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| 10 Days in Length |
| Starting at: $635.00 CAD land only |
| Just $63.50 per day.? |
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Operated By:
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| Description: |
| This tour offers a snapshot of one of Central America’s friendliest and most beautiful countries. With twenty five percent of the country devoted to national parks and reserves, this is a nature lover’s paradise and the sheer quantity and diversity of wildlife is staggering. Mix this in with some stunning Caribbean beaches and some impressive volcanoes and you are in for a sensational holiday.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
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| Map: |
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? Janet’s pick of the month! Fantastic value!
| Activities: |
- Walks & Rambles
- History & Culture
- Nature & Wildlife
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| Countries Visited: |
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| Itinerary: |
| Day 1 San Jose Our trip starts on Tuesday with your arrival in San Jose. There’s no activities planned for day one, so you can arrive at any time. There will be a pre-departure meeting at the joining hotel with your leader at 6.30pm this evening. Your leader will collect your local payment at the meeting. Please check the notice board in the foyer of the joining hotel for details of this meeting and for any messages from your leader. Please bring your passport and travel insurance to the briefing.Day 2 San Jose To-day is your own for exploring San Jose, the cosmopolitan capital of Costa Rica, and the centre of Costa Rica’s theatre and art world. The beautiful National Theatre is a ‘must-see’. San Jose’s most impressive public building, the National Theatre, is the centre of Costa Rican culture, with its superb interiors of marble staircases, gilded ceilings and local hardwood parquetry floors. The city boasts some excellent museums; among the most famous is the Jade Museum housing the world’s largest collection of American jade. Pre-Columbian gold, Costa Rican art and collections of live snakes and native reptiles are among some of the other museum offerings. The friendliness of the people, breathtaking flora and fauna, ancient artefacts, and its central market with all you can imagine make this city a fascinating and memorable cultural experience.Day 3 – 4 Monteverde We climb up the mountains to the village of Monteverde, or ‘Green Mountain’, in the northwest of Costa Rica. Here we set foot upon the outstanding Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. This preserved dense forest is just to the east of the community of Monteverde, a small village founded by North American Quakers in the 1950s. Experiencing the mystical and fragile environment here is a highlight of Costa Rica, with the constant cloud cover enveloping the top of the mountains and providing a misty magical tropical atmosphere in a place that is home to more than 2500 recorded species of plants, 400 birds and 100 species of mammals alone! As well as unexceeded bird-watching opportunities, we also have the option of taking the giant ‘Sky Walk’. Traversing the rope ladders and fixed rope bridges on a series of suspension bridges in the jungle canopy over 40 metres above ground, we can view a veritable spectrum of birdlife, marvel at other breathtaking fauna and flora and maybe glimpse the elusive, brilliant quetzal. Travelling from the cool highland cloud forest to the dense rainforest reveals to us the rich diversity of Costa Rica’s ecological highlights.? Day 5 – 6 La Fortuna – Arenal Our next stop is the town of La Fortuna, whose main attraction is the nearby spectacular Arenal Volcano (1633 metres). This active volcano? with its almost perfect conical shape is a spectacular sight, especially at night as red-hot molten lava can often be seen flowing from the crater. During our two-day stay we enjoy a hike around the volcano and absorb the stunning scenery that surrounds its base. There are also some great options for white-water rafting and horse riding. An optional night trek to the volcano is also recommended as there is often a display of molten lava and luminous rocks flying through the sky. We also get to enjoy a dip at the beautiful local waterfalls of La Catarata de Fortuna.Day 7 – 9 Puerto Viejo & Cahuita We spend the next three nights in the beautiful beach town of Puerto Viejo which is located on the Caribbean Sea and offers a wide range of activities including hiking, mountain biking , kayaking , diving, and snorkelling. Or you may prefer to soak up some of the local culture, discover the local reggae or sample the indigenous handicrafts on offer. On Day 8 we take a day trip to Cahuita which has a relaxed ambience while its authentic Creole culture remains evident in the country’s food and music. We also visit the Cahuita national park, wildlife abounds and there are good opportunities for sightings of coatis, sloths, armadillos, iguanas, howler and capuchin monkeys, as well as scores of other animals. Cahuita National Park is also renowned for its attractive unspoiled beaches, with long stretches of pristine white sand, coral reef and coastal rainforest, making it a haven for both swimming and snorkelling.
Day 10 San Jose On our final day we return by bus back to San Jose, where our short Costa Rican journey comes to an end. It is possible to book additional accommodation in San Jose, if you intend on staying on after the tour. If you are departing San Jose today, please do not book to depart until after 19:00 hrs. |
| Group Size: |
| Maximum 15 |
| Type of Accommodation: |
| Hotels |
| Comments: |
Highlights:
San Jose
Monteverde Cloud Forest
La Fortuna
Arenal Volcano
Cahuita Beach
Puerto ViejoGrade:
Moderate – A moderate level of fitness is required. These trips generally involve some physical activities and occasional long travelling days. Accommodation and travel conditions may be more basic.Included:
An experienced Local Leader plus there will be the services of local guides at some sites. entrance fee to Arenal volcano, All transport, accommodation, sightseeing as indicated.Not Included:
International flights, arrival and departure transfers, departure and airport taxes, visas, meals, entrance fees, all optional tours or activities during free time, transfers outside of the tour program, travel insurance, tips and items of a personal nature.Other:
Public Holiday Inconveniences
Please be prepared for the inconvenience of sights such as museums and churches being closed to tourists on public holidays (ie. Christmas Day and New Years Day). Throughout Latin America, most museums also tend to be closed on Mondays.Local Payment:
Local Payment of US$200The local payment is the final part of your overall tour cost. It MUST be paid in cash, in the currency indicated, to your tour leader at the start of your trip.
Having a local payment helps us to pass cost savings on to you. Please note that the Local Payment is non-refundable.
Single Traveller:
Most of our travellers are single and like the thought of travelling with a few like-minded souls. As part of Gecko’s core philosophy, we do not charge a single supplement. You’ll probably be sharing your accommodation with a travelling companion of the same gender, but even if you do get your own room, you won’t be charged extra, unless the tour has a minimum of one person. Because many of our travellers come on their own, your tour will probably have a strong social element and you’ll almost certainly come home with some great new friends.
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? Start Date? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? End Date
| 24/03/2009 |
02/04/2009 |
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| 14/04/2009 |
23/04/2009 |
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| 05/05/2009 |
14/05/2009 |
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| 26/05/2009 |
04/06/2009 |
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| 23/06/2009 |
02/07/2009 |
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| 07/07/2009 |
16/07/2009 |
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| 21/07/2009 |
30/07/2009 |
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| 18/08/2009 |
27/08/2009 |
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| 15/09/2009 |
24/09/2009 |
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| 13/10/2009 |
22/10/2009 |
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| 10/11/2009 |
19/11/2009 |
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| 08/12/2009 |
17/12/2009 |
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| 22/12/2009 |
31/12/2009 |
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| 05/01/2010 |
14/01/2010 |
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| 02/02/2010 |
11/02/2010 |
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| 02/03/2010 |
11/03/2010 |
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| 16/03/2010 |
25/03/2010 |
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| 30/03/2010 |
08/04/2010 |
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| 13/04/2010 |
22/04/2010 |
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| 27/04/2010 |
06/05/2010 |
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| 25/05/2010 |
03/06/2010 |
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| 22/06/2010 |
01/07/2010 |
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| 20/07/2010 |
29/07/2010 |
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? in Punta Cana which features 560 bungalow-style guestrooms with unique amenities such as Riu’s renowned minibar and liquor dispenser.