Trip of a lifetime to the beautiful Costa Rica
Costa Rica
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Feb 19 - Mar 1, 2025
I have just returned from the most amazing trip to Costa Rica.
I did not have much time to plan the trip but when I reached out to kim kim, everything was planned for me. The trip was exactly what I wanted and took all of my preferences and wishes into account.
I visited incredible rain forests and cloud forests and had such fun and knowledgeable guides for each one. I love nature and wanted to see the interesting wild life and birds of the country and that is precisely what I did. There was not a single national park or tour that I did not enjoy. I am really lucky to have had this experience and it was unforgettable.
The peaceful walks through different forests, the views of waterfalls and volcanoes, the flora and fauna that I had previously only heard about in documentaries – the trip of a lifetime!
Hotel Reviews
The rooms are set in a garden with trees and plants that attract birds and even a basilisk. I sat on my patio and watched a hummingbird feeding from the flowers of the tree in front of me.
The hotel is designed in such a way that it feels like it is not busy and full of other people. There are little gardens around corners and even a long walking path through a forest to enjoy
The hotel is situated with a beautiful beach that you can access by walking down the path. I spent many hours just walking on the sand listening to the waves. The lady at reception was also extremely helpful, making many calls for me when I made a mistake and missed my transport.
Activity Reviews
This is such a unique and special way to experience the mangroves. The water is calm and the roots of the trees on either shore make such intricate patterns. My guides, DK and Roberto, were so patient with me and so interesting. I was also really fortunate as they spotted a silky anteater in the tree - the smallest anteater species in the world.
The setting is beautiful and you get some really striking views from the hanging bridges.
The hike was through some amazing cloud forest. There were incredible views and we stopped at the various refreshing waterfalls. I loved our guide, who was very passionate about his forest and the flora and fauna that you find there. He was patient and even helped me cross the stream (Read here that I held onto his shoulder as I didn't want to slip on the rocks and I don't know how he even managed to move with me holding on like that!) It was a peaceful and quiet walk surrounded by the trees and forest plants.
I love the intimate setting of walking through the rain forest. My guide, Danny, was very knowledgeable and made the experience fun and interesting. He was excellent at spotting creatures and showing them to me through his scope. We counted the different bird species we spotted and he even sent me the list at the end, to keep as a memory.
The cloud forest is such a unique ecosystem. My guide, Greivin, was very good at spotting beautiful birds... as well as impressive tarantulas!
Seeing the forest at night gives a different perspective to the day walks. We were lucky to see two different types of frog as well as some very well camouflaged insects, such as the leaf insect (which looked so much like a dead leaf that my guide, Chris, had to point it out four times before I actually realised what I was looking at) and a stick insect. I think that the highlight was probably seeing a spectral bat which flew past us - it was a really huge bat with a wide wingspan - very impressive.
Manuel Antonio Park has 5 different types of ecosystems in one park, so you get the opportunity to see many different creatures. My guide Ariel made me feel like one of the family and we were so lucky with the animals and birds we spotted. This was an excellent place to see both 2 toed and 3 toed sloths, as well as playful squirrel monkeys. Perhaps the highlight of the hike was seeing the potoo - This bird was sitting next to a stick and holds its head upwards in such a way that it too, looks just like the stick. Wow!