Reviews

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

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331 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

David Phillips

Reviewed November 2019

Costa Rica is an amazing country

This was a great trip which we enjoyed thoroughly. Having wanted to visit CR for some time, I was hoping to see a lot of the wildlife and to experience its rich biodiversity. The itinerary was perfect and allowed plenty of time to enjoy these aspects. The transport and accommodation was comfortable and of a high standard. Our guide was superb.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many enjoyable moments throughout the trip, but for me the most thrilling moments were 1. witnessing a green turtle lay and bury her eggs on the beach at Tortuguera, and then return t o the sea on the second night in the country. This was a real privilege. 2. Spotting and photographing Resplendent Quetzals in the cloud forest at Savegre right at the end of the trip

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andres Zuniga is an absolutely superb guide. His knowledge of Costa Rica and its wildlife is astonishing and his ability to find and identify birds and animals is absolutely astounding. We would not have seen a tenth of what we did see without him. He instantly identified scores of birds by their calls. He found quetzals for us with little effort. He also has an impressive knowledge of the flora. He made our experience of Costa Rica an incredible one. Not only that, but he was pleasant at all times, interesting in what he told us, and was a great host and ambassador for his country. We also had a very capable, friendly and helpful bus driver, Geraldo. Between them they looked after our party extremely well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are at all interested in birds and animals and enjoy seeing them, you will enjoy this trip. Costa Rica deserves its reputation as a country that has gone to great lengths to restore and conserve its forests and biodiversity and this itinerary will give you many wonderful experiences of what it has to offer.

Helen Sparling

Reviewed September 2019

Wonderful holiday in Costa Rica

I loved this trip. I had read many of the reviews before we went and so went with high expectations- we were certainly not disappointed. We saw so much more wildlife than I expected and saw such a variety of habitats/climates from rainforest to cloud forest, Caribbean coast to Pacific coast, plus a volcano to boot! It felt like we had been on holiday for way more than two weeks, we covered so much! I can’t pass a rustling bush now without trying to spot whatever is in there!

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed all of it, it I guess highlights were seeing the Green Back turtle laying her eggs and returning to the sea; spotting not one, but four of the elusive Resplendent Quetzals in Savegre; seeing huge crocs; hearing howler monkeys at night ... the list goes on! Particularly loved the rainforest lodge in Esquina Blancas ... you will see what I mean when you go there!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armando was a fantastic guide. He was so knowledgeable about all the wildlife in Costa Rica and took great care to seek out as much wildlife as he could (trying to fulfil everyone’s wish list) and make sure we got good photos through his telescope. He gave us a lot of information about Costa Rica in general too whilst en route on the bus; about agriculture and the economy, history and the education system. He is well organised and has a great sense of humour and was very patient with us! All in all you couldn’t wish for a better guide! Also a big shout out for Maurizio, our lovely driver, who was an integral part of the team!

Advice for Potential Travellers

We went in August ... rainy season. We had one day of torrential downpours so a good poncho was vital. A pair of flip flops that could be wiped dry would have been useful. Other than that day, we were so lucky not to experience much rain! Take walking boots, a couple of fleeces and long trousers for the cloud forest. You need more variety of clothing than you expect to account for hot and humid climates, where nothing dries, to warm clothing for the cooler, more temperate Monteverde. Pack into strong plastic bags to protect your luggage from rain/damp! Optional trips worth doing: the turtle laying trip. Two night walks ... both offering different things to see... in Monteverde and Esquina Blancas. The hot springs in La Fortuna!

Kathryn Hunt

Reviewed September 2019

A memorable trip!

The wildlife and scenery were stunning. We were not disappointed. Learning more about the country, its habitats and people was very interesting.

Most Inspirational Moment

Highlights were seeing the green backed turtles laying eggs in Tortuguero, and quetzals in the Savegre valley cloud forest. Also toucans, hummingbirds and sloths. An additional (optional) boat trip along the Rio Tarcoles was very worthwhile - we saw many different birds close to, as well as massive crocodiles.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide was fantastic in every respect. He was very knowledgeable indeed and went out of his way to try and make sure we saw as much wildlife as possible.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We were a little worried beforehand as our trip was to take place in the wet season. However we only had one day when the rain was so torrential it delayed one of our activities (and we got soaked to the skin) so it is not a given that August is a "bad" time of the year to go. It was very very humid though (apart from when were up in the mountains) so I wished we had taken another couple of pairs of walking trousers & T shirts, as changes of clothes were required more often than I had anticipated. And a poncho proved more effective than a conventional waterproof when it did rain.

