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Costa Rica Tours - Testimonials



Adventure Pacifica

DeAnn Marie Miller (Adventure Pacifica, Nov 2008)
This was such a wonderful trip. The pace was good as was the amount of exercise. My husband was impressed since this was his first adventure with you.

The Arenal Observatory Lodge was wonderful and in a fantastic location.

We spent our first night unexpectedly at the Panama airport because of weather in San Jose and our flight crew's need for down time. Jeffrey Bonilla was most accommodating and made re-arrangements for our airport to hotel pick up (so sorry the first gentleman had to wait 3 hours at the airport and we never showed up) and shuttle to Turtle Beach the following day, where we met up with our other two travelers. Mario was extremely knowledgeable and interested in keeping us entertained and safe. Our driver (forgot his name) was skilled and also did a good job.

Food was great everywhere. Portions were perfect and it was healthy.

Magnus Larson (Adventure Pacifica , Mar 2008)
Our guide, Pavel Sancho, is one of the most caring, gentle, patient, intelligent and friendly persons we have ever met in our lives. He truly showed us the real Costa Rica with a love for his country that is admired by us all. Not only is his expertise in Biology (our kids asked 2000+ questions at least, I am sure!), but he has incredible knowledge about all aspects of his country, Central America, the rest of the world, politics, environment, food, entertainment, sports, etc.

The food was awesome. Always lots and of great quality. We really enjoyed eating the authentic Costa Rican dishes. Great for kids too.

The tour exceeded our expectations in every sense, but it was truly the unbelievable efforts of our guide, Pablo, that made the tour go from great, to a lifetime experience trip. Thank you Adventure life. Your ability to organize our safety and enjoyment using only native Costa Ricans was incredible.

Adventure Life did a phenomenal job. It was simply one of the best trips we have ever taken. THANK YOU!!

Mary Jane Phillips (Adventure Pacifica, Feb 2008)
I am 63 years old and I was seeking adventure. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it all - the hiking, the white water rafting, as well as the rowing and the zip lining. With the encouragement and help of all the people involved in the various activities, I did it all. It was a great experience! Pura Vida!! My tico nickname was "Tortugita." Like a little turtle (4Ft. 9in.), I was slow, but sure with much help and so much more laughter. Thanks to all for making it a truly memorable trip.

Ken Keaton (Encounter Panama, Feb 2008)
This was our fourth trip w/AL...a returning customer is a satisfied customer, and you folks are the best I've encountered.

I continue to be amazed that, in Central and South America, you manage to convince the drivers to be precisely on time (to quote Wade Davis, there are no train schedules in Columbia, only rumors). The two guides for the Embera (Kenny) and Barro Colorado (Wendy) were delightful, fun, and knowledgeable.

I have to comment on the local crafts -- the cocobolo and the tagua carvings of the Embera, their magnificent, intricate weavings of baskets, and the Molas of the Kuna. Some of these were amazingly beautiful, executed with magnificent skill. It was an honor to visit the people and have them share something of their lifestyles with us. Obviously, we were delighted.

You don't provide an option for the experience exceeding expectations, or I'd have checked that one. Adventure Life has done it again. This was a great trip!

Shelly Gordon and Richard Burge (Adventure Pacifica, Mar 2007)
Our guide and driver absolutely made this trip for us.

Wes Lui and Jodi McFadden (Adventure Pacifica, Jan 2005)
We just returned to Toronto from our trip to Costa Rica and wanted to express what an amazing time we had! Our tour guide Gerardo and our driver Marco were two of the most friendly most knowledgeable people we have ever met. Their incredible interest and passion for what they do, as well as their pride and excitement in sharing their beautiful country with us, made our trip one we will never forget. They were extremely accommodating to our needs and many times went out of their way to make our trip most enjoyable. Also they were quite professional in their conduct while at the same time became good friends that we were sad to leave behind. We would recommend both Gerardo and Marco as a great team to any visitor to Costa Rica and would definitely request to have them with us again for future trips.

On a side note, the trip itself was fantastic. However, we found that our last destination; La Cuisinga, as beautiful and secluded as it was, was a little too much of a change from such an adventurous trip up to that point. As much as we did enjoy the relaxation we would have like to stay longer in Manuel Antonio where we could have the option of enjoying more activities on the beach. We just found that there weren't as many activities at La Cuisinga as the itinerary lead us to believe. Perhaps one day at La Cuisinga instead of three would have been ... Read All

Brower Family (Machu Picchu by Train, Dec 2004)
We had a great time! There was an excellent combination of free/flexible time and formally guided activities. We especially enjoyed the extra day in Machu Picchu. The Adventure Life style suited us very well - a great mix of action, history, wildlife and fun.

Harriett Hassan and family (Adventure Pacifica, Dec 2004)
The tour was excellent. We loved the eco-tourism. It was great being away from the crowds and visiting interesting places. We had a ball!

