Sorry for the repeat post for the beginning of my trip report but it seems like folks here like it all in one post. So here you go again!

Caravan Tour Detailed Trip Report – March 2007

I wanted to give some feedback on our recent Caravan tour to Costa Rica. I realize most people on the travel boards prefer to plan on their own, this report may be of interest to those considering a group tour. We went this route for the following reasons:

1. Price – most other companies quoted a much higher price for a similar itinerary and accommodations.

2. Ease – no worries about how to get from A to B. I wouldn’t want to drive on some of those mountain roads and I felt safer in a larger vehicle. Bus was secure so we could bring whatever we needed for the day and just take with us what was necessary for each outing and leave everything else safely on the bus. Check-in, baggage, and entrance fees – everything was taken care of for us. We didn’t have to think twice about what we were eating or drinking – important when traveling with kids! The itinerary included rest stops at least every two hours so we knew would have food or a bathroom before it became an emergency.

3. Tour guides – our tour director was a nature specialist and we had excellent local guides in each location.

4. Company – I really enjoyed traveling with a group of people all of whom loved to travel. Hubby and I don’t see eye to eye on how to vacation so this took a lot of the stress away. My mother and brother also joined us so this way I didn’t have to worry that each person in our party wanted to do something else – it was already planned for us!

Drawbacks to being on a tour:

1. Loss of flexibility – can’t stop anywhere for a picture or can’t linger – always on a schedule.

2. Up early every morning to cover the distances and beat the crowds (though the latter was a plus in my book)

3. Exposed to a lesser variety of local food though Caravan doesn’t do a bad job on the whole.


Specifics of our Tour:

A 10-day trip covering San Jose to Tortuguero to Arenal to Manuel Antonio and many places in between. Although the bus fits 44 people we had just 34 due to last minute cancellations (another plus is an inexpensive trip insurance of $100 which allows you to cancel with almost no penalty). Age ranged from 6 (my younger son) to a very fit 88-year-old woman. Most people were over 50 and well traveled. This made for a very laid-back group with an open mind. Food was great for lunches when were served ‘tipico’ Costa Rican food and just okay for dinners when it was mostly Americanized food. Fruit was always available – just wish we had mangoes and papaya more often. Desserts are not a fine culinary skill here but that was okay with me. Lots of variety for vegetarians, mostly chicken and fish served (almost always a choice in meats) and beef was rarely served. Loved the variety and freshness of all the fruit juices served at meals – mango, soursop, tamarind, strawberry, blackberry, guava, fruit punch.

Our Family:

Me – age 41, husband – age 42, ds1 – age 10, ds2 – age 6, mother – age 66, brother – turned 36 on the trip. My mother flew in from Canada to join us in Chicago and we traveled together. My brother flew directly from Canada.

First Day – Pre-Tour

We elected to fly in a day early as a safety hedge and also to relax. I had looked at several day trip possibilities and decided to make a final decision once we arrived based on how much energy we all had. We arrived into San Jose around 7:30 p.m. and quickly sped through customs and immigration. Getting a taxi was a breeze at the official taxi stand. Just tell them where you are going – pre-pay (tip is extra) and you are given a ticket for a cab already waiting outside. It cost $22 plus tip and was a 25-minute ride to the Holiday Inn Aurola in downtown San Jose. Check-in was quick and we were able to get connecting rooms. Views from this hotel are fabulous. Rooms were spacious and bathroom was okay. The only restaurant open at this time was the formal one on the 17th floor. I had braced myself for high prices but was pleasantly surprised to see filet of beef priced at $11! I would have rated the food excellent had it not been served cold. We were all tired and not in the mood to complain so we ate quickly and retired. My brother ran into a bad storm and did not make it out – he was re-booked to arrive the next day.

Second Day – Day 1 of Tour (officially starts with dinner and talk in the evening)

We all awoke on the early side so I decided we would visit La Paz waterfall garden. I felt this place would have the most interesting things for the kids. Without kids I would have chosen to visit Lankester gardens for their orchids in the Cartago region followed by lunch at Lake Cachi. Our back-up plan if everyone wanted to take it easier was Zoo Ave. The breakfast served at the hotel was okay – our breakfasts everywhere else were much better. They did serve a nice variety of fruit including mango, some typical Costa Rican dishes, made-to-order eggs, stale pastries and croissants, cereals and yogurt. A good variety but nothing tasted really great.

After breakfast I went about finding a driver for the day. I asked the front desk for help first. They came back with an astounding price of $90 per person! I knew this was way off the charts. Another guest overheard and suggested I ask the bellboys instead. At this time, I happened to notice a gentleman walk up to the front desk with a clipboard and a large Caravan tag. Luckily he turned out to be our tour director and he gladly helped me procure a driver for the day for a total of $80 including tip (he was with us for over six hours). That’s not per person but the total for all five of us. Today was a Sunday so I didn’t realize how lucky we were with the sparse traffic until the next day when we traveled nearly the same route in twice the time! The drive up to La Paz is beautiful – rolling hills, coffee plantations, winding roads through vegetation ranging from lush tropical to majestic pines. We also enjoyed the many roadside village scenes with locals holding out bags of fresh strawberries for us to purchase. We started out in bright and sunny weather from San Jose but the clouds started to gather as we climbed in elevation. We reached Peace Lodge in about an hour and 15 minutes. The driver parked and walked us over to the entrance. He settled himself in a chair while we embarked on a more than three-hour excursion in this wonderland.

