Reviews

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

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334 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Reviewed March 2011

DISCOVER COSTA RICA

Costa Rica is a wonderful, safe and very ecologically friendly country. It has a wonderful range of fauna and flora and, if you love nature, this is a must-do trip for you.

Most Inspirational Moment

The entire country and the vast biological diversity is inspirational! Over 30% of the land is devoted to wildlife reserves. Throughout the boat rides in Tortuguero and the many walks through a range of habitats we saw lots of mammals, reptiles, insects and over 100 species of birds. The trees and shrubs are also incredible, especially in the rain- and cloud-forests. Moments like seeing the quetzels in Savegre and scarlet macaws flying free by the Pacific were special; however, I have an especially soft spot for humming birds. Costa Rica has 57 species which you can see at several places. Typical of the country is stopping for coffee on the Pan American highway at 11,000 feet and finding that the cafe has sugar feeders outside the windows buzzing with humming bird activity.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide Jeff was outstanding - not only was he very efficient and good with people but he also had an incredible range of knowledge on flora, fauna, and geology. One day, for example, he would be telling us, in excellent English, about the life cycle of the banana plant and next day he would be describing how Costa Rica has been shaped by volcanic activity. He was very passionate about ecology and proud that Costa Rica is aiming to be the first carbon-neutral country in the world. Jeff was very good at arranging some very interesting additional optional outings. He was ably supported by the driver Francisco who drove very well, while at the same time somehow being an excellent animal spotter!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for a range of climates. Remember that when it says it is the dry season that is a relative term! We had periods of torrential rainfall in Tortuguero, lighter rainfall in the cloud forests, hot and humid weather on the Pacific coast, and then fairly cold weather in the mountains. Meals are not particularly cheap. To cater for optional outings, extra meals, tips and incidental costs you should budget on about 500 USD per person. ATMs are available at many of the stops.

Reviewed February 2011

DISCOVER COSTA RICA

I was a little worried about the trip as I was travelling alone but this was totally unnecessary as it was a truly great group of people. This trip was everything I hoped it would be and more. From day one our brilliant guide and driver did everything possible to ensure that we got the most out of the trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Impossible to restrict to one moment - seeing jaguars swimming the canal in front of our boat, spending over an hour watching the elusive male quetzal, seeing a tree full of scarlet macaw, being entertained by primary school children (a first for the school), visiting an organic farm and enjoying fruits of the farm for lunch (including a glass of local rum) ...........................

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rafael was abosultely fantastic. He has a really good sense of humour and had excellent interaction with both the members of our group and our bus driver/boat driver. He is passionate about Costa Rica - its history, culture, nature etc and is very keen to pass this on to the group. His knowledge about birds and plants was excellent and he was a great spotter. He even managed to add a few little extras to the trip to give us a more comprehensive feel for the country. Our driver Francisco was also amazing - also a very good bird/animal spotter and also interacted very well with the group (family as he called us).

Advice for Potential Travellers

The temperature at night in Savegre is quite cool so make sure you have some warmer clothing. Washing and drying clothese was relatively easy so no need to over-burden the suitcase. Have plenty of memory for the camera you'll be taking a lot of photos!

Reviewed February 2011

DISCOVER COSTA RICA

An excellent trip which covers a lot of ground. Costa rica is a wonderful country and certainly not like most Central or South American countries. It is well developed and benign.

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to say as there were many wonderful moments. Two would be seeing two jaguars swimming the river on our way to Tortuguero on our first day and finding the elusive Quetzal at Savegre and spending nearly an hour watching a male and female in a tree. Dont expect to see jaguars but Quetzals seemed to be seen by most at Savegre at this time of the year.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rafael was simply superb. If Exodus use a better guide I would be surprised. He had great sense of humour, an outstanding knowledge of almost any subject and gave us a grest deal of information about the country and the wildlife we saw. He was determined to ensure that we enjoyed every minute of our stay. I must add that he was assisted by an excellent driver Francisco who also worked very hard to ensure everything went well. They were a great team and a pleasure to be with.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you love wildlife then go. You will see wonderful birds and also a variety of animals although almost certainly not jaguars. Be prepared for rain although we had none except at night in the two weeks. You will need to change your sleeping patterns as you will have very early starts on most days. You need to pack for extremes of temperature. We went to Nicuesa lodge rather than Esquinas and it was very hot and very humid. From there we went to Savegre where it was cold enough at night to need a fire in the rooms so dont expect tropical temperatures all the time.It is a trip with a lot of driving but our guide always ensured that we had stops along the way to break it up but you have to accept that you are covering a lot of ground in a small country and the roads are not always too good. The trip is well organised to see the various areas and differing habitats.

Reviewed January 2011

DISCOVER COSTA RICA

Great trip. So many different ecosystems in a relatively small area. I have variously been woken up by frogs, howler monkeys and parrots on this trip! Fabulous hotels – especially the Esquinas rainforest lodge. Brilliant, very knowledgeable, patient and friendly guide.

Most Inspirational Moment

Highlights - spotting the quetzal, the unbelievable noise in the evening in the rainforest lodge (frogs, cicadas etc), spotting tree frogs on the night hike, the boat trips round Tortuguero - a truly amazing place.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant. Very patient, will quite happily answer the same question 4 times! Extremely knowledgeable, especially about plants and birds. Excellent (along with the driver) at spotting wildife - how you can spot a sloth in a tree whilst negotiating a minibus along a pothole-filled track I do not know, but he seemed to manage it.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you have any interest at all in wildife then go.

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