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Caribbean Tours & Things to Do
Tours are listed by area and activity and are just a sampling of the many tours available. Tour prices and descriptions, Website URL's, Phone Numbers etc are given by reviewers and may change. Please do not write us to ask for correct information. We do not know!  Don't forget to send Debbie a review
We had fun!! We booked a tour with a newly formed tour company, Mountain to Sea Bike Adventure. We took their Shirley Heights Bicycle tour, (Me, my wife and her Sister). We were pickup at our Hotel by their bus and a friendly driver. The drive was about a half hour to the top of Shirley Heights. The bikes were line up and waiting for us. After a brief History of the Area (beautiful view) we slowly descend with both of our guides explaining the use and origin the flora we passed along the ride. The bikes are nice and adjustable. We enjoy the wind blowing in our hair; it is a change from being in a car or van. We like the idea of exploring with bikes; you can relax and not worry about if you are taking to long to take pictures which we did. Bring your camera. We took pictures of a famous singer’s house. It can be view from the Block house of Shirley Heights. After arriving at the Nelson Dockyard we were guided around the yard rich in its historical past. We were then offered the choice of taking the hike to Fort Berkley or a shuttle ride via their bus to Pigeon Point Beach, we took the latter. We swam, the beach was very clean and we had lunch as part of the tour package at a beach side restaurant. We learn about this company by a friend who rented from them at the St.Johns cruise ship pier. They rode to the beach and back in time to board for about $20.00US. Our full tour was a little more, but we were pickup and returned, lunch, two full historical tours, beach and friendly staff, it was well worth it. We booked on line at their web site: http://mountaintoseabikeadventure.com/. The only complain that we have is that we wish we had more time to swim, the water was refreshing after the ride. Top of Page
Off Resort – For US$10, vans run to St Johns leaving at 9 am and returning about noon. Doesn’t sound like much time, but it was long enough for us. We saw the cruise ship docks, the tourist vendors, museum of Antigua and Barbuda, St Johns Cathedral and stopped at a sidewalk café for drinks (one beer and one bottled water for US$4 – not bad). We missed Redcliff Quay; I don’t know how or why, we just did. Prices in St Johns were similar to the beachside vendors at the resort. T shirts around US$10, polo shirts about twice that much. If your going to take rum home make sure you get it here; the resort has nothing and the airport was much more expensive. Cavalier rum was US$4.75, English Harbour was about $7. Eli’s Ecotour. There is little to say that hasn’t already been said about this tour from the rave reviews that others have already posted. One thing to keep in mind though; guests from Pineapple Beach board the boat at Dickenson Bay, and the taxi fare is not included in the cost of the tour. A taxi from Pineapple Beach to just about anywhere on the Island was typically $30 one way, so this really adds to the cost. True to his word though; our driver came and got us for the return trip, arriving in the parking lot the same minute that we did. We went with another couple, one of our “group of eight”, that managed to get booked at the last minute after someone cancelled. Eli stopped the boat every 5 or 10 minutes to give a description of what we were seeing, be it geography, ecology, or history. His dialogue was a big part of the tour. Juices at Long Island, a hike up to the top of Bird Island, lunch on the boat from an anchor just north of Bird Island where Hawksbill turtles could be seen surfacing, snorkeling at Hells Gate (surf was a bit rough here and my mask fogged up badly), and then snorkeling a few hundred metres north of Bird Island (great coral here especially some of the fan coral). Out came the traditional rum punch (which the girls loved but it hit them hard and heavy), and then a slow boat along the mangrove coast of Guiana Island before heading back to Dickenson Bay at about 4:30. Treasure Island Catamaran – Again this departed from Dickenson Bay, but the cost of the taxi from Pineapple Beach was included in the price for US$5 extra. All eight of us went on the Treasure Island Cat. The Cat nosed into the beach at Dickenson Bay at the same time as the Wadadli Cat was loading passengers. We were quite happy to be getting on the Treasure Island Cat because the big Wadadli Cat looked very crowded. Our Cat just had a nice sized group. We got on and headed around the point to Blue Waters, although we didn’t load any more passengers there; we just seemed to be killing time for some reason. When we cruised back to Dickenson Bay, a few more passengers boarded via the rubber motorboat that would then be towed along behind us. We then set sail along the scenic west and south side of the island, on the way to Cades Reef. The water was pretty calm at Cades Reef, and although I didn’t see too many fish (should have gone straight out instead of left), most of the people we were with thought it was the best snorkeling of the entire vacation. A school of Spanish Hogfish were firsts for me. However we only got one hour in the water and then it was off to Ffryes beach for lunch. The BBQ lunch was good, as was the Steel band but then most of the guests just hung out while a couple of people played some beach cricket. The advertised limbo dancer was not present. Rum punch was included in the price of the tour, but a bit surprisingly anything else at the bar (at lunch and on the boat) was cash, although I don’t think they were charging very much. Back to the boat for the return trip, stopping in at places like Jolly Beach and Royal Antiguan to drop off passengers. Overall this Cat trip was a bit disappointing, in part because I didn’t get to the best snorkeling, but also because we could easily have doubled our time in the water rather than kill it on the beach waiting for a very few people to get finished with their cricket game. One of our friends that had been on a Circumnavigation Cat a few years earlier, thought that was a much better trip than this Cades Reef day. A video of the tour was also offered (two people had been aboard taping all day) for video US$40 or dvd at US$60 (I think that is correct pricing). Karl bought one and made a copy for us. It’s fun to watch but the quality is really poor. Stingray City - This attraction is very convenient to Pineapple Beach, in fact you can see it out in the ocean from Mary’s Outhouse. They pick you up right at the watersports center and then it’s a very quick boat trip out to the Rays. You get into the water with the rays and probably spend about half an hour with them, getting photographs and feeding them some squid that they suck out of your hands like a vacuum cleaner. There is also a young hawksbill turtle, conch, and starfish. They take you back to their headquarters on shore to settle accounts and to offer you the option to purchase the pictures that they’ve taken of you holding a stingray US$15 for an electronic copy on CD and a similar price for a glossy print. Overall, a unique excursion but a bit pricey for what you get ($US40 each). Jeep Rental, Spring Hill Stables, Shirley Heights, Nelsons Dockyard, Fig Tree Drive, OJ’s, Half Moon Bay – do you think we tried to do too much in one day?? Yes, but what a wonderful day it was. Spring Hill wanted us to get there early so we arranged for the jeep to be delivered late in the afternoon, so the four of us were ready to roll first thing the next morning. The five speed left handed stick shift looked intimidating at first, but I really didn’t have much grief on the roads at all. You quickly get quite adept at shifting because you never go much more than a few hundred metres at one time without shifting for one reason or another. Signage on the highways of Antigua in almost non-existent. We knew we had to be close to the turnoff for Spring Hill, and when we pulled over to ask for directions we found we were indeed right where the turnoff was. Karl and Karen hadn’t