I went out by myself with Marino in the morning.

The only other guests were a birding tour and they had their own guide.

We did drive to a few other spots where particular birds could be easily found, including quetzals known to be at a particular fruiting tree, and chlorophonia in a plum orchard.

Thanks for all the info. guys. I think we'll go with a group tour. I'll be sure to report back.

Trip is getting closer, and we're starting to think about packing. Do you think a fleece jacket would be too much, or does it get that chilly? Maybe a sweatshirt? What did you guys end up wearing while you were there? I guess layers seem appropriate because it will warm up during the day.

I would bring a fleece for night time.

Okay, m, will do. Thanks for all the advice.

Another spot near Savegre you may want to consider for birding (and lunch) is Mirian's comida tipica - located near Dantica lodge on the drop into the dota valley. They serve some awesome meals if you tire of the meal plan and have fruit and hummingbird feeders out back that often hold birds that you might not see at the lower altitude Savegre lodge. Got great looks at Long Tailed Silky Flycatchers, Acorn Woodpeckers, and Yellow Thighed Finch while enjoying an excellent home cooked meal.

Thank you, Artie. I love long tailed silky flycatchers.

I peeked into Danica's restaurant and shop on the way out of Savegre (after the roads opened). Very chichi... not much like Savegre but nice.

My only look at a silky was as I was checking out of Savegre, looking out of the window behind the receptionist!

There are birds one might see at the top of the range but not at the bottom and vice-versa. The distance is pretty short in length (but a steep climb)so no doubt volcanogirl will likely make the most of it and cover a range of elevations.

Just came from Savegre. We loved it!

Glad to hear it, looking forward to a report when you have better internet.

Yes, I will definitely do one. We had Marino as our guide, and he was amazing. You can tell that he's very passionate and loves what he does. He was charming and an amazing spotter. Also made it to Paraiso Quetzal - thanks for the tips on that too.

Glad to hear you had him, what a great guy, he gave me some tips on using the binoculars that really helped up my game!

Glad you enjoyed Savegre - great place!! PdQ is pretty amazing, too!

Yes, we really liked it. The fiery throated hummers were fun to see.

We liked Marino so much that we went out birding with him two days in a row. He took us to a neat little secret garden one day and into the forest the next. We did not see any quetzals on the property; he said it's seasonal and that this time of year they're elsewhere, so we had to take a little drive, but wow, they were amazing to see. Saw lots of gorgeous birds. I'll try to do a more comprehensive list when I have time. Thanks again for all the tips. It was really helpful.

Sounds like you had a wonderful time at Savegre. So glad you explored a new destination and got to see the quetzals, even if they weren't right there on the grounds.

Thanks, col; I knew Fodorites would help us find the perfect place for us. I had read so many good reviews over the years that it was fun to see for ourselves. Do you remember what time of year you were there? It would be fun to go back when the quetzals are right on the property.

We saw quetzals close to Savegre property in February many years ago. It was a very memorable experience for us for several reasons! We were driving in toward the hotel when a small white pickup was stopped in front of us. A man was outside the truck looking up into the trees. My husband said - I bet he's seen a quetzal. We stopped and talked to the man. Indeed he'd seen some fly in and out - said they were nesting nearby. Man turned out to be Marino. He drove on and we stayed a few minutes to see if quetzals would come back. Finally got back in car and just as husband was starting the car, a female flew onto the fence probably 5 feet from us and sat there. We went crazy taking pictures. Then a male flew into the nearby tree. Fabulous. The next day or so we went out with Marino. Didn't see any quetzals with him - but lots of other great birds - and Marino was a terrific guide.

At the end of that 2 week Costa Rica trip we were on our way back to San Jose and stopped for a sandwich in a coffee shop - midday on a busy street in Cartago - a very busy town near SJ. Parked in small lot right on street next to cafe. When we returned in 40 mins or so we found that everything had been stolen from our locked rental baby suv. It's become a travel story now - the hour I spent in the police dept detailing loss to get a police report (a real workout for my intermediate Spanish), my husband talking himself out of a parking ticket nearby. etc etc. As we drove back to SJ we tried to be philosophical (only "stuff" (and in fact mostly shorts and Ts - but some binocs) but . . . OMG the camera !! with the most fabulous quetzal pics.. . that was the big irreplaceable loss..... insurance ended up doing well by us for rest in the end.

So that's my oft repeated cautionary tale - when people say don't leave anything in your car - this means YOU!!
We knew it to be a big problem in CR, and in fact wouldn't do it here in DC - but there we were in transit and we were HUNGRY and relaxed after otherwise lovely time ...
All it took was a screwdriver to the back lock the cop said . . . he told me this as he dusted for fingerprints. I got kind of a charge out of that fingerprinting . . .

Those pictures are out there . . . somewhere.... anybody seen 'em?

Look forward to your report Volcanogirl - and some good bird pics!

glover...aaaaaawwwwgghhhh

That matches my sad tale of losing my SD card with most of my bird photos from my first trip to Ecuador. I took it out of my camera during a bus trip and somehow it disappeared.

But a nice story about meeting Marino that way!

Oh, Glover, what a story. I'm sure that's never happened again, right?!

mlg - I change out my SD card after each lodge/destination just in case I would happen to lose a card or the camera. That way I would only lose some, not all. I end up with more cards than I need, but that's OK.

VG - we were at Savegre in November and had 3 male quetzals in the trees outside the cabin door. All we had to do is walk out and look up. Incredible - easiest birding ever! :-)

BTW, I'm in the market for a new camera this fall after dropping mine at Rio Santiago in Honduras - would love to know what cameras you two are using.