Delores Cummings and Group (Adventure Pacifica, Nov 2004)
Very nice lodging. Mario was great. He did an excellent job. Excellent trip. One of the best I have ever taken. The trip was everything I expected and more.

Marina Korniets (Adventure Pacifica, Nov 2004)
Better than I expected. Not as adventurous and strenuous as I expected. It was a right mix for me. I definitely recommend it.

Caribbean Adventure - Bocas Town

Catherine Cuccia (Caribbean Adventure, Feb 2008)
Met fascinating individuals from all over the globe. Great combination of city, jungle, beach, and nature all in one trip. Enjoyed whitewater rafting down the Pacuare River in Costa Rica. Thoroughly enjoyed the eco-friendly Selva Bananito Lodge and its hospitable staff and adventure-filled tours of the jungle. I have never rappelled before and I was amazed that I could hike for 7 hours and rappel down an 80 ft. waterfall! Very cool! The accommodations at Tranquilo Bay in Panama were superb and the extraordinary personal customer service by the staff was exceptional. Very much enjoyed meeting the indigenous Indian tribe, the Gnobe-Bugles.

Deborah Hicks (Customized Caribbean Adventure, Apr 2007)
Selva Bananito was so unique! Villa Marita was very charming with a nice staff. Our favorite guide was in Panama City. He was soooo intent in taking us everywhere in one day, which was much appreciated given our short travel schedule.

James Roberts (Caribbean Adventure, Feb 2006)
We had a great time on our trip. It truly was an adventure. The scenic beauty of Costa Rica was amazing. From the whitewater of the Pacuare River to the rainforest at Selva Bananito Lodge, the natural beauty of the landscape was a wonderful experience.

The quaint little town of Bocas del Toro in Panama was a great winding down spot. It was neat the way the buildings are built out over the water. The history of Panama City was interesting to learn about. I had no idea that so much history was involved with that part of the world.

Peter Papamichael and Alkestis Zapantis (Caribbean Adventure, Feb 2005)
We enjoyed every minute!! Our vacation was unbelievably amazing! I did things in Selva Banantio (zip lining, rappelling) that I never ever thought I would do! Our guide exuded such confidence and calm that I tried everything - and it ended up being life altering and incredible!

Wild Costa Rica - Tiskita

Margaret Caldwell (Wild Costa Rica, Jan 2009)
What I thought was fabulous was as soon as we arrived someone was there waiting for us to take us to the next point....worry free traveling! loved it!

marenco lodge...food was good. @ pacuare lodge food was excellent.

we will be using adventure life for our next fabulous trip!!

William Thurlow (Wild Costa Rica - Tiskita, Mar 2008)
Everything from the arrangements to the accommodations and food and especially the local guides was just first rate we were very impressed that all of the connections went off without a hitch!

We were so impressed with not only our rafting guides' skills on the river, but with how they were just full of knowledge about Costa Rica and the jungle. Our guide Chullo was not only friendly but he treated us like members of his family. His and the other guides' knowledge was unbelievable, not only did they know every twist and turn in the river and how to hit the biggest rapids every time, but they knew every plant, every tree, every fish, every bug . . . well, you get the picture. These guys know their stuff!

Peter Vanicek and Liliane Brantes (Wild Costa Rica Tiskita , Mar 2007)
The trip was great and well planned! The drivers were always on time, friendly, and the vehicles were always great. Tiskita was also excellent-great place and staff. Thanks for a great trip-it was a present to my wife for her 50th birthday. We loved Costa Rica! You did a wonderful job for us and I will use Adventure Life again.

Adventure Pacifica - Corcovado

Jeffrey Welgoss (Adventure Pacifica, Dec 2007)
We had heard of the beauty of Costa Rica from many friends and the tour did not disappoint. The country provides a wonderful combination of eco-tourism, unique adventure experiences such as canopying and waterfall rappelling, without sacrificing comfortable accommodations. Casa Corcovado combines the experience of remoteness, the beauty of nature and luxurious accommodations perfectly. The people are friendly and accommodating. Adventure Life and the in-country contacts were responsive and helpful, even at 5 PM on Christmas Eve!

Costa Rica Quest

Catherine Watson (Costa Rica Quest, Jan 2009)
I can't thank the staff at Adventure Life enough for arranging a trip of a lifetime for our family!! It was the best!! Costa Rica is a world full of wonder and excitement. Can't wait to go back!

It was amazing!! As a family used to all-inclusive sit on the beach we weren't sure how we would manage with the moving around. My kids at 8 and 11 years old so you never know! At the end of the trip the kids asked if we could do this kind of tour again next year!! We asked what their favorite part of the trip was and they said they couldn't pick because it was all so awesome!

Randall was the best. The poor guy was worried to death about his family due to the earthquake (it went right by his home) but no one would have known he was happy and helpful and a great guide. All other guides were also very good.