ridden for many many years. Karl mounted up and was good to go, but Karen only spent a minute in the saddle before she admitted that she couldn’t do it, so off she got. Karl and my wife went for an hour or so, riding through the lush valley and then down to a small beach on the west edge of Falmouth Harbour. The ride was nice and the horses were in reasonably good condition. US$40 each. Back into the jeep and off to Shirley Heights which was quite close by. Took the pre-requisite photos from the hilltop and then drove back down to Nelsons Dockyard where we enjoyed a cold beer at the Admirals Inn sitting right next to the Boathouse Pillars. We strolled the dockyard for awhile, admiring the boats and doing a little shopping in one of the gift boutiques. We decided to drive Fig Tree and find OJ’s for lunch. Found the east end of Fig Tree drive without much trouble, but the first few miles of that road are in dreadful condition, but the road improves considerably in the more scenic section, which is the southern half of the drive. If I did it again, I would probably approach Fig Tree from the south and then turn around half way rather than drive the north end again. OJ’s was a very nice place for lunch, although at US$23 the lobster salad wasn’t worth the money. Our plan was then to get to Half Moon Bay, which is about as far away from where we were as you can get on Antigua. We needed gas, so instead of going back though Fig Tree, we went north as there was a gas station showing on the map. Shortly after filling up, we made our one bad turn, a right instead of a left, followed shortly by road construction and a detour that left us at a dead end on a dirt road in the center of Antigua. Asked twice for directions, and the second time this young fellow just grinned at us, and told us to follow him to the highway. Once there, we were fine however I would warn you not to take the “highway” past Potworks Dam. That might have been a highway in someone’s lifetime but it isn’t anymore. All the other roads in that end of the island are good, just avoid that one. We found Half Moon Bay, but only had time for about a half hour stroll on this beautiful beach. A few pictures and then back to Pineapple Beach. The rental rep met us there and we finished off the paperwork. They’d run out of forms for Antigua drivers licenses so that $20 was waived, took off a few more dollars because we’d put in $20 for gas, and ended up charging us a total of $60 for the days rental. Not bad but next time I’d rent for two days and spend a bit more time really seeing the island. Top of Page
We normally don’t do a lot when we are on vacation, so the highlight of our travels when we were in Antigua was our one day trip to Barbuda. The trip costs $120US per person. The trip to the island is on a very large “power” catamaran. The boat‘s name was “Excellence” and they do the Barbuda trip twice weekly, on Fridays and Sundays. The trip over takes about 75 minutes and if you easily get sea sick, this trip may not be for you. On the way over, we saw a female whale and her calf and on the way back, there were many dolphins that were swimming along side of the boat. The island is incredible, seventeen miles of pure white sand and only three hotels on it. Princess Diana stayed at one of the hotels a few years before her death. The sand in the early summer is actually a pink color but at this time of the year, with the strong winds and wave action, most of pink sand is washed back to sea. On the island, in the mangrove swamps, there is a bird sanctuary where “Frigate” birds come year after year to mate and hatch their newborns. We also did the shopping thing in St. John’s and we had to have a beer at Hemmingway’s Bar. He must have liked his drinks as there are “his” bars all over the Caribbean. We also rented a car and had one of the Pineapple staff (on his day off) drive us around the island. Had a great authentic Antiguan lunch at Turner’s Beach on the other side of the island and toured the rainforest and English Harbour. Top of Page
Shirley’s Heights Overrated - Excellent steel band(s), beautiful sunset, very crowded – standing room only and line-ups for drinks and toilets. Not much to do up there except stand in one spot, listen to the music and watch the sunset. Again, the scenic drive there was the highlight for me. Devil’s Bridge: It is about two miles from PBR. We walked there and back one morning. We are in our 50s (my wife turned 50 while there) and it was a comfortable walk. Wear sunscreen. The location is breathtaking. The Atlantic waves come thundering in along the rocky shore. The bridge itself is interesting and can make for some great wave action and spraying if you get too close. We sat there for a long time taking in the view – beautiful. Saw the Wadadli and Kokomo catamaran excursions go by while we were there. They seemed crowded. Top of Page
I would highly recommend the Jolly Harbour golf course. Great vistas, interesting holes and well maintained fairways and greens. While the course is not long (just under 6000 yards), it is still challenging in that it puts a premium on accuracy. Top of Page
-Our group take an Island golf trip every year.
http://www.weloveourlife.com
Don Carlo - phone: 883624
Waterfront Crab House - phone: 835858
Villa Germania - phone: 836161
Palms Bar - phone: 861234
The Old Mill (The Olde Molen)
Iguana Joe's - phone: 839373
The Powerboat Adventure was just that- an adventure! A one hour 40 mph boat ride, first visiting an island of all iguanas- then off to 'their island'. Open bar,snacks and an island lunch are all included. We did group snorkeling, hand feeding the sting rays and laying in the water with googles on while they dray the sharks in close! Amazaing!
Catching the local buses , etc, was no problem, and only cost $2.00. The bus route was up the coastline (a beautiful drive) to Cable Beach - where we could get off to eat at any of the good restaurants or fast food places. Crystal Casino is also located here, which we preferred over the Atlantis. Then bus also went downtown, and had a stop right at the McDonalds and then terminated at the strawmarket in downtown Nassau. The market is HUGE!!! and it was fun bargaining with the vendors. From the hotel , you can also take a bus which goes directly to Paradise Island for a roundtrip price of $5. We walked thru the Atlantis, and was amazed !!!! We had heard of the famous aquariam, lagoons, water rides, etc...but, it was even more than we had imagined. We played a short while at the casino, and then started looking for dinner. YIKES!!! Meals are so very expensive here!!!! That and the enormous throngs of people was enough to make us decide to never book a room here. We asked the bell captain if there was any "reasonable" restaurants in the near vicinity. He directed us to "Anthony's" , a local favorite. After a pleasant and short walk, we found ourself enjoying a terrific meal, and only $12.00 US! Our conclusion, Paradise Island is a nice place to visit, but we would never want to stay there. I have to agree, that it may be a great family destination. I do not see how a child would ever be bored there, plus the beach look quite nice.
We took the Fast Ferry over to Harbour Island (Eleuthera). This "day away" trip cost $150 per person, which included the two hour ferry ride (a very fast catamaran), a nice historical walking tour by one of the islanders, lunch at one of three very good restaurants (our meal was one of the best we had!), and then use of the facilities at the famous "PINK BEACH". This was really a beautiful spot, and we checked into hotels and dive operators, knowing we would return here someday. After the hustle and bustle of Nassau, the slow rhythm of this island was very much appreciated. Our last day we took a walking tour of Nassau, wanting to see the beautiful historic buildings , and find Fort FinCastle and the Queen's Staircase. DO NOT MISS!!! finding the Queen's Staircase. Take the time to ask one of the vendor's who sometime set up there the history. It is very interesting. We arrived there on a late Saturday afternoon, after all but one vendor had packed up, and we were glad. I am sure that the experience would not have been the same with alot of vendors there.
