US
Tours
Tropical Costa Rica
9 DAYS
$1,999
pp*
Save up to $200
*Rate is per person, land only, double occupancy, tour inclusions and available options may vary based on departure date.
Please select a date below for more details.
Please select a date below for more details.
Lush forests and stunning waterfalls… rumbling volcanoes and endless coastlines… Costa Rica is a paradise teeming with exotic plants and incredible animals. Enjoy the tranquil views of Arenal Volcano from your hotel. Explore part of the 20,000-acre nature preserve of Cano Negro on a riverboat adventure. Spend two nights in Monteverde’s lush cloud forest. Experience the forest canopy on your choice of a hanging bridges nature walk or an exhilarating zip lining tour. Soak in the sunshine at Playa Carrillo, Guanacaste, known for its breathtaking beauty and fine sandy beaches. You will find a slice of paradise and so much more.
Your Tour Includes
- 4 Handpicked Accommodations
- 14 Meals
- 2 Choice on Tour Options
Included Highlights
- San Jose
- Coffee Plantation
- Arenal Volcano
- Cano Negro Refuge
READ MORE
Your Tour at a Glance
Customize Your Tour
Getting Prepared
Know Before You Go
Enhance Your Tour
Accommodations
Doubletree Cariari Hotel
Night 1
Mountain Paradise Hotel
Nights 2-4
El Establo
Nights 5-6
Nammbu Beachfront Bungalows
Nights 7-8
Doubletree Cariari Hotel
Night 1
Mountain Paradise Hotel
Night 2
El Establo
Night 5
Nammbu Beachfront Bungalows
Night 7
Need More Information?
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Trip Reviews
Live, Unedited, & Independent Traveler Reviews
Rating
425 reviews
4.5
Out of 5
Based on 425 independent reviews
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Costa Rica is beautiful, but don't go in the rainy season as we did. The accommodations were fabulous, our tour guide, Rafa, was fun and very knowledgeable. The itinerary included interesting and fun activities plus there were other options to choose from. A wonderful trip.
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Juan Carlos was why this trip was so memorable. His eagle eye and knowledge of his wonderful country is the best. Pedro was an excellent bus driver and so kind. Collette buses are also so comfortable. My favorite was being at the Pacific Ocean
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Very well organized. Accommodations were unique and wonderful. Guide was very fun and knowledgeable about the history, culture and plants. He was awesome. Food was local cuisine and very delicious. Can’t say enough good things about our experience
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Zip lining, the foliage and animals we saw.
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Tour guide, Juan Pablo, was extremely knowledgeable about the culture and places we visited. He made every one feel important and was her accommodating. The places visited provided a variety of experiences. Overall an excellent trip experience
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Hanging bridges.
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coffee plantation, organic farm
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we had 3 nights without air conditioning and no fan and we were told just before we arrived at the hotel. Coffee plantation and organic farm were great
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I highly recommend this tour! Everything is arranged for you so you don’t have to worry about anything and can just enjoy your vacation. All of the extensions and tour excursions are worth it as well. We had a fantastic time!
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Breathtaking views from our hotel/bungalows, beautiful flowers blooming everywhere. Planned activities were very good. Saw a lot of Costa Rica in a week.
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Over rated
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We were very happy with our experience and tour overall. We loved how organized and planned everything was. We felt like we were able to experience Costa Rica and what the country had to offer. Our favorite memory were the capuchin monkeys along our River boat ride and our dolphin tour.
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Everything was great until the trip to Houston on the way home…communication regarding need for wheelchairs was lost and reentry to the USA was bad.
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This was our 9th tour with Collette but our first in Central America. Our guide, Jonas, was knowledgeable, friendly and entertaining. The coach was probably the best we'd ever traveled on. The driver was great. I get extremely motion sick and the roads are curvy in Costa Rica but he did a great job. The hotels were so wonderful, especially Arenal Springs! I also loved seeing the Macaws!
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The ziplining was so much fun!
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My third tour with Collette was fabulous. This country is so beautiful, the landscape and the people. The accommodations where top rate. Meals where so good. I would do this country again. Now on to next year's adventure.
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We loved being able to fully enjoy the countryside and wildlife without having to worry about transportation or accommodations. The long bus rides were very comfortable and enhanced enormously by our Tour Guide's lectures on everything from the geography to the history of Costa Rica. The pre-extension tour to the Tortuguera National Forest was our favorite memorable experience, thanks to its uniqueness, the excellent personal attention we received from our Guide there, as well as his expertise regarding the natural history, animals and birds of the area.
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For a short (8-day) tour, we saw quite a good variety of areas in Costa Rica (jungle, mountains, seashore). We also enjoyed meeting the other people on the tour and appreciated it being a small enough group to feel congenial. Our tour leader was extremely knowledgeable, well spoken, effusive, and organized.
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I filled out a lengthy questionnaire and am sorry it didn't reach you. Synopsis is Chris was an excellent tour manager. Dru did a great job driving the bus, keeping it very clean and being personable and helpful. The large group was amiable but too large and the territory covered was nice to see but spending so much travel time meant less time at one area. My next tour will be with a small group and cover a much smaller area. Connection time on return to go through immigration in Charlotte was a nightmare. Too little time allowed and we sat on the tarmac for about 20 minutes waiting for a gate which made it worse. American Airlines had a number of flights there which were also delayed and the AA desk couldn't handle the mess. After receiving our bags and attempting to recheck to Boston, and American Airlines employee misdirected five of us to a rebooking line which eventually closed with many clients still unsettled!! As we dithered by the exit doors, another AA employee directed us to another AA desk which they reopened to try to book us for Boston. Another tour shouldn't be booked through an entry to the US without enough time for delays!! I enjoyed the extra add ons and especially enjoyed Victor's presentation for the Monteverde Institute. They are doing great work!
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The description of the last hotel implied we would be in a bungalow on the beach which was not so.
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The resort in the rain forest view was incredible but building need some maintenance the hall way they changed the lighting but left the holes in the walls the toilet seat was broken and the faucet for the sink The hot water was really nice great trails around the property
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We really enjoyed visiting the Caribbean coast.
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Way too much time riding on bus
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Playa Carillo. Would like to see more beaches. Would like to meet more local people, or schools, or orphanages.
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It was all great. Hotel at Arenal Volcano was fabulous
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Lots of great experiences! Most accommodations were great, didn’t care for the El ESTABLO, everything was too far away. Sometimes the bus rides were wayyyyyy too long, can’t handle such long rides without stretches. Our tour guide Christian was excellent and our driver Manny was great also! the best hotel and area was NAMMBU Beachfront Bungalows!
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Every breakfast had RAW bacon and undercooked watery scrambled eggs. All the plates were cold so your food was cold by the time you made it to your table. The last stop (room 106) didn't have a lock on the sliding door and the view was totally blocked by growth. Wasn't much that could be called NATURAL about any of the nature encounters. 80% of the animals were not to be seen w/o the help of powerful binocuclars and half domesticated and/or they were mixed in with beef cattle on a farm. We were restricted access to the volcano by miles and it could only be seen at all for about 45min per day if at all. Didn't live up to the hype and some parts even seemed bastardized and/or contrived. The bus rides killed some good vibes. I hope to never see another painted ox cart as long as I live. I think this trip should be considered a booby prize when won on the wheel of fortune. (below : view and my belt on the NO lock door)
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The three days into the National Forest jungle was amazement, as well as the tour guide. I would highly recommend it.
