Thank you for visiting our pages. If you need information about hotels or tours, click here or go to our hotels section and click on the email link available on every page. Due to the size of the guestbook, we have separated it in years. Click on any year to see other comments we have received.

Where you see the camera icon, click to see their photos.

Dear Arturo,

thanks again for the wonderful trip that you arranged for us. I tried to post an entry into your guest book but did not succeed so I am sending you this email. Our first stop in Tortuguero was great. We really liked the lodge and the park is amazing, but it was raining a lot. However, our guide Randy seemed to know how to switch off the rain because whenever we set out to tour the canals, the torrential rains stopped - if only for a little while. Despite the rain, we saw a good number of birds and other animals and we are determined to go back to Tortuguero to see it on a sunny day.

Drake Bay and the Corcovado National Park were our favorite places in all of Costa Rica. The Aguila de Osa Inn was such a great hotel, too. We snorkeled (even saw sharks), hiked in the park, went horseback riding, kayaking and enjoyed Lauren's Pina Coladas. We'd also highly recommend Tracy's night hike to anyone who may be interested in the bizarre world of insects. Especially after all the rain in Tortuguero, Drake Bay seemed like a picture-perfect tropical paradise - remote and full of adventures.

After all the peace and quiet of Drake Bay, we found it a little difficult to adjust to the hustle and bustle of the Tabacon Hot Springs, our next stop. The hot springs are beautiful, but a little too busy to be truly relaxing. We liked our hotel, the Arenal lodge for its great bird-watching. Unfortunately, we never got to see the entire volcano but the hiking was good.

Our last stop in Monteverde was delightful. Great people, excellent hiking and beautiful wildlife all in one package. The lodge is remote, but really close enough to Monteverde. We learned a lot about life in rural Costa Rica and very much enjoyed being there.

Altogether, this was one of the greatest trips we've ever been on and we can only recommend Costa Rica and Rain Forest Tours to every birder, hiker, nature lover out there. We will certainly be back.

Best regards,

Nicole and Dan Stimson

Hi. Just getting back to reality. Thank you so much for planning a truly wonderful vacation. We miss the warmth of the people and the setting already.

Kathy DeVries

Arturo,

My computer has been down for the past few days so sorry I am just getting in touch now. I want to thank you so very much for organizing the details of our trip and being flexible to make the changes. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and love the country! The guides we had for our hikes in Arenal were excellent. I will most definitely recommend your services to friends and family. So many people have told me they want to visit Costa Rica!

I assumed you would charge my credit card for the plantation tour so that is fine. As soon as I get my pictures back I'll forward some to you---if they come out.

Once again, thank you for your services.

Beth
Blooma2@aol.com

Arturo,

Well I guess no news was good news since you never heard from us.
Bottom line on the trip: YOU PROMISED A FANTASTIC TIME AND YOU DELIVERED A FANTASTIC TIME! WHAT MORE CAN A GUY ASK FOR?

A beautiful country, beautiful people....reasonable prices. The tours were good, the guides fun, the food delicious. Never experienced Tico Time or the Tico way. But I did experience the Guaro way...whoaaaaa. Everything ran like clockwork and we never felt rushed. Of course, going in the off season when we were usually the only ones on a tour probably helped. For some specific feedback:

1. The ride to Quepos was good and the guide was very personable. Good move to get his neighbor to meet us with the sign when the other driver got hurt. Kept us from just hanging around.

2. Our hotel in Manuel Antonio was more beautiful than you described it. Two small inconveniences... there was a bit of construction going on which detracted from the ambiance but Villa 10 was far enough away to keep the noise distraction to a minimum. More disappointing was the fact that the restaurant closed the day after we arrived. That meant breakfast consisted of a Tupperware full of fruit balls, a not too fresh baked
good, a container of O.J. and some coffee bags, left at our door in a plastic cooler. Was hoping for something a little more substantial. Likewise, with the restaurant closed, that meant no 2 for 1 sunset specials at the pool and no room service. One night it rained pretty good and it would have been nice to bring some food in instead of trekking off in the rain. But, the place is beautiful and the staff was very accommodating....good pick on this one.

