For a long time we had wanted to visit Costa Rica, particularly because of the spectacular bird watching there. While we are not fanatical bird watchers, we do enjoy seeing them, and a change of pace from our familiar Harding bird surroundings seemed like a good idea. It turns out we saw new birds and some old favorites too.
We used a tour company called Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), with whom we had taken previous trips to South America and Africa. Our Costa Rica trip was fun, if not quite so adventuresome as our Tanzania adventure. Costa Rica was a nice mix of wildlife viewing, semi-rustic adventures, and cultural events. The trip was well paced. OAT offers pre and post trip “extensions” and we opted to take a post-trip extension to Tortuguero, which turned out to be the highlight of the trip.
Preparation for the trip was quite easy. No visa is necessary to visit Costa Rica, and we already had some safari clothes from our previous trips. Andres, the guide on our trip was personable and knowledgeable and an excellent birder. The food was good with a lot of local dishes supplied. The accommodations were varied, and we especially liked our stay in Tortuguero, where the only access to the lodge is by boat. The wildlife viewing was good, with a lot of surprises thrown in. Overall a fun vacation!
