COSTA RICA ADVENTURE 2017
Photography Expedition & Adventure Tour
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Date
Dates TBD • 11 Days 10 Nights
Cost TBD
$ per person dbl occupancy (minimum 6 maximum 12)
Single supplement additional ($700)
11 Days 10 nights in beautiful Costa Rica!
Warm up in the middle of winter! Beaches, Jungles, River trips, Culture and lots of Birds and Wildlife! Jim and Kathy will be sharing photography tips as well as their knowledge of birds, wildlife and Costa Rican travel. This adventure is limited to 12 explorers for a more personal experience.
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Jim and Kathy have been traveling to Costa Rica since 1994 and have explored boarder to boarder and coast to coast. They have included their favorite places in this adventure of a lifetime. You will see and do more in 10 days then you can imagine!
This is an Eco Adventure – Includes everything Costa Rica, from mountains to beaches, from rural towns to rain forests, wildlife, birds, beautiful scenery, hanging bridges, butterfly garden, culture, volcanos, and a sunset boat tour that past participants exclaim is a major highlight. This expedition is for everyone. If you are a photography enthusiast then you know that rain forest photography is challenging. Jim will help you get great tropical images.
You will see:
[one_third]Most Likely;
(wildlife species in Costa Rica are abundant, here is a short list)
Monkeys (3 species)
Sloths
Iguanas
Crocodiles
Caimans
Aguouti
Butterflies
Frogs
Snakes[/one_third]
[one_third]Birds:
(over 850 species)
Hummingbirds
Toucans
Parrots
Scarlet Macaws
Resplendent Quetzal (most sought after bird in Costa Rica)
Caracara
and many, many more.
[/one_third]
[one_third_last]Other Opportunities Include:
Amazing Tropical Scenery
Vocano
Coffee Plantation
Tropical Plants and Trees
Sunsets
Beaches
Waterfalls[/one_third_last]
Sample Itinerary
Sample Itinerary Costa Rica Adventure (subject to change):
B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner
(To maximize your adventure some breakfasts consist of coffee or other drinks and pastries, etc.)
Day 1
We pick you up at Juan Santamaria International airport (SJO) or provide transportation to your Hotel. The smells and sounds remind us we aren’t in Kansas anymore, Toto. A good nights rest is needed for our Adventure to begin. No meals.
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Day 2
In the morning we enjoy a scrumptious Costa Rican breakfast at the hotel. Birds sing and give us a sample sonata of what is to come. As we eat, our guide and driver loads our luggage onto our private bus, ready for our first days adventure.
We sightsee north along the Pan-American Highway on our way to San Ramon where we turn off the highway and head up the mountains toward La Fortuna. The road leads us past fincas, plantations, and small villages. We stop for photos and memories along the way. Magnificent views await at every turn.
Arriving in La Fortuna we check into our lodging, our home for the next 3 nights. With a view of Volcan Arenal the immaculate grounds surround a swimming pool and jacuzzi that await our afternoon dip. Lunch is at a local soda (restaurant). Then a short tour of the surrounding area taking in the sites and looking for monkeys, sloths, and colorful birds. BLD
Day 3
We enjoy a tipico Costa Rican breakfast at a local restaurant then off to our next adventure. We visit the Butterfly Conservancy. We enjoy a box lunch as we watch Volcan Arenal. We hear a rumble as the volcano erupts spewing rocks and lava. No worry, we are at a safe distance.
Later we explore the area looking for coatis, monkeys, and sloths as well as many of Costa Ricas mountain birds. In the afternoon we hike into Arenal Volcano National Park and hope for a closer photograph of hot rocks tumbling down the face of the mountain. A great dinner with conversations of todays adventure await us back at La Fortuna. BLD
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This morning we savor the tastes of a Costa Rican bakery, coffee, tea, and juice. Today we hike the hanging bridges. Every turn in the trail is another adventure. After lunch we prepare for a thrilling ride on a Zip Line and a special treat. BLD
Day 5
Breakfast at El Jardin’s restaurant then off to the coast. Sightseeing along the way we stop at a fruit stand to try some of the many different fruit that grow locally. Fresh off the farm, picked ripe, the juices run down our chins as we experience new flavors. We laugh at each others dripping face.