3. Only caught 3 measly fish on Monday....Ok, one was a marlin and the other two were a double hookup on 2 sails. Lots of quiet time but lots of fun considering the off season on fishing.

4. Manuel Antonio hike was good. Arturo from H2O was a great guide and interesting to talk to since he is obviously educated and has traveled quite a bit.

5. Got a call early Wed. morning from Iguana indicating the sailboat ride was canceled due to sea conditions. Of course, that was nonsense. The truth was that the owner decided to pull the boat for the season. We were given a number of other options for the day and we selected Jorge's Mangrove Tour. Turned out a good choice and probably a lot more fun than the sailboat ride. The best part was the lunch back at Jorge's house where he served us a snook meal. Haven't had that in years since we overfished here in the Everglades and it is tough to find one.

6. Horseback ride was good and the guide was a lot of fun as well.

All in all, a great trip and a great job on your part. Please send our compliments to your associates.

We have already mentally planned a trip back next summer to really do some fishing. My wife also wants to do the Volcano thing as well. Her daughter wants to now honeymoon in Costa Rica and my parents were considering a trip there was well. Thanks again and we will be in touch.

Ken and Mona Feldman
JKF3336@aol.com

Dear Arturo

Just some quick feedback on the above clients. I spoke to them a couple of days ago and they just said they had had the most amazing holiday! They had loved every minute that you had organised for them! All the arrangements had worked out well. Thank you so much for looking after them so well and for making their holiday a holiday to remember for life! Perhaps we will be able to put together a birding group for you in the future. Once again, I really appreciate all you did for my clients.

And thanks a million.
Kind regards
Liz Cotton
somerset@intekom.co.za

Arturo:

We all enjoyed the trip tremendously. We call it our "adventure" because of hot temperatures, humidity, rocky roads, steep hills----this was not an easy vacation but we didn't want that.
The logistics and travel vouchers worked perfectly. All of the hotels knew exactly what was going on and were very helpful. The early August rainy season was not a big problem but the humidity, particularly sleeping at night, was difficult at Corcavado. I am not sure what we would have done differently, looking backward on the trip. A number of people mentioned that the volcano was quite interesting but I am not
sure what we would have given up with our limited time. There is still so much to see in Costa Rica.
We will have no trouble recommending you to others and very much appreciate all of your work in putting together such a memorable trip for us.
Thanks again.

David Seligman

Hey Arturo,

You probably thought I fell off the face of the earth! Well, I didn't.

Just took me a while to get back to you. Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed my trip to Costa Rica. Your company really did a great job of planning and executing my itinerary. And it was all done at the last minute, which I really appreciated. The staff were very professional: all of the pick ups were on time, all of the excursions were well planned, all of the guides were quite good. I felt quite well
looked after.

And finally, thanks for convincing me to attach my Cuba trip to the Rain Forest itinerary. It saved me a lot of time and money.

The next time I hear anyone talking about going to Costa Rica, I'll be sure to send them your way.

Here are three pics. I didn't take very many. They are all of the canopy tour, which was surprisingly, waaaay more scary and exhilirating than I thought it would be. Hope it helps.

Thanks again.

Regards,
Deborah Navins
Deb Navins

Dear Arturo,

This is just a quick line to thank you very much for all the wonderful tours that you and Anna organised for Cindy and me. We had a really fabulous holiday in Costa Rica and we can not wait to come back! We have highly recommended Rainforest Tours throughout our stay to everyone we met and we will continue to do so.

All the places that we went to were wonderful and interesting in different ways and the tour guides were extremely kind and helpful. You are indeed very lucky to live in such a beautiful country and we are lucky that you shared it with us.

All our guides were excellent with the translating and they literally said everything twice, sentence for sentence, so that nobody missed out on this fascinating country. Cindy and I were extremely impressed and delighted to learn all about Costa Rica.

Whilst writing, I was wondering whether you could possibly send me the e-mail address of Calypso Tours. I lost a little starfish necklace that my grand mother gave me when I was eight and I wondered whether they might have found it. I think it probably fell out of my bag by the second pic-nic table on the left as you go to the eating area.