I have to agree with some board posters that La Paz is a bit Disney-esque. Of course, being a Disney fan, I don’t necessarily consider this a bad thing. As you enter the lodge, a guide is available to explain the grounds and different touring options. When you decide what you want to do, you purchase your ticket. We elected to buy our admission separately so we could eat where we wanted to and also to self-tour. After all, this would be the only day we could decide our pace of touring. I think the admission price is a bit steep at $29 per adult (can’t recall the child price) but it is all very well laid out and there are quite a few attractions. The landscaping is breathtakingly lush as you descend to their main attraction areas. The stone steps are large and shallow and on a steep incline but there are handrails everywhere.

Our first stop was the butterfly conservatory. The building is beautiful and vast. However, I was disappointed with the scant number of butterflies – perhaps they were sleeping under leaves due to it being a cloudy day? The butterfly conservatory at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago has butterflies in much greater variety and abundance. The environment there is kept much warmer and humid also. Next we visited the frog house or ‘ranario’. The colorful frogs are quite tiny and you need to be patient in finding them amongst the leaves. The famous red-eyed green frog is nocturnal so obviously we could not see its eyes. Onward to the hummingbird garden we were mesmerized by the vast variety of hummingbird species whizzing past our ears in search of honey. As we walked on to the typical Costa Rican farmhouse replica, we spotted a black mongoose –like creature enjoying one of the many bananas put out all over the garden. There was also outdoor ‘greenhouse’ containing many types of flowering orchids.

After a quick restroom stop where we nearly had to leave my mother behind because she got herself trapped in the bathroom we headed to the falls trail. The lushness and beauty of this area makes the price of the admission worthwhile. Again, the trail is steep but there are handrails all the way. We didn’t go all the way down because we didn’t want to climb back up so far to the shuttle stop. We were glad we didn’t because there was still quite a climb back up to the shuttle – it was a bit hard for my mother. There is a beautiful gift shop (of course) and we made a few small purchases. We had to wait a few minutes for the bus and it had started raining by this time. Apparently they experience a rain shower every afternoon even in ‘dry’ season.
We were all famished by now so lunch was of the next order. Naturally everyone else also wanted lunch so the buffet areas up at the lodge were quite crowded. We decided to try the bar by the Trout pool instead. After a drenching walk (even with ponchos) in the rain, we reached the bar, which to our surprise was covered but basically an outdoor bar. It was beautiful but the rain had turned the weather a bit chilly. We considered trying elsewhere but decided to settle down there after perusing the menu. It ended up being a good choice – they were making all the food fresh at the bar and we had the best chicken strips, fish and steak sandwich there. The setting was also beautiful – think northwest lodge style and next to a landscaped trout pool. We finished up our delightful lunch and returned to our patiently waiting driver.

We returned to the hotel and showered before having a buffet dinner in their casual restaurant on the first floor. The food was quite mediocre. At 8 p.m. we had a detailed presentation from our Caravan rep. Unfortunately my brother still did not arrive – this time the crew did not arrive so his flight was cancelled. He would now miss the first day of touring.

Day 2 of Tour – Poas Volcano, City tour of San Jose

Groan! This would be the first of many early morning starts – fortunately we got used to the schedule pretty quickly! We were told that we needed to make an early morning start to Poas to reduce the chances of cloud cover. Traffic today was comparatively horrendous – literally crawled our way out of San Jose – I think we started around 7:45 a.m. Although it was partly sunny in San Jose, it didn’t look all that promising towards Poas. However, our tour director informed as that we were in luck – today was the Day of San Jose and Poas is always visible on that day. Today would be a good test of faith. We wound our way up the same road we had taken yesterday for most of the way. By the time we reached the entrance to the park, a light drizzle had started. We all bravely headed out anyways in our ponchos – we had the faith! After a ten-minute walk chilled by wind-whipped rains, we arrived at the summit for a wonderful view of mist! To the side, an information board taunted us with what we would have seen on a clear day – a turquoise blue lake in the middle of the crater and views out to the sea. Disappointed that we were not even slightly affected by the supposed sulphurous gases being emitted from the crater, we returned to the coffee shop for a hot cup of coffee. So much for the lore surrounding the Day of San Jose!

Since it was nearing lunchtime and San Jose was a good two hours away, the lunch stop was half way back to town in a charming mirador restaurant (Vista de Valle I think). We were asked to make a choice of chicken, fish, or steak. Soon after we were seated, we were served a choice of fresh strawberry juice or fresh strawberry juice with milk. I chose the latter and it was delicious! We all tucked into our comida tipica (sp? -typical Costa Rican lunch platter) which consisted of our choice of meat (I had the fish which was wonderful and everyone seemed happy with their choices), rice, beans, vegetables and salad. We were served rice pudding for dessert along with our coffee. We had some time to roam the beautiful grounds, which housed coffee plants and banana plants, and also to admire the view of the valley. We reluctantly piled back onto the bus to return us to San Jose.

The city tour of the San Jose was one of the few disappointing parts of our tour (I won’t blame Caravan for the lack of clear weather at Poas!). When the itinerary uses the word ‘see’ you literally ‘see’ the attraction vs. ‘visit’ the attraction. I had expected to visit the National Theatre but this was just one of the many buildings we whizzed past. Because it was a Monday, we would tour the Gold Museum instead of the National Museum, which was closed. There was some confusion when we got off the bus as one of the tour members was returning to the hotel. Her niece assumed the tour director was taking her there so we went the other way supposedly to the entrance of the museum. Belatedly I realized that we should have stayed with him since he was supposed to pay the admission. We walked around the block twice trying the find the entrance and finally were escorted by a guard at the National Theatre to a ramp leading to a below-ground entrance. Thankfully the other Caravan tour director (there were two tours running at the same time but at different hotels) happened upon us and paid our admission. It was not the fault of our tour director since he had given us a choice of seeing the National Theatre instead and just assumed we had made that choice when we headed that way. The Gold Museum is nicely organized but the collection of gold is small. We were given just over an hour and we were back at the hotel by 3:30 – this was the only day I felt we arrived back too early.

