Profsuzy

My husband and I are going to CR for the first time at the end of May. We'll be staying at the Orquideas Inn the first night and the last 2 nights of our week-long visit. In between, we'll be in MA. We'll have 1 full day in the central valley before we leave, and I originally thought we'd do the Highlights Tour offered by Ecoscape (which gets some good reviews on this board), but they won't pick up at the Orquideas Inn. We'd have to get a ride somehow to the courthouse in Alajuela very early (7am) and take a taxi back from the airport Holiday Inn at the end. They did offer to knock $9 off the per person price of $79 to compensate for our transportation costs).

I also read that this tour doesn't take you inside the La Paz gardens, only stops along the road to see one of the waterfalls. Another tour company, Expediciones Tropicales does a 4-in-1 tour that does go inside the gardens, but they too would require us to get a taxi into Alajuela (i.e no pick-up). And their price is $82 pp.

So now I'm considering whether we should just get a private tour arranged through Wady Tours at the Orquideas Inn. They're more expensive (of course, since it would only be 2 of us rather than a van full of people) and wouldn't cover as much. They recommend Doka, Poas, and La Paz as the max for 1 day, and they'd charge $120, not including admissions (which adds about $90!) or lunch. Or we could just do Poas and La Paz for $100 (plus admissions and lunch).

I'm so confused. Would we be better off going with the organized group tour where we'd see more and it would cost less? If that's the case, would going inside the La Paz gardens make the Expediciones Tropicales the better choice? Or do these 4-in-1 type tours try to cover too much - would we be better doing less in a more relaxed mode? Sorry for all the questions, but I want our last day in CR to be great. Thanks.

locolowe

I would probably go with Wady Tours - both from a convenience factor and that they are great. How intent are you to see the inside of La Paz? It is nice but it is also very expensive. Realize that you can see the La Paz waterfall (their largest fall) from the road for free and can hike to side of it. Right near there (like a 2min drive) is a large residence that feeds birds and hummingbirds ($2 donation) for excellent close-up pictures of these birds and you can see another large waterfall in the distance (Chincona waterfall - like 3x the drop but father away). See my gallery - starting around #85 for my pictures of our day with Luis from Wady Tours http://lowetraveladventures.shutterfly.com

So you could go to Poas, see La Paz and Chincona, go to Sarchia or Grecia for lunch/shopping and do an afternoon tour at Doka. This should also be $120 but it saves like $60+ in La Paz fees.

Or maybe you can talk with Wady and see if they have another couple interested for the same day (or from this board) that you could share the day with and split the tour/guide fees.

Seeing 3 things will be enough - don't forget traffic and winding roads lengthens your travel time to places. Personally for an extra $40 it's worth the flexibility and personal attention (imho).

Let us know what you decide.

Profsuzy

Thanks for the advice, locolowe. Your pictures were great. It looks like you had exceptionally fine weather. Since we'll be there at the end of May, we may not be so lucky. But I think I'm going to stop stressing about our last day, and when we arrive in CR, we'll talk to the people at Wady about a tour for our last day (we're staying at Orquideas the first night in CR) and see if we can team up with anyone. That's a great idea. I did think La Paz entrance fee of $29 was very high, but I also thought for that price, it must be exceptional. Was Dokas Coffee Plantation worth the admission price ($16pp I think)? I've been told that coffee will no longer be picked or milled by late May, so I'm not sure what there would be to see. Anyway, you've given me some good ideas, and I thank you!

locolowe

I have not been inside La Paz so I can't say if it is "worth" $30pp. As far as Doka in May - depends how much you are into coffee - you will still learn alot, but you won't see the plant mill running which was really interesting - in mid-Feb we were seeing their last picking for the season. If you are not a coffee fanatic, then I personally would do something else.

Good Luck!

airwayvz

Yes, it will be well worth your money to do an all day tour w/ Wady Tours - request Luis as your guide if possible.

For our last full day in CR on our last trip, we had Luis take us to Poas, Los Chorros Waterfalls - $3 and had the place all to ourselves as opposed to the $25 pp fee at La Paz, but I'm sure La Paz is beautiful as well - and visited Grecia, and Sarchi.

Our tour started at about 9am and we were back to the Orquideas by around 5:30 pm. If you get Luis as your guide, I am sure you will not regret WHATEVER tour activities you choose.

airwayvz

Also, if you do a search of my user name, I'm sure I have a few more things posted about Luis, Wady tours, and Los Chorros Waterfalls.

