In November of 2011, we had the pleasure of taking an escorted tour to Costa Rica. We met in San Jose, and began our tour by going to the Monteverde Cloud Forest area where we visited the Selvatura Park. On the way there, we saw some amazing wildlife. We were told that at the upcoming rest stop, we might see one or two Macaws. Imagine our surprise to see literally dozens of these amazing birds in one tree!

When we arrived at the cloud forest, we spent the morning walking through Selvatura's Walkways in the cloud forest canopy through a bridge system over 1.6 miles in length. The flora and fauna were amazing! We visited the hummingbird garden and one of the largest butterfly gardens in the Americas. Since Costa Rica is known for its rain forests, you definitely want to have a light windbreaker, poncho, or umbrella. And you most certainly want to have your binoculars and camera with you at all times.

On our way back down the mountainside, our guide spotted a three-toed sloth in the tree. Just my kind of animal. He eats, eats some more, and then has something else to eat. He just sat in his tree eating and watching us while we kept shooting pictures of him.

We then headed to the beautiful beach of Conchal, where we stayed at the all-inclusive Westin Playa Conchal in Guanacaste. We spent a few days here relaxing. Free drinks in the pools at the swim-up bars, and some of the best specialty restaurants we had eaten at in a long time. And all of it was included.

While at the Playa Conchal, a few of us went on the Buena Vista Combo Tour. This included the largest water slide in Costa Rica, horseback riding, and of course zip lining through the cloud forest. You can see me here on the last leg of the zip lining, upside down! It was absolutely unbelievable and breathtaking!

Before returning to San Jose where we spent our last night, we concluded the tour by visiting the majestic Arenal Volcano and spending the night there. It was amazing seeing the tip of the volcano appearing and disappearing in the moving cloud cover.

If Costa Rica looks like a country you might be interested in visiting, let us know.
We will be happy to put together a package that best meets your needs.