Dinner was again in the casual restaurant but at least the choices were much better. Another bonus – Caravan paid for an open bar tonight. They did this a few other nights as well. It is not an advertised feature and I think they keep it that way so that if costs go up for them, it is a flexible feature they can take out if necessary. Good news – my brother finally arrived!

Day 3 of Tour - Rainforest Aerial Tram, Canal Cruise Tortuguero Natl. Park

Today was the earliest start of the tour – bags out by 5:30 a.m. and on the bus by 6:15 a.m. The reason for the early start was two-fold. First, to beat the worst of morning rush hour traffic, and second, to beat the cruise crowds to the rainforest tram. Our tour director said we would get a better-guided tour if the tour guides were not already ‘beat up’. We had a lovely drive through mountains and cloud forests on our way to Braulio Carrillo National Park. The trams were steel gondolas holding six passengers and a guide each. You spend an hour going up and down through the canopy on a return loop. Wildlife spottings are few on this portion – it is mostly vegetation. After the tram ride we were led in groups of 16 for a one-hour walk through the rainforest. I had worried about what kind of footwear to takes on these hikes prior to our trip. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the paths were concrete! I will admit that I was a bit outside my comfort zone walking in the wilderness so this was fine with me but I would think that more nature-oriented people would be disappointed by these man-made additions. The guide did an excellent job of explaining the flora and fauna. I found the leaf-cutter ants the most interesting. At the end we were able to spot a sloth high up in the trees. One other note – there are quite a few small flying bugs here so it is a good idea to apply repellent or wear long sleeves and a hat. We had just enough time to pick up a snack for the kids before boarding the shuttles back to the bus. We continued on down the mountain ranges to flatter ground now. Just prior to lunch we stopped at a small butterfly garden because we had missed the one in the National Museum. It was okay but very hot and humid in there. We had lunch at Guapiles – this was probably one of the lesser meals of our trip and we ate there going and returning from Tortuguero. The highlight was the vast number of fresh fruit juices. They served awful creamy coleslaw, dry chicken legs with barbecue sauce, steamed veggies and rice and German chocolate cupcakes for dessert. Despite the fans, it was open to the outside and very hot in this dining area. We had another hour and a half ride to our boat ride. On the way we had to stop for a banana crossing! We also made a quick stop at a banana processing plant and were able to enjoy fresh coconut juice straight from the coconut.

The boat we took to Tortuguero was a large, covered pontoon-type boat. Our tour director said we wouldn’t need warm clothing in Tortuguero so we left all sweater/jackets behind except our rain ponchos. It turned out be quite chilly on the boat – maybe because it started to rain. The boat ride took two hours. At the beginning we slowed down frequently to view wildlife but then we picked up the speed. The return trip took one and a half hours because we didn’t stop along the way. Tortuguero’s claim to fame is nesting site of green and leatherback turtles. Although we arrived in leatherback nesting season, their population is small and there was no activity during our stay. You are much more likely to see turtles during the green sea turtle nesting season in the summer months. By the time we reached Pachira Lodge, the sun was nearly setting and it had been a while since our last meal. As we all stumbled out of the boat on achy legs, we were led to a reception area. There we were offered juice, coffee, small ham and cheese sandwiches, and tuna salad with crackers. It was a lovely welcome to a beautiful lodge. I had expected a more rustic environment but aside from the absence of air conditioning, it had most amenities. The walks at this lodge are raised on stilts, as are the cabins. The cabins themselves are screened all over. I was feeling very secure about bugs not getting in until I spied a sizeable gap at the top of the door! There are about 35 cabins nestled in amongst the jungle on this side of the lodge. Each has a porch with two rockers, a double bed, a twin bed and a bath with shower. The décor is simple but clean. Due to lack of air conditioning, the humidity level is high. I had left a book on the nightstand and when I returned an hour later, the cover had completely curled up. Likewise, swimsuits and anything else that got wet never really dried. Zip-lock bags are necessary to pack these items for departure.

We started a bar tab and enjoyed a few drinks at the bar after freshening up a bit. Before long, we could feel little nips all over so we quickly got some bug spray on. Despite my use of Deep Woods Off, I was bitten all over – everyone else in my party did not get as many bites. Dinner was served buffet style for all lodgers (no where and no way to get anywhere else at night!). They had a nice selection of cold salads, good bread, steamed vegetables, pasta, chicken in a wine sauce and meat sauce. A different type of juice was served at each meal – I liked the tamarind juice the best. For dessert we were served little squares of flan in a burnt caramel sauce. After dinner we explored the lodge a bit and came upon a games room. The kids enjoyed some time there playing Chinese checkers. When it was time to retire, my kids didn’t want to part company (we had booked two rooms for the four of us because some places couldn’t fit four in a room) so the kids came with me to my cabin and my husband had a cabin to himself. Turns out I picked the better cabin because he returned to his and found a spider the size of his hand on the wall! I had a hard time sleeping that night – many jungle sounds and then a fairly hard and persistent rain fell through the night onto our tin roof making quite a clatter.

Day 4 of Tour – Cano Palma Cruise, Green Turtle Station

I had been forewarned about being woken up by howler monkeys in the early morning but I did not hear them this morning. Another nice feature of this lodge was coffee and hot chocolate service delivered to each cabin at 6 in the morning (sounds early but we had to get up by then anyways). Breakfast was quite good – lots of fresh fruit, juice, toast, eggs, gallo pinto (I really loved this Costa Rican specialty of black beans and rice seasoned with onion, garlic, bell pepper and cilantro), and sausage.

