Most Inspirational Moment
There were so many on this trip... Seeing our first sloth, swimming with turtles and sharks, watching monkeys swing through the forest at speed, seeing the Quetzal bird, being emersed in a garden full of hummingbirds, seeing reptiles in their natural habitat, spending the day with the Bri Bri community.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Amazing. His enthusiasm was infectious. His knowledge about every animal we saw was second to none. He was extremely professional and nothing was too much trouble. He had excellent communication skills and a good sense of humour.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you love wildlife sign up now for this trip. The food and accommodation weren't 5* so go with appropriate expectations. The wildlife however is 5*. Travel with clothes for every eventuality. We had rain and we also had hot sunny days. Be prepared for early starts to see the best of the wildlife. It was worth it. We added an extension to Tamarindo. This was very relaxing at the end of a busy trip.
Suggestions
1. The error that the local Exodus partner made in not booking the hotel in Tortugerro did negatively affect the trip. The hotel in Tortugerro (Turtle Beach Lodge ) had good accommodation but the food was very poor. Worse than school dinners. Poor choice and poor quality. Secondly the travel time from Tortugerro to Turrialba meant that we only had 45 minutes for a forest walk (which should have been 2 hours). This would not have happened if we had our original itinerary. This was despite being reassured by Exodus that the itinerary wouldn't be adversely affected with the changes. 2. The accommodation (rooms) in Savegre were not comparable to each other. Given that they were all meant to be 'standard' rooms - in reality this was not the case even though everyone had paid the same. This again was a last minute change of hotel given the error by Exodus in their hotel booking procedures. 3. If Exodus are insisting that all luggage is transported on top of the minibus you need to insist that clients only bring 15kg or less. It was unfair for the group leader and driver to be lifting 20kg plus suitcases above head height several times during our trip. This will cause injuries. 4. The hotel in San Jose was undergoing a major renovation and as such Exodus should not have used this hotel. The reception area was dusty, workmen were drilling and sawing - you could not stay in this area. Our room was poor - stained carpet and the plug was stuck in - in the sink. Others in the group couldn't open their doors, bathrooms hadn't been cleaned and showers weren't working. The hot breakfast was inedible. The breakfast room was in a conference room/ballroom. There was nowhere to sit on the first day due to the volume of people. This was not a good way to start or finish the trip. Please look for alternative accommodation in San Jose. 5. Health and Safety issue - getting on and off the boat on Cano Island whilst on the Osa Peninsular part of the trip. The waves were too high and strong to make a stop on the island. Whilst getting off the boat, in the waves and strong current, Alison was swept under the boat and her head was dangerously close to the propellors. This can not be allowed to happen again. With urgency please look at this. It is DANGEROUS and someone will be seriously hurt. It is not an essential element of the day as we only stayed on the island for 30 minutes.