Costa Rica suggestons please
Nov 20th, 2006, 10:20 AM
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Costa Rica suggestons please
Thank you in advance. Not leaving soon, but hope do this trip some day. One married female traveling alone, but willing to join a group.
Interests: wildlife, birds and nature.
I enjoy prolonged observation/photography of birds/animals.
Don't care about: fancy accommodations, beaches, romantic locations, time in San Jose, zipline(?) for thrills, white water rapids rafting.
When to travel: whenever it is best to see wildlife, including turtles laying eggs
Time frame: 12-15 days in Costa Rica, travel days would extend trip
Travel agent/tour operator: small group travel or private trips or a combination
Costs: I am willing to pay for good guiding, traveling to remote locations, small groups or private arrangements. Don't like paying for luxury or top-end room/board.
Previous CR travel: Years ago in April to Monte Verde & Tortuguero (saw one turtle laying eggs at night--WOW), San Jose city tour, a little swimming
With that in mind, what would you all come up with?
Interests: wildlife, birds and nature.
I enjoy prolonged observation/photography of birds/animals.
Don't care about: fancy accommodations, beaches, romantic locations, time in San Jose, zipline(?) for thrills, white water rapids rafting.
When to travel: whenever it is best to see wildlife, including turtles laying eggs
Time frame: 12-15 days in Costa Rica, travel days would extend trip
Travel agent/tour operator: small group travel or private trips or a combination
Costs: I am willing to pay for good guiding, traveling to remote locations, small groups or private arrangements. Don't like paying for luxury or top-end room/board.
Previous CR travel: Years ago in April to Monte Verde & Tortuguero (saw one turtle laying eggs at night--WOW), San Jose city tour, a little swimming
With that in mind, what would you all come up with?
Nov 20th, 2006, 10:30 AM
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got to osa peninsula, cos so many tourists visit monteverde the opportunities to see birds has diminished.
also can negro reserve near la fortuna is a major stop off for migratory birds:
http://costa.rica.typepad.com/la_for...ome/index.html
there{s a good bird watchers guide to costa rica here, sure u can buy it on Amazon!
also can negro reserve near la fortuna is a major stop off for migratory birds:
http://costa.rica.typepad.com/la_for...ome/index.html
there{s a good bird watchers guide to costa rica here, sure u can buy it on Amazon!
Nov 20th, 2006, 11:14 AM
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Bosque de Rio Tigre Lodge on the Osa 45 mins from Puerto Jimenez is a fine birding lodge in the midst of many bird species along with great guides. My best birding experience yet.
Bosque de Paz north of Alajuela in the highland cloud forest is another good bet.
La Selva and Selva Verde lowland birding north east of San Jose is also tops.
Carara Nat Park lagoon trail closer to Jaco give birders thrills.
Bosque de Paz north of Alajuela in the highland cloud forest is another good bet.
La Selva and Selva Verde lowland birding north east of San Jose is also tops.
Carara Nat Park lagoon trail closer to Jaco give birders thrills.
Nov 20th, 2006, 07:15 PM
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You might also check out San Gerardo de Dota (Savegre Lodge) for excellent highland birding.
AND Rancho Naturalista.
I second the Cano Negro day trip out of Arenal. Excellent choice. As is La Selva.
Another area you might enjoy is the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife area down around Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo on the Caribbean coast (south). Abel Bustamante is an excellent guide in that area. You can reach him by e-mail
[email protected]
If you need his phone number later, I can get that for you as well. It isn't with me right now.
All of the places mentioned to you already offer decent, but not fancy, lodging. Places like Bosque de Rio Tigre, Hotel Savegre, and Rancho Naturalista offer all-inclusive packages for birders. You'll see plenty of other wildlife in the Puerto Viejo (Caribbean) area as well as Bosque de Rio Tigre and Cano Negro.
Good luck! There are many people who frequent this board and prefer just the kind of travel you have described. You shouldn't have any trouble getting lots of great suggestions to help you get started with a plan!
AND Rancho Naturalista.
I second the Cano Negro day trip out of Arenal. Excellent choice. As is La Selva.