With all good wishes to you and Anna and once again, thank you for your kindness to us. Cindy and I will be in touch again when we come back to Costa Rica.

Yours sincerely,

Dordie C Ketley
Graham Ketley

Arturo

I loved the trip! :) I especially enjoyed monteverde and I think I'd like to spend more time there on my next trip. I guess what I really found was that there's so much to see I should spend more time in each place.

Gerardo was an excellent driver and guide :) We appreciated his help.

Thanks again for setting it up for us -- I loved the trip.

Sorry my pictures aren't developed yet...

Danielle
Danielle Melanie Wright <dmw3@duke.edu>

Good morning Arturo - just wanted to let you know we had a fantastic trip! Everything went smoothly - thanks much for making the arrangements for us. Hope we can get back within the next couple of years - it's such a beautiful country. Julie had a great time - she especially liked the canopy tour we did down at Manuel Antonio, and the rafting, of course!

Linda
Fatland@aol.com

Hola Arturo,
Para mi fue un placer haberte conocido y te doy las gracias, al igual que a Ana, por la ayuda y sugerencias en la planificacion de las excursiones. Muy buena seleccion. El viaje a Tortuguero fue maravilloso. El lugar es como un paraiso y las atenciones de los empleados fueron magnificas. Las otras 8 personas que llegaron con nosotros (3 españolas y 2 matrimonios norteamericanos) fueron estupendos compañeros y gosamos muchisimo. Tambien la visita al Volcan Arenal fue estupenda. El miércoles, 12 de junio de 2002 fue cuando jugaron los ticos en Corea y estaba Fortunas echando fuego. El pueblo estaba mas caliente que el volcan. Que mas te puedo decir. Claro al otro día hubo luto. Que lastimas.

Arturo, puedes estar en la completa seguridad que si en el futuro yo o algún conocido mio fuese para Costa Rica, con mucho gusto usaria tus servicios o te recomendaria.
Gracias mil otra vez por haber hecho tan buena seleccion de excursiones.

Hasta luego,

Rafael Talavera

Arturo, our trip was wonderful and Alan was the best; we all loved him and were very emotional at our goodbye at the airport...need more time to compose a letter and search for the right pictures...will be in touch soon...thanks again for all your help, we did have an absolutly fabulous time. Ana

"Ana Sterling"

Arturo,

We had a wonderful time in Costa Rica, it is a beautiful country and we look forward to going again. Arenal and Tabacon were great, Montreverde was rainy and muddy as expected, yet still a great place, and Tamarindo has a great beach and fishing. I did not scuba dive due to the visibility but did end go fishing with two other men. Andy caught a 7ft. sailfish which was really exciting. The hotels were all very nice and the people were all very friendly and helpful.
Thanks for a great trip,

Mike

Hello Arturo,

I was delighted to meet you and we thank you for your great advise and arrangements. My photographs are being developed and we have some shots on the Pacuare, which will be arriving soon from Rios Tropicales. I will email you again when they are all back and send some favorites for your records. I have already mentioned your company to some colleagues and
they may get in touch when they have a trip to plan.

All the Best,
Roderick ( Stuart) Bramwell.

I am sorry that I did not get to meet you personally during our visit in February. Needless to say, we all had a wonderful time and appreciate very much your help in arranging the trip. Roger and Sherry thought the river trip was spectacular and were very pleasantly surprised by how great the canopy tour turned out! Sue had a really good time on the canopy tour, and it was probably her favorite next to the horse back ride up from Lake Arenal to Monteverde.

Tom,
A. T. Williams

Arturo,
We had a really great time in Corcovado, a true treasure of a vacation with lots of very memorable moments and experiences. It all started with your help and quick response to my questions and requests over e-mail. I started looking for someone to help me put together a package of diving and rain forests adventures and contacted many folks over e-mail. I eventually chose you because of your quick responses and attention to detail and making sure I was the one designing the trip. You gave me lots of information and allowed me to visualize the regions and the trip was very close to my expectations. We really appreciated your arrangement of the
transportation, I cannot say how much this was helpful in allowing us to relax and enjoy and not worry about how we were getting from here to there, etc...