P.S. - If ya do decide on Wady Tours, tell Luis that Ryan & Jen from Chicago say hello!

Suzie2

The 4 in 1 would be fine. I do love Luis as well, I went out with him several years ago but the other tour is cheaper. When we spent 2 nights at Peace Lodge we ran into lots of people doing that tour and they seemed to be enjoying it.

Another option would be to go out with Luis and make up your own day instead of doing a "package tour". That is what I did and they just charged me by the hour. I went horseback riding with Luis on his family's coffee finca, we went to Grecia and visited the church and had lunch, we went to Sarchi and he carried all my purchases and took me to the water driven Ox Cart factory.

I have done Ecoscapes and if I were to do it again I would do the 4 in 1 instead. It covers just about the same things except you do get to go in and see the La Paz waterfall gardens. The only real difference that I can see between Ecoscapes and the 4 in 1 is that with Ecoscapes you stop at Selva Verde for lunch and a very quick look at their rainforest before heading over to the Sarapiqui. I would much rather spend the time in La Paz.

They both have breakfast at Doka, they both go to Poas, they both go to the La Paz waterfalls but the 4 in 1 takes you in whereas the Ecoscapes just stops on the road at the bottom of the actual LaPaz waterfall, they both stop to see the San Fernando waterfall, they both take you on the Sarapiqui.

It is a lovely day and you get to see quite a bit of the country.

tully

I think either way you can't go wrong. My first visit to CR I did the 4 in 1 tour, staying at the Buena Vista, so although they picked me up they dropped me off near the airport and I had to get a taxi back to the hotel. It really wasn't a big deal though. For the money I really think you get a ton of stuff packed into one day and I wouldn't hesitate to rec it.

That said, Wady tours are excellent too (I actually just got off the phone with Wady, lol). On the day before I leave I was going to use Wady to grab some lunch and do the Doka tour. I actually decided today, for the same reasons you mentioned, that I think I'll pass on that. But I just called him up and told him I wanted to grab some lunch, shop some (maybe go again to Sarchi again) and then whatever else comes to mind. Similiar to what I did with them last time and they're very good about that, just whatever you want to do they'll work it out. So really you can't go wrong either way. On the highlights tour you'll be in a van with 6 or so others, but it is nice to see different things and it never felt hurried. With Wady you'll have a more leisurely pace and just you and the driver. Let us know what you decide! Have fun.

shillmac

I agree with Tully that you can't go wrong either way. When I did the Highlights Tour a few years ago, I thought it was just about THE best day I'd ever had! Every aspect of it was fun and fascinating, from breakfast at Doka amidst the coffee plants to that slow leisurely boat cruise down the Sarapiqui and everything in between.

I remember stopping on the road at the famed La Paz waterfall and hiking up behind it. Now that was a different view! It was an unhurried and fun day.

At the time, I was doing a homestay and paid $5 for a taxi to the Hampton Inn for my pickup. Another $5 to get back home. It wouldn't cost you much more than than from Orquideas--it's about the same distance away as my homestay was--15 min or so.

I enjoyed lunch at Selva Verde and looking around their property. Saw my first poison dart frogs there!

On the other hand, I think La Paz is an excellent way to spend a few hours. They've done a lot of work on it during the past 2 years at obvious cost. I wouldn't think twice about paying $30 to get in. I've paid $30 for a lot less!

And you certainly don't have to be a coffee fanatic to enjoy the Doka Estate. It is beautiful there, whether the coffee beans are in harvest or still little green berries on the vine. The view from the restaurant/dining hall/whatever one would call it is amazing. The gift shop is excellent and one of very few places you can purchase Tres Generaciones coffee, which is extremely tasty and makes excellent gifts.

I think the question you need to ask yourself is how much you want to see the area over toward the Caribbean lowlands. For me, that first time, that's what I wanted to do. The landforms change drastically as you drive though 4 different provinces on the Highlights Tour. I wanted to get over toward Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui and look for wildlife on the Rio Sarapiqui. Staying in the central area and concentrating on Poas, Doka, and La Paz is a great way to spend a day, and I've enjoyed myself that way a few times. But if you're wanting to see as much of CR as possible, then the Highlights (or perhaps the 4-in-1) Tour would be the way to go.

Again, either way, you'll be smiling all day! Pura Vida!

Pat_Hewitt

I will chime here with a wholehearted endorsement for using Wady. He is based in Orquideas, and is just a great soul. A very sweet man.

This will be a private tour, not a "cattle bus" tour. So you will have a better experience. Even with all of the admissions, you are only paying about twenty bucks more per person than you would have for the bus tour.