Our boat ride today would be a two-hour cruise on the Cano Palma. It was raining as we boarded the boat, but stopped as we pulled out. The boats today did not have any overhead cover. Although there are ponchos provided on the boat, I preferred to take my own. We started off the cruise with the sighting of two toucans. Prior to entering the park, the boat had to register the number of people entering. Apparently they are very strict with the number of people allowed into the park at a time and you are assigned an area so that everyone does not end up in the same place. The guide was good at spotting wildlife we would not have seen otherwise. About a half hour into our cruise, it started to rain – baby rain was what the guide called it. Soon it picked up in intensity and it was now dubbed a teenager! Unfortunately, the wildlife was also taking cover during the rain so while we saw some; it was less than what would have been out and about on a sunny day. The sun made an appearance again during the last half hour of our cruise. We were a bedraggled lot by the time we returned. Again the lodge very graciously provided mid-morning snacks. This time we were served a delicious pizza with ham and onions, as well as coffee, juice, crackers and cookies.

We had just a half hour before we would depart on our next trip to the green turtle research station. My mother returned briefly to her room to get something. She appeared somewhat agitated on her return. Apparently she had found a scorpion on her bed! Although she whacked it with her shoe, the bed was soft so she put a glass over the creature. The lodge people and our tour director hardly reacted. His only response was that it wasn’t poisonous. Still, upon observing that my mother was not happy with that reply, he asked someone from the lodge to go to her room to remove the scorpion.

Next to we took a short boat ride to the ‘research station’ where there were a few displays about sea turtles. We watched a DVD about the turtle conservation program. From there we took a ten-minute walk along the beach to the town of Tortuguero. It was my understanding that we would be visiting a school there but we just walked across their yard to the town’s main strip from the beach. I was quite disappointed as it was definitely implied in the brochure that we would have a visit if school was in session and it was. Next we were informed that we would be left to our devices in this tiny strip of a town for nearly an hour and a half! There were a few souvenir shops but our tour director kept touting the merits of buying in Sarchi so we didn’t do much shopping here. It was oppressively humid so it was not a comfortable wait for the boat back. We had lunch back at the lodge. For the afternoon we could decide what we wanted to do. There was another boat cruise at 3:30 or you could go on a zip-line tour or visit their spa or just lounge by the pool. My kids were pretty ready to hit the pool so that’s what we did. In retrospect, I would have skipped the ‘research station’ tour, spent the time at the pool and then would have done the afternoon cruise. The pool at Pachira is very nice – it is shaped like a turtle with a waterfall near the tail and a Jacuzzi (not heated) at the head. The water was just the right temperature for a warm day. The only negative to today was my older son complaining about a rash on his cheeks. This rash of tiny raised bumps was all over his neck and ears! Aside from feeling itchy he was okay but it was quite bothersome. He has never had an allergic reaction to anything so we don’t know if it was a heat rash or a reaction to the combination sun screen/ bug repellent (which he has used before). Other tour members gave us benadryl and allegra to relieve the symptoms and he was fine in two days.

Upon returning from the pool we were delighted to find a family of howler monkeys above our cabins. We were mesmerized as they went about eating and playing – seemingly oblivious or uncaring of our presence. We also took a quick walk to the sister properties. It was quickly apparent that we were staying at the newest and nicest facility. The older property next to it is also called Pachira so it was a bit confusing. I think ours also goes by the name Green Turtle Lodge. Tonight, before dinner, we were treated to a calypso band while we enjoyed drinks at the bar. I think we were served some fried fish and pot roast for dinner. Someone in our group had a birthday so they brought out a cake for everyone to enjoy. The service at this hotel was probably one of best of our trip.

Day 5 of Tour – Canal Cruise, Selva Verde Rainforest Reserve, Fortuna

This morning there was no mistaking the sound of the howler monkeys – I think they were walking up on my roof! If you didn’t know what you were listening to you would think there was a terrible creature outside your door – their sound is unique and guttural.

This morning’s boat trip ride back to civilization was quicker as we only stopped once along the way to view some spider monkeys. Once on land we treated ourselves to some fresh coconut water before boarding the bus. Since it was the same road back, I dozed until we reach Guapiles again for lunch. Again, awful potato salad, okay chicken in a sauce of tomatoes and onions and fairly good fish fry – chocolate cupcakes for dessert. We drove another hour or so before arriving at the Selva Verde Rainforest. There we had the opportunity to walk across a hanging bridge – this one was not that high above the Sarapiqui river. Only 12 people were allowed on at a time so it took a while before our turn came. The café area was very nice and breezy and my kids stretched their legs by running around a bit.

Now we were ascending the mountains again – the scenery was breathtaking. As we approached Fortuna, we could see that Arenal was enshrouded in clouds. We crossed our fingers for the cloud to lift by evening so we could see the lava flow. Our hotel here was the Arenal Springs Resort. It is a lovely place with lushly landscaped grounds and spacious cabins. We arrived again to welcome drinks on a terrace overlooking the pool on one side and Arenal Volcano on the other.