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I loved Tortuguero and Arenal. I would stay longer in Arenal and visit more sites next time.
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Enjoyed the beach/coast area. Had a wonderful time in the cloud forest area on the hanging bridges. Hotels were great. Our tour guide and bus driver were outstanding--the best in the business.
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Walking through the cloud forest on the hanging bridges. Also, enjoyed the tour of the coffee plantation and organic farm tour.
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This tour was excellent. It was well-paced and provided a good overview of Costa Rica. My favorite part of the trip was our three-day extension in Tortuguero. We saw a great variety of animals and every day was a new adventure.
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The tour was wonderful. The guides were amazing and everything was well organized!
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The tour guide, Chris Mata was knowledgeable and well informed.
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The entire trip from booking to the end of tour was beyond all expectation in all categories...Advertised trip details, booking ease, nicely detailed and easy to follow communications of both important and minor (to some maybe, but not me!) information regarding all aspects of the tour, awesome accommodations, awesome tour guides, bus travel and tour options. Everything was co-ordinated to the 'T', and any issues that arose were resolved directly, professionally and completely. I would only offer one consideration...that the "beach" portion of the tour be extended another day in lieu of another night elsewhere. I've highly recommended Collette to many already! Thank you! Karen
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Guillermo was incredible, both at handling the mechanics of the trip and as an expert on the nature of Costa Rica. Arenal Hot Springs Resort was a special treat, as were the hanging bridges at Monteverde. All accommodations were great. The food was generally quite good, despite a disappointing meal the first night at the hot springs resort
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Every day was spectacular . I want to go again on the same tour same sights, same guide . Although a lot of time was spent on the bus, given road conditions steep hills and windy curved hills it couldn’t be avoided . The people on the trip were extra friendly and fun I can’t wait for the next trip. Thanks for the fun.
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A sloth sleeping right next to the road! 🥳 Ozzy was great. Tuturguero was especially enjoyable. I was amazed at the quality of the food at such a remote location! Th Coffee plantation tour was well done— and I don’t even drink coffee!
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Loved the Zip lining. Are tour guide did a great job of explaining everything. The hotels were fantastic. Being at the bottom of a volcano and looking up was amazing.
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Everything
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Excellent tour!
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Amazing time!
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Hiking in the forest and seeing the many animals and birds.
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Everything
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Loved staying at Arenal Hot springs. Seeing the Arenal Volcano from resort was awesome. I only wish we had spend more time at Carrillo Beach.
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Wide range of experiences, accommodations, food, friendly people.
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Only downside was some of the included hotel dinners were poor. Loved the country, people and guide that provided history and current day information
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Too much bus time, the river boat ride was a waste of time. The other tours were good. Hotels were fine except the El Estabo at Monte Verde. Loved the zip line and the volcano area and the Pacific coast line.
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Everything was great except the 5 hour layover in Miami. I found out there is a nonstop flight from Denver to San Jose. Won’t use them again because of that!
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My favorite experience was the hotel at the foot of the Arsenal volcano. The river cruise seeing the wildlife was amazing. The tour guide and driver were both awesome. The beach on the Pacific Ocean was a wonderful way to end the trip.
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Costa Rica is indeed Pura Veda! It was a great tour with great accommodations and manager/leader. It was my fourth visit to Costa Rica and I noted the wonderful program that was followed. I missed the East Coast and the orchard garden along with Poas Volcano. Trip was best one I have had.
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This was the experience of a lifetime! Outdoors is were I'm happiest and this was a wonderful place to be outdoors!
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Good program, beautiful country, wonderful tour manager.
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Great tour with a fantastic tour guide and with a great bunch of people.
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This was truly the trip of a lifetime! My goal was to see a lot of birds, plants and other animals and this totally happened! Our tour guide Ozzy and bus driver Drew were wonderful, informative and professional. They definitely helped make our trip amazing. My cousin and I loved all the nature related activities that we did. Great job everybody!🍀🌸🌻🌹
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The tour was comprehensive and included a diverse collection of experiences.
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The brochure said we could drink and water and eat the food which I did...I got horribly sick which lasted from the day I supposed to leave till two weeks at home. The bus was much too big for the small curvy roads and I got so car sick too.
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We enjoyed the tour and all the information provided by the tour manager. We saw many different aspects of the country with different terrains and animals.
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It was good !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Everything was great except no provided water on pre trip. Great guides and accommodations. Loved locations for viewing exotic birds and animals.
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It was a great trip. Just so much climbing. I know that's part of it, but it was a little hard, even for people in better shape than me.
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Lodging was excellent but some of the included meals were just ok. While we did a lot, you didn't have time to really enjoy the lodging, except for the last day. My highlights were the coffee plantation tour and the zip lining.
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Arsenal springs hotel, zip line, hanging bridges, lunches
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I already responded to a post trip survey. why am I receiving a second one ????
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Everything was great , from tour manager, bus driver, everything we saw and experienced.
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Excellent Guides who could really spot wildlife very well. A good schedule with a mixture of wildlife viewing, resort time and in-town opportunities.
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Good price, excellent places to stay, educational, different, lots of variety, not all day on bus, right amount of activities concerned about environment
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Well organized. Great excursions. Wonderful guide.
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zip line excursion was awesome
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We were able to experience a variety of activities on this trip to Costa Rica..a working farm, a volcano, the rain forest and even a beach on the Pacific. Every day was an adventure and even included 3 separate boat trips.
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Our guide and driver were the best.
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lodging and food was very good. Enjoyed loading onto a bus and not having to worry about driving . Especially loved seeing Sloths and Monkeys in the wild and the sunsets on the Pacific Coast.
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Beautiful place, everything very well planned and executed
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trip was great. enjoyed all the tours we did. Our tour guides and bus drivers were awesome!
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Staying in Arenal! It was wonderful
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Well organized and travel managed by Collette. The bus ride is hard, but necessary.; bring a catheter or wear your depends.
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There were definitely a few disappointments. The tour guide spent too much time discussing CR history that has been recorded incorrectly, and too little time sharing about what we were passing by on the bus - or sharing more about the people, customs and food. The rating of Level 3 was most reflected by the last 2 hotels - not the excursions. El Establo was on such a steep incline and so spread up the incline, the only way to get from rooms to ANYTHING on the property was to utilize the hotel's vans. It was much too far to walk and actually dangerous to try to walk on their narrow roadway. The Nammbu BEACHFRONT Bungalows were NOT beachfront or bungalows. The paths were long and very steep for accessing any of the areas including the pool, reception, restaurants, and return to rooms. The BEACH was only accessible by walking all the way down the very long path to the restaurant/pool area, then taking a steep staircase onto a dangerous CURVED road to get to the beach. Definitely FALSE advertising. The Arenal Springs Resort was fabulous in all ways. They deserve their newly appointed 5 stars!
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Great food, nice accomodations, enjoyable activities, good company. Arenal volcano, Rio Frio, Lake Arenal, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Playa Galardonada. Especially enjoyed the flora & fauna of Costa Rica. Lizards, sloths, & monkeys, oh my! Not to mention the beautiful butterflies, birds & flowers.