We did something similar with him once to "inspect" one of his tours. He included a stop in the Grecia central market, to show how the locals shopped. I have been to the markets in Costa Rica many times in the almost twenty years that I have been visiting. But Wady made it an interesting experience as he explained the different local veggies and customs.

Here is a fun fact. Wady comes from one of the largest families ever recorded in Costa Rica. He literally has over twenty siblings, all from the same parents. (Can you imagine?) Most of the guides and drivers are his brothers.

The entrance fee to La Paz is absolutely worth it. If it were me, I would go for it and do all three attractions.

I hope this helps! Let me know if I can offer more advice.

Warm Regards,
Pat Hewitt
(Travel Professional)

shillmac

How interesting about Wady and his family! Wow! I've known just a few people (here in the states) with more than 15 children in a family. Growing up that way must be an amazing experience!

Profsuzy

I so appreciate all your replies. Of course, what I've learned is that all 3 of my possible choices - the 4-in-1, the "highlights" tour, and the private tour with Wady - would be a great day. Part of me wants to see as much as possible (perhaps because I fear that we won't be back in CR, although I hope that's not true), while another part of me wants to slow down and smell the coffee (so to speak). I think we'll wait until we get to Orquideas, and before we leave there for 4 nights in MA, I'll discuss the options with Wady for a daytour. I'm sure we can come up with something great.

Meanwhile, I'm confused. Is Wady the owner of Zamar tours, and is that his first or last name? I've been corresponding (via email) with Mary, so she's probably one of his siblings.

I did arrange for them to drive us from the Orquideas to MA the day after we arrive in CR, and based upon great reviews here, I requested Luis. I hope he's available! Maybe he can even give us the day tour after we return to the Orquideas.

Anyway - thanks everyone. I can't wait to get to CR and see what everyone's been raving about!

cmerrell

Hi Profsuzy,

I'll cast another vote for actually visiting La Paz (as opposed to just viewing the one waterfall from the roadway). In my opinion, you could easily spend the better part of a day there if you really wanted to check out all of the trails and take your time through the various exhibits (Butterfly House, Hummingbird Gardens, Serpentarium, Ranarium, various flower gardens, etc...). Its a truly gorgeous place and totally worth the admission fee IMO.

Your trip will be here before you know it. Hope you have a wonderful time!

tully

To your question, Wady is his first name & the owner. When I called there yesterday I asked for Mary, as that's who I've been dealing with as well, but I figured he would be a good person to talk with as well

kimmarinelli

We also have our last full day to spend in the La Paz area. We are a family of 5 with 3 kids 10,13,15. Would it be better for us to rent a car this day and see Poas, La Paz waterfall or Chorros, etc. on our own? It would be very expensive to take the full day tour with Wady tours.

airwayvz

Profsuzy,

Your ride to MA w/ Luis will be another tour in itself. Enjoy your trip!

shillmac

kimmarinelli,
Sure, you can do that. Where are you staying? Tricolor will deliver to you, I'm pretty sure. My suggestion: Go to Poas first, arrive no later than 8:30 if you want the best chance of viewing the crater. Then backtrack to Doka Coffee Estate (not far back), then move ahead again to La Paz Waterfall Gardens for the better part of the afternoon.

Between the Doka Estate and La Paz, you'll pass Chubasco's on your left (excellent restaurant) and Dona Julia's on your right, also very good. It would make for a nice day!

You can also do this if you are staying at La Paz (Peace Lodge), easier in fact. Just head over to Poas first thing in the a.m.

cokoliso

We just returned from CR, and I have to say that Luis with Wady tours (Zamar?) from the Las Orquideas Inn made our trip great. He is a charming, outgoing guide who knows his business. The trip to La Paz and Poas was $100 plus $10 an hour, but included all admissions, which for 2 of us would have been $70 or so. We took two more excursions with Luis, one to San Jose and one to Grecia and Sarchi. These were each $30 plus $10/hour. I can tell you that Luis made this part of our vacation very enjoyable and we tipped him well. And the people at Las Orquideas are great, too. Edwin, the manager of the restaurant (I think his son also works there) is a great guy who loves to start conversations between guests, especially if you have one of the two tables on the balcony.

shillmac

Edwin is a good friend and a swell guy. He has 2 sons, both of whom have worked at the restaurant/bar off and on. Very nice family. Edwin is such a teaser--very dry sense of humor. My husband gets quite a kick out of visiting with him.

So glad you enjoyed your stay!