I was very concerned about the earthquake situation but Adventure Life was only a phone call away and assured me things were fine and that they had contacted their Costa Rica reps and our trip should be ok.

Tortuguero was wonderful away from everything. Selva Verde was absolutely amazing. Manoa was very new and with all the comforts of home.

Cynthia Maki (Costa Rica Quest, Oct 2008)
Our contact was wonderful. This was a pretty adventurous trip for our family so my daughter-in-law made several contacts with questions, etc. Every inquiry was handled with grace and efficiency. If the answer was not readily available, we received a rapid return call with the information requested.

When we got to Lomas del Volcan the AIR CONDITIONING was really welcomed! All of the lodging was great. The atmosphere at Turtle Beach was perfect. The grounds at LaQuinta were interesting to the children. Although the rooms were very hot, the hotel provided fans which met our needs.

I guess "Costa Rican time" is very different then "Mexican time." A couple of our transport drivers were really great and deserve a special mention. From LaQuinta to Arenal the driver was just great. He sang us a song he had written (talented man), found a sloth for us, and pointed out interesting things along the way. He helped the kids get up close and personal with the iguanas and made an extra stop for us which we really appreciated. The driver from Arenal to San Jose was also very good. He took us to a roadside "joint" for lunch. It had all the local flavor and was a fun stop. The food was okay too.

The guides were really, really good! The respect and accommodation they showed the kids was greatly appreciated. They went out of their way to locate the animals the kids ... Read All

Rhonda Maki (Costa Rica Quest, Oct 2008)
Marissa was great. Always willing to take my questions and answer them as best as possible. Always friendly and very willing to help at all times.

All the rides were great and exactly on time, if not minutes early. We particularly loved our driver from La Quinta to Arenal. HE WAS THE BEST EVER.

The guides were awesome!!!! You would have thought we were their first ever to give a tour to. Made sure we saw amazing animals, some of them very rare (i.e. boa constrictor, three venomous snakes, all three types of monkeys for that area, including the rare spotting of the white faced monkeys, etc..) Again, cannot say enough about how great this tour was. We would most definitely book through Adventure Life again.

I can't believe how wonderful this trip was. Our family of 5 (my husband, myself, my 65 year old mother-in-law and my two children ages 10 and 9) had the most exciting adventure with Adventure Life. BEST VACATION EVER!!! We have visited, Belize, Bonaire, Mexico, Dominican Republic, etc. But Adventure Life really came through with an amazing trip. Perfectly timed tours and transportation. Perfect hotels and guides. We especially loved and recommend the white water rafting. That is a must do and great staff. We will never forget that. They were sooooo great with my 9 year old daughter and we had a blast. My 65 year old mother-in-law said it was the ... Read All

Alice Barrett (Costa Rica Quest, Aug 2008)
Every guide was friendly and informative. I still have a crush on Gabriel, our guide from LeBergerac to Turtle Beach. We had a great time on all our trips, the morning canal boat ride, the cerro tour, and the canoe ride. We saw lots of animals and learned lots about the environment. We were lucky enough to see turtles on the night tour of the Tortuguero Beach, one laying, two coming out of the sea and two going back in.

Our whitewater rafting trip was fabulous! And our guide was terrific, telling us when to jump out of the boat for little swims teaching us how to navigate the river. And our guide for the morning rainforest walk in Arenal was a sweet young man who knew the trail very well and who led us into a troop of howler monkeys. We have video of us surrounded by males, mothers with babies on their backs, young monkeys curious about us and looking at us from their branches in the trees. We were looking up at them for such a long time my neck started to hurt! Later in the trip we saw a peccary, which apparently is very rare. We felt we were blessed every step of the way, that the animals were coming out to see us as opposed to the other way around.

This was the vacation of a lifetime. My entire family hadn't been away together in many years and this trip was our reward for our long wait. We loved the countryside right away as we drove to our first ... Read All

Daniel Robinson (Costa Rica Quest, Jul 2008)
The pre-departure assistance was excellent. All of the literature arrived promptly and Monika was very helpful in the trip planning stages.

The trip exceeded my expectations. The logistical planning was done very well, allowing us to focus on having fun!

Seeing the \"National Geographic\" moments like nesting sea turtles and marching armies of leaf-cutter ants in life changing. It\'s nice to see a culture that treasures their space as much as the Costa Ricans. I would highly recommend this trip and Adventure Life to anyone.

Adventure Pacifica

Marian Renvall (Adventure Pacifica, Apr 2009)
I have nothing but positive comments about our guide, Aaron and Driver, Edward. Aaron loves Costa Rica and wants to impart that love to the guests. He is very courteous and has an infectious smile, so when he comes, you cannot help but feel good and smile. He always has time to greet people. He use to teach tourism classes and numerous guides greet him and you can tell they respect Aaron has a teacher and guide. Aaron was able to find numerous animals and insects that other guides missed. He made the trip successful and a true pleasure.