The people at the Lodge really deserve a lot of credit for the success of the trip as well. The place was fantastic and the staff was excellent. Our tour guide for most of the trip was Becky, please let
her know that she really did a fantastic job in all respects... The hikes were well organized and included educational talks that allowed us to learn about this unique and special area, as well as find some of the most interesting and adorable creatures. The food was great and the atmosphere of the Lodge was superb... I could go on and on, tell a few stories and give a commentary on some of our adventures if you like. As you can tell, we had a fantastic time and would recommend Costa Rica to any of our friends.

We have many digital pictures, so I will send a few to start with and more if you want them.

Dave & Kathleen...
Dave Stirling

Hello Arturo,

Costa Rica was a whole lot of fun, we really enjoyed it. You did a very good job, we did not have any problems with any of the vouchers. The accomodations were excellent too. My husband really liked the Mawamba Lodge. I will definitely recommend you to anybody who is planning to visit. I am attaching one of our pictures, this one was taken in Monteverde.

Thanks again for everything.

Carol

Arturo,

I really appreciate your help in putting this trip together. The people of Costa Rica could not have been any nicer, the food was delicious and the weather was perfect. The only complaint is that we couldn't stay a few more days. I will and have already recommended this trip to friends,
family and co-workers of mine. I will try to scan some pictures and email them to you. Take care Arturo and perhaps one day we will meet again!!

Donovan

Dear Arturo,

We don't see how our trip could have been any better! The three factors of a country with incredible natural resources, great coordination and a wonderful driver resulted in a truly unforgettable experience. Your advice on the website to come without preconceived notions as sound but any expectations we might have had we exceeded. First let me say that I appreciate your responsiveness, all the way back to three years ago when I first contacted you. I wanted to deal with a tour company in Costa Rica and your response to my endless emails calmed any anxiety I had about making long distance arrangements.

The itinerary was just right - 3 nights San Jose (travel days), 2 days Arenal, 2 days Monteverde, and 3 days Corcovado. We couldn't believe we would have a driver and vehicle to ourselves but that turned out to be the best part of the trip. We talked to a lot of people who drove themselves and were successful but we would have missed countless experiences that Gerado was able to provide. Another letter suspected he called ahead to arrange wildlife sightings and I agree but I would also say he knows every person in Costa Rica. Stopping by the oxcart factory in Sarchi was such an unexpected treat. He made the first 2 legs of our trip so enjoyable
with his humor, knowledge and tireless dedication to our positive experience. I only hope our tip was satisfactory.

The lodging arrangements were diverse, each with their charms. Grano de Oro had such an understated elegance with an unpretentious yet world class restaurant. Linda Vista was simple but the staff was so friendly and the view of Arenal and the lake was spectacular. Fonda Vela had great facilities. Casa Corcovado was a very well conceived and operated resort. The personal guides were very worthwhile. Even the one night at Buena Vista was nice with it's panaramic view of the the Alajuela and San Jose.

The horseback ride to the lava fields, the two trips to the Babylonian waterpark they call Tabacon Springs, the Canopy Tour in Monteverde, snorkeling at Cano Island, the boat ride through the mangrove swamps of Sierrpe River, even the Sansa airplane ride down the Pacific coast were memories we will treasure forever.

The coatis, monkeys (howler, spider and capuchin), birds (toucans, trogons, frigates, maccaws,and green honeycreeper), and trees (traveler palms, walking palms, palm oil, coconut, zapote, eucalytus, cashew, poro) have certainly provided perspective on the world in which we live.

The priveledge of of viewing an active volcano doing it's thing both during the day and at night will bring a fresh perspective to teaching Earth Science.

For those exploring this website who are thinking about traveling to Costa Rica - GO! For those looking for the right company to arrange the trip - BOOK WITH Rainforest Tours.

your very satisfied customers

Steve and Nita Glenn

PS Don't forget the Tshirt (X large).