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ABSOLUTY WONDERFUL !!! The country is beautiful !!!
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I had expected an activity level 3 of 4, as per the trip description. About half of the 45 participants on the tour were unable to meet that activity level (one was using a walker, a 1.5 mile forest walk took the group who attempted it 3 hours, many skipped places they couldn't manage). Half of the participants were from one senior center in Alabama and didn't interact with most others on the trip. Both of these factors negatitvely affected my enjoyment of the trip.
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The trip was a pleasure .. the country is beautiful .. JP and Mattie were exceptional. Highly recommend this trio!!!
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Everything was terrific! From the beginning to the end, the planning, the sites we saw and the people we met were all outstanding. The country and sites we visited were stunning. Definitely recommend the Collette team and tour for your visit to Costa Rica!
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The other people were snobbish, rejecting and not friendly, please ask singles to stick together, or not good for single traveler.
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I enjoyed all of the sites we went to see.
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I enjoyed the tour and would go on additional tours with Collette. The trip was well organized, fun and interesting.
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Costa Rica is a beautiful country with lovely people. Unexpectedly, we had a very large group (approximately 40) and Serigo, our Collette guide, handled things well. He was knowledgeable and informative of all aspects of his country and their regions. All the planned excursions were amazing and really captured the wildlife in their nature habits. The accommodations and the grounds surrounding them each felt like you were in a natural setting with flora and fauna. Because Costa Rica is mountainous and hilly all areas have very challenging landscape. Also, regions of Costa Rica that are visited on the Tropical Costa Rica tour are distances apart which require early mornings and long bus rides. We understood this when we booked but I think it is worth mentioning you might go on a 2-hour boat tour but the time spent on the bus was 9 hours that day. The food was good and mostly authentic to that country. One suggestion would be to put the daily itinerary on the app.
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We saw amazing places on the tour but most travel began before 8:00 am each day. This was difficult for many 70 to 80 year old tourists. We did cover a lot of the country but many days required 5 hours riding on the bus.
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MEDICAL ISSUE DURING TOUR; SPENT 4 DAYS IN ICU IN SAN JOSE COSTA RICA. WAY TOO MUCH BUS TIME. BUS PASSENGERS DEVELOPED COVID. MEDICAL CLAIMS HAVE BEEN POORLY HANDLED BY INSURERANCE COMPANY, STILL UNRESOLVED. NO MORE COLLETTE FOR US!
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The bus travel was too much! Bus driver was excellent!
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Good balance of excursions and free time. Great tour manager/guide and driver. Excellent planning and execution. Smooth transfers before and after tour. Overall Great Choice! Our next tour will be with Collette.
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Too much time on bud… poor accommodations and lack of variety of food
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Todd terrible and too much bus time
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Tour on a boat around Lake Arenal . That's where we got to so much of the wildlife of the area.
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The tour Guide, bus driver and excursions were great. The airline reservations made by Collette wete horrible. We were made to fly to Miami (?), why, when we could have flown out of Dallas with the rest of the group. Had a 44 minute layover, which we missed, due to the airline being late. Had to sit in Miami 7 hrs until next flight.
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There was a lot of “bus time”. I realize it takes time to get from point a to point b but filling time with other side excursions only made for a longer day on the bus. I think the sequence of excursions and bus time could be better planned.
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The tour and tour manager were great! The airline connections should NOT have been booked the way they were.
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It was interesting but have been on excellent Collette tours. The tour was rated a 3 for activity level I believe it should be rated 4. Lots of hard walking on lots of uneven ground and areas. Was difficult for some people
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Our tour guide and bus driveer were beyond great!
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We had a great time and learned
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Everything was fantastic! Guide was super knowledgeable, fun, and helpful. We got lucky with the weather and the wildlife: saw whales while at the Pacific; monkeys and birds galore everywhere; met a lot of nice new people. Just fantastic!
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The country is beautiful as it’s citizens and our tour guide Juan Carlos was very gracious, fun and well informed!
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Everything was good and the experience was terrific. Good choice of locations to stay. The food could have been better.
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I felt safe and had fabulous time. Great
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Way too much time on the bus! Luncheon arrangements were poor -- one time we drove into a restaurant where ANOTHER Collette bus had just arrived. I was pandemonium. The restaurant was unprepared for the crowd. You should vet your partners more carefully and stagger the bus trips.
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The trip covered different areas of the country of Costa Rica, plus the guide was fabulous.
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Beautiful country and great guide.
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Trip very hard physically, not clearly explained ahead of time. We had a disabled person traveling alone who fell and cracked his pelvis.
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Loved every minute. We had a very rainy tour, however, it did not impede our fun at all!
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Our local tour guide for our main tour was extremely knowledgeable, went out of his way to be helpful and include written instructions for each day. Our bus driver was patient and knew his routes well. Except for lack of hot water at our second and third stays for bathing, the motels chosen were accessible and spacious. Easy, walkable trip.
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Excellent trip, really a fun experience.
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I expected to see some beautiful waterfalls and have at least one day of relaxing on a beautiful beach. Maybe too much time on a bus. I and others in our group did not have a great experience settling bill with our Collette contact, Amanda Coleman, at Mill Race Center in Columbus, IN. We were very much overcharged for what we signed up for. I was fortunate to get a $740 credit. I am inclined to not sign up for another Collette trip again through Amanda. I loved my Portugal trip in November, 2022. Your tour guides are the BEST!! Hotels are very high quality also.
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Great places to stay and lots of good information
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The tour guide was excellent and gave us a lot of information about Costa Rica. My favorite places were Monteverde and lake Arenal.
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Hotel at the lodge great location worth the trip
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Out guide, Sergio, was excellent. He added a lot of value to the trip. And kudos to our bus driver, Dru, for managing some very difficult driving. The hotels were very nice. The included meals saved a lot of hassle of figuring out where to eat.
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We were taking to wonderful places that I couldn’t do myself for the amount of money. It was just beautiful view everywhere.
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The tour was excellent except for American Airlines and their booking of seats. Since our booking in July, '22, our flight numbers changed 3 times. Our seats were reserved, canceled, reserved, canceled again. Then, 2 days before our return, I checked airlines, and we didn't have seats again. I had to call American to make sure that we had return seats. Unacceptable.
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Very knowledgeable guide, because of living in Costs Rica. He was very helpful in getting me to a doctor and pharmacy when I became ill. He always told us interesting facts about the area or country
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Fun, friendly, and educational with fantastic accommodations in the midst of a most beautiful Central American country.
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Tour guide was excellent.
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Terrible flight. Arrived at hotel late, 10:15 pm, and no food or drink. Way too many buffets, A lot of rice, beans and plantain's. Hotel Collette dinners not impressive and buffet again. Hotels on hill side so step walks even to go to breakfast. Ocean front hotel was 1/2 mile from hotel, down hill, so steep walk to come back to hotel. One hotel did not have air or heating. Too much time on the bus. Way too early start times, get up 6:00am or 6:30 am and leave at 7:00 or 7:30 am. Sad, terrible Fare Well dinner, certainly not up to Collette standards.