Loved it & will probably do another tour. It was a true vacation for me (the parent) as I did not have to think about the next meal, lodging. Especially for the driving, I recommend let someone else drive!. The scenery is spectacular, and having a local driver is much to the vacationer's advantage

Lee Catalfomo (Adventure Pacifica, Mar 2009)
We ate in some wonderful places; Le Bergerac (one of our favorites), Morphos (great for lunch), Johhny's Pizza (excellent Italian food and pizza), Marlin (great seafood), Dos Cocos across from Marlin which was our favorite or second favorite place to eat. The meals at the Arneal Loddge were also very good. The first night in San Jose we ate in a small local tapas restaurant (also served full entrees) called the Olio Restaurant and Pub just a short walk away (great Tapas and a fine way to begin our adventure).

Mario Morazan was the perfect choice for us. He was very enthusiastic about his country, extremely knowledgeable of the flora and fuana (especially the birds), was a wonderful guide, was fun to be with and have dinner with, and was personable and friendly. His enthusiam is adictive!. All of the other guides we encountered (raft tour, canopy tour, white water rafting, rainforest tour, and the drivers were all very nice and friendly and seemed happy to have us visiting their wonderful country!

When we began looking for a place to vist this year we decided not go to Europe due to the poor exchange rate. We considered the Ammazon, Machu Picu, Galapagos, and then came upon Costa Rica. After doing a quick internet search for Costa Rica travel we came upon the Adventure Life web site. We evaluated the trips to Costa Rica and agreed that the one we ... Read All

Larry Zehr (Adventure Pacifica, Feb 2009)
Costa Rica was a very good trip. Great group of people right from our guide, Mario and bus driver, Felippe to our travel companions. The nine day tour went by in a heart beat. We really enjoyed our group and had fun exploring Costa Rica

The accommodations were very good. We actually expected to be a little more rustic on our adventure tour. Not complaining!

Mario was an amazing guide, knowledgeable and very funny. All the other guides on each individual excursions were great as well.

Food was good. Was not always very flavorful (Costa Rica style), always in abundance and warm.

Tracey Smith (Adventure Pacifica, Feb 2009)
My tour guide Mario Morazan is one of the best guides I have ever had. I travel often, so this is saying alot. I adored him and the driver-Felipe.

I am very happy that I chose Adventure Life. You were very organized-everything ran exactly as planned. Since I was a single woman travelling alone this was very important to me.

Jeannine Ayers (Adventure Pacifica, Feb 2009)
Marissa was very informative & accommodating.

Overall, it was a wonderful trip. We enjoyed the other people on the tour very much. Probably, the one thing that I would change, would be to fly into Limon', or some other airport. San Jose was our first impression of Costa Rica, and it wasn't a good one.

Loved staying in different parts of Costa Rica, and having different activities already planned. Our guides, Mario & Felipi, did an amazing job--we loved both of them. They went way beyond our expectations.

We enjoyed the accommodations--liked that they were not franchises. We didn't care for San Jose at all--thought it may have been better to stay out by the airport. Most hotels were good, and one was excellent. (Arenal Volcano)

We were a little surprised at how cool & rainy the weather was for the dry season. We brought a fleece jacket as recommended, and wore it most of the time, until we reached the beach. i had wished the info would have told me to bring warmer clothes. We were expecting cool evenings and some rain, but not everyday. This was their "dry season."

Peter Thacher (Adventure Pacifica, Dec 2008)
Marrissa was great. She really helped us plan everything.

With a couple picky eaters in our bunch - everyone was very accommodating.

Flying back from Costa Rica, my wife and I had a conversation that could have been titled, "Holy Smokes, did we just have that much fun?" I am sifting through 1,500 photographs to make a condensed version of our experience for friends - words just don't do it justice. With three young kids, 9, 7 & 7, there was nothing they didn't want to do; wet caving, sail fishing, Tarzan swing, whitewater rafting, night tour and lots of hiking. They loves life's adventures - thank you Adventure Life!

Mercury Freedom (Adventure Pacifica, Dec 2008)
MOST IMPORTANTLY -- WE LOVED OUR GUIDE HEINER! THAT YOU PAID THE EXTRA EXPENSE TO SUPPLY REA & I W/ OUR OWN PERSONAL GUIDE WAS AMAZING! THANK YOU. HEINER WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL/FRIENDLY/INFORMED/ORGANIZED. HE'S A TRAINED ENTOMOLOGIST. WE CAME TO FEEL HE WAS A FRIEND TRAVELING W/ US!

Elaine Murtaugh (Adventure Pacifica, Dec 2008)
Ricardo, our guide, was great. Our family also loved our rafting guide Anthony.

Obviously you guys have no control over this, but I was a little bit bummed that there was nobody on our trip that was interested in birds or even brought a pair of binoculars. I felt kind of bad having the only pair, which I was already sharing with my family.