Heather Kerr

Reviewed August 2019

Discovering Costa Rica

Exceeded Expectations

Excellent Guide

Extraordinary range of wildlife and flowers

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a quetzl flying

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Holiday of a lifetime - do it before you die !

michael blake

Reviewed June 2019

two wonderful weeks in costa rica

A superb tour that delivered pretty much everything it promised. Good accommodation and comfortable transport. Wonderful scenery, amazing birds, mammals and vegetation throughout.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cruising the quieter backwaters of the Tortaguero National Park, Seeing a mother and baby Sloth at close quarters, incredible birdlife on the Tarcoles river and magical two nights at the Esquinas Nature Lodge.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armando was an excellent group leader who was very good at locating, identifying and explaining about all the myriad life forms we saw.

Advice for Potential Travellers

A must for lovers of birds and nature

Maureen Cross

Reviewed May 2019

Discover Costa Rica

Excellent trip in all aspect, better than I expected

Most Inspirational Moment

The whole trip but very impressed with the beauty of Costa Rica

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jonny Villalobos is a lovely man and a great tour leader. He is very passionate his country. His knowledge of the history, the people and what the country is doing to improve and conserve the country is incredible. The depth of knowledge about the wild is fantastic. More importantly is the way he imparts his knowledge in all the areas, with passion and in a way that is so captivating. He is more than a guide, he cares deeply about the group ensuring all their needs are met. He puts in a lot of time and effort & works hard to ensure our welfare is met and that we feel comfortable. I know he has previously been voted best tour guide but he should be voted again as 'the very best tour guide'

Advice for Potential Travellers

maybe to let people know that there are some quite steep climbs. Although Jonny did make it clear that we didn't have to do the climbs and when we did to take it at our own pace.

Glenda Beale

Reviewed May 2019

Great Wildlife in their natural habitat

Beautiful Costa Rica tour with an amazing and passionate guide who expertly led us through the different geographical landscapes and wildlife. We saw so much in 2 weeks, very active, and understood what we saw. Great group of people sharing the experiences with. Highly recommend the tour.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting up at 5 am to go Quetzal watching and 2 hour later actually clearly seeing the resplendent bird.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Johnny Villalobos was a beautiful person who was passionate about Costa Rica and the wildlife. He was extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife and both what we both heard and saw.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring Binoculars and a good zoom camera. My small compact umbrella was very useful. Waterproof boots a must.

Annie Marshall

Reviewed May 2019

Don’t miss this

A couple of friends and I joined this trip. It’s an amazing wildlife adventure that’s not to be missed.
Tropical rain forests and cloud forests, some in the mountains, by the Caribbean coast on waterways and on the Pacific coast with beach time. Always options carefully explained by Johnny our superb guide whose enthusiasm, passion for wildlife and humour made it all come alive. He answered all our questions about the history, culture, birds, animals and plants of Costa Rica with great patience!
Hotels very comfortable, delicious breakfasts and the provided meals were good, the staff friendly and helpful. It was hot and humid in the lowlands and cooler in the mountains. Rain was mainly in the afternoon and in May it was dark by 6pm. I took walking poles but didn’t use them though a couple of people did. Plastic bag for camera and binoculars is wise. Rain gear is essential. There is sound daily advice about open or closed footwear, long trousers or shorts.

In summary, if you’re keen on wildlife book!
I intend to add the Coastal Secrets trip to my list- near the top.