This year we went into Bridgetown again for shopping and the market, the pelican craft market is also quaint. Oistens on Friday night for local crafts and local food, again dont miss it. Sunday morning we went up to the Crane for brunch and listened to local gospel music, this was great and reservations are a must!
Finally, the Bajan Roots and Rytham show Wed and Fri nights was specatcular and very professional a real sampling of Caribbean music. It costs around $75 US but includes the show, your dinner and all the drinks you can eat. Beulah who works on the DIVI beach during the day doing hair braiding can book the show for you at a discount. She is fantastic and also works during the shows as a server and she will not only get you a better seat she will look after you well during the show ( many many drinks)
I was in Barbados for the first time this month. I was told Ted's Tours was a must while I was on the island. SO true! Ted is a native Bajan who does a complete island tour that is rivaled by none. He is extremely informative about the history of the island, but adds his own fun, down-home humor. Everyone is treated to all the Rum Punch you care to drink and a complimentary lunch overlooking the Atlantic Ocean from the East side of the island. If you ever visit Barbados, Ted's Tours (contacted through the Coconut Court website) is an absolute must do!!
There were numerous trips offered from the hotel but we wanted to do several things and they weren't all offered as one trip so we rented a cab for 4 hours (at $20 USD/hour) and made up our own itinerary...
Harrison Cave - $13US/ this was a ½ hour tour on a trolly through amazing caves with stalactites and stalagmites. The film was broken down and the trolly also broke down but other than that it was pretty amazing.
Orchid Farm - $7 US. This was very neat - as most of the flowers were growing out of soil and just hanging. There was more than 20,000 orchids on display. Very beautiful but no one around to answer questions. There is a wedding Gazebo on site.
Gun Hill Signal Station- $4US . A restored signal station with a beautiful panoramic view of the island. Check out the giant limestone lion carved by a soldier stationed at Gun Hill.
Baobab Tree- there are two on the island - We saw the one on Warren's road in St. Michael and the other is in Bridgetown. This is the widest trunk of any tree growing in the Caribbean - it takes 15 adults holding their arms outstretched to cover the circumference of the tree!
St. John's Church - free. A classic Gothic church situated on a cliff overlooking the picturesque East Coast . Very reminiscent of old English Churches. Definitely worth a stop.
Bathsheba - West coast of the island - very beautiful and rugged with huge waves - known internationally as a surfer's Haven.
Morgan Lewis Mill - we just drove by but it is one of the only two intact and restored sugar mills in the Caribbean.
Cherry Hill - one of the highest points on the island. Try a chunk of sugar cane as a snack!
Things we probably should have done:
If you go to Bermuda, I suggest you rent scooters from Eve's, located
right next to the Harmony Club. They appear to only rent good ones. Many
other tourists we met had crappy scooters, and that made it no fun. You
absolutely have to go to all the beaches on the South Shore Road--each
one is spectacular. Take your camera. Church Bay is the best place to
snorkle. Bring your own snorkle stuff with you-- buy it here in the US.
Renting was a pain. You have to snorkle, even if it just means wading
out and looking in the water with the mask. There are thousands of fish
all around you, and you don't know until you look with the mask. Big
fish. Go shopping in Hamilton. Ride your scooter all the way to the
Dockyards and do the museum, and see the Swim with the Dolphins thing.
Climb the stairs of Gibbs Lighthouse and see the island from way up. If
you stay at Harmony Club (I highly suggest it), drink like a fish,
because it's all included! I did. Bass Ale on tap, and Foster's by the
pool. And of course, all those rum drinks. The bartenders have made
their own concoctions, and given them names. I tried them all. My wife
actually went with multiple Margaritas (very good!) one evening, and
became quite tipsy and amorous.
We went mainly for the windsurfing, so how was it??
In a word, great.... People who had been there for a while said that
there had been virtually no wind for the previous two weeks. The week
we were there, there was reasonable to good wind every day, for at
least part of the day. Lac Bay is on the eastern end of the island and
gets the full force of the trade winds with nothing to get in their
way. There is a good reef to cut the swells/waves down to ripples.
Much of the bay is shallow, ranging from about 1 ft. to 3 ft, depending
on the tide. The water was clear and warm with good areas to start from.
There are two outfitters and we used Jibe City, but the other facility
looked good also. They offer lessons, but really didn't seem to have
their
heart in that activity. The equipment was good, with excellent
sail/mast/boom kits and OK, but not great, boards. (I'm just a
beginner/intermediate windsurfer, so take this with a grain of salt.)
When the wind got good some of the areas got rather busy, with the
more experienced windsurfers tending to (unintentionally, I'm sure)
intimidate the less experienced with their speed and maneuvers.
My impression was that the bay was slightly better for windsurfing
than Aruba. The facilities are not quite as nice, but the natural
characteristics are better. The only thing that occasionally stopped
us (other than lack of wind) was low tide: when the tide was low,
some of the bay was just too shallow to sail across without dragging
your fin. 90% of the time, though, it was great.
We took a day sail to the Baths at Virgin Gorda. We booked it through a gentleman on the beach. Though not recommended by the hotel, his was less expensive and offered the same. Our skipper was Captain Stanley, a pleasant young man who has sailed extensively throughout the world, and he fixes a great lunch. The Baths were amazing and on the way back we stopped at Cooper Island to swim at a neat little resort.
And don't miss Bomba's Shack. This driftwood bar with no roof and the beach for the floor is just around the hill from Long Bay. Bomba is an institution on Tortola. His place is a big party every night. Try his special drink. And if you are there for the full moon...have someone else drive.
what an awesome place grand cayman is. we have been all over the caribbean, nothing even comes close to this island. we stayed at the villas of the galleon. our condo was 13 steps from the beach and 30 yards to the waters edge. i am a level 3 scuba diver and the snorkeling here was better than a lot of dives i have been on. 2 hundred yards out is a reef that keeps the waves very small. we saw turtles, rays, parrot fish........just by walking in the water from our condo,s beach.
sting ray city is worth the trip here alone...words cannot describe the beauty here, a must. blow holes were all right, turtle farm was worth the trip, however, smiths cove, is probably the prettiest cove in the caribbean, this is a must for photos and snorkeling. we took a family portrait here. rent a car, and stay out of town when the cruise ships arrive, only bad thing to say is to many people when the ships are in, however very photogenic town with the massive ships in the back ground. villas of the galleon rates a 10. ps thanks for your page it has been very helpful on all of our vacations.
Another day trip I enjoyed was the day we rented a jeep and went all over the island. The roads are pretty empty and we drove past some beautiful beaches and homes. We stopped at the Blow holes, went to Hell ( pretty boring, just dead coral that is black) and we went to the Turtle farm. This was pretty neat, they had turtles that were the size of your pinkie, and some bigger then an adult person! The restaurants in Grand Cayman are wonderful! The ones I would recommend are the Grand Old House, Hooks (at the Treasure Island Resort), Almond Tree and my favorite .