We lucked into connecting rooms so we ended up with a large suite. Actually, Caravan always tried to ensure that all of our three rooms were together at each hotel. A couple of the cool features of this room included the bathroom with a garden in the shower stall! Also, each room had a porch with two rockers – these seemed to be a common feature of many hotels in Costa Rica. The most unusual feature had to be the lava call. If you wanted to see the lava at night, you tell them you want a lava call and they call you during the eruptions if the night is clear. All rooms have a view of the volcano so you just have to part your curtains and you can view the show from your bed! Unfortunately for us, the clouds never cleared during the night times. We had time to freshen up and then we all gathered in their ‘open-air’ restaurant for a buffet dinner. Food was okay – not a lot of choice and the food was Continental vs. Costa Rican. Desserts were not good here. I found we needed the repellent here again during dusk hours. Afterwards we walked over to the reception building, which is the building closest to the volcano. Although it was mostly cloud covered we could see some faint streaks of lava down the side of the mountain. The path back to the cabins is dark so it is a good idea to have a flashlight with you.

I hardly slept that night. Even with knowing I had a lava call, I got up every couple of hours to look at the volcano in case the clouds had cleared.

Day 6 of Tour – Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge, Baldi Hot Springs

I had set my alarm early this morning – again with the hopes of seeing the volcano. There was a lot less cloud early in the morning though the very top was still obscured. I walked around the peaceful grounds enjoying the multitude of swooping birds and the brilliant tropical flowers. The breakfast provided was quite nice – fruit, toast (you have to make it yourself and it took a while), made-to-order eggs, cereal, gallo pinto, the best caramelized plantains, scrambled eggs, sausage and pancakes.

Then we set off for a two-hour bus ride to Los Chiles to board a cruise on the Rio Frio through the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge up at the Nicaragua border. We went past many groves of mango, cashew nut, macadamia nut, oranges, bananas, yucca, hearts of palm and papaya. After we had a rest stop and were getting to board the boat, I noticed my husband was traveling rather light – he is in charge of the ‘equipment’ for the trip and that is his only responsibility. I asked ‘where are the binoculars?’ He replied ‘ back in the bus’. Since this was one of the few places we would really need them I was a bit put off and so he trotted back to get them. Hmmm….he still looked light. ‘Where’s your camera?’ He has the better camera and mine had been malfunctioning – which he knew. ‘Oh, I have the camera but the battery is charging back at the hotel – how was I supposed to know we needed it?’ Ayayaye! The tour director only explained many times where we would be going and it’s also written in our daily program books (I don’t think he ever looked at it). Oh well, nothing to do about it at this point.

We boarded a large covered pontoon boat for the float trip. It was nicer for my kids because you could get up and walk around unlike the boats in Tortuguero. We saw a lot of wildlife here: many caimans, iguanas, howler monkeys, birds, turtles, Jesus Christ lizards, sloths, and many spider monkeys. The guide was terrific and we enjoyed this trip greatly. We returned to one of the best lunches of our trip. The restaurant here served us arroz con pollo; a delicious diced squash dish, a tasty potato and onion dish, beans, tortilla chips, and salad. I had two helpings of everything! There was also a small gift shop with some beautiful woodcarvings. Although the tour director said we should buy something if we like it, he had also advised that we would get the best prices and selection in Sarchi. Lunch break was over too quickly and headed back on our two-hour drive to Fortuna.

We had nearly an hour and a half stop here in Fortuna to bide our time until our scheduled entry for Baldi springs. We hadn’t been thrilled at the idea initially – thought it would be a Tortuguero-like experience and we had also hoped to relax a bit at our lovely resort prior to the springs. However, we were able to wile away the time at an ice cream shop, changing money, and buying some coffee and postcards at a grocery. It’s actually quite a pretty town anchored by a large park in the center. There are many souvenir stores in the blocks around this area.

Prior to this trip, I had read several somewhat negative reviews of Baldi springs so I had set my expectations low. While I cannot compare it to the two other major hot springs in the area (Tabacon and Eco-Thermales), I thought it was a clean and nicely landscaped facility. Yes, it does have more of a ‘man-made’ feel than the feeling of being in the midst of nature but we enjoyed the pools and the view of the volcano which was quite clear now. Although it is supposed to get hotter as you go up the mountain, we found a nice large pool at ‘bath water temperature’ close to the top – my kids enjoyed this one the most since they didn’t like the really hot water. It would have nice to have just a little more time here (total time was two hours).

We returned and spent the rest of the evening at the resort. We had sent out a bag of laundry in the morning and it was ready by the time we returned. I felt they did a very poor job – the clothes were not folded and they didn’t even look clean. It was also pretty expensive at $0.50 per article of clothing.

We put in another lava call for tonight but unfortunately the clouds persisted.

Day 7 of Tour – Los Angeles Cloud Forest, Drive along Pacific Ocean to Jaco

From Arenal we did some serious, twisty mountain driving – so much so that the Dramamine that been so effective for my younger ds couldn’t keep up and he got sick in the bus (we were ready with a bag!). He was tuckered out after that and fell asleep so my husband stayed with him on the bus while we did our cloud forest hike in the Los Angeles cloud forest near San Ramon.

We were given the option of staying at a rest stop instead of joining the hike, which our tour director said was a very easy one on level ground. With that description, everyone (except my son and husband of course) elected to continue on. Although it looked very windy and cool (and it was a bit cool at the rest stop), a cloud forest is very humid. I put on a very thin ‘bug jacket’ over my short-sleeved shirt and felt a bit warm in that. For the walk we were split into two groups – each with a local guide. We started to doubt the claim of a ‘level’ walk when we were all handed sturdy walking sticks! It started out easy and there is a feed area for birds at the beginning that attracts quite a few varieties including hummingbirds. Our walk then started on a somewhat steep descent down a gravel-laid path. Many in our group slipped a bit on this surface but the walking sticks saved us. My mother was very worried that because we had seemed to come down so far, we would have a similar climb up to get back. Thankfully, somehow (although it was loop trail) that did not happen and we had a very easy climb back. Near the end we spotted a toucan and marveled at how it followed us to the bird feeder. Then it hopped on the ground in and around our feet. Suddenly the toucan opened its large bill and tried to eat the painted toes of one of the ladies in our group! It was quite a sight! Apparently, the toucan was a rescued bird that had recently been released to the wild so that explained its comfort level with people.