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Too much time on the bus ride every day
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Way way way too much time on a bus, other than zip lines I would never do the other events again. Compared Collette to other tour operators, this is way below what I expected for the cost, and I have done several. Collette not on list to do again.
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"Wifi issues with hotels"
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Tour needs more time at beach and at the end of the tour.
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Extremely organized and well prepared. Glitches happen, but when one did occur, it was handled professionally and quickly.
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The bus driver and tour manager were excellent--I learn so much about Costa Rica, loved the variety of places we visited
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The administration of this company is sadly lacking. We did not get the seats we requested on our application - which they said they would take care of if I wrote out the specifics. (Premium seating with the extra leg room) They did not do that, did not tell us till about a month before the trip, had to do it myself for an extra $940 for the 2 of us. I talked to the company rep as did our travel agent. No help from them. Also did not notify us that they could not read the credit card number on the applications that the travel agent faxed to them till about a month before the trip. So our booking was put in late. Air connections were terrible. 7 hour layover plus the time the plane was delayed in Houston. No food on the flights. Poor service with United. Will never use Collette or United again. However, the tour manager and the driver were excellent. It is the people in the field that are keeping this company going.
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I enjoyed the beautiful places we visited, however, there was a lot of bus time. I took a couple of afternoons off from activities to enjoy the hotel grounds, they were lovely. Hot and dry with a beautiful beach on the Pacific side, warm and tropical on the east side. Im not a fan of the mountains, cool, windy and rainy. I traveled solo and the people on the tour were very pleasant and inclusive.
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Both my husband and I as well as another couple traveling from our area thought the long bus trips were too much. Other than that the trip was good. At least one later morning would have been appreciated by myself.
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600 miles on bus was a little too much
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Reliable, professional, our tour manager was amazing!
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The country was beautiful and we saw a variety of sights. Our tour manager was personable and knowledgable. The accomodations were beautiful and the food was good. it was a great trip!
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I had a good time with the group I traveled with. I felt that the tour was overpriced for the value we received overall. Although personally I liked our tour guide, there was a lack of details in communication that caused confusion. In addition, there was a lack of concern about consumer needs such as dietary restrictions, and considerations of age and mobility. Our 82 year old fellow traveler was consistently placed in a second level room, at the furtherest block of rooms. When it came to the tours themselves, it appeared there was a disconnect…almost as if a local guide didn’t show up and our tour guide had to do the hike instead. This seems like a cheat not only to the tour guide but to us as well as we did not get the full experience possible that day. Spa appointments were not prearranged for those of us who pre paid. Nor was I told if I should make the appointment myself and if I was to do that…..when were we returning that day so I knew when to schedule. Also we were promised and paid for a2 hour spa experience for 2 people. We were given a 60 minute treatment from clothes off to clothes on…..all for $320+tip/2 people…yikes! So again, overpaid and undervalue. There were several more instances but I’ll leave it there. To end it all…at the conclusion of our trip…at the farewell dinner the tour director did not mingle tables nor give any parting words to the group. My personal feeling is this was unprofessional. Our bus driver, Julio, was the quintessential professional and deserves kudos. Not only for his driving skills, but also for his manners and the silent way he accomplished his tasks each day. I appreciated all of his efforts and feel he should be recognized. Would I recommend Collette or this tour to Costa Rica? I would recommend a trip to Costa Rica, definitely. With Collette, I would have trepidation for the above mentioned reasons.
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Due to weather, we were unable to travel on the intended day, causing us to miss 5 days of the trip. I feel Collette could have worked harder to help us reschedule to make up the time.
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Even though we lost 4 days of our 9 day trip because of an ice storm which did not allow us to leave on the day scheduled our tour guide did all possible to allow us to do and see as much of the things we missed during our delay. All accommodations were outstanding and all transfers from location were on time. All food was exceptional, as was our tour guide.
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I think my favorite experience was the time spent in Guanacaste and the town of Samara. The sunsets were fantastic, and it was nice to have some time where you could walk around town, go to the beach, or just kick back by the pool and relax.
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Ricardo and Andres were the nicest people and the best tour guide and bus driver. The whole week was so fun and interesting, my favorite memory was going zip lining. I’m so glad that we were so welcomed by them and the group and felt safe at all times.
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The zip lines were very fun. Also Chris did a great job on the forest tours. He is extremely knowledgeable and explanations are very easy to understand.
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What an awesome experience
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Yes the service and all the staff were excellant
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Excellent tour director, Lake Arenal was most favorite area to visit
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The tour manager and driver were excellent. My husband has a physical disability, and they were very helpful and understanding. The tour manager gave us suggestions for things we may enjoy doing. We were unable to do the zip lining and a few things but what we did was very enjoyable.
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Ricardo, the tour director was very knowledgeable and was the best!!!
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The tour diretor was great
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our tour director, Rocardo, was the best!!!
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Tour director Ricardo was THE best.
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I felt the tour manager could have done a better job.
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Hanging Bridges excursion.
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Everything was well planned! I had a really great time and the the guide was excellent! My favorite part was the mountains I love the views. The beach was nice but not a fan. I liked giving back to the community, when we planted the tree.
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Overall great tour. Saw a lot of Costa Rica
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excellent tour guide. He knew the animals, plants, personally did a cooking demonstration, knew the history,
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The tour was beautiful and Mynor was a great guide. We had the extended tour and that was a little odd. We were picked up and packed into a bus with so many people. Once the tour was over we were taken into a bus and kept picking up and dropping off locals along the way
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Very safe and informative. The lodging was great as was the dining. Outstanding local guide.
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Very well organized , a bit hectic but then it included many sightseeing places
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Tour was very good, our tour Manager Ricardo excellant. Ricardo is top of the line. I would have liked to see this tour in reverse, leaving beach stop toward the end. In Arenal area a hotel that offers the hot springs would have been nice, thats one of the reasons to go into that area. The beach hotel was very nice, views were spectacular. A little out of the way, maybe choosing a hotel at another beach with better access to beach. Overall I enjoyed returning to Costa Rica and the people that were with me enjoyed themselves very much. Can't wait to return.
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Well timed and planned….Wonderfully guided, yet flexible, accommodating, hospitable, educational, joyable.
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It was very interesting, The price was very good
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We learned so much about about the country and loved our whole experience!
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Organization, selection of locations visited, communication from manager, expertise of manager & coach driver on points of interest Lodgings and meals— all were very good .
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I liked many things but especially enjoyed the rainforest adventures in Tortuguerro.
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Great tour will contact Collette again
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No complaints at all! Loved our tour manager
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WHY ARE YOU BOTHERING ME AGAIN? I ALREADY SENT A NEGATIVE FEEDBACK TO YOU. PLEASE REPLY TO Y COMMENTS IN THE EARLIER FEEDBACK.
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The tour manager was very well informed and intelligent of the areas we visited but he also had an attitude. Asked questions that never were answered. If there was an issue at a hotel, he was no where to be found.
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Difficulty reaching someone at the Collette offices prior to the trip related to Covid requirements.
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Our experience was outstanding.
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An amazing tour of various areas of the country from the pacific coast to the mountains and rain forest.
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Tour Manager, guides, a and bus driver were fantastic.