We loved the trip, enjoyed all of our traveling mates and had a great adventure. It was my sons first white water rafting trip, Rio Savegre and our guide Anthony provided a raucous, adrenaline pumping ride. Zip lining was a first for all of us, and was an amazing thrill that I didn't want to end. We saw lots of exciting wildlife both with Ricardo and on our own at Manuel Antonio. Can't wait for our next trip!

Kyle Greenberg (Adventure Pacifica, Dec 2008)
Great country, activities, guide, liked the small maximum 12 person size. Comfortable bus for transport, nice driver.

The tour length and choice of locations were perfect, it gave you a great overview of Costa Rica. The guide was knowledgable about the areas, history, wildlife, flaura and fauna. The small tour size was perfect, three families was nice. There was time for quality family time since the end of the trip in Manual Antonio had free days and there was always a half day in the other locations to do something outside the group.

Carine Schlesinger (Adventure Pacifica, Dec 2008)
I got emails with the itinerary with all of the contact info, nice to give to the family.

The accommodations were beyond what we expected. The hotels were awesome and the people were really friendly and helpful.

Everyone we encountered were so nice and helpful. Some really went out of their way to make our experience great.

Thanks for making our honeymoon really special. We had a blast and we could not have enjoyed ourselves more, thanks so much!

Turtles & Rainforest - Tortuguero

Emily Plagman (Turtles & Rainforest - Tortuguero, Aug 2008)
I found the staff - Marissa especially - to be very helpful and responsive when I called with questions.

Selva Banananito's lodging was amazing! Hotel Bouganveilla was gorgeous and the accommodations were top notch.

This trip was well organized and I loved going to Selva Bananito. It was a good mix of major tourist activities and off the beaten path activities. I would book through Adventure Life gain.

Colleen Wilford (Turtles & Rainforest - Tortuguero, Jul 2008)
This tour was great - we have a 15 year old son and he had a great time! I have not seen him get this psyched about a trip and doing stuff with us in a while!

Okay - canal boat tour early in the morning with camons, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, tucans, and eagles (to name a few). Hour long walks on the beach and interesting people to meet at lodges that are an adventure just to get to. Dream-time magic with fireflies in the rainforest at night. Horse back ride in the jungle to a Zipline. Climb a 100 ft tree. Great coffee! Run a river that has constant class 2, 3 and 4 rapids - This was a great time for all of us and I will recommend it to friends!

Barbara McDonough (Turtles and Rainforest, Jun 2004)
This was a marvelous trip from start to finish. I really liked the idea that this was not an escorted tour.

Janessa & Scott Gruby (Turtles and Rainforest, Jun 2004)
We saw and experienced things we never thought we'd see, such as leatherback turtle hatchings, howler monkeys, 3 and 2-toed sloths, poisonous snakes, and many frogs and birds. This trip was awesome! Off the beaten path was even better. No other tourists around, and all the guides were great!

Sarah Yentz (Turtles and Rainforest, May 2004)
I was very impressed with how organized the trip was even though I at times felt like I was in the middle of nowhere, completely out of contact, there was always someone who knew where I was and where I needed to be next and how I was going to get there. Costa Rica is a beautiful place and you did a really great job of showing us that. I would recommend the trip to anyone.

Ellen Ash & Pierre Arterianus (Turtles and Rainforest, Apr 2004)
This trip was a personal challenge and the realization of a dream years in the making. To see the leatherback turtles digging their nests and laying their eggs was a defining moment in my life. I'll never forget my euphoria when under a dark sky in the pouring rain just before midnight, I heard the words "Get down. We have a turtle!" Lucky me, to witness such a magnificent event.

For the rest of the trip: I pushed my body to the limits and it felt good to face a few fears. Never thought, at my age, to do whitewater rafting, gallop for hours across rivers and pastures on a horse, climb a tree to a height of 30 meters, zip on a cable across the tree tops to a canopy platform and rapel down from 90 feet to the river bed below; all in the space of a few days. I hurt a little right now, but these are delicious aches attached to unforgettable memories.

And no mosquitos!

Michelle and Bill Mayne (Turtles and Rainforest, Jun 2003)
Great! Pacuare was wonderful and the people there were awesome. Selva Bananito was also amazing... Loved Hotel Santo Tomas.

Jo Betty Swerdlow and Amber Sommer (Turtles and Rainforest, May 2003)
Excellent guides. They were a large part of making this an amazing experience. The cooks at Selva Bananito were great about my strange diet...An incredible experience...Zip lining and rapelling were incredible. I came home bitten, bruised, sunburned, and filthy and was incredibly happy with the trip.

Angela Ferina and Scott Douglass (Turtles and Rainforest, May 2003)
Everyone was great! Many activities were very tiring- but we had so much fun! We loved Selva Bananito! Had the whole place to ourselves for the first 2 days- first class treatment!

