Greetings from the Howler Monkeys on the Pacuare River
Our driver arrived early to transport us to Pacuare Reserve. That was a nice surprise as we were expecting 'island time'!!! Although he did inform us that there had been a landslide and we may have to take another route to the Reserve. Thankfully the road was open so our trip was much shorter. Our driver was very informative and friendly.
The next part of the day involved a short boat ride to the Reserve. The Howler Monkeys 'Howled' to say welcome and I scrambled to get my camera set up with my zoom lens. I felt like the 'animal guy', Jeff Corwin looking for all the endangered species in the most remote of areas! And I was becoming "The Rainforest Paparazzi"! The book by Yazmin Ross was so aptly titled to fit me to a " T " .
We arrived at the Reserve, settled in, and was given our Leatherback Turtle briefing for that night. Did I mention that the Reserve is so dedicated to their cause of protecting the Leatherbacks that they have no electricity? Knowing this ahead of time, we were prepared for our Swiss Family Robinson retreat! We had candles, lanterns and enjoyed the food they prepared for us each meal. Daniella cut us 2 coconuts and opened them for us to drink. What a treat!
Then we were off in search of more Monkeys! We could hear the thunder. Or so Sharon thought it was. We followed the direction from which it was coming. As soon as we got close the thunder stopped. And we stopped. Shooing off the voracious mosquitoes, we looked up. Straight up. And there they were. The loudly howling monkeys had stopped howling...perhaps to hide their presence from me, and my friend and my camera. Howler Monkeys high in the tree tops, back lit by a white and bright sky. The trees were at least 50 ft high. Possibly higher. And I knew my neck would seriously dislike me by the next morning! But I had to take photos! After all, the 'thunder' lead the way to some beautiful animals.
It had already been a long day and we had turtle duty that night at 10:00 p.m. :) So we settled in for a wonderful dinner and waited until darkness would unveil the elusive Endangered Leatherback to lay her Legacy. And elusive she was for the 1st 3 1/2 hours of our walk. Our feet were weary, and our skin clammy from the humidity, but the soft rain was a welcome relief. The early morning hours of the next day proved much more fruitful.
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.