We had lunch stop at a very nice hilltop restaurant near the cloud forest. My younger son woke up and seemed fine thankfully. They offered us a large variety of Costa Rican specialties including some pork ribs. We always had a bit of time after eating to relax and while I was chatting with some of the other tour members, the driver approached us. He spoke Spanish only and my knowledge of this language is extremely limited but I could make out that he was asking if we wanted to join him for some fresh sugar cane juice. I jumped at the opportunity – although sugar cane grows in abundance in Costa Rica, they don’t really make the juice as readily available as it is in countries like India. We trotted after our driver just a few hundred yards to a little shack. Outside there was evidence of a ‘sugar can juicer’ and the discarded remnants of the juiced cane. Our driver asked the people for several glasses (each cost 300 colonnes – about $0.60). I had been smacking my lips at the prospect of the fresh juice (I thought they were going to grind it fresh) and so was a bit taken aback when they brought out glasses filled with a murky brown-green liquid. The juice I’ve had in Jamaica and India was nearly clear or a pale yellow. Not wanting to offend, we gulped down the juice and crossed our fingers that we would not get sick! Never did get sick so I guess it was okay!

We drove for another two hours or so along a coastal highway. The vegetation was now much drier – it would not green up again until the next heavy rains. Our hotel, the Terrazza del Pacifico, is actually located south of Jaco on Playa Hermosa. I had read some bad reviews about this place on Trip Advisor so my expectations were already set low. To solidify this position further, our tour director kept reminding us not to be spoiled by the relative luxury of the last hotel. He said that sometimes there were problems with the air conditioning, and hot water. I had read it was a bit run down and that the food was not good. He did sweeten the deal by revealing that we would have all-inclusive privileges at the resort – all drinks plus snacks at the pool bar.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with wet towels and cool pina colada/ strawberry daiquiri drinks – they were liberally pouring in the rum if you wanted it. As with all of our other locations we were quickly given our room keys. Our rooms faced the courtyard and pool with the ocean just visible in the distance. The room seemed freshly painted, with simple décor but very clean. Bathroom was also clean and the hot water worked fine every time we used it. The courtyard has a pretty fountain and was nicely landscaped. The pool was okay – could have been a tad cleaner. You can hear a lot of outside noise from the rooms so that could be a problem if a rowdy crowd has set up residence. It does attract a surfing crowd but their behaviour was just fine.

We quickly slipped off our shoes and donned flip-flops. The weather in this area reaches highs near 100 and it is very humid. We were in time to see the setting sun so we headed out for a beach walk. The ocean here is too dangerous for swimming due to strong rip tides. The sand is black. There are some rocks along one edge, which made for a spectacular scene at sunset. My kids had a great time running from the surf and we all kicked back with some margaritas and freshly-made guacamole. We had to dump the kids in the shower and rinse all their clothes before dinner.

Dinner was very good and served in an open-air restaurant overlooking the ocean. There was a variety of cold salads, including ceviche, and a hot soup. Hot dishes included rice, beans, fish in a complex and delicious sauce, chicken, and steamed vegetables. Waiters quickly brought drink orders. Although the cost of the drinks was included, you are expected to tip on the drinks.

When our tour director came around to our table, we told him that he must have been pulling our leg about the place not being nice. He said that the hotel had been working very hard to make improvements and to keep Caravan’s business.

We all relaxed along the terrace of the restaurant with drinks after dinner. The hotel shone a bright spotlight on the waves for a while – it was just beautiful. It was fun to see all the crabs scuttling about on the beach. Knowing we would have our usual early morning call, we reluctantly headed back to our rooms.

Day 8 of Tour – Manuel Antonio National Park

We were awoken very early in the morning by the cacophony of birds roosting in a large tree outside our room. I wouldn’t describe it as a pleasant type of bird sound. I hopped out for a look at the peaceful morning ocean. I knocked on the room shared by my husband and younger son at a half hour before breakfast time. It looked like I woke him up. He grumpily said that he didn’t want to take another bus ride and would spend the day here. Much to our surprise – it was another 2 hours south to Manuel Antonio Park from our hotel! I knew my younger son would enjoy the beach and my older son would miss his company if he didn’t come so I got him up and dressed quickly. My husband changed his mind again after breakfast and did end up coming with us.

We had nice breakfast (the papayas resurfaced again here!) and left by 7:30 a.m. The drive the park was beautiful and I especially enjoyed the final drive through Quepos before reaching the entrance. You need to have sandals or take off your shoes to ford a small stream to cross into the park. Then you need to climb over some rocks and a log and climb up a sandy, rocky trail to the admission entrance. There is the option of staying at the public beach just outside the park but that is not nearly as nice as the beach we visited. We hiked for nearly 20 minutes through a very hot and humid jungle to the third and farthest beach. We didn’t see much wildlife along this trail and there were already quite a few people on the trail. At last we were rewarded with the sight of a pristine curve of white sand edged by jungle on one side and absolutely clear turquoise waters on the other. The beach is in a protected bay so the water is very calm and warm. There is a lot of shade on the beach as well as a small, covered picnic area. We left all of our stuff on one of these large tables and our tour director guarded it from the monkeys. There is one changing stall and about 3 or 4 bathroom stalls. Obviously it gets quite sandy in there quickly but hey – it’s better than an outhouse! There was also a bathroom stall halfway on the trail to this beach. The kids, my mother, brother and I all spent most of our allotted 2-hour time in the water. My husband napped under a shady tree and then took a stroll along the beach. It didn’t feel overly crowded but being a Sunday, there were a lot of local families visiting as well. The beach is pretty wide and the number of people into the park at any time is limited too. Some in our group elected to take a hike into the jungle – they were rewarded with sightings of a sloth, monkeys, iguanas – but it was quite hot and humid. From the beach area, we saw pretty much the same things except the sloth. When it was time to go, it was so hard to pack up and leave this beautiful beach. As we exited, we noticed a long line of people waiting to get into the park. After fording the stream again, we noticed some men selling fresh coconut water – of course we couldn’t resist. With more time it would have been nice to browse the market area next to the public beach outside the park entrance. There seemed to be quite a few eateries in this area as well. It had the feel of a nice, little resort town.

