Trip of a Lifetime
Costa Rica
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Dec 2 - Dec 13, 2022
Where do I begin! It was such a wonderful experience from start to finish, and our specialists were extremely helpful along the way. We changed our mind on the itinerary a couple of times, but were met with patience and professionalism at all times. I actually ended up booking a different hotel through my work after booking, so we were able to book a different tour instead which was great! Okay, so down to the nitty gritty:
Days 1-5: La Fortuna
We were picked up by our lovely drivers, who I wish I could remember the names of as we met so many amazing people - I really should have written it all down! They made great conversation for the long drive from Liberia, and got us there safely. Our hotel, Brisas Arenal, was unreal. Our room was clean, the beds comfortable, but the best part was the outdoor patio with hammock overlooking the volcano and surrounded by jungle. We booked the Arenal Hanging Bridges and Tabacon Hot Springs & Dinner tour. Alonso was our tour guide and it was so fun! Tabacon is an absolute must and the dinner was delicious. This might have been my favourite tour of the trip. We also did the Sloth and Bird walk, which was the only time we saw sloths thanks to Jose! We saw 4 and he was apologetic that we didn't see more, but he didn't need to be. We were so happy - and we even saw some poison dart frogs that we definitely would not have seen without a guide!
Day 5-8: Monteverde
This was where we switched up the hotel, so we actually didn't book it through Kimkim, but they arranged the transportation from La Fortuna and it was an exhilarating experience! The boat ride across Lake Arenal was lovely. It was my least favourite bus ride (very terrible road conditions and uncomfortable seats), but I would not have travelled there any other way. The scenery through the mountains was incredible! I could not keep my eyes away from the window as those views - wow. Our first day was spent doing the chocolate, coffee and sugar cane tour and it was very informative! You can tell the guide truly enjoys what he does and it was great to learn all the process of how these things are made and produced, along with the rich history.
Day 8-12: Nosara
My favourite place and hotel of the whole trip! Another adventure on the road as the last hour or so is on dirt roads, and all the roads in Nosara are dirt roads which makes it an even more special place. We checked into the Hotel Guiones (formely the Gardens hotel), and was greeted by Specialle, who was lovely and recommended great restaurants and things to do. We did not book any excursions as we wanted to relax on the beach and just enjoy the end of our trip with no place we had to be. The hotel was a 6 minute walk to the beach, so you can surf every morning! We made use of their outdoor yoga pad. The rooms was surrounded by tropical plants and the sound of howler monkeys in the morning. While swaying on the hammock, you can hear the iguanas pitter pattering on the roof. The pool was an excellent addition on the hot afternoons, and the bar, El Local, made the best Chiliguaros that we enjoyed our last night! I will definitely be here again.
This truly was a trip of the lifetime, and I am so grateful to Brittany and those who made it so special. We could not have done it without them!
Hotel Reviews
Our room was clean, the beds comfortable, but the best part was the outdoor patio with hammock overlooking the volcano and surrounded by jungle. Just a short taxi into the town for meals, but we did have a couple dinners at the restaurant on side, which we very much enjoyed.
Senda is a short 10 minute walk into town, however I should add that the way back is all uphill! They had wonderful activities on site, we took advantage of an afternoon yoga class after a long hike. Amazing breakfast and cocktails.
My favourite place hotel of the whole trip! We were greeted by Specialle, who was lovely and recommended great restaurants and things to do. She recommended we book a paddling tour of the mangrove, which we did and so glad we did! We made use of their outdoor yoga pad which included all the mats and blocks. The rooms was surrounded by tropical plants and the sound of howler monkeys in the morning. While swaying on the hammock, you can hear the iguanas pitter pattering on the roof. The pool was an excellent addition on the hot afternoons, and the bar, El Local, made the best Chiliguaros that we enjoyed our last night! I will definitely be here again.
Activity Reviews
This was the only time we saw sloths the whole thanks to Jose! We saw 4 and he was apologetic that we didn't see more, but he didn't need to be. We were so happy - and we even saw some poison dart frogs that we definitely would not have seen without a guide! He dropped us off in town after so we could explore the shops and restaurants.
Our first day was spent doing the chocolate, coffee and sugar cane tour and it was very informative! You can tell the guide truly enjoys what he does and it was great to learn all the process of how these things are made and produced, along with the rich history.
Alonso was our tour guide and it was so fun! Saw a lot of wild life and he was very knowledgeable about the area. Tabacon is an absolute must and the dinner was delicious. This might have been my favourite tour of the trip.