finish. Would still recommend — just go in with realistic expectations about the accommodation mix.

Overall very good. Group Leader could give more info on the flora side. i.e. details of crops as we were driving through the major agriculture area of Costa Rica. More emphasis and info regarding the incredible amount of amazing trees. Also more recommendation and suggestions on how useful it would be to use walking sticks on the next walk. Diego was very pleasant, full of knowledge which he passed on effectively and was a pleasure to be with.