If I could recommend one thing to do, please visit Stingray City. The tour left right from our hotel. We took a boat out to a sandbar in the middle of the ocean, and the water was as clear as a pool bottom. Their are stingrays all around and the instructors feed them so they come very close to you. Infact they rub up against you, they are so tame and friendly. Definitley take an underwater camera, I got some awesome pictures of the stingrays, and framed quite a few! As a certified diver, my boyfriend & I also dove at Stingray City and really got to interact with the rays. I even got a sucker bite from one-ouch! Their was even a videographer down with us, who videotaped everything. We bought the video, and were pleasantly surprised that we were on most of it!
As a group we did quite a few tours which included a river tour, the mega combo tour whic was ziplines, atving along side the volcano, a visit to a volcanic spring and volcanic spa, and horseback riding. We also did deep sea fishing and seadooning,
we booked our tours outside the resort, using Vargas tours, they were awesome, i wanted to give our business to a smaller company that focused on customer service rather then money money money which results in overcrowding. ANyway Vargas tours like i said was fabulous, we went on tours that were just my group of guest so like a private tour,our tour guide carlos was great. he was very friendly, funny and willing to accmadate us in anyway he could. If we wanted to stop somewhere that we had jsut driven by then we could. he did not rush us or pressure us and was very knowledgeable about costa rica and answered all our questions.
i contacted vargas tours via email after reading a positive review and to my surprise i got a phone call at work within a few days. They even made several attempts leaving me voicce mail which i thought was very customer service driven considering they were calling from costa rica. After the initial contact most correspondance was via email. they set up an itenary based on the tours that i wanted that were scheduled of course around my wedding!!! Book with Vargas Tours, you will not be dissappointed.
I met with Ricardo Vargas (from Vargas Tours at the lobby to figure out what tours we were interested in doing that week.
After being to Costa Rica several times, we knew that the tour company that the resort offers is not the only choice that you have when planning a day trip. Five or six years ago, Ricardo Vargas and Michael Mills decided that people needed more personalized smaller tours. They now jointly own Vargas Tours and this is the only tour company we use for our day trips. When you go on a tour, you are able to stop to take pictures when you want to and you can also customize your trip to what you want to do.
The tours that the resort offers with Swiss Travel are large buses with 30-50 people on them. They also make stops at other resorts to pick up people. You cannot customize these trips and stop to take pictures whenever anybody wants to stop. With such a large crowd, it is noisier and more likely to scare the wildlife away. You are also on a tighter time schedule and they tend to push things through to keep them on schedule.
The Mega tour includes the canopy tour, horseback ride, hot springs, water slide and lunch. A group came back from the Mega tour that they took with Swiss Travel. A honeymoon couple that I was talking to were very upset because a couple of girls had fallen off their horses. They had never ridden before and their horses had fallen to the back of the line. One of the guides rode up behind them and whipped the horses and the horses reared up and the girls fell off. One girl had head and arm injuries and the other had a shoulder injury.
If you have 4 to 20 people in a group, call Vargas Tours. The price for this trip was $116 with Swiss Travel and $125 with Vargas Tours, but I can guarantee that you won’t regret the $10 or so extra per person it costs for the personal service and safety that you receive.
The trip that we did with Vargas Tours this trip was the Extreme Mega Tour. It is along the same principle as the Mega Tour, but you go to different places. The ranch that you go to is not governed to the large crowds. There is no water slide, but it is a much nicer ranch and the lunch is a lot better quality. Horses are ridden up to the canopy tour. The canopy ride zip lines are much higher and longer. The hot springs is where you can see the mud bubbling out of the ground. You do not get to see the volcanic mud bubbling out of the ground with the Swiss Travel Tour as they go to a different place. You get into a sauna for about 5 minutes to open your pores. There are pots that contain the volcanic mud that you smear all over your body. You let the mud dry, shower off the mud and enter the 3 thermal pools from hottest to the coolest. They vary in temperature, approximately 42 celsius, 36 celsius and then 13 celsius. On the way back to the resort, we stopped off at a very nice place to buy souvenirs,
Our second tour was the Palo Verde River Tour. This is the tour to take if you want to see wildlife. As before, I have been on this tour with both Swiss Travel and Vargas Tours, and there is no comparison.
A few years ago, we went with Swiss Travel. When we arrived at the river, there were half a dozen boats ahead of us. Wildlife was scarce because of all the noise as there are numerous boats and many people. We saw some birds, one crocodile and some howler monkeys. When we stopped to take pictures of the howlers, there were 4 boats all together on the river bank.
The next time we came to Costa Rica in 2004, we met Michael and Ricardo. We took 3 day trips that week all with the same guide and all of the trips exceeded our expectations.
We took the Palo Verde trip. They take you to a different part of the river than Swiss Travel. You are in a tributary of the main river and it is much narrower, so you are closer to the riverbank and likely to see more wildlife. You are the first to arrive because the van does not stop at any other resorts and you get there before all the big tour buses arrive.
Up until December 2005, you were allowed to feed the white-face monkeys and the crocodiles. This is not permitted now. There are game wardens that check your boat to make sure that you have no food for the wildlife. We saw many varieties of birds, small tree bats that look like bark, huge iguanas, crocodiles. A white-faced monkey jumped on the roof of our boat. Afterwards, we stopped and had a typical Costa Rican lunch, rice & beans, chicken, ribs, veggies and salad. We then went shopping in Playa del Coco.
We took two tours booked through Michael Mills. Our guide Roberto was the guide for both our tours. The first tour was the
Barinquen tour. My wife and I were the only two people escorted and guided by Robeto. Roberto was outstanding. He had a tremendous enthusiasm for Costa Rico, the wild life and the environment. He actually got excited when we saw wild life or something unusual that we needed to see. Spending two days with Roberto was an education in Costa Rican history, geography and culture. We were really fortunate to have him as our guide. After the second tour "the river tour" we felt we really knew him and his family. I don't know if you can pick your guide but ask Michael Mills if you can have Roberto Mora as a guide for your choices in tours.Roberto also has his own tour company called Geckotico Tours. Web: www.geckotico.com email ........ reservations@geckotico.com
We did a little research beforehand and reserved our tours with Michael and Ricardo at Vargas Tours – so glad we did!
Not only were they and their guides phenomenal, the trips gave us several unforgettable experiences that the teenagers in our party will remember for the rest of their lives! I really cannot stress how important it is to do this.
The tours we attended were:
My biggest disappointment was the tours we scheduled with Mike Mills of Vargas/Allegro tours. I read nothing but great reviews on how good his tours were.