We loved Costa Rica and we are currently making plans to go next summer and study at La Selva - I will let you know how that goes. We had a most incredible time and I most certainly will post my comments once I have my photos back. Corcovado was incredible, the whole trip was a dream come true. I only wish the roads weren't blocked on our way to La Selva, so we could have made the white water rafting trip - but that can be done next time.

It was wonderful to meet you, and I must say - you have impeccable tastes! Each hotel was beautiful and the local people are a treasure. I cannot stop saying wonderful things about Costa Rica, Ticos, and the Rainforest Tours experience.

Take care and talk to soon,

Kassandra
"Kassandra Sutherland"

We just completed a 16 day trip to Costa Rica. We had a fabulous time. All of Arturo's arrangements and transfers were flawless. Costa Rica is amazing. The people are very friendly and enjoying sharing their country and culture w/ visitors.

The 2-day rafting trip on the Pacuare River w/ Rio Tropicales was the highlight of our trip. It was one of the most fun things we've ever done.

We spent 5 nites in Puerto Viejo, (Southern Carribean), driving there from the take-out point from the rafting trip. Arturo arranged to have a 4X4 waiting for us with our luggage. That was really convenient; we didn't have to return to San Jose after rafting, so that saved one whole day.

A WORD ABOUT DRIVING.

We loved the flexibility and freedom driving a jeep gave us. There are a lot of potholes (wacos) on the roads that you need to steer around, like the locals do-- but for the most part. the roads are OK. However, If you're driving around Arenal Lake, or to Monteverde, or remote dirt roads (like we did) you need to be able to change a tire. We didn't get any flats, but I think we just got lucky. VERY IMPORTANT - OBEY THE SPEED LIMITS.

We drove a total of 1000 kilometers and constantly saw police cars at speed traps - especially right by schools and beginnings of towns where the posted speed limit is 60 - 80 kilometers and then instantly drops to 40 kilometers. The police cars are stationed inconspicuously right by the speed change area with their radar guns. We didn't get a ticket, (we were extremely careful) but we saw lots of others who did -- mostly tourists. Seems like traffic tickets are a big money-making enterprise for the government.

We enjoyed the Southern Caribbean very much. It's a kickback, counterculture, party area so if you're into that scene you'll love it. Probably not a place to go for a family w/ kids, and it is extremely humid. We liked our cabina at Costa Papito and Eddie the owner (from New York) was very helpful. Using PV as a base camp, we explored Manzanillo, Cahuita, and Tortaguero. It's good to have a car in this region. If you don't (and most don't) rent a bicycle.

We did a jungle trek in the Gandoca/Manzanillo Refuge with our guide, Omar, from Aquamoor. We saw lots of howler monkeys and Omar taught us about the different herbal medicinal used for many of the flora we saw. The refuge is not as visited as many of the other ones in CR and is a good one to visit if you want to avoid crowds.

We did a day trip to Tortaguero, driving to the docks at Moin and hooking up w/ Willis & his boat.

We saw amazing wildlife-- monkeys, crocodiles, 2 and 3 toed sloths, Jesus Christ lizards, and many, many kinds of birds. Willis was incredible at spotting animals that we never would have seen, and then he would manuever the boat right over the them. We highly recommend doing this trip. If you have time to spend the night, you can tour the canals in Tortaguero too.

We had intended to go surfing in Puerto Viejo and kayaking in the Gandoca lagoon, but the weather was uncooperative (it actually rained a good deal) and the surf was too rough.

We then drove for 7 hours to Arenal and spent 2 nights in a cabin at Arenal Paraiso which we really liked. It rained almost all of the time that we were there, and we actually couldn't see the volcano at all, which was very disappointing, and we couldn't go horseback riding either. Arenal Paraiso has a lovely waterfall to hike to, which we did in between rainshowers. The Tabacon Spa is beautiful and relaxing. The spa had more people there than anyplace else we visited. On the morning that we were leaving, we had breakfast in the dining room facing the volcano that we couldn't see. For just a minute, the cone of the volcano became visible, and at that moment the volcano erupted and we got to see the smoke plumes and heard and felt the rumble. That was really cool! The area is really beautiful and we would have loved to be able to explore it. The climate was a welcome change from the Caribbean too.