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Fabulous experience - our tour manager Ricardo was exceptional, the itinerary, food, accommodations all excellent (and I have traveled a good deal). Weather was great (I know, not guaranteed, but we were lucky). Monkeys, sloths, birds galore, dolphins, volcano, beaches, cloud forest, river trip — what’s not to love?!
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Well run. Great tour guide and bus driver. Informative.
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We spent far too many hours on the bus. It was close to 4 out of 8 days spent on the bus. One one day in particular we spent over 2 hours on the bus traveling to a riverboat tour. The tour last 2 hours (we only went about a 3/4 of a mile up the river and then turned around) and then we were back on the bus. It took us 3 hours to get back to the motel due to traffic. One of our accommodations was poor. My room smelled of mildew. Luckily they moved me to another room. Our local tour coordinator (not Collette's tour manager JP, he was great; but rather the local woman who hosted this trip) was awful. She was unprepared, uninformed, and rude.
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Excellent trip schedules on time, luggage movement great, great guides with good knowledge of CR’s history
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The tour was just wonderful. Once in a lifetime for us.
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good accommodation good tours good people
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Advertised excursions were not included.
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The trip provided a good overview of the country. Our guide was especially informative and gave little details of information about the culture that was especially interesting.
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We spent too much time traveling on the bus.
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Perfect in every way! Don’t forget to rate the food - DELICIOUS! Plenty for a vegetarian. Loved everything about it!
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Costa Rica has been on our wish list for many years but we were reluctant to explore it on our own. The Collette tour was perfect for us. Seeing the Arenal Volcano up close on a clear day was definitely the high point of our trip. Fabian was a total professional and very knowledgeable about his beautiful country. We experienced no problems whatsoever and the tour exceeded our expectations.
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Great leader (Carlos), great planning and taking care of guests.
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Our guide Guillermo Ayub was excellent. He provided us with lots of information and his English is so good we never had any trouble understanding him. The places we visited were very interesting. You might tell the Dolphin Excursion boat guide that he should have a ladder that can be dropped down into the water so people can climb back into the boat when they are snorkeling. A lot of us had to be pulled back up when just a ladder dropped down into the water would have made it so much less awkward. I have one issue regarding the extension. We did not realize that the extension would not be provided by Collette and that other non-Collette people would be picked up along the way. In the time of 'Covid', this was disconcerting. The extension guide was good, but for part of the trip, he switched back and forth so much between Spanish and English that it was difficult to follow the information that he was providing.
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When minor took the flower apart put it in his mouth and had second pair of lips and sent a pic to everyone.
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We had an awesome rate for a beautiful country. The accommodations were great for Costa Rica. The food was fine-- not great but fine. Our tour manager was great. My only negative is that our tour manager did not continue with our large group for our extension. That made it a little difficult and not as smooth as it should have been.
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I loved the wonderful views
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Well organized. Excellent driver and tour guides. Very interesting sites.
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Our first tour guide Guillermo was amazing! He told us so much about the country, the culture, the animals, etc. He picked amazing places for us to visit and cared that we had a great time.
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……………………………………………………………..
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Our tour guide was excellent and we learned so much about the country, the people and its culture.
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To much bus time. Loved ziplining
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Everything was handled perfectly. Can't think of one thing we were unhappy with. Loved the trip.
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Tour guide was great- able to keep everyone’s attention and give in-depth information from history to economics to anything anyone asked!
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I had a fantastic time! Went with a friend and we were happy to find that ALL our rooms had two big beds. Plenty of food choices so we did not have to worry about our allergies/food preferences. Our guide was knowledgeable about nature and spoke English well. I really felt safe with him. He cared about everyone. The scenery is breathtaking and the price was reasonable. Everyone should go!
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Our tour guide was amazing. He was a walking encyclopedia.
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My memorable experience was during the ZIPLining, there was an option to do the Tarzan swing, I stepped out of my box and did it. Also, on the river cruise, being able to see as many animals that we did.
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Tour Manager was superb. Nature hikes and zip lining were excellent. Hanging bridges and coffee plantation tour were also highlights.
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Get to see Costa Rica countryside.
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I loved and learned everyday of our tour. Each hotel was unique for the areas we visited. Each morning we received detailed information on where we were going and what we might see. When we were on our bus for many hours we stopped along the way at fascinating places. Our your director lectured us about the country, the people, the government, the education and medical situation. There wasn’t any question he couldn’t answer.
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The zip lining was absolutely stunning and a memory of a life time moment. The hotels were lovely, but very isolated. The food was ok, but nothing special. Still, I will book with Collette again. The trip was as promised:a beautiful tour of tropical Costa Rico!!
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Beachfront hotel was beautiful
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They always come through on each tour I have taken with them. This one I came with no expectations of seeing many of the creatures native to Costa Rica. Thanks to Ricardo, and our bus driver, saw creatures I never thought to see in their own environments. On the extention, Oliver and the boat driver also did their very best to show us creatures I thought I’d not encounter in the wild
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Same as I just told you **
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Hanging bridges terrific!!! Loved plants and animals!!!
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Highlight of the trip was the zip line and hanging bridges in the Tropical Cloud Forest
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I had too high of expectations of plant and animal life. I expected a "jungle" outside San Jose. I expected more wild animals along the highway. I thought the boat ride on the Lake was hardly with the time. The zip slide was fun. The resort on the ocean was also a lot of fun.
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The experiences and info our tour manager gave us. Had a fun time
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Everyone loved this tour. The country is beautiful and the people so nice. The hotels were very nice although not easily accessible, on hills. But the area was beautiful. The Cloud Forrest and Zip line were outstanding.
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The extension to Tortuguero National Park was the best part
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Zip lining was the best experience. I must say learning about the country and how they want to protect the environment is something I will not forget.
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Our tour guide was phenomenal! I learned so much about his country from his talks, He was very passionate,engaging,entertaining, I loved our walks thru the rainforest & jungle riverboat ride pointing out wildlife & flora & he found me a few sloths which was part of my mission! He was always available & accomadating.Ricardo is one exceptional employee that you should hang onto!
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The tour covered the diverse regions of Costa Rica visiting both coasts. And zip lining was my favorite memory.
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We where very pleased with the verity of of locations, sights ,and accommodations. We covered it all from beautiful Pacific Beaches to the mountains.
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Wonderful relaxing experience that I will never forget
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Wonderful Tour, excellent experience.
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I really wished we could have seen a sloth. Either at a park or farm. Our last hotel was not very good at all. Would have liked to have the hot springs as part of the tour and never did have a guitarist serenade us as the brochure said.
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The presentations of everything we did. Explanation of finding the animals and birds. The walks we all went on together.
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Great accommodations, restaurants & itinerary, especially the Monteverde Cloud Forest & Cano ***** guided riverboat trip.
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It was a lovely country and a lovely tour, but the travel time and large group made it more of a hit-the-highlights trip than one of exploring and experiencing Costa Rica.
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Beautiful country and amazing animals
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Costa Rica is a beautiful country. We experienced a good variety of locations and learned much about the culture. I particularly enjoyed the river cruises and the wildlife we viewed during them. Enjoyed the monkeys in the trees at the Evergreen Lodge which was our accommodation for the extension.