We scheduled 3 expensive tours with him. All were very disappointing. We did not get what we were told to expect. The Arenal volcano tour included a 1 hr. trek through the hot, humid rain forest. It actually took over 2 hours and they did not provide any water or other liquids during the trek. The terrain was very rough and we saw no wildlife - bummer. We rode in a small van and the 3 1/2 hr ride back from the volcano at night was long and cramped with no leg room. Next, we took a back -to-back sailing tour all day then sunset evening sailing tour all in one trip. The so-called fabulous lunch was chips, pop and a couple of wrapped sandwiches - Big Deal!! We were told we would be sailing on a very nice sleek 50 ft. sail boat with room down below to stay in if it rained. What we got was a 50 ft trimerand catamaran which had only 4 flimsy chairs on deck. The area below was very filthy and the stench from the bathroom was awful. we were in the sun for over 8 hours with little or no shade. I called Mike to advise him of our disappointment, but all I got was the runaround. Be careful who you book your tours through. You might be better off dealing with the tour operators on the property.
We booked our tours through Michael Mills. They were great. We went to Rincon National park and had Manuel take us on a hike through the forest and the hot bubbling mud pits. We saw spider monkeys swinging from the trees as well as toucans. There were also many strange bugs and lizards. Then we made our way through the forest to a waterfall. It was breathtaking. We ended our hike and Manuel had fresh cut up Cantaloupe and pineapple. Then he took us on another 20 minute hike to another waterfall that we could swim. The water was extremely cold and we just had a nice time looking at all of the butterflies and watching this other couple ! swimming in the icy water. Then after we hiked back to the van we were taken to Liberia for lunch. We were given a typical Costa Rican meal of rice, beans, salad and fish. It was great!!! Then we made our way to a souvenir shop then headed back to the hotel.
Our second tour was to Palo Verde. David was our guide. He was also very knowledgeable. When we got to Palo Verde we were paired up with a boat driver they call Hawk Eye because he can spot things a mile away. We were informed that there was a group of white faced monkeys so we set off to find them. When we got there we were greeted by the cutest little faces looking out at us. Right away the monkeys were excited that we were there and started jumping all over the boat, coming with in arms length of us. Talk about a rush. I had never been so close to a monkey in my life. So after a while we set down river to find some birds and we came across herons and a bunch of other birds I can’t remember the names of. Then we headed back the other way and found tones of crocodiles. Apparently th! ere are 200 crocks per mile. The place was crawling with them. Another group of people that were on our boat was feeding them chicken pieces. They were like 3 feet from the boat. Another amazing rush! The cruise a little over 2 hours and then we were taken to this little tiny restaurant where everything is cooked on a wood stove. That’s were we learned of a condiment they call Salsa. Its not they everyday chopped up tomatoes and onions it’s almost like a ketchup but much tastier. Needles to say we came home with some.
Avispa’s Tours - www.avispasadventures.com we read about Amy before we left Canada and booked the Miravalles Volcano Adventure and Arenal Volcano Adventure and had a FANSATIC TIME! I would highly recommend booking with them– you won’t be disappointed!!! Her tours are smaller groups (2-4ppl) so this way you get a more laid-back adventure as it’s up to you how long you want to stay at each site. Miravalles is a must do tour which includes zip-lining, horseback riding (or tracker ride), nature hike with water falls, sulfur springs, hot springs, and mud baths. Arenal includes a nature hike, the volcano, hot springs and we added ATV’ing. We did not see the volcano the day we went it because it was cloudy – still worth the trip! This tour is a long day 13+ hours so if you want something closer to the resort go with Miravalles, its only 1 hour away. All food, snacks, beverages are included in the price (which is comparative to what the hotel is going to try and sell you). The van is safe and secure so don’t worry you wont lose your personal belongings. I recommend you bring rain gear and a change of clothing just in case. I won’t go into much more detail but if you want more info check out her website or email me! TOUR WITH AMY – AVISPA’S IS THE BEST!
My friends and I made a trip to Costa Rica the first of July there were 10 of us in our party. My husband had read about the Avispas's adventures so we called Amy and she came to our hotel and visited with us. She explained all about the tours. Since Amy is from the US there was no problem with the language barrier. She took 8 of us on a white water rafting trip the first day and 2 others went with her husband Jose to Cocoa Beach for a shopping trip. Our white water rafting was fun, a little scary since the river had come up on account of the rain, but the guides were very cautious and took very good care of us. The next day we did the Zip line, volcano and waterfall trip. It was an all day trip but worth it. Even though I do not like heights, I was never nervous or scared. George and his guys are very experienced and careful. The waterfall trip was wonderful as was the volcano. Especially enjoyed sitting in the mud at the volcano. Amy arranged lunch at the zip line and it was wonderful.
First I would like to say my husband and I and our 8 friends we travelled with loved Costa Rica - it's adventures and the people. The country is beautiful. The Fiesta Premier was wonderful and I would recommend it without hesitation.
My main reason for writing this review is to tell you about Avispas Adventures, this small company literally made our vacation the huge success it was. I found out about Amy and Avispas from Trip Advisor and emailed her before our trip. Amy is an American who is now married to a Costa Rican man, Avispas. They run Avispas Adventures which specializes in tours for small groups and you can customize any aspect of your trip that you would like to.
Amy came to our hotel the first day we arrived at Fiesta and ran over all our choices. We ended up doing all of our tours with Avispas and were 100% thrilled. We did the Miravalles Adventure, the Bar Hopping Tour, Full Day Sailing Trip and Gourmet Dinner and Cocoa Beach.
MIRAVALLES ADVENTURE:
BAR HOPPING TOUR:
COCOA BEACH:
SAILING TRIP AND GOURMET MEAL:
Avispas Adventures is insured, bonded, reliable and safe. Their prices are all comparable to the large tour groups. Because Amy speaks fluent Spanish and English it helped us out wherever we went (especially the bar hopping).
If you hate to be travel like cattle on large bus tours with no flexibility then I absolutely recommend you give Amy and Avispas a call, or email them before you go. I just can't say enough about this couple, you won't be dissapointed, they go out of their way to make you happy.
You can find Avispas Adventures on the internet or go directly to this
link:
Avispas direct email address is info@avispasadventures.com Amy's cell phone number once in Costa Rica is 372-3094.
Hope you give them a try.
Celina
Tour Company – Avispa’s Adventures – they are amazing!