Another area you might enjoy is the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife area down around Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo on the Caribbean coast (south). Abel Bustamante is an excellent guide in that area. You can reach him by e-mail
[email protected]
If you need his phone number later, I can get that for you as well. It isn't with me right now.
All of the places mentioned to you already offer decent, but not fancy, lodging. Places like Bosque de Rio Tigre, Hotel Savegre, and Rancho Naturalista offer all-inclusive packages for birders. You'll see plenty of other wildlife in the Puerto Viejo (Caribbean) area as well as Bosque de Rio Tigre and Cano Negro.
Good luck! There are many people who frequent this board and prefer just the kind of travel you have described. You shouldn't have any trouble getting lots of great suggestions to help you get started with a plan!
Nov 21st, 2006, 03:17 AM
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There are some excellent suggestions above.
For 'prolonged observation and photography of birds /animals' I suggest you stay at lodges with good wildlife observation right on the property.
Some suggestions are:
RANCHO NATURALISTA as mentioned by Shillmac above. Rancho caters mostly to birders. They have an amazing second floor balcony where you can spend your morning watching an array of tropical species visiting their fruit feeders and rice that has been spread on the ground. There are hummingbird feeders around the balcony and a second set of hummingbird feeders in the woods, 10 minutes from the lodge, with convenient benchs set up nearby.
Splendid opportunities here to photograph many species including some of Costa Rica's most beautiful hummingbirds and tanagers.
Their resident guides are very good and can lead you on walks into their forest preserve for a whole different list of birds. We've had very good luck there with army ant swarms and some of the fascinating birds that make their living eating what the ants stir up.
Guided trips can be arranged here as well to go to other locations in the area.
The atmosphere at Rancho is very laid back and friendly and a solo traveler will find a lodge full of people with shared interests.
Rancho Naturalista would be close to the top of my list for what you want to do because birds there are so varied, abundant and easily viewed; the location is safe for a lone female; and there are expert birders on site.
More to follow.
cheers
Jerry
For 'prolonged observation and photography of birds /animals' I suggest you stay at lodges with good wildlife observation right on the property.
Some suggestions are:
RANCHO NATURALISTA as mentioned by Shillmac above. Rancho caters mostly to birders. They have an amazing second floor balcony where you can spend your morning watching an array of tropical species visiting their fruit feeders and rice that has been spread on the ground. There are hummingbird feeders around the balcony and a second set of hummingbird feeders in the woods, 10 minutes from the lodge, with convenient benchs set up nearby.
Splendid opportunities here to photograph many species including some of Costa Rica's most beautiful hummingbirds and tanagers.
Their resident guides are very good and can lead you on walks into their forest preserve for a whole different list of birds. We've had very good luck there with army ant swarms and some of the fascinating birds that make their living eating what the ants stir up.
Guided trips can be arranged here as well to go to other locations in the area.
The atmosphere at Rancho is very laid back and friendly and a solo traveler will find a lodge full of people with shared interests.
Rancho Naturalista would be close to the top of my list for what you want to do because birds there are so varied, abundant and easily viewed; the location is safe for a lone female; and there are expert birders on site.
More to follow.
cheers
Jerry
Nov 21st, 2006, 11:33 AM
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Another suggestion:
VILLA LAPAS. is not a 'birding lodge' but is a small hotel /resort in the Pacific lowlands north of Jaco. They have added some tourism infrastructure since my last visit but a friend / photographer who was there last winter assures me the birding is still excellent.
The hotel itself is on a good sized parcel of secondary [and some primary] forest. A small stream passes through the property and a good trail follows the stream. This is the area of overlap between the dry and moist forests so bird diversity is high, and the stream attracts some interesting species as well. White Ibis and Little Blue Heron can usually be easily and closely viewed along the stream, and the handsome little Green Kingfisher is resident there. On the grounds Black Iguanas are common and there are usually several colonies of Tent-making Bats which are interesting photo subjects.
This area is home to several species of trogons -birds that are not only brightly coloured but often sedentary and who use a feeding technique called 'sallying' where they repeatedly will return to the same perch -good for photography! Other 'good birds' in the area include Fiery-billed Aracari, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Scarlet Macaw and Ferruginous Pygmy Owl which often nests near the swimming pool.
There are two excellent field trips one can easily do here with a local birding guide.