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See above
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You need to vet your clients so that those who cannot walk unassisted should not be allowed on trips with lots of walking and climbing. It isn't fair to those who are able-bodied to be slowed down by those who shouldn't be on a medium active or active tour.
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Our memorable day trip was to the cloud forest.
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Cloud Forest...such an experience traveling was a *****
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The hotels were horrible and poorly located for senior citizens with disabilities
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the rainforest!!!! it was all I thought it would be. the accommodations were very good,but the doubletree restaurant was outrageously expensive. as we got in late after dinner, not impressed with them shutting down dining room at ten. they need to remember that people travelling that far may be subject to time change. just f.y.i. Food was very good overall. I am still eating beans and rice lol.
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See earlier comment
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Agaiin -- This trip to Costa Rica was our first non-business international travel. Because it was such a great experience we are planning on many more tours with Collette now that we are retired. The locations visited, hotel accommodations and services, and pacing of the tour activities were all excellent. But really stellar was the knowledge of the tour managers and bus drivers, and the passion and love they have for their country. It was a life-changing experience.
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very nice people to tour with and the intriguing history lessons
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The jungle safari boat tours.
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The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about everything. He made every dat so interesting and exciting.
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The passion Juan Pablo shared prior to each excursion kept me interested and anxiously awaiting each and every stop. However on the down side, it is very difficult to get information from Collette prior to the tour, specific questions answered etc. As a senior and traveling abroad, it would have been nice to have communication prior to the trip.
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Beautiful country!!
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The hanging bridges was my very favorite part.
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My favorite aspect of this tour was the terrain and plant life of the country. We were here a few years ago wanted the experience again. The tour of the coffee factory was a nice addition. Quite educational, as was the river trip.
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The tour was amazing as we saw a lot of the country and my favorite part was planting a tree to help connect the cloud forest to the rain forest. As an abroist it brought great join to me and I can't wait to come back in a few years and check on the tree!
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All travel within Costa Rica was memorable as I saw the pacific ocean for the first time ever in Puerto Carillo
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Lots of time spent on the bus.
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The tour of the river boat ride was great and the coffee plantation
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All travel & hotel arrangements very good, activities and tour site results wonderful. Montrealer Verte outstanding.
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Good teamwork and both Director and Driver were very professional and helpful. Director had great knowledge of all the wildlife and the Country itself.
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Great selections of sites to visit and the right length of time at each
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Itinerary provided a variety of experiences (coffee plantation, beach and relaxation day, trip to Cloud Forest, shopping, boat trips, top shelf accommodations in all locations). Zip line Canopy Adventure Tour at Monteverde Cloud Forest was, by far, the most memorable experience of the trip.
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The tour guide was very knowledgeable on the history of Costa Rica and shared it with us. All of the accommodations were very nice and clean. Best part of the tour was the hanging Bridges and zip lining over the canopies of the rainforest. Also enjoyed visiting the butterfly house learning about the unique butterflies in the area and visiting the hummingbird area, having the hummingbirds land on your hands at the feeders. What I didn't like was too much time on the bus getting from one location to the next.
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The zip line, humming birds and butterfly house where the highlites of the trip.
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Beautiful country. Loved nature. Everything went very smoothly.
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Difficult choice. I enjoyed seeing the wildlife.
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We were encouraged by our tour guide to do the zip lining. Well worth the experience!
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The tour was excellent , except for the bus ride and the boat ride to the island. The life jackets were not the best/milled due.
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Selected because of the diversity of environs offered on this tour - from city to beach to mountains, forests, lakes & rivers - all expectations fully met. Felt like I saw the diversity of what CR has to offer & very pleasantly surprised by the incredible beauty & uniqueness of the natural environs & the country’s success in reforestation to support native & migratory species.
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Wonderful experience! Great tour guide, as usual with Colette!
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a couple of the hotels were our favorites
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The trip on the river was the best! That's where we saw a bunch of the wildlife from this trip. Loved it!
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Seeing a variety of landscapes. Seeing a sloth and quetzal. The accommodations.
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Costa Rica is beautiful and so are the people. We visited Beaches and Jungles and were well aware of the pride taken in the country and its people. The air is clear and the forests full of life. The tour guide was especially expressive of the forest environment and the protection it deserves.
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we got to see all the different levels of the country from the cloud forest to the jungle
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Favorite part of the trip was the Zip Line, it was great!!
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Best guided trip ever with being at Arenal Volcano & beautiful hotel nearby with the invigorating hot springs!
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Enjoyed the Beach, Zip line and walking the bridges. the plantation and National Theatre are worth seeing. The Volcano and river cruise were nice to see. I just felt rushed from start to finish and that' my thoughts.
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I was hoping to see more wild life, we saw a quetzal, and a few monkeys...a JAYCO beach we did not visit and I saw pictures of white faced monkeys there from someone else on the plane back home
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I believe that we had the best accommodations, food, tours and schedule. Everyone was kind and understanding with a nice sense of humor, too. We saw and did so many new and interesting things that easily all became favorites.
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Fabian our tour guide was awesome. Felt well prepared and safe. Made sure we had a good experience.
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The bus driver Raul is a wonderful person and was the greatest bus driver on the planet I've ever witnessed. Outstanding skill. Amazing.😌❤❤
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More strenuous than expected
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There are too many great memories to single one our as the best. The nature walk with Ricardo, when he spotted quetzels and zoomed in on them with his telescope, was fantastic. So were the ziplining and hanging bridges hike. So were Ricardo's interesting commentary on the history, culture and economy of Costa Rica. So were the amazing accommodations. So were the boat rides on Lake Arenal and the Arenal River, with visits by troops of monkeys, iguanas and even a caiman.
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Tour guide spoke fast and we needed to ask her to repeat herself. She was not clear on some of the small details like time and location to meet.
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Arenal Resort and Spa was just beautiful
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Missed the first two days - what can I say about that - my blood pressure is still high just remembering the experience.
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We saw a lot of the country.
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What was included in the tour and the excellent guide we had. Also the expert bus driver.
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my only complaint, and its not so bad but, the food could have been a lot better. I would call it ordinary at best. when you pay several thousand dollars for a trip you expect the food to be better than what was offered. it was filling but not that great.
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I explained above. See above narrative.
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For us it was one of the most perfect vacations
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For me, the bus rides could have been a bit shorter, the pace could have been a bit quicker
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We loved the "Hanging Bridge" walk, which was included in the cost.
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Saw a lot of animals and birds
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There were several highlights on the trip. The cruise on the river, the topiary gardens, the jungle trip was amazing.
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Guide very knowledgeable I learned so much once we got the first day over and could go to bed early.
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Good hotels, excellent guide. Cano ***** riverboat trip was a highlight. Only negative was after a long day and late night arrival to start the trip, we were up early and on the road for a long day of travelling to get to Tamarindo. You need to add a day at the start in the lovely property in SAN José to enjoy the pool, and possibly some down time on the pedestrian street to get rested up for the trip.
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There are so many memorable experiences but I have to say zip lining was just breath taking!
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All of the aminals and palm trees.
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Our tour manager, Guillermo Ayub, and our driver, Manrique, were fantastic guides. A memorable experience was their stopping the bus at a roadside fruit stand to purchase some local fruit for all of us to try - an unexpected and memorable delight!