We make a couple of stops along the way at some favorite hang outs for local wildlife. Surprises await.
Lunch is at the Tarcoles River. The food is exceptional. The experience is memorable. We try local fruit drinks and contemplate why we don’t have them in the U.S..
We settle into our hotel and unwind from all the excitement. Tonight we have a special sunset dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in all of Costa Rica. Since 1994 we have made this a must place to eat on every visit. BLD
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Up early for breakfast at the hotel to sustain us for our jungle hike into Carara National Park. The cicada’s song drowns out our own thoughts as we venture into an amazing environment of exotic plants and trees. A scarlet macaw feeds on the dates of a palm while crocodiles float past the shore of the Tarcoles River. Iguanas rustle the undergrowth startling us. After our hike we have lunch and a swim at the hotel pool.
Rested, we prepare for a sunset cruise on the Tarcoles River. The warm sun keeps us comfortable as we are shaded by the canopy on our own private tour boat. Floating into the mangroves in search of the reclusive mangrove hummingbird it is quiet and calm, only the sounds of the jungle break the stillness. A caiman floats by our boat as brown pelicans glide through the air like prehistoric flying dinosaurs. As the sun sets into the Pacific we contemplate what new adventure the morning will bring. BLD
Day 7
Ready for our next adventure? We are into the rhythm of Costa Rica now. Next stop, the most beautiful National Park in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio. Lunch on one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful beaches is only overshadowed by the antics of white-faced Capuchin monkeys and 3-toed sloths. The monkeys attempt to steal food from an unsuspecting tourist, and sometimes they succeed. We snap lots of pictures of these curious primates then jump into the warm waters of the Pacific.
At the beach we enjoy the sunset and watch swallows kiss the liquid gold. Maybe a little boogie board or body surfing for those more adventurous, or maybe we just wade up to our knees as the sun sinks into the warm waters on the horizon bringing to close another fantastic day. BLD
Day 8
This morning you are on your own. Grab some pastries on the way to the beach. Photograph monkeys and sloths on the trail, or go for a morning swim. Be back in time for check out.
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On the way to Dominical we stop at another fruit stand. Once again the sweet juices run down our faces. We prepare for our ascent. A past ‘In The Rhythm’ explorer said it best, ‘even the Pan-American Highway is an adventure’ and I think you will agree as we climb to 10,000 feet before taking a side road that leads us to our next destination. It reminds us of the Sierras, yet different. Yes there are pine trees, and trout in the creek that follows the road, but there are bromeliads, too, and colorful birds we’ve not seen. We spend the afternoon looking for the Resplendent Quetzal with its 2 foot tail feeding on avocotillo or nesting in an abandoned woodpecker hole. This is the most sought after bird in Costa Rica and we are in a place most likely to find them. LD
Day 9
After an amazing breakfast we explore a private reserve. Later we can hike to a waterfall or go for a horseback ride. Lots to do and see. We will enjoy this day in numerous ways. Relaxing in the gardens and watching the hummingbirds feed while we lunch. BLD
Day 10
Early departure for a day of touring. First stop, the best coffee plantation tour in all of Costa Rica. If time allows we visit Cartago to see the ruins of an old church, then to our hotel in San Jose and a special farewell dinner. It’s been a great adventure. BLD
Day 11
Flights home usually leave very early. For those of you staying on we can help you make other arrangements. Call us for suggestions. B
Airport code is SJO.
What is included:
Transportation to and from airport in Costa Rica
Driver and bus for our Adventure Costa Rica
*A Local guide that will be with us for the entire tour
All lodging and meals, yummy (see itinerary)
Non-alcoholic drinks
All entrance fees including boat tour, hanging bridges, butterfly conservancy, and National Parks.
What is NOT included:
Airfare to Costa Rica (and back if you think necessary)
Alcoholic drinks
Personal items including shopping sprees
Any extra tour or activity you do on your free time
Costa Rica Exit Fee $29 per person. (This is a mandatory fee the government charges you to go home, subject to change)
Tips for our personal local guide and bus driver.
What to Pack:
I will email a suggested pack list to all participants including an equipment list for camera gear upon registration. No strenuous hiking.