We piled back for the long ride back and arrived for a late lunch. I had the most delicious chicken in a complex sauce made of squash and the pork ribs were also very good. In addition to the buffet, we could have ordered hot dogs, hamburgers, fajitas etc. from the snack bar if we preferred (the all-inclusive deal). We had the option of going into Jaco in the afternoon but I had heard it was not that great so we decided to relax and enjoy the resort. We enjoyed the pool (which could have been a bit cleaner) and played several rounds of table tennis. We were very fortunate to have a splendid view of several scarlet macaws. About nine macaws were flitting about in a tree near the hotel – it was an awesome sight to see them all take off at once. They hung about for quite a while so we all got a very good look at these beautiful birds. We enjoyed another gorgeous sunset with drinks in hand before sitting down to a wonderful dinner.

Day 9 of Tour – Sarchi, Britt Coffee Tour, San Jose

We set off on our final leg this morning back to our starting point of San Jose. The itinerary in our book describes a photo stop overlooking the Carara Biological Reserve. We did not make any stops except for the bus slowing down as we crossed a bridge with many crocodiles lounging underneath.

We did not stop again until we reached Sarchi. We were given about 45 minutes to shop in the store – El Rio. Our tour director had told us that this was the place to buy authentic Costa Rican crafts. The items may have been authentic, but it looked more like a cheap, souvenir shop. It was fine if you needed to pick up some inexpensive gifts but there weren’t many very nice items here. I felt the Britt gift stores carry much nicer things – albeit they are more expensive. The prices and selection in Los Chiles (prior to the Cano Negro trip) for wooden bowls was better. There is a restaurant attached to the gift store and the lunch had been arranged for us here. It was quite good – fresh fruit juices, fresh salad, rice, beans, plantains, cooked squash, steamed vegetables, pasta, a vegetable sauce, a potato and ground meat dish, and very yummy fresh fried chicken strips. After lunch we visited the oxcart factory. I liked this shop a bit better. Again, it also had many of the same tacky souvenirs but you could also purchase and ship a wooden rocker for the lowest price ($160 including shipping) I saw anywhere else. There were also artisans working on painting oxcarts and many beautiful oxcarts on display. Outside there is a garden and models of the history of oxcarts. They had some beautiful t-shirts here too for a very reasonable price (about $12 I think). In retrospect I would have also made a few more purchases in Tortuguero – fortunately I did buy a small jade turtle necklace for my younger son’s teacher (there class is called the Sea Turtle class) and a small marble turtle there too – I did not see anything similar in the shops in Sarchi.

Close to Sarchi is the pretty little town of Grecia. We made a very quick stop here to look at the tin church. Then it was on to Heredia for our Britt coffee tour. Due to the scheduling, we were asked to shop first and then we would have our tour. We were served iced coffee as we entered the store. The prices at the factory are definitely cheaper than elsewhere. For example, a one pound bad of coffee cost $4.75 here and it was $6 everywhere else. The Britt chocolates (really delicious little chocolate balls covering: macadamia nuts, cashews, coffee beans, guava jelly, pineapple jelly, banana,) are always available to sample where they are sold and so my kids new for where to make a beeline. You can also sample all their different varieties of coffee. I picked up quite a few items here: coffee, chocolates, a small coffee plant (certified for export), a small watercolor painting, and a small wooden box with painted tiles. While I shopped the guys had some coffee and dessert in a very nice café attached to the gift shop.

It was soon time for our tour and we all gathered in the garden. The other Caravan tour had joined us now and so we were quite a big group. The tour seemed to start out quite ordinary but was soon ‘taken over’ by a comedic acting troupe and we were given a very entertaining tour of the orchards. I had read that this was a bit hokey but I honestly felt the acting was very good and made for a unique presentation. The tour ended in an auditorium. After we were seated they asked for any coffee connoisseurs for help in tasting the coffee. I’m no coffee expert but I enjoy coffee so I raised my hand (of course my kids did too!) and was picked to participate along with another gentleman from our tour. We were shown the beans at various stages, taught to sniff the aroma and then to slurp for taste. For our efforts we were given Britt coffee hats! Then we had a very entertaining show about the history of coffee.

We got back on the bus for the final leg of trip. We said our good byes to our bus driver who truly drove with great skill over difficult roads and through narrow passageways.
Tonight had a farewell dinner (and open bar again on Caravan) at the 17th floor restaurant. We pre-selected from filet mignon, fish, or chicken. This time our meals were served hot. I had ordered the filet mignon – it was large, tender and very flavorful. The red wine served with the meal was also very good. For dessert we had flaming baked Alaska with a birthday candle stuck in one of them for my brother. It was sad to part company from such wonderful travel companions. We’re doing a pretty good job so far staying in touch by e-mail.