Date of stay Sept 9, 2006 through to Sept 17, 2006
Tours – This definitely ended up being one of the best things about our trip more than we had anticipated. I did some investigating prior to our departure to Costa Rica. Our only hesitation about booking prior to going was that we were going during rainy season. We quickly learned rainy season was no issue it all. We had three rainfalls during the day and it resulted of them blowing in and out within one hour. Rain did not put a damper on our vacation at all. The Costa Ricans explained that the rainy season in this part of the country is not an issue.We ended up finding a small tour company (a husband and wife duo) that own and operate their own business. Avispa’s Adventures – they are out of the Guanacaste area and only 5 minutes from the hotel. Amy is originally from the USA and speaks fluent English and Avispa is Costa Rican and speaks/understands English relatively well. The tour prices are the same as the big tours and the major difference is that you get a personal one on one experience. If you go with the big tour company you go with upwards of 15 to 20 people and all different people. With this company you may go by yourselves or they will match you with another couple and you can save approx $20 per person depending on the tour. Avispa’s Adventures offer the same tours as the big guys and will customize a trip if you so choose. They also offer taxi service or pick up to/from the airport. Visa and Amy are truly a hospitable duo. You may visit their website at www.avispasadventures.com to read all of the different tours that are offered. You may email Amy/Visas at info@avispasadventures.com and they usually emailed me back within 24 hours of receiving my email. While at your resort you dial *(star symbol) 372-3094 which is their cell # and you may speak to Amy. When you arrive at the hotel they insist you sit the next morning at 9am for an hour to discuss the hotel and the area. What they are really trying to do is to commit you to tours by the big company. Not necessary to go to that meeting just get a hold of this tour company and you are all set. They are a licensed and insured company.
Since their website offers a myriad of tours I had requested of Amy to tell me which are the best of the best tours to save me time. Amy responded with her #1 choice of “Visa’s Miravalle’s Volcano Adventure” and second the “Visa’s Palo Verde Adventure."
When we arrived in Costa Rica I immediately called Amy and arranged to do the Miravalle’s Volcano Adventure. The trip consists of canopy Tour, horseback/tractor ride to waterfalls, mud baths, hot springs bath, and an authentic Costa Rican lunch and the trip is an 8-9 hour day. Amy informed me the price per person was $145/person but she had another couple going and if we wanted to join them the price would drop to $120/person. We were fine with this as it still was a very small group and avoided the crowds, wait time, and the chance of annoying tourist of the big tour companies.
I had previously asked if we could stop at a souvenir shop just to take a look if we had time. Amy said no problem and this little excursion was added at no additional charge. (Again the big tour companies would not do this.)
8am was our pick up time and we asked what time we would be home from our trip. Amy said the whole tour is approx 8 hours but it can be as long or as short as we want it to be. She explained that it is all up to us and we can take things slow if we so choose. Our first stop was the souvenir shop which they allowed us at least 30 minutes to visit. They did not hurry us at all. Costa Rica has absolutely beautiful pottery. We were then on our way to the Canopy Tour destination. Along the way Amy and Avispa stopped at a store and got us some fresh cooked pork rinds for us to eat. They were delicious and again this showed us the point of difference of the big tour operators compared to the little guys. Beer, Water, and other snacks were also supplied to us at no charge on our tour. (Again the big tour operators do not do this)
The Canopy Tour was amazing. And again I can not stress how peaceful and personal this tour was. George was our main guide on the canopy (an assistant also came along) and Amy came along to translate as George only speaks Spanish.
We took our time making the climb up to the first platform while plant life and animals were pointed out to us. What was so nice if you were nervous to do the zip line, your fears were calmed as you weren’t rushed by 20 other tourists to keep moving. Only 1 other couple besides ourselves so we were able to travel at our own speed and leisure.The canopy was amazing and nothing to be fearful of at all. This trip ended after approx 2 to 2.5 hours and we were greeted at the end with an authentic Costa Rican lunch which again was included into our package. We had leisurely lunch and then off we went to see the waterfalls. Avispa and Amy stopped frequently on our trip to point out plant life, sites, and animals. Again it was very relaxing. We all chose to do the horseback ride up to the waterfalls. We were paired up with another guide as this was a private property and exclusive to Avispa’s Adventures. We climbed up the mountain to view the waterfalls, cross a suspended bride, and took many photos of the absolutely breathtaking sites. Then it was back on the horses to meet up with Amy and Visa for the next part of the tour.We traveled now to the Miravalles Volcano area where we indulged in warm mud baths and a hot spring soak. Amazing to see the sulfuric hot springs and to understand the energy is used for power throughout Costa Rica. While we soaked in the hot springs Amy served us wine to finish off this exciting tour. Again this part of the tour is a private location where only a handful of tours are allowed to go. Johnny the Volcano man is your guide on this part of the trip. We headed for home at approx 6pm. As the Costa Rican Independence Day torch Run was taking place this day we were able to see the Torch run and Amy/Avispa stopped so we could watch. We felt the trip was worth far more than the $120 each that we paid.
The other couple on our trip said they were doing the Avispa’s Palo Verde Adventure in a couple of days and said we could join if we wanted to. Since we had so much fun on this tour we decided to do it. The cost is $95 per person but since we had 4 or more on the trip it only cost $75/person. Amy said we could depart at anytime we wanted but recommended we get their early as Animal life feeds early in the morning. We left at 7am and began the journey. Avispa stopped on our way along a river point so we could watch the men getting natural materials out of the river for construction. The interesting point of this was that we got to see how they bring this out of the river. 2 big oxen pull a cart out of the river once their cart is full of these fine materials. It was like out of the movies. Next stop was a local bakery where we got ourselves a treat. The pastries were delicious and inexpensive.We arrived at the Tempisque River and were the first on the river. Again a big boat and only 2 couples, Amy, Avispa, and the tour guide. Birds, crocodiles, and monkeys were all pointed out for us to view. They even let us fish on board. Crocodiles we were able to feed. Saw howler monkeys and listened to them howl. Following this tour we stopped for a Costa Rican lunch which again was delicious. Amy and Avispa then said since we didn’t see the White Face monkey, we are willing to take you to Guantil where you can see a pottery making demonstration. We all decided we would go and this was added on to our trip at no charge. Wow!!! We were back at the resort by 2:30pm. I can’t say enough about happy we were about the tours. Personal attention, superior customer satisfaction and unique adventures for an unforgettable experience is their tagline and believe it!
Overall wonderful experience with the hotel and the tours!!! We will go back to Costa Rica!
We just returned from a week’s visit 4/22 – 4/29/06 to this area. Although I am usually the type on my trips that does my own research, rents a car, and does self tours (I hate large group / cookie cutter tours), before my visit to costa rica this time (we were also in costa rica in December 2004), and especially because I was familiar with the road conditions, I decided I would try a tour company on this trip. I ran across a gem of a tour company - Avispa’s Adventures. They are a small company - husband and wife. Avispa is Costa Rican and has lived in the area all his life; Amy is American (from the Baltimore area) so there never was a language problem. They try to take only one group (they will even take 2 people at a slight increase in price), but if you don’t mind meeting another couple, they will arrange for 4 people to get the standard price. Their tours will go where the big guys go if you wish, but they also have set up some similar tours that go to uncrowded places. Their prices are in line with the big guys, but you get a much more personalized tour. We took the Miravalles volcano tour (it is similar to the Mega Tour and Borinquen combo tour, but to a much less crowded area). Everything on the tour was perfect. Amy also arranged a fishing boat charter for me, and it was perfect. The couple that we took the Miravalles tour with had taken 4 different tours with Avispa’s Adventures, and they also had nothing but praise for every one of their tours. Amy made a comment during our tour that I thought was appropriate – most people start as our customers and end up being our friends. I fully agree. You can contact Avispa’s Adventures at www.avispasadventures.com, or call them in costa rica at 372-3094. Also, at my resort, regardsless of the tour company, I heard mostly favorable comments about the volcano, rain forest and palo verde river tours, and mostly negative comments about the Liberia and Nicaragua tours.
