thanks jdla for your answer on canopy tours. safari sounds like a good one.
another questions. we plan on buying a digital camera for this trip. looking at canon A70 or nikon coolpix. we have never had one befoe and don't have a clue on what to look for. there is also an optiva waterproof one. any ideas on what to get for this trip, in general, need for waterproof? thanks!

Go to www.photo.net and then to the community section. Search under digital, waterproof, and the name of your destination.

Another website to try for ratings on all kinds of cameras is
www.camerareview.com

cindyjo: I have a Canon A70, which I absolutely love. I took it to Costa Rica last July and it didn't disappoint. My only caution is that I did have a small point of condensation in some of my shots taken at sea around the Osa peninsula - not surprising given the fact that I was, in fact, at sea in a very humid area during rainy season. I'll be taking my A70 back to Costa Rica this July - this time with a waterproof case.
Terri

The Canon A70 has been given rave reviews by all the digicam review sites. For a bit more, you can get the A80, 4 megapixels rather than 3, which allows larger enlargements to be made, and also has a rotating LCD screen which is very handy.

Liz