Costa Rica Adventure Family Holiday

Most Inspirational Moment

We loved seeing all the wildlife in their natural habitat, especially the sloths, Toucans, scarlet macaws, iguanas and monkeys. The night time green turtle trip was amazing and the boat trips in Tortuguero stand out. It was also great to hear that tourism is contributing to protecting the wildlife as it give income to people as well as the banning of single use plastics in the national parks.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alejandro was brilliant, very knowledgeable and always happy to go out of his way to help and organise things. Chico the driver was also excellent, often spotting wildlife and stopping the bus so we could see and take photos.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you want to take photos then at least a 100-400mm lens is recommended. I got some amazing photos using this. If you only want a compact camera then 20x optical zoom or would be good. Dollars are widely taken and often prices are quoted in dollars. Colons are easily available from ATM and a lot of ATM will give dollars or Colons. Visa and Mastercard also very widely taken. (check if your bank charges a fee, mine doesn’t) Take an insulated water bottle, I appreciated having cold water during the day having filled it from the hotel water cooler.

Most Inspirational Moment

Close up views of wildlife. We loved the zip lining and the hot springs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Organised, extraordinarily good English and a mine of information on all sorts of topics. He also shared some fabulous wildlife photographs with us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The wet season is really really wet so be prepared. It doesn’t necessarily rain every day but is overcast most of the time and there are days when the rain is absolutely relentless for the entire day. Nothing will dry so bring a spare pair of trainers or walking shoes.

Suggestions

I’d suggest ditching the sloth sanctuary- it’s two concrete rooms. The information was really interesting but suspect the guide could have told us the same facts. The final day which is just a drive to San Jose feels like a wasted day. Not sure if it would be possible to do something else that day? Also, we had a group of 19 which is too many really for this type of trip. When trying to see wildlife it was often difficult to see or to hear in a crowd of this size.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching our children’s reaction (they’ve never been further from the UK than France!) to all the amazing things we saw, especially the wildlife

Thoughts on Group Leader

Johnny was an absolute star- caring, witty, exceptionally knowledgeable and just great fun to be around.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go!! You won’t regret it.

Suggestions

An unforgettable experience- thank you so much.

Most Inspirational Moment

All the wildlife we saw especially the sloths, snakes and all the birds.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent great to get someone who is a great people person who is an expert in Costa Rica wildlife

Advice for Potential Travellers

Great trip for all aged kids and teanagers

Suggestions

No

Most Inspirational Moment

Loved every moment. Seeing the Green Turtles giving birth and Hump back Whale babies jumping was amazing but the thousand little things easily matched

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely Perfect. Love and enthusiasm for Costa Rica was Superb

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy. Traveled in early August and needed no warm gear. T-shirt and umbrella was ideal for all areas. If you have never explored Costa Rica would 100% recommend.

Suggestions

Would recommend Exodus Travels

Most Inspirational Moment

There are so many highlights with not a moment wasted. Here's a few... The night walk over vertigo inducing hanging bridges in the tree canopy and coming face to face with a mother sloth cradling her baby hanging off said bridge. We never thought we'd get that close! The James Bond style speedboat race over rivers so wide you couldn't see both sides. The zip lining above a rain forest. I mean, what's more to say! The white water rafting. Awesome! Sloths. Toucans. Frogs. A snake. Etc. Etc. And, everything else too!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alejandro was the perfect guide engaging with adults and children alike with the enthusiasm necessary to keep interest high (especially on the long journeys between destinations). The supplementary knowledge of a native Costa Rican added the local insights we wanted to lear about and we're sure we wouldn't have experienced many aspects of Costa Rican life (e.g. local dining) without Alejandro there to support us. Nothing was too much trouble.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the advice provided by Exodus. It's all pretty useful and relevant. Heed the warnings of rain. For the first half of our trip in December/January it rained a lot (perhaps more than expected). We found that swimming clothes and ponchos was a better option in many situations (not the jungle) than going for full waterproofs. Less to dry out because drying stuff out takes days in the humid environment. The rain is always warm.

Suggestions

If you can do this trip (once all of this horrible pandemic stuff is out of the way) just do it. Spend the money if you can. This was by far the most expensive holiday we've every taken and it was almost certainly also the best value for money. Thank you Exodus!

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many, it's impossible to choose! But I think the Costa Rican wildlife in all its glory was the highlight. Seeing a baby humpbacked whale swim alongside our boat will stay with me forever, as will the crocodile eating a monkey - but in a different way. Our driver spotting a group of scarlet macaws as we drove along the highway, and then spending several minutes watching them with our mouths open was another highlight. On another level, the white water rafting was exhilarating and such fun. But the whole country and its people was inspirational too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gio was amazing - his wealth of knowledge about Costa Rica, its history, geography and nature was amazing, as was his engagement with the group (kids and adults). His lovely last speech as Roberto was driving us to the airport brought tears to my eyes! He was always very mindful of our safety, which was so important when you factor in the excitable kids (and adults) who could potentially forget themselves and make unsafe decisions. I am also extremely grateful to him for just ignoring my travel-related migraine (and vomiting) within minutes of meeting him at the airport!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you, like us, want a real adventure, but are nervous about how to do this when you're not that confident travelling, this is a definite trip to consider. This was our first trip abroad as a family, but has set the bar very high for future trips!