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It was a most enjoyable experience! Highly recommend the cloud Forrest zip line!
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One of the most organized, informative & effective tour directors we ever had made this a memorable trip. Lots of information provided, and every day was on track. Exactly what I expected of a planned tour. Only issue was amount of driving time required to cover the country. However, we had an excellent driver that I thought went above and beyond what was expected.
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It is impossible to choose one experience. Every day was amazing and I would go to bed thinking," This was the best day ever!"
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This was a Good tour. We spent too much time on the bus and too many very early ( 4 am / 5 am and 6 am ) starts resulting in packing up bags, moving hotels and very little down time. I think this tour needs to either cover less territory or be made longer. I enjoyed seeing so much of an interesting country and really enjoyed our tour guide Ricardo. He made the trip so educational and I nteresting for all of us because of his wholistic knowledge of the country. Colette is lucky to have him working with you.
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Too many long bus rides. Did not see many animals up close. Our tour guide to Ricardo was excellent and provided good commentary on our long bus ride. This tour was overpriced for what we saw and did.
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Ricardo is very fair-minded. He instituted a rotational practice where everyone had a chance at different seating and vantage points on the bus. It would have been helpful if a rotational policy could be established when a group eats together at the meal times Collette includes in the trip plan. This "inclusivity" would mean that no one on the trip is excluded from dining tables because they have been "saved" by a group of certain people. This happened many times on our trip, so people could not get to know everyone.
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Tortuguero Jungle Adventure. A few of us ventured out in the dark to view the night sky. Also an early morning nature walk was a delight. I'll never forget the Monteverde Cloud Forest experience walking the hanging bridges tour
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I already wrote my concern in the previous "Tell us what you thought of their service". However, I was particularly pleased and proud of how I felt when we were at Monteverde Cloud Forest and especially when we were in the Children's Forest. For it was in that forest I was taken beck to my Art classes that I taught in the 1980's and when the students and I raised money, donating it through the WWF to help save acres of the Cloud and Rain Forest in Costa Rica. It was a wonderful connection! Barry Marks
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Paid for hanging bridges which should have been included. Rec'd refund AFTER my return home
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For me, it would be watching the driver Manrique maneuver that BIG bus thru some awful tight spots without a scratch! Would like to see more opportunities for local cuisine.
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The tour was well organized. There was a variety of activities and experiences to suit the interest of most travellers. My favourite memories revolved around any activities that promoted wildlife spotting and the natural environment. I loved watching and listening to exotic birds. My only experience with a toucan has been on a cereal box. Colette travel changed this mindset for me. Walking on the top of the canopy of the rainforest was an incredible memory.
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Zip Line, strenuous, but do able. River Tour, seeing the monkeys & lizards, Coffee Plantation, Beautiful flowers, views, everything.
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Lots of fun. Well organized and what a beautiful country.
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I loved Arenal Volcano area.
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The only downside is there were some group members who should have looked closer at this being rated a #3 for the activity level. Because they were not in as good of shape as some of the others, they did slow the pace down of the walking and hiking that was included. That was frustrating for those of us who did want to go at a snail's pace.
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fabulous , great job kksokowdqooowsq
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Costa Rica: The beauty and biodiversity is stunning, the people are extremely friendly and well-educated, and the government abolished its military so we could support all of this. What’s not to love!
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Very good value.for the tour.
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Monteverde Rain Forest on the zip line and walking the hanging bridges. This is a bit strenuous, a lot of walking/hiking, but truly worth the effort and experience.
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the group was fun and accommodations were clean
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Everything at Selvatura Adventure Park was incredible...the Hanging Bridges, Zipling, the Butterfly Garden...well worth the additional expense to experience everything.
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Excellent Tour Director, Very nicely paced tour.
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The tour guide was very good. Some of the hotels used were poorly located
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The birds and wildlife, Pacific ocean, Hanging bridges and zipline, hot springs and seeing Arenal volcano
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We were not impressed with the three day extension to Tortuguero. It was very rough. The rooms only have screens on the windows - no glass. We didn’t see any more wildlife than what we saw in Arsenal. The guides here are very laid back. No written schedule. The food was very good though. It rained for a solid 24 hours, so no pool and not able to do much walking through the rain forest.
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The hanging bridges and the Zipline were amazing! The Cano ***** river and the Arenal Lake boat rides were filled with wildlife.
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Overall excellence of the tour manager and driver.
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also, I lost my phone and when I got home I discovered my camera was broken and I had no photos after Guanacosta. One of the members of the tour has volunteered to load her photos onto a flash drive I am going to send her. Great group of people - lots of fun.
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Wonderfully diverse set of experiences--beac, forests, volcanoes. Very knowledgeable and helpful tour manager
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Number in party and time in coach. While accommodations were good some were not within walking distance to anything
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Walking on the hanging bridges in the cloud forest and planting a tree on behalf of Collette conservation program in Costa Rica.
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Hanging Bridges were exciting and safe. Tamarindo was wonderful.
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The tour was very true to the promotional and marketing data. See above for most enjoyable sites.
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Zip-line and Arenal resort.
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Cloud forest and zip lining was amazing.
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We received a discount (booked late) so price was comparable to other travel companies; favorite was the river cruise when we saw the two-toed sloth with her baby. And our guide, ******* was amazing in finding wildlife and helping us to spot it also - and we saw a lot.
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It didn.t meet my expectations. There was too much bus travel time spent. Too sedate for my taste. Expected to see more animals. The way it was advertised, I expected to see more animals in the wild. Did enjoy the hanging bridges and boat trips.
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Seeing the tropical animals in their natural habitat. Hummingbirds were exceptional and they even perched on a stretched out finger to feed.
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We traveled throughout the country of Costa Rica from the Pacific to the Caribbean Sea. There was a diverse ecosystem with a variety of flora and fauna. The most memorable experience was zip-lining above the cloud forest.
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This was truly an exciting trip for us to a new location. We appreciated the variety and especially enjoyed the extension offered for the river trip to a jungle eco-lodge.
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Private balcony with panoramic view of the Pacific/view of an active volcano/relaxing in the thermal pools/serenaded by Howler monkeys/making friends with people from all over the world!
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Zip lining above the canopy of the rain forest was an incredible experience.
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I did two optional things on the door, zip lines and a spa treatment both work the best . I purchased quite a few souvenirs and all will be beautiful and at a reasonable cost.
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I made my own memorable experience by going on a private tour to a national park and I learnt more in 4 hours with this guide than I did in 7 days with the Collette guide.
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The cloud forest was the best experience.
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The cloud forest and rain forest were spectacular. The zip line was pretty fun too.
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Zip lining was a kick. Loved the river cruise. Bus rides were fun and we learned alot. Great trip!!!!!
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The view of the Volacno Arenal
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Lovely country, fast paced trip but we saw everything we wanted and more.
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The hanging bridges and zip line were the best. Would like a map of that experience. Bus rides were long but saw a lot.
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My favorite was the river cruise,saw animals and birds and retiles in there wild habitat.
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All wonderful I can't wait for The time I can go on another one It was Great from the start, to the day I day I had to leave
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Fantastic tour… Love the many places we visited and stopped to view
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Knowledge of the tour guide Guerremo
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Cloud forest, rain forest, boat ride.
