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Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers  

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335 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Reviews

Great trip for wildlife

Thoroughly enjoyed this trip. We had a great guide, Gustavo, and fab driver, Juan, who helped make the trip a success. We saw plenty of wildlife, including sloths, greenback turtles, monkeys, iguanas, frogs (including the iconic red eyed tree frog) and birds too numerous to list. Costa Rica is a lovely country with rich biodiversity and unspoilt countryside. The people were friendly and largely English speaking and very helpful in all the places we stayed. Our accomodation was of a good standard and the first and last lodges were particularly good. In spite of travelling in the rainy season the weather was kind to us – an added bonus.

Most Inspirational Moment

There are a few moments that will stick in my memory. We were lucky enough to visit during green turtle nesting season. We were privileged enough to watch a turtle laying it's eggs then head back into the ocean which was pretty special. During this excursion a second turtle made it's way up the beach to where we were standing and nearly ran over my feet (the guide told us not to move) as it headed towards a nesting spot. A second highlight was seeing a red-eyed tree frog in the wild. In fact we saw two on one of our night walks. I even managed to get a couple of excellent photos, a great addition to my framed holiday highlight collection. Costa Rica is full of some colourful birds and we saw many. However the ones I will always remember are the humming birds. We saw many, many of humming birds and it was fascinating to watch them, and attempt to capture them on camera, at the special feeders around some of our lodges and in the wild.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Gustavo was very knowledgeable about his country, the wildlife we saw and importantly the best places to look for sloth, frogs etc. His English was good and I found himhelpful and worked hard to make our trip a success. He even organised birthday cake for those on our trip who were celebrating. It is also worth mentioning our driver, Juan. Although he didn't speak much English, he also worked hard and was humorous, helping to keep us entertained. He also kept the tour bus very clean, both inside and out.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light, the luggage all went on the roof of the tour bus so needed to be hauled up there (by the driver, guide and hotel staff). Be prepared to get wet - they don't call them rain forest and cloud forest for nothing! An umbrella is very useful, it also helps keep the camera dry when taking photos in the rain. Otherwise the trip notes were pretty accurate.

Discover Costa Rica

This was my first Exodus trip and it reminded me why I love to travel and how I have missed travelling.

It is a good trip to show you some of what Costa Rica has to offer and in comfort from travelling to accommodation, the daily drives are not to vast and are broken up with a visit here or there.

You go from travelling through mangroves to witnessing turtles nesting, to volcanoes, rain & cloud forests with a beach thrown in as well – with evening cicada and frog calls to being woken by the roar of a howler monkey with sights of sloths, untold colourful birds including the fabulous Quetzal, 4 species of monkeys and much, much more, what more could you really want?

Most Inspirational Moment

I can't single anything out, it was great simply being away from it all and in such amazing surroundings, there were many "wow" moments for me

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gustavo was fantastic, he certainly knows his stuff and is excellent at spotting wildlife from afar, thus ensuring that we saw all we could. The trip was v well planned and organised

Advice for Potential Travellers

Expect rain, a sturdy poncho is wise although you may find it's simply easier and more fun to get wet and blend with the locals!

A truly fantastic experience in Costa Rica

Discover Costa Rica is a fantastic holiday that is suitable for all ages. The itinerary is expertly put together, meaning you really get a sense of the whole country and the various different ecosystems. 6 lots of 2 night stays with the bookends in San Jose and a comfortable mini-bus for the entire trip (with wifi) take you from the Caribbean ocean and sea turtles in Tortugero, to the volcano and hot springs of Arenal, to the cloud forrests of Monteverde and Savegres, and the nature reserves of Manuel Antonio and Esquinas. Each of these locations present their own individual highlights and the travel in between is well planned and not overly long (4 hours on average on a travel day).

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a three toed sloth on the edge of the road at extremely close quarters as she tried to cross the road has to be the highlight of the trip. Such amazing creatures!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Antonio was our group leader and great from the beginning to the end. Knowledgeable, always willing to go the extra mile, he really made our trip special.

Advice for Potential Travellers

No real need to bring much cash. Good to change a couple of hundred pounds into Colons in San Jose to get the best FX but otherwise you can pay with mastercard throughout the entire trip. Bring suncream and plenty of insect repellent. Waterproofs are essential too - good walking shoes and comfy sandals important too - flip flops for the beach.

Tropical Delights

This was a fantastic trip and a great way to discover the delights of Costa Rica. From the lush tropical rainforests of the Caribbean coast to the misty cloud forests to the fascinating pacific coast. A truly memorable trip

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably our zip lining experience in the cloud forest, which was just fantastic and something I will never forget, but we also loved the volcanic hot springs, and of course seeing sloths, monkeys, toucans, crocodiles, scarlet macaws, etc, etc...