One is to Carara National Park, [do NOT visit Carara without a guide, for safety reasons...] a few minutes drive north. Walk the 'river trail' at Carara early in the morning for some wonderful birds, including Royal Flycatcher, Scarlet Macaw and a couple of Manakin leks. We've had peccaries and White-faced Monkeys along here. About a mile from the trail enterance you come to an oxbow lake on the left. It often has crocdiles resting along the shore and a variety of birds, including Jacanas. Generally there are Boat-billed Herons roosting VERY close to the lookout point over the pond- Opportunities for superb photographs of this strange looking bird. On your way back from Carara take a short detour to see the big crocs at thew Tarcoles river bridge.
The second easy field trip from Villa Lapas [again with a guide] is to travel past the scrubby farmland nearby and visit the mouth of the Tarcoles River.
En route check out the open areas for Caracaras , White-throated Magpie Jays and Laughing Falcons among other possible birds. Check out the little roadside wetlands carefully -this is a good location for the Pygmy Kingfisher.
Near the Tarcoles river mouth you will find tidal flats with 'oodles' of shorebirds, including good chances to photograph Wimbrel. Magnificent Frigatebirds are very common here as well. Usually someone along here will be able to point out the day roost of some Pacific Screech Owls.You can walk into some of the mangroves for some interesting birds and can take a boat trip on the Tarcoles down into the mangroves for some of the special birds of that habitat, including Mangrove Hummingbird and Panama Flycatcher.
In all, this is an interesting area with very diverse birds species and lots of chances to take your time and enjoy the natural wonders.
cheers
Jerry
VILLA LAPAS. is not a 'birding lodge' but is a small hotel /resort in the Pacific lowlands north of Jaco. They have added some tourism infrastructure since my last visit but a friend / photographer who was there last winter assures me the birding is still excellent.
The hotel itself is on a good sized parcel of secondary [and some primary] forest. A small stream passes through the property and a good trail follows the stream. This is the area of overlap between the dry and moist forests so bird diversity is high, and the stream attracts some interesting species as well. White Ibis and Little Blue Heron can usually be easily and closely viewed along the stream, and the handsome little Green Kingfisher is resident there. On the grounds Black Iguanas are common and there are usually several colonies of Tent-making Bats which are interesting photo subjects.
This area is home to several species of trogons -birds that are not only brightly coloured but often sedentary and who use a feeding technique called 'sallying' where they repeatedly will return to the same perch -good for photography! Other 'good birds' in the area include Fiery-billed Aracari, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Scarlet Macaw and Ferruginous Pygmy Owl which often nests near the swimming pool.
There are two excellent field trips one can easily do here with a local birding guide.
One is to Carara National Park, [do NOT visit Carara without a guide, for safety reasons...] a few minutes drive north. Walk the 'river trail' at Carara early in the morning for some wonderful birds, including Royal Flycatcher, Scarlet Macaw and a couple of Manakin leks. We've had peccaries and White-faced Monkeys along here. About a mile from the trail enterance you come to an oxbow lake on the left. It often has crocdiles resting along the shore and a variety of birds, including Jacanas. Generally there are Boat-billed Herons roosting VERY close to the lookout point over the pond- Opportunities for superb photographs of this strange looking bird. On your way back from Carara take a short detour to see the big crocs at thew Tarcoles river bridge.
The second easy field trip from Villa Lapas [again with a guide] is to travel past the scrubby farmland nearby and visit the mouth of the Tarcoles River.
En route check out the open areas for Caracaras , White-throated Magpie Jays and Laughing Falcons among other possible birds. Check out the little roadside wetlands carefully -this is a good location for the Pygmy Kingfisher.
Near the Tarcoles river mouth you will find tidal flats with 'oodles' of shorebirds, including good chances to photograph Wimbrel. Magnificent Frigatebirds are very common here as well. Usually someone along here will be able to point out the day roost of some Pacific Screech Owls.You can walk into some of the mangroves for some interesting birds and can take a boat trip on the Tarcoles down into the mangroves for some of the special birds of that habitat, including Mangrove Hummingbird and Panama Flycatcher.
In all, this is an interesting area with very diverse birds species and lots of chances to take your time and enjoy the natural wonders.
cheers
Jerry
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