Linda Hannah (Turtles and Rainforest, Jun 2002)
My impression of your company is that you offer an excellent quality tour for reasonable cost. I liked the small group that I was in (they were wonderful people) and the diversity of experience that the tour offered. I will comeback! Thanks!

Beaches & Rainforest

Judith Pesin (Beaches & Rainforest, Feb 2009)
DESPITE the 4 out of 6 days of torrential rain (and this is the DRY season in Costa Rica), we had a terrific time. Unfortunately, we couldn't do some of the activities we had hoped to, given the weather, but overall, the rain did not put a damper on our spirits. The rains were a real fluke - even villagers nearby had to be evacuated, so how can how we complain about not getting a tan?

We were treated like family at the Selva Bananito lodge - everyone pitched in to make our stay enjoyable. At Cariblue, the rain kept us in our rooms, but the desk and wait staff were very friendly. Very helpful people at the Hotel Bergerac in San Jose.

All of our transfers were perfect. Even when we had to zip line across a river, with lodge staff zipping with our luggage (since torrential rains made it impossible to drive across) our taxi was waiting for us at the other side!

Lorna Milbauer (Beaches & Rainforest, Dec 2008)
Marissa could not have been nicer and more helpful.

Le Bergerac was a delightful "jewel" of a hotel and Selva Bananito also wonderful.

At Selva Bananito- Carlos, Justo, Yonaton, Drew-- everyone-- were absolutely wonderful and so supportive. I could never have accomplished all the activities that I did without them.

The variety and choice of accomodations, sights, and activities were outstanding!

I would recommend this trip to anyone looking for variety, adventure, beautiful scenery, meeting interesting people... I have travelled extensively and so far this trip is at the top of my list.

Stephanie Dubyna (Beaches & Rainforest, Oct 2008)
Selva Bannanito was the MOST FANTASTIC place I have ever stayed at! The setting is gorgeous, and the lack of electricity or telephone made it even easier to get into the laid-back, restful feeling of being on vacation.

Justo from Selva Bannanito was very knowledgeable about plants and animals in the rainforest, and he can chop a mean coconut! Exploradores Outdoors provided a great tour guide (Gigo) for our river tour - everyone was SO friendly and very helpful in teaching us Spanish.

Julie Klein (Beaches & Rainforest, Nov 2007)
Although tours are what you make them, I still have to give AL and the itinerary 10 stars. Hands down. I felt my trip was paid for by day 2.

The tour was everything I expected...and then some! I traveled alone and expected to have difficulties booking excursions, having to be at the mercy of a democratic vote from the entire group at each location...but no. I was able to do EVERYTHING AND MORE that i wanted to do on this vacation! (surfing, kayaking, horseback riding, bird watching, frog hunting, white water rafting, tree climbing, canopy zipline and rappel, waterfall hike and waterfall rappel, jungle trekking and bushwhacking. I was ridiculously active and loved every minute of it!!!)

My trip was pre-planning anxiety free, 90% all inclusive and with extreme upgrades and service. I've come back home and anyone who asks me how my trip was, I've given them the same response with a HUGE grin, "It was life changing!"

Betsy Gonzalez and Andrew Acosta (Beaches and Rainforest, Jun 2005)
We had the most wonderful time on our trip to Costa Rica. I was impressed with the hotel accommodations and how everything was organized. The hotel in San Jose was amazing, beautiful and had great service. In Selva Bananito I fell in love with the cabin and the beautiful mountains. Our guide there was amazing, he was kind and very patient with my 11 year old. In Playa Cocles, Cariblue was a beautiful hotel with breath-taking beaches. Although I was traveling alone with my son I didn't feel in danger or uncertain at any moment. You guys did an amazing job. Thanks for making this vacation unforgettable!

John and Pia Crandell (John and Pia Crandell, Mar 2005)
The tour was excellent! In particular we were impressed with how timely all of the transfers and pick-ups were.

Keith & Cydney Strand (Beaches and Rainforest, Feb 2005)
The tour was the BEST!!! Selva Bananito Lodge was a wonderful, wonderful experience.

Ben and Erin Warta (Beaches and Rainforest, Feb 2005)
Selva Bananito was such an amazing experience! We had all the excitement of the animals and birds, rappelling down the waterfall and horseback riding through the jungle, but with the comforts of candlelight conversations and wonderful service. It felt like a home away from home!

Linda Gaughran and Kenneth Grimes (MS Andrea Antarctica Cruise + Iguazu Falls, Feb 2005)
This was an amazing trip. We want to go back!

Thank you so much for your help in planning our trip. It was spectacular. Our accommodations and adventures on the side trips as well as the local contacts for tours and transportation were great. Adventure Life took great care of us, and the add-on trips to Buenos Aires, Yacutinga and Iguazu Falls were also spectacular. You guys rock!

Here is the advice I can offer to you and your clients about traveling to Antarctica….