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic. Knowledgeable on the flora and fauna and on Costa Rica generally and managed the tour to perfection.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The optional activities (zip lining and volcanic hot springs) are really worth doing and I would highly recommend them. Make sure you buy your souvenirs before you get to the airport, as the prices at the airport are more than double the price outside.

Discover Costa Rica

This was our first Exodus trip and it won’t be our last! It was a well paced holiday, moving on after two days in one place, but we managed to see a range of different environments in this amazing country. There was such a number and variety of animals and birds wherever we went! It must have one of the richest natural habitats in the world. The scenery was stunning too – from beautiful river systems to volcanoes and cloud forests and tropical rain forests. What an experience!

Most Inspirational Moment

It's difficult to pinpoint any single moment, but waking up to the sound of howler monkeys in the trees above our chalet on the first morning was something that will live with us for a long time!

Thoughts on Group Leader

We chose this trip as the guide was a bird expert. Giullamo did not disappoint. He was professional throughout, making sure we all got the most out of the holiday. His knowledge of birds and animals was encyclopedic and he had an instinct for spotting the wildlife before any of us were aware of it. He took the trouble to explain about the different environments we visited and his pride in his country shone through. The research he had done before the trip paid dividends, down to booking good restaurants; in one case reserving seats to watch a sunset before we sat down to eat. We all agreed we could not have had a better guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We went to Costa Rica in the "dry" season, but the rain forests lived up to their name on a couple of occassions. Our waterproof ponchos proved invaluable to cover ourselves & our backpacks until the rain eased off. Having a pair of binoculars each was a good thing too.

Absolutely Brilliant trip

The title of this holiday is Discover Costa Rica, and that is exactly what it delivers. During the break, you get to experience the beauty and the wide diversity of the country from Mangroves on the Caribbean coast, to volcanic regions to rain forests, cloud forests and beach resorts on the Pacific coast.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me, the best part of the trip was Tortuguero on the north east, Caribbean coast. We stayed in La Laguna lodge which, although fairly rustic was nevertheless very comfortable and crammed with opportunities to see various forms of the beautiful wildlife to be found in Costa Rica from wading birds to sloths, to raptors, frogs and howler monkeys and many many more. Other areas such as Monte Verde cloud forest, and Esquinas Lodge were also extremely beautiful and interesting places.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was Guillermo Arrieta who was absolutely outstanding. His knowledge of and passion for his country, it's wildlife, industry and beauty was palpable. His attention to detail to ensure that every member of our group got everything they wanted from this holiday was superb. I can honestly say that having experienced many other group leaders with other high quality travel companies, Guillermo is by far the best.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of memory cards for your camera (my wife and I took in excess of 10,000 pictures!), good quality waterproofs (it is a rain frost after all and it certainly doesn't disappoint!), good quality binoculars and stout but comfortable walking shoes.

Contrasting regions of Costa Rica

This was a really good and varied introduction to the country, taking in both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, and a number of types of forest in between. We saw a wide variety of birdlife, flora and fauna and enjoyed the different types of accommodation, all of which were very good or excellent in different ways. The food was generally first class and served with a smile by friendly and helpful staff. The visits to a village school and a local cheesemaker on the final day were both interesting and enjoyable, in spite of our misgivings beforehand about this sort of activity when we saw it in the notes.

Most Inspirational Moment

Even though we aren't avid bird watchers, the sight of six scarlet macaws circling, playing and landing in the trees as we watched them from the roadside (spotted by our driver en route), and the early morning trip from the excellent hotel at Savegre during which we saw beautiful quetzals were two of the best moments of the trip. Seeing a crab-eating racoon crunching its way through a large dead crab outside our cabin at Tortuguero was also a highlight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Katia was an enthusiastic, informative and helpful guide. She was happy to tackle any topic thrown at her. She and the driver, Juan Jose, formed an excellent team and it was nice that they joined us for meals etc. She also organised and led, with Juan Jose when the bus was needed, a number of extra walks and trips over and above the activities contained in the trip notes. Nothing was too much trouble for her, to the extent that, after the tour was over and we stayed longer on our own in San Jose, she contacted us to tell us that our plans for a visit needed amendment because of a change in the timing of a local festival.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We couldn't understand why dollars are recommended. Everything is priced in colones, apart from the trips in Exodus' trip notes, and if you use dollars in shops and restaurants, you not only get your change in colones but you also tend to get a poor exchange rate. We had no trouble at all in using colones. We travelled with BA direct to San Jose, so had an extra day before and a couple afterwards on our own in the capital to fit in with flight times. It was good to have time to acclimatise before the trip proper started and to wind down and do some exploring at both ends of the trip. We felt we saw a bit more of Costan Rican life as a result than we otherwise would have. Our criticism of the trip would have been that you see very little of the towns and villages of the country. The Presidente Hotel in San Jose is excellently situated, well appointed and with a good breakfast and staff and there is a great little bar in the street just to the left of the hotel where you can unwind with a beer among the locals.