We then drove around the lake to Monteverde. The scenery was spectacular and the driving slow (5 hrs).

The cabina at Fonda Fela was roomy and the staff was very accommodating. We did a guided tour at Monteverde and did the Sky Trek Tour which was fun.

The drive back to San Jose was long on the Intercontinental Highway. There were slowdowns on hills due to trucks and it took about 5 hours to get to SJ.

The Grano de Oro Hotel is very nice, and the service is excellent. We stayed a total of 3 nights, each time for 1 one night. It's is very comfortable w/ all modern conveniences, has charming decor, and has an excellent restaurant. It was a great place to stay in between the more rustic cabinas.

The next day we flew to the Osa Peninsula. Getting there is half the fun. We stayed at Drake Bay at the Delfino Amor Eco Lodge for 3 nights. The grounds are beautiful and there are many white-faced monkeys living there. They gave us a great show one day on the beach where they were playing.

The cabinas are much more basic and the bathrooms are shared, with cold water showers, but are a great value if you want to visit this area and can't afford the more "upscale" accommodations.

We did a Dolphin/Whale Encounter boat ride which was fun. The next day we went to orcavado
which was excellent. It was raining for awhile when we first got there, but we discovered that it's actually even better to hike in Corcavado while it's raining. You see much more wildlife and it's cooler. We saw a dozen coatis, monkeys, a tayra, a Jesus Christ lizard, scarlet parrots and many many other birds.

Our last but not least adventure was in San Jose. WORD TO THE WISE... When walking on the busy streets HOLD ON TO YOUR VALUABLES.

We got pickpocketed walking near the Central Market area. Luckily, we realized it right away, and w/ the assistance of a passer-by who pointed out the thieves, and the fact that Jeff is a strong, athletic, 6'3" guy--we "recovered" our stuff! It was quite the scene. Remember - If you get bumped... you've been pickpocketed. Other than that incident, which could happen at any major city, we felt very safe and like we said before, we found the people to be very friendly and helpful.
Our only regret is that we didn't get to meet Arturo in person. If we ever go back to CR we would surely coordinate our trip w/ him again.

PURA VIDA
Carole & Jeff

Carole & Jeff
Los Angeles,

Arturo,

Many thanks for the transfers & the tour, we were impressed with the punctuality, service and professionalism shown by your company. We would have no hesitation in recommending your company to other people.

Thanks again
Kev & Viv
Kevin Orme

Arturo,

We had such a great time on our trip. I would recommend you and your company to anyone who was looking to go to Costa Rica. You made two single women driving around a strange land feel safe, and secure and ready to have a great week. There were absolutely no problems with any reservation, or planned pick-up. It was seamless. We loved Arenal and Monteverde the best, and thought the beach in Tamarindo was just beautiful. If I could do it again I would have added 3 more days, as you suggested; one in Arenal and 1 more in monteverde and rather than Tamarindo I would have driven the extra miles to Manuel Antonio....but that is for next February! I might even have ridden horseback from Arenal to Monteverde and then picked up a car in Santa Elena or somewhere for the rest of the journey, since the horses take less time than the car. But in all the trip was unforgettable, the people wonderful, and the land incredible. People should use your company without reservation, your integrity and professionalism are not to be outdone!

I also want to mention the rental car company's helpfulness. They were wonderful when we got a flat tire in Arenal.

Thank you for such a wonderfully planned vacation.
I hope to do business with you again!

Jen
"Jennifer Wolfe"
"Amy Hunter"

Dear Arturo,

Thanks so much for your help in organizing our introductory trip to Costa Rica. Your excellent hotel and tour recommendations worked perfectly for our way-too-short mini-vacation. I'll be sure to contact you when we make our eagerly anticipated and much longer return trip. Here's a photo from our balcony at the excellent Costa Verde Hotel near Manuel Antonio National Park.

Best regards,

Brian
Brian Taylor

P.S. I'm in marketing so I figured you'd like a clear endorsement for your webpage. Everything did go well and, since it was one of the few times in 19 years Gail and I were on holiday without kids and we had a tight schedule, I'm really happy there weren't any problems. We certainly do intend to go back, and I will call you when we do. On the next trip I hope we can meet you. The Costa Ricans we met on our trip were wonderful people and I'm sure you're no exception.