NOTES FROM OUR ANTARCTICA, SOUTH GEORGIA, FALKLANDS TRIP ON THE MS ANDREA

RUBBER BOOTS

Cheap rubber boots are fine. I spent $20 from Gemplers.com. Make sure they are 16+” high, completely waterproof and that they have a good tread/lug depth - the ice and the penguin poop can be slippery and you will be stepping into the water getting in and out of the rafts. Do not bring lined or insulated boots because they will not dry out in time for your next landing. Get the boots a couple sizes bigger than usual to accommodate thick socks. I wear a women’s size 9 shoe and bought men’s size 9 boots (equivalent of women’s size 10.5), which gave me enough extra length and width to accommodate the socks. The best combination we found was a Smartwool or Coolmax sock liner under a heavyweight wicking hiking sock. That way you can wash and dry the liners overnight and wash the heavyweights ... Read All

Michael and Karen Gillen (Beaches and Rainforest, Dec 2004)
We had a great time and wish we could have stayed longer! Everyone was very friendly and very helpful.

Discover Costa Rica

Goodrich Family (Discover Costa Rica, Mar 2007)
This tour was terrific, we had more fun and did more things than I had ever imagined. I would recommend Adventure Life to anyone looking for an adventurous trip, and hope to book another tour in the future.

Johanna Kallio (Discover Costa Rica, Feb 2006)
Our guides were the best that anyone could ever have. We will definitely do this again next year - everything was better than I expected!

Amanda Campbell (Belize Explorer - Glover's Reef, Feb 2006)
The guide from Pook's Hill was amazing. He was extremely knowledgeable about the Mayan culture and local wildlife, and he went out of his was - bent over backwards - to fit in extra time for bird watching with me.

All the folks at Glover's Reef were very accommodating and also knowledgeable. The dive master was skilled and a great naturalist. He was very good at making us feel comfortable and safe underwater. I went on a night dive with him and it was spectacular!

I was truly blown away by the phenomenal adventures on this trip!

David and Andrea DeGrange (Wild Costa Rica - Corcovado, Dec 2005)
This was our best vacation yet, and we've traveled a lot. We enjoyed everywhere that we stayed. Everyone was very knowledgeable and helpful.

Where else can you go and look out of your luxury tent and see a spider monkey? I didn't want to leave and definitely want to go back!

Matthew and Dorothy Meola (Discover Costa Rica, Feb 2005)
Excellent! The best vacation we've ever had. We are planning to return to see other places in Costa Rica. It was so relaxing and fun! Every guide was not only super friendly, but also very knowledgeable and went way out of their way to make sure every detail was taken care of. The food at Guayabo Lodge was outstanding. La Cusinga served the best fruit of all kinds and salads with avocados and tomatoes. Le Bergerac was totally different, but superb! Very very excellent food. From the moment we got off our plane in San Jose, every single thing went so smooth! Every detail was taken care of and all we had to do was relax and have fun! We stayed an extra night at La Cusinga, which I would highly recommend. The bird watching and beaches were a perfect ending for our trip!

Everyone we met was envious of how smooth things were going for us. Most people never heard of the Turrialba area. It was a highlight for us biking through CATIE on a private tour and walking through town with our friendly, knowledgeable guide, Jorge. We will be going back for sure and wouldn't think of booking our trip with anyone but Adventure Life! Muchos Gracias!

Lee Breenblat & Elena Remais (Discover Costa Rica, Feb 2005)
Fabulous tour!!

Kerry Bloomberg and Erin Caranangh (Discover Costa Rica, Jan 2005)
The tour itself was remarkably organized, pre and during, and our trip coordinator Fabio went above and beyond to accommodate changes, etc. A very professional and proficient company. Above grade accommodations. The food was extraordinarily good -- consistently.

Wild Costa Rica - Corcovado

Bill Rothar (Wild Costa Rica, Jun 2007)
I would like to thank you for arranging my Wild Costa Rica tour. I had a fantastic time! It was as advertised and so much more. My connections and all arrangements were very precise, leaving me to enjoy myself without any worries. Your professionalism and courtesy are truly impressive. I loved Costa Rica, its people and natural beauty are just incredible. I hope to book a similar tour next year with several of my family members, and without question, I will only deal with your company. I will recommend you to anyone and everyone that I talk to.
So once again thank you very much.

Taylor Freshley (Wild Costa Rica - Corcovado, Mar 2006)
The trip was everything we expected and more. Overall, we were blown away!

David and Andrea DeGrange (Wild Costa Rica - Corcovado, Dec 2005)
This was our best vacation yet, and we've traveled a lot. We enjoyed everywhere that we stayed. Everyone was very knowledgeable and helpful.

Where else can you go and look out of your luxury tent and see a spider monkey? I didn't want to leave and definitely want to go back!