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The boat tour at Cano ***** was fantastic. The hotel at Arenal and the grounds were gorgeous.
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Nature hikes, hike over suspension bridges, coffee plantation tour and stop at botanical garden were my favorites. Most memorable is the kindness and compassion shown by our tour manager to a couple of folks who got ill, most esp. to the little girl who threw up on the bus. Tour manager had the bus driver safely stop the bus so the mom could get clean clothes for her daughter!
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Birdwatching and Cano ***** boat tour.
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Everything was absolutely top-drawer. Great care was taken to ensre we had the best of everything.
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Very educational. I loved the river tour with the birds and animals.
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Excellence price and service.
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Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about all things Costa Rica. Can not pick a highlight. Every day was wonderful.
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I did this at the end of the tour!
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Zip-line was the highlite. Our tour guide told us we had to try it. So glad we did. Quite an experience.
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Zip lining over the cloud forest
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My mother enjoyed the butterfly garden and hummingbirds more than many other parts of the trip.
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The river tour was my favorite because we saw more birds and wildlife there.
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Our tour manager and bus driver were absolutely amazing. The sites and living arrangements were beautiful with amazing views. My favorite has to be the sunset at Arenal springs overlooking Arenal Volcano.
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We really enjoyed seeing Arenal Volcano, the zip line through rain forest, and the numerous nature walks and hikes.
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Great tour, the bus Driver and bus was great and so was the tour director. The hotels were also 5 star.
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Our tour manager did a great job telling us about the region and culture. Bus driver Luis was great too.
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Everything was as promised and the hotels were excellent. The tour manager made the tour interesting and took care of all the details.
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My wife and I had a great time experiencing the cloud canopy and jungle at Cana Blanco, especially the food, lodging and zip line.
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I enjoyed all the points of interest chosen for this tour , however, my least favourite was probably the Riu resort. I've stayed at Riu resorts before and there is nothing wrong with them but I didn't feel that there was anything particularly Costa Rican about the experience.
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This tour was a very good intro to Costa Rica. The hotels were very good, our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. The group was fun and small enough to get to know everyone. Our hotel near Lake Arenal and the volcano was particularly excellent and the view from our room was spectacular. We managed to see and do a lot including the well known zip line course. It is a bit more strenuous than I thought especially for a first timer but the views were spectacular and the staff were more than willing to offer assistance. My only regret there was not having enough time at the end to view the films /pictures (proof that I survived the ride! So I have no pictures . The only other suggestion I would have is to let people know about the Guanacaste all inclusive resort, its remote location and inability to really see some "real Costa Rica". Although it was a very nice resort, It was like most other all inclusives - I would have preferred another park area or hiking adventure to see more of what was unique to Costa Rica . Perhaps this is because I live in Florida and have easy access to beaches. Otherwise it was a great vacation and intro to the country.
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we enjoyed the whole experience we would have skipped the RUI resort and spent more time at the Arenal Volcano lodge and in the area
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Seeing a flock of Toucsns at Tortuguera reserve. My biggest disappointment was the scarcity of exotic bird sittings. Even a stop which had some in captivity or stuffed would have been nice.
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Zip Lining, Rainforest, beautiful chueches and the National Theatre
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Most memorable was the Zip line tour with optional Tarzan Swing. Overall tour was great but that was made possible by our Tour Manager - Guillermo. Can't say enough good things about him and would highly recommend this tour with him if at all possible. The Coffee Plant tour, Coffee Lab tour, nature walk, river cruise, lake cruise, Hanging Bridges, Hummingbirds, Butterfly Garden, view of Arenal Volcano, visiting several towns.... all in all exceeded my expectations. The item that I did not consider completely was the length of time you are on the bus. Great bus - professional in all but the driving on switchback roads, gravel roads, up/down back/forth - bring dramamine if you are slightly susceptible to motion sickness. I generally am not but the extent of this you need to be aware of. The other issue was booking a side trip at our first stop in Guanacaste. The booking companies all leave at 3;00 and we did not arrive at the resort until 5:00 - so no chance to book in advance and the optional tours I would have liked to take all left early the next morning with no chance to get in on them.
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The country was beautiful and so much was packed into the few days that I felt I had a good tour of the north and the central regions. The walking in the cloud forest and the volcano were my favourite experiences. I also liked going to the small towns on our way back to San Jose. It was nice to see some areas which were not so full of tourists What can I say about the coffee... Fabulous! In other words, I liked the entire tour. Staying at an all inclusive is not my thing but it was nice. We met some people there that are related to us and are from our home territory. That was sire a coincidence.
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The canopy tour and the visit to the Arenal volcano were fantastic.
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The tour included everything I was hoping for. The most memorable was waking up the first day, opening the drapes, & seeing monkeys swinging from tree to tree !
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two coffee bean producers, Arenal volcano region, Monteverde cloud forest, water-powered oxcart factory, Selvatura adventure park
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All aspects of this tour was memorable.
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We went during the typical dry season, but El Niño affected our trip - this clearly is not Collette's fault. You need to take clothing to cover all possibilities, which we did. However, there was way too much time on the bus, and the bus was always cold! We went to escape the cold, not endure it. The bus driver was excellent and worked with what he had. Improvements need to be made to the bus. We expected much more time out and about walking and touring and seeing the wildlife. This was not the case. We think the layout to the trip needs to be modified. Avoid San Hose, fly right to Liberia and have 1 or 2 center points to travel out from for the tours. 3 of the 4 hotels were very nice, 1 was horrible (in San Jose). 2 of the 4 did not have heat, by design. We also ate too many Buffet type meals! The trip was not all bad, but not what we had experienced prior with Collette. Granted, the prior ones were to historical European locations, and this was tropical. Hence, why we expected more hiking and foot travel instead of predominantly the bus! Prior trips started out with meet and great the 1st evening, not on this trip. All trips should start with the group getting together to meet each other. Wildlife was limited and we never got to see the Arenal Volcano. Monteverde was an exciting trip up via bus, just rainy and cold (not Collette's fault). Not sure we would ever go back.
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The guides, bus & boat drivers were excellent. All made sure we got the best experience possible. I especially enjoyed the river rides with all the wildlife. A meet your fellow travelers get together would have been beneficial at the beginning of the trip.
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A little too much bus time-but then we wouldn't have been able to see as much as we did! Many unique hotels and good local experiences-cooking school, plant a tree. Went to many different regions-dry forest, cloud forest, rain forest, central valley, etc.
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Had a great time! Tour manager Christian was knowledgeable and helpful. Weather was perfect. Best time of year to travel to Costa Rica. Will travel with Collette again, in the near future.
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Tour was planned wonderfully - and that our awesome guide provided tacos - impressive and liked that Collette contributes to the forest by planting trees. The final day on the river exceptional.
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There was a lot of time spent on the bus. We were blessed with good weather, good travelers and a great Tour Manager. Costa Rica is a beautiful country.
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Guide was excepional. Best xperience was River and hummingbirds but all was great. I am 6' 4" and the seats on the bus was very uncomfortable. Would be nice to have wi if on the bus if you can. I will recommend it and Collette to friends.