Most Inspirational Moment

Very difficult to decide as the whole point of had trip is the biodiversity. Seeing sloths, monkeys, coatis, anteater, beautifully coloured birds with such varied songs, colourful butterflies and other insects, listening to and searching for frogs were all so interesting. The range of colourful and varied plants and fungi are surprising . If I had to choose one it would be our walk in Savegre in the cloud forest where we saw our 4th Resplendent Quetzal and our second Trogon. But the optional canopy walk was incredible too. Don’t miss it!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader deserved his prize 2 years ago ...Guide of gbe Year. He is nominated again this year and I have voted. Johnny Villalobos is an outstanding guide. He is a wildlife expert. He took us out to look for the shy Quetzal at 5.30 am, chatted to the farm manager and we joined a group of photographers in the field . He led us on the canopy walk and on our nature walks, checking each of us had seen each bird or animal before moving on. He was always patient and polite , has rather a wicked sense of humour, gave us options, advice about clothing to wear for each excursion and fielded our endless questions with great patience . 5 stars for Johnny.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go on the trip. Do the canopy walk. Take rain gear , walking sandals and shoes with some grip. Carry rain gear and a plastic bag for your camera and binoculars every trip. Take quick dry clothes and insect repellant. Take a small torch. I did the zip lining which was great fun. There were Howler monkeys in the trees! I did the thermal pools with lots of the girls, we bought cocktails and had great fun. I also did the waterfalls at La Fortuna. Johnny took us on a short nature walk to get there. The many steps back up are ok. I enjoyed both of these optional extras but the best one was definitely the canopy walk and bridges. This was a highlight of my trip.

Linda Kirby

Reviewed May 2019

Excellent

This was a joint celebration of our 70th birthdays so we wanted it to be extra special. It was an amazing experience, with a wonderful group of people, led by an extremely professional, knowledgeable and proficient guide, Johnny Villalobos. Thanks to Johnny’s extensive knowledge of bird calls and habitats, we were able to see a huge number of birds, including the elusive Quetzal. Johnny also had a wide knowledge of the many mammals we encountered.
Apart from overnight stays in San José, we stayed 2 nights in each destination which was enough to enable us to explore what each habitat had to offer. Johnny ensured that we maximised our time in each location, though you always had the choice to opt out of an activity.
Each location was well chosen in terms of being a representative sample of what Costa Rica has to offer, from hot steamy jungle, to cool, high altitude cloud forest. The accommodation was excellent in each place but we particularly enjoyed the remoteness of Esquinas Lodge, surrounded by the sounds of the forest, especially the frogs. An added bonus was the stream fed pool and later, a night walk in the forest, led by a guide from the lodge who was able to identify the many frogs contributing to the incredible cacophony of frog calls.
We were given a warm welcome in each location by the hotel/lodge staff and served some delicious food. However, crucial to the success of this holiday, was Johnny’s enthusiasm for what his country had to offer and his exceptional knowledge, organisational and people skills.

Most Inspirational Moment

Experiencing the huge diversity of flaura and fauna in such a relatively small country. Seeing the vital work being done by Costa Ricans like Johnny, to protect their environment.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We couldn't have wished for a better group leader. Johnny Villalobos was extremely professional, very knowledgeable about birds and mammals and was passionate about caring for the environment. His enthusiasm for his country, it's people and Costa Rica's biodiversity, was infectious. He ensured that every aspect of organising our travel about the country and the transport of our luggage ran most efficiently. Johnny was attentive and caring to two group members who felt unwell. Also, he did his best to maximise our experience of Costa Rica and often gave over and above what was reasonable to expect from a group leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a good poncho, insect repellent (We used Picaridin), binoculars and a camera. Make the most of the time you have there, the plants and wildlife are amazing.

Alan Walker

Reviewed May 2019

Wild Costa Rica

We saw a huge amount of wildlife during our holiday: rain-forest habitat, mangrove, cloud-forest, dry forest and a very long list of tropical birds and many other animals. Our guide could spot creatures time and time again and he was keen to help as was indeed the driver. A dozen in our group and we were extra lucky to gel well. Accommodation was good with much to spot in the grounds. Care had been taken regarding the drinking water though travelers still need to be wary for themselves. Have good memories.

Most Inspirational Moment

Many. Coming across squirrel monkeys for myself when I separated from the group. Visiting a local family though not everyone might have that.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good. Earnest, personable, very knowledgeable on wildlife and in particular birds but with some humour. The driver too was part of our group and got us places safely however bumpy some of the roads.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be very careful in regard to drinking water and maybe buy in a bit of a reserve yourself. Be realistic in regard to how much you can comfortably carry around with you. A small bird- spotter ID book is likely to be useful.

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