Hi Arturo,

Great meeting you this past week! And thank you for the t-shirts which we all used!

We LOVED Costa Rica! Your assistance with our trip made it that much more enjoyable.

We loved the Grano de Oro. VERY cute. Also really liked the Tabacon. SO GLAD the Arenal Lodge was not available. We did have Gerardo take us to see it and there is no comparison between the two properties. It rained the full day we were in Arenal. We did walk down to the waterfall that day, but we were glad we were in the spa area and could take advantage of the facilities there.
Arenal really wouldn't have been a good choice. So things worked out the way they were supposed to.

We also really enjoyed our time with Gerardo. He did everything he could to make our trip enjoyable. He has a great sense of humor and could take our teasing as well as dish it out. So we thoroughly enjoyed him. I believe we all would have adopted him as a son if we could have!

So, all in all we were VERY happy with your services and if I have anyone going to Costa Rica again, I will try and use your services.

Thank you so much.

Sue Hanson
Town & Country Travel

I too was pleased to get the chance to meet with your personally and chat at the end of our trip. I was glad your operation went smoothly and was happy to see that you were recovering quickly. My daughter and I learned a great deal about Costa Rica in our travel, met many friendly people, and enjoyed all of our lodging accomodations, despite to the setbacks of weather, cancelled rafting, and the misguided day to Arenal. We also appreciated your personal service, honesty and fairness in attempting to accomodate and compensate for the difficulties and changes that occurred during our tour.

I'm sure I will be returning in the future to further explore Costa Rica and to introduce my wife and other daughter to your country and will be in touch. I still want to actually see the volcano, take that rafting trip, and hike in the Monteverde Preserve. The Calypso tour was quite enjoyable (good weather day!) as were the horseback rides even though we could not see much in the mountains due to the mist and rain. I'll send some pictures of the trip as soon as they are processed.

Thanks again for your assistance.
"H. Wesley Perkins"
perkins@hws.edu

Arturo,

Thank you again for all your help putting together our wonderful vacation. Costa Rica has to be the most beautiful place on this earth!

We loved Cala Luna! The first day there we walked to Tamarindo Beach, which was a bit too crowded for my taste. Another day we went to Playa Langosta - much more my style! Cala Luna was in a perfect location - close to both beaches and within walking distance of our favorite restaurant, "Restaurante Pescado." We ate there every night!

We also loved Arenal, and wish we'd had another day to spend there. The hiking was fabulous, and the gardens were gorgeous.

I can't think of enough good things to say about our experience! I have a friend who's planning his honeymoon and I'm recommending Costa Rica. I'll give him your e-mail if he's interested!

One thing to let people know - get to the airport in San Jose EARLY!! We barely made it on the plane, and we were there about 90 minutes before the flight took off. Security was very tight, and American Airlines was checking everyone's bags before accepting them. There were also checks of carryon luggage before getting on the plane.

I'll send a picture when they're developed!

Sue
Playsharp2@aol.com

Dear Arturo,

Being back in reality is a bit difficult as Joseph and I had an incredible time in Costa Rica. The hotel you sent us to was the most beautiful, romantic hotel we have seen and the views were incredible from all 3 of our hotels. We continue to talk about the warmth of Costa Rican people as well as the beauty of the country.

While waiting for our plane at San Jose to return back to the states, we were talking about traveling back to Costa Rica next Christmas. This trip would not have been possible without your help. Your organization, efficiency, and reliability made the trip what it was. Thank you! We are already referring others to you and look forward to speaking with you for our next trip! Again thank you!

Susie Hess and Joseph Port
Suz9733@aol.com

Arturo,

The two day trip that you arranged for us during our stay in Costa Rica was the highlight of our week. Our driver, Gerardo, arrived at our our hotel on time after driving 5 hours from San Jose to get to Tamarindo at the designated time. That was a great start. His English was excellent and made communication during the trip very easy. Having a 15 passenger van with a driver that knows the area is really the way to go.