Susan and Dennis Salveson (Wild Costa Rica, Nov 2004)
This trip met all our expectation for adventure and unforgettable experiences. This trip may not be for everyone, but if you are flexible, enjoy physical, outdoor experiences and enjoy good food and the comfort of guided adventure...this trip is for you!

Michelle Antonelli School Group (Wild Costa Rica, Jul 2003)
We all want to go back. The Corcovado Lodge setting was unbelievable. The first encounter with primates was with the spider monkeys. Stephanie and I looked at each other, silently giggled, and both thought we would tinkle from excitement! (That is a good thing!) We were able to control ourselves, but not by much!

Shari Bacharach (Wild Costa Rica, Feb 2002)
Everyone was friendly and enthusiastic on both rafting trip and Tiskita Lodge. Great fun, well planned, great experience.

Earth, Fire and Water

Catherine Waltman (Earth, Fire and Water, Dec 2008)
I believe Monika initially was providing us help and then it was Marissa from then on. All support was excellent. I had several "last minute" questions and she always got back to me right away.

Again excellent. The Bergerac at San Jose was great. We got to stay in Room 14 on our arrival with a wonderful balcony. Tiskita was fantastic and so were the other lodges. We were very comfortable at all times.

Again, given all the logistics that had to happen, the drivers were always on time. We waited maybe 10-15 minutes after our flight back from Tiskita but Jose our guide said we were not scheduled for an hour later. I think they had moved our flight up. But even this did not cause much delay.

Jose Romero, our guide for Arenal and Monteverde, was fantastic. We could not believe the 3 of us had a private tour guide. We were interested in birds and wildlife and he helped us find and identified for us many, many birds. He was always friendly and witty and had a great attitude. We want to get him again the next time we go to Costa Rica!!

Our drivers was absolutely great - even on the winding dirt roads to Monteverde. The food at Tiskita was incredible. Yes all staff was excellent that we came into contact with and everyone went out of their way to be sure we were satisfied.

Tiskita food was very good. Of course, they had their fruits from the orchard ... Read All

Steven Jay Danzer (Earth, Fire, and Water 9 day, Nov 2008)
Tiskita: It was incredibly beautiful, a great combo of nature and beach. Very few misquitoes, though there were some knats. Arenal Lodge: we were actually very surprised as the wildlife viewing was exceptional there (we assumed the experience would be all about the volcano - not the wildlife.) We kept stumbling over wildife everywhere we went. We even saw a Coyote grab a Coatimundi from their pack and run away with it in its mouth , a National Geographic moment.

Everything was on schedule. Our long distant transports were always early, and the drivers seemed to be insulted if we were waiting for them beforehand - i.e. they seemed to take pride in their work ethic regarding this, which is bizarre as you will never find this in the US !! This was my second trip to Costa Rica. The first time I rented a car, and swore never again (because of the roads and lack of signs!) Having people drive us around worked out perfectly.

Overall, the tour was great, probably in part b/c it really was a personalized tour (just two people), and because Mario was very accommodating.

Tiskita is run by Peter and Lisbeth who are fountains of knowledge, and extremely friendly. They constantly went out of there way to make us feel really welcome on their property (again, in the US this rarely happens!). For the rest of the trip, we had Mario - who was also very friendly and ... Read All

Shelley Scheffler (Earth, Fire, and Water, Mar 2008)
From start to finish, your company helped us make easy transitions to different experiences and terrains. Not usually a tour type person, I found that it provided an individualized experience with knowledgeable guides that helped us see the wonders of the rain forests, volcanoes etc. Thanks!!

Jane Kurinsky (Earth, Fire and Water, Jan 2005)
Tiskita Lodge is not to be missed! In all, I had a great time.

Sandy Caughron (Earth, Fire and Water, Apr 2004)
The guide and driver were excellent. No future tour would measure up to theirs - a high standard has been set!

Sara Burke (Earth, Fire and Water, Apr 2004)
Excellent trip and guide had excellent knowledge of the country and birds. Our guide was accommodating beyond usual expectations. Super tour overall!

Caribbean Adventure - Tranquilo Bay

David Bennett (Caribbean Adventure, Mar 2009)
Hotel LeBergerac, Lomas del Volcan Tranquilo Bay all excellent. Panama City very very good. Selva Bananito was so unique for us it was difficult to evaluate due to first eco lodge..so I guess good.

Justo in Selva Bananito, Ramon and Natalia at Tranquilo Bay just so informative and very very friendly. Rene in Panama City was well versed. The courteousness of all staff at every location was really 5 stars. Some of these people were very young and they really did "get it" as to what was necessary to get repeat business through a personal extension of themselves.

The Arenal zip line at Paraiso..significantly better than I expected and enhanced by their staff (for someone fearful of heights) Wanted to go for a second round of zips. Tranquilo Bay was at least a 10 including food, activities, staff, owners, guests etc. Panama City was fine as to the time spent there touring the city and the locks.