We arrived at the beach of Manuel Antonio National Park and walked through the park to the small town. We had signed up for the optional "Rainmaker Canopy Tour" so a bus picked us up in town and drove ~45 minutes into the mountains.
There I strapped Matthew into a backpack for the 3 hour walk up the mountain. We traversed suspended bridges in the canopy but saw very little wildlife- only a millipede, toad, and anole. I was disappointed that the trip had been advertised as a "canopy tour" when we really only spent ~ 20 minutes on the canopy bridges. The rest of the time was spent on a steep and humid rainforest walk. We really would have seen much more wildlife if we'd stayed with the group in Manuel Antonio. There they saw three slots, capuchin monkeys, a howler monkey, and more.
Upon returning to the town, Matthew needed a break so I played on the beach with him while mom went shopping. Matthew played with a naked little two year old Asian boy, splashing in the waves and dumping sand. Once again, they made instant friends without any language barrier to hold them back.
It was the first town that we had encountered since Panama City and grandma loved the chance to finally buy souvenirs. She returned laden with shopping bags and I set out, determined to gather as many Christmas presents as I could in the next half hour. I bartered very little at first, thrilled to just be able to buy unique presents. Finally, I got back into my bartering groove and started negotiating a bit more. I also got a quick chance to call home with my international phone card that finally worked!
After we returned to the boat, the staff put on a slide show with photos from our journey. There were some great shots and we had the chance to purchase the CD of images with the profits going back to the Embera people.
Adventure Life took care of everything! All we had to do was show up when we were supposed to, which made our first trip to Costa Rica largely stress-free and incredibly fun. Our trip reps, Hannah and Mariethony, were helpful and responsive, getting back to us by email usually within a few hours. Our accommodations were all great, and we got incredibly blessed with some absolutely stellar guides and drivers.
Our Jungle & Beach trip was an excellent balance of adventure and rest. We got to try out a lot of different activities, including snorkeling, hiking, white water rafting and kayaking, while also partaking of some rest around the pool or by the ocean. We enjoyed seeing and exploring the beautiful Caribbean side of the country.
Joy Knowles
1 week ago
The company made our adventure trip hassle-free, and a lot of fun! I will definitely be using them again
Carolena F
1 month ago
For our first trip to Costa Rica, Adventure Life designed a tour that meets the interests, ecological and adventure, of our party; but also takes into account our physical limitations sine we are all septuagenarian. We are looking forward to the trip.
John Zent
1 month ago
COSTA RICA a trip of a life time travelling round this beautiful country. All went like clockwork even when the weather was against us and all transfers seemed to be part of the holiday not a chore. Would definitely use Adventure Life again having previously used them 20 years ago!!
Cynthia Calton
1 month ago
Our Costa Rica trip was amazing! Kassandra planned everything and the excursions, hotels, overall organization were outstanding. Everything worked out smoothly, the excursions guides were knowledgeable allowing us to see so much of the fauna and flora of the country. The hotels were great as well, all in fantastic locations and with beautiful views.