Day 10 – Breakfast, transfer to Airport

Our flight was not until 2:30 in the afternoon so we were able to have a leisurely breakfast and take a stroll around the downtown area prior to our departure. My younger son had come down with a bad cold so I had made a quick solo trip to a nearby pharmacy earlier in the morning. The pharmacist was very friendly and helpful – that’s generally the attitude I seemed to find in Costa Rica. Also, our tour director had requested that if we had any clothes or other items we did not want to take back with us, he would take them and pass them on to his sisters who are nurses and could distribute the items to the needy. I made several bags to give away. Caravan had arranged a very nice airport shuttle for us and traveled very comfortably to the airport. Porters who took care of our bags all the way to check-in met us. We had pre-purchased our departure tax at the Aurola so we were able to bypass that process at the airport. I was really impressed by the efficiency at the airport. It could be that we were leaving on less busy day and time but everything went very smoothly for us. We had just enough time to grab some lunch (many options and quick) and do a bit of last minute shopping. The gift shops have many similar items as the Britt shops (could be owned by the same company) and the prices are the same at the airport. We had a one-hour connection in Charlotte and with customs – it was very tight. Still, we made it back fine with all of our luggage.

A wonderful, wonderful trip – highly recommended!

Thanks for re-organizing and finishing your report, Singermom. It was an enjoyable read! It sounds like you had a good time overall, and were able to make the most of the escorted tour setting. Sounds like Caravan did a decent job for you.

Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for posting this we are planning to go to Costa Rica next Feb and caravan tours was on our list of possibilities this was very helpful !

Read your post about the caravan tour. We are seriously considering this for August. Since this our first trip outside of the U.S., I liked the "comfort" of having things taken care of someone familiar with the area.

The family consists of me 43, DH 44, Boys 14 & 7, and girl 16. Have questions about arriving earlier than tour, proper clothes and sizes of suitcases required. If you can, email me at [email protected].

Barbara_M: I e-mailed this response to you. Posting here in case you didn't get it.

Feel free to ask any questions -

Clothing - for myself, I packed 3 zip-off pants, 3 shorts, 10 t-shirts, 3 nice tops, 2 capris, 2 swimsuits

For the boys - 4 zip-offs, 4 shorts, 10 t-shirts, 2 nicer t-shirts

You will likely need more shorts and less zip-offs - it was cool in the mountain regions in March - not sure what the temps are in August.

You will need ponchos - the really cheap kind are pretty useless - buy at least the $6 quality.

We liked our Land's End Beach Trekker Shoes - reasonable cost ($40) and more than adequate. You will want sandals or flip flops for pool and beach.

We took binoculars but unless you are used to using them and quickly focusing, they were more of a bother than helpful - nice to have at times but I wouldn't buy a very expensive pair just for the trip. A camera with a decent zoom would be a better investment.

It's quite hot and humid in parts so you will want to have a fresh shirt every day. Although we sent out for laundry at a hotel in Arenal, they didn't do a very good job and it was expensive.

Suitcases - allowed one per person on the tour. We took the largest allowed by the airline - just make sure you don't go over the 50 lb limit!

We did take a few snacks but we were provided with many opportunites for rest stops and purchasing snacks so I could have brought much less of these items. My kids are not big breakfast eaters, so the only time they really needed a snack would be mid-morning and we usually stopped somewhere.

Don't worry about the water quality - you are given bottled water but most places the tour goes to has safe water (not like Mexico).

The bus is very comfortable but the rides can be long at times. I'm embarrassed to admit that we had to resort to gameboys for some of these stretches but it kept them happy (and they actually looked forward to riding the bus because their video game time at home is very limited!).

I took this same tour with my mother in December. We had different hotels, but otherwise the same basic expereince. For the price it's a great deal.

A few thoughts. On the day of the city tour we did not get back on the bus after the National Museum (we were staying at the Baracelo hotel which I think is a little nicer, but NOT in the city itself) We spent the afternoon and early evening in San Jose and then took a cab home for around $8.

I did not go to Cano Negro, but explored Fortuna and found some "non buffet" food LOL!

Our hotel in Jaco Beach was worse then this one.(Amapola) It's only redeeming feature was free booze. YOu could not see the ocean, we did not have hot water and the food was just GROSS! My mother and I went into the city and had an EXCELLENT seafood dinner at a resturant overlooking the ocean that our guide had suggested. The Amapola was my only real disappointment. The grounds are nice and the hotel COULD be a nice hotel, but it appears to have HORRID managment (My fav was the guy who tried to get me to come to the timeshare meeting there. WHY did he think I wanted to own this dump? LOL!)

Hi, I just read your very informative trip report. Great job. My wife and I are travelling this Sunday, July 1 on the same tour. I was wondering if you needed to buy colones in Costa Rica or could you get by with just US dollars? Also, how do you recommend making phone calls back to the states during the caravan tour? Thank you for your help!!!

jjeire, I took this tour last November and I cannot help with the phone calls home but I got a small amount of colones at the airport ATM when I got there. Since all meals were included you really don't need alot of spending money unless you shop alot. Most places did take both currencies.

MarthaT - thanks for replying for me - I was on vacation! I changed a few dollars at a time at the hotels mainly to purchase snacks at the various stops. If you pay in us dollars you will still get your change back in colonnes. But as mentioned, you don't really need much cash on the tour. There were a few people who took a zip line tour during the rare free periods and that could possibly involve cash payment. Please update with your views when you get back!

My kind of report--very helpful! I was wondering what other tour companies you considered? I'm not sure I'm up for 10 days--in fact probably wouldn't have that long if I went during a school spring break. Thanks!