Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

So many on this trip. I loved the sounds especially in the morning of the howler monkeys and the cacophony of bird song. I also loved the zip wiring : flying through and over the tree tops: 14 zip wires in all.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Adriana Costa and was very organised and had a vast knowledge of the wildlife of Costa Rica. She was a lot of fun. Our driver Randall should also get a mention : his driving was exceptional and bus always immaculate, and always accommodating. They were a great team together.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Our trip was in March… take some sort of waterproof jacket, waterproof walking shoes (boots not needed) A jumper for the Cloud Forest as the temperature drops but otherwise a mixture of shorts: long trousers and tee shirts. A few items to change into for the evening. Plenty of insect repellent (containing 50%deet) didn’t need Colones as everywhere we visited accepted dollars and in most places prices were written in US $. I would recommend taking binoculars for spotting all the amazing wildlife and a torch for the nighttime walk.

Suggestions

If you like a mixture of sightseeing and adventure then this is a holiday for you.

Most Inspirational Moment

So difficult to pick one! Overcame my fears and completed zip wire and tubing 🤗

Thoughts on Group Leader

Glenda was fantastic and delivered over and above what was required of her

Advice for Potential Travellers

No need to take local currency and take plenty of mosquito spray Poncho & rain jackets are essential

Suggestions

I know times are tight but I would have appreciated Exodus luggage tags and maybe a pre tour guide with checklist of birds & wildlife likely to be seen …nothing too elaborate needed

Most Inspirational Moment

Beautiful colourful birds, whales and dolphins

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant, enthusiastic and so knowledgeable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Relax and enjoy!

Most Inspirational Moment

Swimming with turtles

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

look closely at details

Most Inspirational Moment

Everything was inspirational but the two things I most wanted happened. I saw baby turtle hatchlings and sloths. It was a great moment to see the hatchlings and safely guiding them to the sea, I felt very protective of them. We saw two varieties of sloth: 2 toed and 3 toed, amazing and how lucky. The zip line in Cloud Forest is a must, especially the Superman zip which you have to pay extra for but worth it. You're literally flying through the air, it's safe as you're fastened securely and so comfortable, and the views are amazing. It was a once in a lifetime for me as were most things in CR. Also loved the zip line in La Hacienda, hanging bridges, butterfly dome, swimming at the base of the waterfall, descending and ascending 500 steps down to/from the waterfall, chocolate tour, pineapple tour, humming bird tour, forest walks, baby turtle hatchlings, dolphin tour, swimming in the sea, thermal pools, volcanic mud pools, more waterfalls. List is endless.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I would describe Mayer as amazing, dedicated, passionate, authentic, organised, great sense of humour, peoples person, patient, kind, enthusiastic and lastly he really captured, through photos, the essence of our group and the activities we did. He's definitely the best tour lead 10/10, the worst being Michled in Jordan! He falls in the minus rating. Mayer tweaked the itinerary a couple of times which benefited us as we got to try/see things we may have otherwise missed. He also gave us enough free time to relax and reset as the tour was pretty full on.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just go with the flow. Itinerary is hectic, a lot of walking but that's what you're there for. You can easily get away with wearing trainers on the tour so no need for heavy walking boots.

Suggestions

I love the way CR looks after its eco-system. The inhabitants are so passionate about the welfare of its wildlife and biodiversity. They don't even smoke, how refreshing. Just wish other countries would follow suit. All the activities listed on the day to day itinerary are included in the price of the trip. I only paid for a couple of optional trips, which didn't break the bank. Accommodation was all very satisfactory, clean and safe. Let's put it this way, it was hell of an improvement on Jordan! ENJOY!

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing on a beach at night in the pitch dark, watching tiny baby turtles no bigger than a satsuma emerge from their sandy nest and making their way down the beach towards the sea.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Mayer was exceptional. His extensive knowledge of flora, fauna and birdlife really made our trip even better as we spotted more than 125 different species.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Rain forests are damp! Don't unpack anything you don't need: keep as much stuff as possible zipped up in your waterproof duffle bag or suitcase, including all clothes you aren't currently wearing. Quick-dry clothing is a great idea. And if you don't want to put on a soggy swimsuit, bring at least 3 sets with you, and watershoes if you plan on going tubing.

Most Inspirational Moment

Not possible to pick out a moment - the first two days were so brilliant that we would have been happy if that had been our entire holiday

Thoughts on Group Leader

Carlos was incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, organised, thoughtful.......just made our trip brilliant

Advice for Potential Travellers

take a mini umbrella, buy a telephoto lens, do your washing in a service laundrette in La Fortuna, be quiet on walks so you can hear everything, do everything offered - do the zip line, ride the horses, swim in the waterfalls.. . Prepare to really appreciate what is happening to the rainforests and the animals that rely on them

Suggestions

Book and go - don't think about it.

Most Inspirational Moment

I thoroughly enjoyed our turtle nesting tour in Samara and after three hours of walking up and down the same stretch of beach, we finally witnessed a female Lora turtle making her way up the beach, dig her nest, lay her eggs, cover them up again and return to the ocean.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jonathan, our tour guide, was absolutely brilliant. He even managed to squeeze in a few extra activities which weren't on our itinerary such as a visit to a fruit market with a tasting session, a stop in Nicoya town en route to Samara, a trip to the man who produces "the best coffee in Costa Rica" and also a slight detour to another of his friends who has their own pottery business. He knew the calls, English and Latin names of every bird we saw, gave a debrief at the end of each day, made sure we knew the plans for tomorrow, took us to local restaurants for the not-included meals and consistently went above and beyond for us. He made an incredible trip into an unforgettable one.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trip is currently (Dec 2019) tagged as a culture trip, but in reality it is definitely a wildlife adventure. Some days we saw in excess of 30 different types of birds and reptiles, and were very lucky to find sloths, howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys, spider monkeys, spiders, frogs, snakes, toucans, macaws, crocodiles, turtles, caimen, lizards and iguanas every single day. The trip notes state that the average lunch is around $15 and $35 for a dinner - in practise we found that we paid nowhere near this much. Hotel meals are expensive, but local restaurants often charge half the price for a more authentically Costa Rican meal.

Suggestions

If I could give this trip 10 stars, I would, and I will be booking all my future adventure holidays with Exodus :)