We also rented a car from Tricolor Car Rental in Liberia. They provided excellent service – delivered the car on time to our hotel for no additional fee. They also seem to have good rates, especially if you book ahead of time via the internet. They are a small company, but seemed real eager to please. One day we drove south to the Tamarindo area, and the other day we drove about 2 hrs to Rincon de la Vieja to the national park, which is in a rain forrest area. We took a 2 hr hike and saw lots of wildlife. I think it is becoming well known that the roads are terrible – even the road to Tamarindo was mostly unpaved and not maintained. We laughed that the long road to the high priced Four Seasons resort is the best public road in the area, even though it has little traffic.
Overall, I highly recommend Costa Rica. There is a lot to do there. The only thing I will do differently is not visit during the hottest month of the year – April. I live in Florida, and the heat was even too much for me during this visit. There is always a breeze – sometimes even a high wind, but the hot, dry air was often uncomfortable.
We just got back from a wonderful vacation in Costa Rica! We stayed at the Allegro Papagayo. Great place! Very hilly-but there are shuttles if you are patient and wait. Usually come every 10-15 min. Room ok-great view. Coffee maker there but no coffee or cups so we got our own. Air conditioner was "tempremental" but they came failry quickly to fix it.
Tours: We booked our tours through Swiss Tours at our resort. Nicaragua Tour was EXCELLENT. Very, very long day and bumpy roads but we thoroughly enjoyed every minute!! We left at 06:00 and home @ 21:30. We learned a lot of history on the way and Henri was TERRIFIC. Henri was the Nicaraguian guide and Andre was the guide from the hotel-he was very good as well-seemed a little shy or not confident but I really liked him!
We had a tour of Granda and museum around the church and were able to shop at the market-that was fun, but we only had an hour. Henri told us at the very beginning DO NOT give the children $ especially if they did not do anything for you. If you can-give them food-ESCPECIALLY apples-they can't get them in Nicuragua.
Some of the boys helped the tourists in the market and a lot of the tourists said they were very helpful and bargained for them and did get a better price. If you didn't want them with you just say no thank you. We also saw an active volcano and were able to get some awesome pictures. If you wanted you could walk up even further to another volcano but most of us stayed at the first site as the climb was very steep. We had a wonderful lunch-most of us had steak and it was very delicious. They had a green sauce of some sort that they put on the steak (it was on the side if you wanted to try it) The guide told us it was chopped parsley, garlic and oil. I didn't find it had much taste but others liked it. I believe this tour was $122.00 USA.
The next tour we did was the Canopy Tour which was another fun filled day!
The zip line had 11 cables and once you did the first couple of lines you knew what you were doing. I myself had to get off at the 5th cable and walk the rest of the way on the suspension bridge. It was because my arms were very weak and I was afraid I would let go of the cable at an inappropriate time and not be able to stop before the next platform. I might have been hyperventilating as well as my hand were tingling and my mouth was very dry.
I think a lot if it was "nerves" and I'm scared of heights but I wasn't going to Costa Rica and NOT do the zip line. The rest of the group did all
11 and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Some of the younger members wanted to go again and even a longer more challenging zip line. More power to them!! If you are fit and enjoy adventure this is a DEFINITE "to do". I am not very fit and I am very glad I did it!! Next was the water slide-I thought this may be detremental to my health so I did not join in. A lot of people once they came down it said they wouldn't do it again. A couple of people felt like they were either going to come off the slide or turn upside down in it. No one got hurt but there is potential there. One of the people we met did hurt his elbow trying to straighten himself around so he didn't end up face down.
After the waterslide we had a wonderful buffet lunch with lots of Costa Rican food and it was very good. There food is very bland but good. If you're use to spicy food you find it here. Then off to the horse back riding-again some of us did not do that and decided to ride in the tractor pulled wagon (which was very bumpy). Those who rode the horses did enjoy it. Due to arthritis in my hip I chose not to. The horses looked very docial and you really didn't have to do much as it looked like they knew exactly where they were going! I got a picture when we arrived at the "spa"
of the horses heading back to the stables with NO riders on them-what a hoot!
The spa was fun but not quite what I expected. I can see it getting very "touristy" and not the "natural" feeling to it. We started out in a stone hut steam bath and proceeded to an area with hot mud in stone containers of some sort that were manned by a worker and he kept stirring the mud-not sure where he was getting it from. It was fun, people were laughing and having a great time. Then we walked over a few feet to the "shower" which in itself was pretty funny. It was hooked up to a pole in the middle of the woods.
It just looked quite funny with all the mud covered people around it trying to was the mud off. There were a couple of garden hoses too that you could use. The water was a little chilly to say the least! Then after we were cleaned off we proceeded to the "spa" I think the wateres were suppose to have natural minerals in them. The first one was like a hot tub and the temperature was quite hot then you went along to 2 other square pools of cooler water. At the end there were a couple of square pools that you could relax in. None of the pools are very deep you can just walk around in them and cool off. We saw the most beautiful butterflies while we were enjoying the water. The one in partiuclar had brown on the outside of the wings and inside as a sparkling bluey-purple colour-absolutely gorgeous!! We also saw a spider monkey while we were sitting in the woods at "the bar" waiting for everyone to finish before we headed back. I was a little disappointed we didn 't see more flowers in the woods but maybe it wasn't the right time of year for that. We did see some day lilies.
The "free" trip to Liberia was a bit of a disappointment to us as we wanted to spend more time in the city and see "the sights". They took us to 3 souvenier shops first but we didn't buy much there. We waiting until we got to Liberia and bought rum, coffee and wine at the "supermarket". The coffee ranged from $2.00 (for the chocolate cafe) to about $5.00 for the Brit ground coffee. Rum was $2.00 as well as the pineapple wine we bought.
On the Saturday 6 of us rented one of the vans from the resort and went to CoCo Beach. It was great! We finished up our shopping there-the farther away from the beach you go-the cheaper the merchandise! We are having a rocking chair shipped to Canada from Blue Marlin Service. He gave us his card and e-mail, etc, I don't antcipate any problems. The ship by UPS. We should have stayed longer than the 2 hrs. but most of us were done and decided to go back. The beach area is very rustic right now but I'm sure in a few years it will be very built up! Hope it doesn't destroy the "Costa Rica feeling". I'm sure it is a very "young peoples" place at night-lots of loud music coming from the many bars on the beach. We got some wonderful pictures!