First Visit to Costa Rica

An excellent introduction to the wildlife around Costa Rica. The focus was on birds but there were plenty of flowers, mammals and invertebrates to add interest. A little more strenuous than suggested by the rating but the guide did give the option not to go on some of the walks. The country is safe and reasonably clean (water in hotels was all potable) and the accommodation was of a good standard throughout.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing rare birds in a tropical forest setting which is being safeguarded by the government of Costa Rica.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very helpful. Excellent personal skills and good knowledge of birds and mammals. Willing to offer a few extra walks at some locations

Advice for Potential Travellers

You need to be reasonably fit. Although walks are not very long, the humidity and heat is potentially an issue for some travellers. Take US dollars with you and use as little of local currency as possible. When booking try to get a direct flight (Gatwick - San Jose) and if possible avoid transfers through USA. The transfers between locations were long (but very scenic) and many roads were not tarmac so may not suit anyone with back pain.

Discover Costa Rica Tour was Wondeful

We chose this tour because it visits areas of Costa Rica that a lot of tours don’t reach. Having returned home and reflected on the experience we could not have made a better choice. Every lodge or hotel we stayed in was perfectly placed, comfortable and relaxing. Where food was included it was always good to excellent. The gardens surrounding all the accommodations were wonderful, with birds, mammals, frogs and reptiles as well as beautiful flowers providing fantastic photo opportunities.

Coming home with such a great feeling about the trip would not have been possible without the company of such a lovely group of people. All 14 of our fellow travellers were great company and got along without any problems. However, without a great tour guide, holidays can fail to achieve the magical tour that we had. Johnny Villalobos was tremendous and went out of his way make sure we saw everything we possibly could in the time available. I have said more about him below.

We loved every part of this tour and we are so glad that we chose this tour over all the others that were available.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing at least three quetzal birds when we knew the chances of seeing any might only be 50:50. I was not prepared for just how beautiful they are.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Johnny Villalobos was probably the best tour leader I have experienced. His knowledge of wildlife and all elements of Costa Rican history was phenomenal; to top it off he arranged a 50th anniversary surprise for one of the couples which included a cake and presents which was an emotional moment for everyone. He went above and beyond the normal expectations for a tour guide and should be considered for tour guide of the year.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We were able to pay for almost everything on credit cards, even tiny amounts. Using credit cards that charge no fees meant we could buy anything in the most effective way. The rest of the time $US were accepted everywhere. Sterling is not always accepted even just for converting to Colones. Be prepared for high humidity, especially at Esquinas Lodge. The humidity everywhere makes drying washing difficult despite the high temperatures.

Incredible destination

We have just returned from the most amazing trip of our lives, Costa Rica is a stunning destination.
From start to finish our party was enthralled not only with new discovery’s at every turn but also by the knowledge & obvious love of nature shown throughout by our guide Johnny, he was amazing.
Costa Rica has so much to offer with every destination offering new & exiting discovery’s everyday.
The lodges are all top class with good food comfortable rooms surrounded by nature.
The rain forests visited are stunning with an incredible diversity in plant & tree life, add the wildlife & you are in heaven.
I would recommend this trip to anyone of any age or ability as all paths are manageable for anyone with reasonable mobility.
But it is the wildlife that makes this trip, be it birds, reptiles, mammals, they are all there in abundance.
You will need a poncho, you can guarantee rain & these slip on easily to keep you dry & protect your Camera & binoculars, raincoats are to cumbersome & the humidity will drain you

Costa Rica is a paradise waiting to be discovered for anyone that has a love of nature, enjoy

Most Inspirational Moment

The 5.30 am call to see the Resplendent Quetzals, we were not disappointed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had Johnny Villalobos, if you are lucky enough to get him you are in for a treat, he is amazing with his knowledge of everything & his obvious love of nature will keep you captivated throughout. He is by far the best guide we have ever had

Advice for Potential Travellers

Eating & drinking in Costa Rica is not cheap as taxes add a huge amount to the bill as we discovered eg, basic bill as shown on menu 24,050 colones(around 43 Dollars) at till 29,582 colones (around 54 Dollars)so beware.