Having a driver allowed all of us a chance to see the countryside and eliminated any potential family disputes about directions, getting lost, etc... Having a vehicle dedicated to just our family gave us all the flexibility we needed. I am not sure how he did it but even while navigating the often torturous path around Lake Arenal, Gerardo was able to spot wildlife, like monkeys in the trees, that we would have certainly missed if we were driving on our own. I think he got a kick out my comment that he must have just called ahead to have the tour company release the monkeys just before we got there. He had a great sense of humor and was a lot of fun to have on the trip.

We really enjoyed the 4 hour drive to and around Lake Arenal to the lodge. The chalet that you arranged for us had a great view of the volcano. The whole wall facing the volcano was all windows. I think we were fortunate that the volcano was not shrouded in clouds at all the first day/night. We got some good photos that we can send your way. We took a short horseback ride at the lodge, after which there was at least one horse that wished he were still a pony. He was pretty scrawny and at times I thought he would pass out lugging my carcass up the steep cobbleston road. Somehow he made it, but I think they should probably put him out to pasture.

The visit to Tabacon Springs was a great way to relax after the long trip to Arenal. It is truly a beautiful place. The kids were really quite impressed. Melissa thought that this is where she would want to go for her honeymoon. Getting in was a snap and Gerardo even rounded up the towels and lockers for us so we did not have to stand in line. Arriving there in the late afternoon was perfect because it kept us out of the sun so we could spend as long as we wanted in the hot springs.

The next morning, following breakfast, Gerardo started us out on the final leg of our two day adventure. We headed to the Cloud Forest Lodge near Sta. Elena for a canopy tour. Again Gerardo was able to find more monkeys on the side of the road, an agouti and jagamundi's that we would probably hve missed. He arranged for us to get a private canopy tour an hour an a half earlier than scheduled, so it was just our family, along with Mario and Jonathan swinging, through the canopy. We were sorry we missed their new course by 20 days, which would have added 6 more zip lines and another rapel, but the 3 zips and the one rapel seemed to satisfy the adventurous spirit in all of us. I think the 100 foot rapel was a little spooky for most of us, but the guides made us all feel safe and handled the tasks perfectly.

We went to a nice little pizza place in Sta. Elena that Gerardo knew and had great pizza. He also pointed us to the local coop to buy coffee and artcrafts. After talking to some of the locals Gerardo identified the best way back to Liberia and off we went. It seemed like every where we went he knew someone. That gave the trip a more comfortable feel, almost like you were riding with family.

This was Christmas Eve day and after a 4 hour trip to Sta. Elena, 2.5 hours in the canopy and another 4-5 hours back to Tamarindo, Gerardo had another 5 hours to get back to San Jose to be home for Christmas. The guy was an iron man, never complaining once about the long day. Even in the last hour from Liberia to Tamarindo in the dark he suddenly stops and backs up to show us a boa constrictor on the highway that only he saw the first time.

I am pleased to report that this trip was exactly as represented during our email exchanges I think the overall experience exceeded our expectations. Even our kids were excited about this part of our trip despite the long hours on the road. They are well seasoned travelers (for teenagers) and are particular about handing out praise so you can consider their positive response a definite plus.We felt in good hands with his competent driving and conversation. I know our Spanish improved and I hope he too enjoyed the excursion.

We also appreciate his helping us out at Arenal Lodge. The bill in the morning did not include a charge made to the gift shop the night before. When I inquired and tried to pay, they spent almost a half hour trying to find the bill. I was given no receipt and had an estimate. Perhaps my limited Spanish didn't help, but I just said to charge it to the credit card that the room was charged to when they found it. We got a call later in the PM and said they couldn't do that, they needed cash. Gerardo offered to deliver it for us. For future travelers, make sure they get a paper receipt from the gift shop and recognize that their computer system is not as updated as it could be. Fortunately all worked out. We believe we tipped Gerardo generously, but we can never pay enough for the wonderful memories. We would recommend him and the tour to others.

Thanks for a great trip,
Dave, Michelle, Richard and Melissa Benson
Dave and Michele Benson
Woodbury, USA

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