Suggestions

Roberto, our driver, was also fantastic. It was just a shame we couldn't converse with him as he didn't speak English.

Most Inspirational Moment

It's really difficult to highlight a best bit as the whole trip was incredible. The boat rides on Christmas day in Tortuguero and seeing all of the amazing wildlife is hard to beat, being so up close, felt like being in a wild life documentary. Rafting was incredible fun and the guide was very funny. The beaches and warm sea were just gorgeous, especially when you thought of home! We really enjoyed sharing the experience and getting to know the other families. Relaxing at the end in Dominical and seeing the stunning pacific sunset. Our guide was very passionate about his country and we learnt so much not just about nature, but about the geography, history and government of Costa Rica. It was fascinating and not something you would necessarily know if you traveled independently.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our trip guide, Jonny, was simply fantastic. He'd won the award the previous year for exodus' best guide and it was easy to see why. As a guide he was incredibly attentive to the groups mood and needs and was always planning ahead so that our trip went as smoothly as possible and that we got the most out of our time. He was also a great ambassador for Costa Rica, using the journeys to tell us about the country's history and the lands we were traveling through. Above all he was a incredibly passionate and knowledgeable naturalist, helping us to spot some amazing wild life and learn a little of this fantastic country's eco-systems.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I packed walking boots which were heavy, trainers are fine. You do need a waterproof as the weather can literally change in minutes! Be prepared to be up and out around 6/7am on trip days - this sounds early but the sunrise is 5.30am and everyone is up and about (also this is when you see the best nature and the UK time zone helps!). Your routine just adapts, early rise and early bedtime! Wifi was available in all hotels but signal patchy. A travel washing line is useful - we did do a laundry load in La Fortuna which was reasonable but hotels are not cheap. Food is generally not cheap. Budget as exodus advises and you'll be along the right lines.

Suggestions

This trip has inspired us all to travel more and we would definitely use Exodus again and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. Travelling over the Christmas/New Year period was a fantastic tonic!

Most Inspirational Moment

My thirteen year old son told me that the Pacific coast beach we visited was the most beautiful place he'd ever seen.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, excellent, excellent. Gio has an exceptionally calm, professional and efficient manner. He's also incredibly knowledgeable and endlessly enthusiastic about his country. On top of that, he understands the importance of group dynamics and ensured that we formed a happy group. I really don't think we could have asked for a more thoughtful, organised and all-round nice guy to lead our holiday!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Two things - 1. If you're travelling in the rainy season, ignore the advice to travel light as you cannot dry clothes (everything is constantly damp) 2. Ignore Exodus's terrible and costly advice to take dollars. You need enough dollars to get you to a cash machine, then withdraw local Colones and use them everywhere - otherwise you will be ripped off by terrible dollar exchange rates offered in shops and restaurants.

Most Inspirational Moment

I think we all enjoyed the quiet boat trip in Tortuguero - how Glenda managed to find a waterway all to ourselves given the amount of traffic on the main river I will never know. But the chance to see turtles, crocodiles, various birds including toucans and macaws, monkeys, lizards etc in their natural habitat with the added highlight of the 2 dolphins was marvellous. The white water rafting and zip wiring were such fun and we all enjoyed the adrenalin rush! And seeing something new almost at every turn was great. Traipsing back to our room one afternoon we came across an armadillo, seeing a coati in the grounds of the hotel, howler monkeys moving across in the trees above the swimming pool... etc. I could go on.......

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nothing short of fabulous. Glenda was so knowledgeable and her telescope managed to pick out things that we could not even see with the naked eye. Mauricio was always there incase anyone wanted to finish a walk early and his keen eye also spotted other treats hidden in the trees. Glenda's enthusiasm for her country and her willingness to share this with us was much appreciated. Our experience of Costa Rica would not have been half as good without her...

Advice for Potential Travellers

It is hot and humid in August and clothes all get very damp. Anything that gets wet, stays wet. So pack clothes in ziplock bags and keep them zipped wherever possible. Dry-wicking clothes are perfect and do not bring anything that cannot dry easily. A ball or something for the kids to play with in the pools is a great idea. And test your waterproofs before you travel. These need to be industrial strength as when it rains I mean it really rains!! Stand in the shower for 15 minutes on full blast and check those seams!!! If your kids are remotely travel sick - think about travel bands on their wrists as the roads are windy and bumpy. Connecting or family rooms are rare however if you have young kids the rooms normally have 2 double beds so you could all sleep together although it might be quite tight! A zoom camera is a must and maybe, as we did, another soft bag to throw in the washing and / or hiking boots when these are not being worn will keep the suitcases relatively clean and organised.

Suggestions

Come with an open mind - this is not a five star country and yes it does rain - loads!! However, the experiences are well worth the early morning starts and the requirement to pack up and move on every 48 hours. It is, admittedly, quite daunting. The concept of spending 2 weeks in close proximity with 3 or 4 other families and hoping the kids get on and the parents find common ground. However I feel we were incredibly fortunate on our tour and met some lovely families. The kids had great fun together and the parents did too! Looking at other reviews this seems to be a common theme, so do not delay and book today, you will not regret it!!