The wood you see everywhere is absolutely gorgeous-bowls, little boxes of all sorts, jewellery. They are known for their rosewood and mahogany. They also have a tree indidugous to Costa Rica-the guarnarcasta tree-(not sure if I spelled it right) same name as the province-really unique looking and you will see them throughout Costa Rica. The guides have a story for you about these special trees-I won't spoil it for you.
We would go back to Costa Rica in a heartbeat. It was one of our most memorable trips!! I just wish we had stayed 2 wks so we could see more!
Next time maybe closer to the rainforest!! We were out in the middle of no where at a beautiful resort but it was quite far from everywhere so it did take a long time to get to where you were going. Great fun and wonderful memories!!
We booked a tour, a trip on the Tempisque River, through Guest Services for our group of 13.
The hotel called a freelance guide, Felipe Blanco B. (506 303-0289), who came the next day in his 20 some passenger bus with driver.
A lively sort, Felipe kept us entertained throughout the 5 hour trip with his wide knowledge of plants and animals, his views on life in Costa Rica and life in general, and his active sense of humour - the best guide we've ever had in 4 Central American countries.
On the the river trip we saw (and heard) howler monkeys, fed whitefaced monkeys, got within 4 feet of crocodiles and spotted several species of birds and many iguanas.
This was an excellent trip in terms of plentiful wildlife, good transportation, and a top-notch guide.
June 2005-honeymoon
ATV Tour
Congo Canopy Tour
The Golden Shrimp Restaurant
The Liberia Shopping Tour
A great place to admire the amazing ecological variety of Costa Rica. Beware of the monkeys, they like to steal things, especially cameras and whatever shines. It’s also forbidden to feed the monkeys, and it’s for their own good, so please respect that regulation. There is also a nice beach of soft white sand, and the ocean here is perfect for snorkeling (fish are used to tourists and I saw a few from up close). Don’t forget your camera for you’ll take memorable pictures here, provided you keep it safe from the monkeys that is ;-)
There are two different groups of people who offer this activity. They’ll ask for $40 for starters, but if you talk first to the people at the Grayline Tours counter, and hire the guy they recommend, you’ll end up paying $20 to $25. We organized a small group of 6 people (us included) and paid $20 each. The horse guy drove us to the nearby mountain and we were introduced to the horses there, then the horseback ride starts to the top. On the way there are many beautiful views of the beach and the town of Jaco, but the ‘pièce de resistance’ is when you reach the top, where the view is well worth it. The sunset is pure beauty, and we took many wonderful pictures while the sun slowly plunges in the ocean, setting on the distant horizon. The return was somewhat less pleasant, as there is little to see in the fading daylight, but riding along the beach in the quiet of the evening makes up for it. Our advice: the return trip can be tiring if you’re not familiar with horse riding, and we wouldn’t recommend it to someone with chronic back pains, but the sunset and the view from the top make for an amazing spectacle that we are glad to have experienced.
We were not able to get one the resort tour to the Monkey Park but we rented a car and went on our own. This is really a neat place. It is run on donations and it is a animal rescue center. It would be great for kids or for adults who love animals. They have birds, crocodiles, deer, coyotes, and of course monkeys. They have several orphaned baby Howler monkeys and they let you hold them!!! It was great. There are also two Macaws they hang around near the front entrance. It was very interesting and informative and not far at all from the resort.
We also did the Palo Verde river cruise. This was through Swiss Travel Serv. and cost about $75 per person including lunch. It took about an hour and a half by bus to get to the river. Our guide was great. His name was Geovanni and he was very informative and very funny. He was with us on the bus as well as the river. It is about a 2 or 2 1/2 hour boat ride and the time flies by. We saw monkeys, Howlers and White Faced, Crocodiles, Cranes, Storks...you name it we probably saw it. Giovanni knew about all the animals and we learned alot about the flora and fauna as well as the animals. When we got back to the dock they had lunch ready and it was very good homemade Costa Rican food. Chicken with vegetables rice and beans and rice pudding. It was all delicious. Everyone fell asleep on the way back to the resort. A SECRET- Bring a jacket or towel to wrap up in on the bus. It was freezing!!! I had to buy a t-shirt at our bathroom stop. Also, try to sit on the left hand side of the boat (if you are standing on the front facing the boat the left side) behind the captains chair. It doesn't matter which seat but it seemed like most the activity is on that side of the river.
Our second tour was with Vargas Tours and we went on the Palo Verde River Boat Tour. This was $75 per person and included lunch. I had read the reviews about Ricardo and Lupita Vargas and they did not give them enough credit. These two can speak fluent English and are two of the nicest people you would want to know. There was 8 people on our tour and Ricardo and Lupita answered every question we had. They took time to stop on the roadside and explain about buildings, plants, crops, animals, history and culture of Costa Rica. This personal service was far better than we received on our other tour. I would have booked them for the other tour, but they were full up. See they do not take large groups because they pride themselves on personal service to accommodate their guests. We had a nice ride to the river and then about a 2 1/2 hour boat ride. We saw all kinds of wildlife, but we especially liked feeding the white faced monkeys by hand. They came right onto our boat and took the bananas right from our hand(very gently from our hands too!!). The crocodiles were also neat. Our boat driver fed them so we got pictures from about 2 feet away and he caught about a 3 foot baby crocodile that we able to get pictures with. I talked with a some of the couples we met and they did not get to do this on there tour with Swiss Travel. I cannot say enough about how great a service we were provided by Ricardo and Lupita. They took us to a local restaurant and it was the best food of the week. They also took us through the back roads and found the scarlet macaws so we could take pictures. Oh! I almost forgot to mention the souvenir shopping and also going to the market where we got the cheapest prices on everything.It was also nice to do all of this with our new found friends Sasha and Nicole(Canada newlyweds). If you take any tour I would take it with Vargas Tours. Contact info: larvargas@hotmail.com (506)670-0790 and cell (506)385-4312. I will guarantee you will not be disapp ointed with their service.
We took the Mega Canopy tour. $105/person (this was the discounted price thru the rep on the first day). Great adventure. 10 canopy zip lines (2 hours Long waterslide down the rainforest (1 hour long). Lunch - included smorgasbord - good - cheap beer ($1.35/beer, pop $1.50). 1 hour of horseback riding. Walk to the waterfalls. Finish off with a sauna, mud bath, and soak in the hot spring tubs. Bring good walking/trekking shoes for the canopy, horseback riding, waterfall walk. Bring sandals/bathing suit for your walk up the hill to waterslide. They supply the towels needed and all the equipment. Bring your cameras - make sure you have a good strap for it. The only negative to this trip - about a 3 hour bus ride each way. But you do get to see country side. We left at 7:30 am and returned to the resort around 8:00 pm. So it is long day. You should be in relatively decent physical shape to do. Bring bottled water. They also will take your picture - $15 for and individual shot or $20 for the couple
The tour guides will te |
