Mother and Son in Costa Rica

On our first day, we arrived in San Jose from Washington, DC. Although we were tired from our flights, we enjoyed the pool, the food, and the chance to simply relax before really setting out on our adventures.

Manatus is a dream! The staff is fabulous and friendly, and the food and lodging are delightful. Our room was simply but elegantly furnished with four poster beds sporting lovely netting. The grounds are lovely and well-maintained. There is a nature hike right on the grounds (although I'm not sure I'd advise going it alone -- we got lost, and there were snakes and spiders aplenty to watch out for). Looking out at the river from the beautiful blue infinity pool is a great way to end a full afternoon of adventure. On our first night, we went to the ocean and were privileged to locate a giant sea turtle laying her eggs. After some time and effort, she carefully buried them, and then slowly made her way back down the sandy beach and out into the waves. It was nice to know that this experience is thoughtfully managed in a way that nurtures and protects wildlife, while at the same time building human understanding and care for these magnificent creatures. My son loved this incredible experience.

We had a wonderful time exploring the rivers and canals, and our guide was dedicated and knowledgeable. He seemingly had eagle eyes, as he spotted and identified animals no one else on the boat could manage to find amidst the foliage. On our river safari, we saw caimans, howler monkeys, bats, toucans, and many other fascinating creatures. The canals were lush and gorgeous, and we truly felt transported from our day-to-day lives. When visibility became difficult due to heavy rain, our guide arranged for another excursion later that day once the skies had cleared. The dedication and flexibility were much appreciated by all.

During the day, we went rafting and swimming in the Sarapiqui River with a great crew. At the mid-way point, the crew pulled over to a shady shore and sliced us a refreshing and delicious snack of fresh pineapple. Throughout the journey, they would offer to stop at safe locations and get out of the boat in order to let my son enjoy a swim in the river. It was a playful and fun way to spend the day. I also appreciated the eye for safety -- one of the crew stayed beside our raft in a separate kayak, ready to jump in and assist should we need any help or fall off of the raft. In the evening, we went on a guided night hike. This was a major highlight of the trip. We ended up having a guide all to ourselves, and he, too was knowledgeable and professional. He was also somewhat fearless, expertly handling creatures like bullet ants, whose bite is said to be as painful as being shot. We encountered sloths close-up, vipers (perhaps TOO close-up for me, thought my son loved it), tarantulas, and porcupines. Along the way, we crossed hanging bridges, very high up in the rainforest canopy! It was a fascinating and educational evening, and this was absolutely my son's favorite activity in a trip packed with many great activities.

We upgraded to the Springs, a sprawling and activity-and-restaurant-packed resort. The views from around the resort, including from our own private balcony, were exquisite. The food was very good, and we appreciated the wide variety -- there were many places to eat, ranging from basic lunch fare of burgers or seafood, a sushi bar, Mexican food, a vast breakfast buffet, and much more, all well prepared and presented. Also on the grounds are lots of pools, all of different shapes and all heated (or not) to varying temperatures. There were many other activities to entertain a young boy, including a kids' activity center with all manner of video games and other distractions.

Today we went on a hike around the base of the arenal volcano. We had a wonderful guide, who provided lots of information about the history of the area, and was very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna along the way. We spotted leaf cutter ants, many varieties of butterflies, monkeys, and bats. We also came across a large termite nest, and my son and a few others on the hike ate live termites, which they reported tasted like mint! The hike was not difficult, but all were glad to be welcomed with fresh water at the end, and with a place to sit affording an excellent view of the volcano. Our guide ended the tour by sharing with us the history of the volcano, including past instances of very destructive eruptions. At present, the volcano is in a semi-dormant state. We learned that Costa Rica is home to many, many volcanoes. Arenal may well be the most stunning and picturesque, and we were most happy to have seen it.

We enjoyed the scenery on our drive back to San Jose this afternoon. This included driving through banana plantations, farms, scenic mountain areas, and lots of lush greenery, with the occasional morpho butterfly flitting by. A stop for a traditional lunch was provided along the way. When we arrived back at the hotel (the same from our first night in San Jose), we again enjoyed time in the pool, a nice cocktail for mom, and an enjoyable dinner before heading to our room to prepare for our journey home.

Back to DC. We had an unforgettable adventure. All-in-all, I'd rate this a very successful trip. Between some luck (being right on the canopy bridge at the moment a sloth was climbing down from his perch in the tree tops -- and they often only come down once a week!) and the skill of our various guides (again, our eagled-eyed river safari guide and our brave and well-practiced night hike guide), we were fortunate on a relatively short trip to see many creatures that some travelers have missed despite exploring for longer periods of time. I found the timing, locations, and variety of activities to be well-suited for family travel. While it was just my eight-year old son and me, I had no difficulties throughout the trip. There was some time spent in transit a few of the days, but never so long that my son got overly bored or antsy -- he was usually looking at the scenery or reading up on the creatures we expected to find on our next stop. The educational portions of the trip were also well-suited for all ages. On each hike, every member of the group learned something. And the education often overlapped with adventure! Having a mix of boats, buses, rafts, and hikes definitely kept things interesting, and allowed us to explore different types of terrain. Of course, choices had to be made. Due to our limited amount of time, we chose this particular itinerary as being the best introduction to Costa Rica for my son, even though we knew he would necessarily miss out on some of Costa Rica's other pleasures, such as the Central Pacific and Nicoya beaches and the Monteverde cloud forest. Based on all that we did and saw, I think we made the right choice, and now we've left ourselves more to do and see when we return to this gorgeous country.