The guides in general were friendly, funny, a...
Costa Rica
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Mar 24 - Mar 31, 2023
The guides in general were friendly, funny, accommodating and helpful in giving us information on restaurants. We got to see sloth bears, few snakes, monkeys, hummingbirds, toucans etc.
However, towards the end of the trip we found out that many of these guides are not well informed about the subjects they are talking about. For example the guide from Don Juan tours (coffee, cacoa and sugarcane plantation tour) explained how caffeine is removed from coffee and that chemicals are used to do this. I researched this information only to find out that chemicals are no longer used but newer technologies that are much safer are being used.
I also asked another guide who was with us on the cloud forest tour if he was trained in identifying species of animals and birds. He told me that he was not trained. We got to speak to another tourist who told us that he requested a guide who was trained as a bird watcher and knew about the different species and their habitats and got to see the elusive "Quetzal" bird. We then realized that it is important to request for guides who are trained in their job.
We were happy with the transport service as they were prompt and accommodating.
Hotels were clean and tidy.
Hotel Reviews
Beautiful views of Mount Arenal. Clean, spacious rooms with comfortable beds. There is a great restaurant next door to this hotel that serves delicious Korean and Japanese food. This was a break from eating beans, rice and plantains for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Great views, spacious and clean rooms and comfy beds. The hotel looks like a chalet built in dark wood. Good restaurants close by. Not an ideal hotel for people with reduced mobility as it quite steep to get anywhere around the complex.
Spacious, clean with comfortable beds. Free shuttle service to and from the airport with Denny's next door that is open 24/7.
Clean and spacious rooms with comfortable beds. Breakfast was good too.
Activity Reviews
Our horses were a bit out of control and poorly trained. For somebody who has had multiple horse riding experiences, my horse was either galloping or stopping for a chomp. It was the same for most horses in our group. Scenery was beautiful.
Saw howler monkeys, snakes, spiders and other critters. Our guide Maria seemed to be in a hurry to return home and did not continue with us to the waterfall (half of the tour). Nature was beautiful.
We got to see iguanas, an elusive animal called Tira and birds. We had a very informative guide. This float was on a raft. It had rained heavily the night before and the river was quite full of water.
Cave is on private property with a river running through it. Expect to get drenched. You are told to expect snakes in the cave in the rainy season. We saw lots of spiders and bats. Water was about 1 feet deep with narrow passageways good enough for a slim person to crawl through. Our guide spotted a toucan. Pineapple snacks were bursting with flavor.
Saw sloth bear with baby, frogs and lots of other creatures. It was good experience. Important to note that night walks are similar in Arenal and Monteverde so doing both was a bit of an overkill.
Children got to see a huge Tarantula and bioluminescent beetle. Overall a great tour. Only recommend doing one night walking tour if you are visiting Arenal and Monteverde.
Great hike. Was extremely busy with bus loads of tourists everywhere on the trail. If possible book a tour at 6 or 6:30 am with a knowledgeable and trained bird guide. We could hear the legendary but elusive bird "Quetzal" but couldn't see it. The group that went earlier in the morning saw it.
This is a good tour if you are traveling with children. It is packed with activities and information about cacao, sugarcane and coffee. Many of the guides have outdated information so doing a little research and reading on these before you get there helps. They have a wonderful store at the plantation but we had very little time to taste the different varieties of coffee, teas and chocolates.