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Costa Rica – June 2017
by nikki
My second long haul adventure this year was to Costa Rica in June. BA now have a direct flight from Gatwick to San Jose which makes the journey very easy.
The first thing that struck me was just how friendly Costa Ricans are, genuinely happy and laid back. Spanish is the national language but English is widely understood.
Our adventure started with an overnight in San Jose, followed by an early start and road trip to the banks of the Pacquare river. From here we white water rafted into the hotel, Pacquare Lodge, what a way to arrive. Great fun, we did have a couple of ladies not too sure about this part of the trip but both enjoyed it.
Pacquare Jungle Lodge is just wonderful, isolated all you can hear are the birds and the sounds of the river. There are hammocks on the deck, no electricity in the rooms and a torch/wellies provided.
Next stop Arenal, great views of the volcano although the top was covered in cloud, here you can experience the thermal springs and many activities such as zip lining and hiking.
From here we travelled onto the coast and Manuel Antonio National Park on the pacific coast. Manuel Antonio itself is a town with all the usual tourist facilities, souvenir shops and supermarkets. A guide through the park is recommended in order to get the most from your visit, I have no idea how they spot the wildlife that they do. Here you can see sloths, howler monkeys, white headed capuchin monkeys and iguanas. Also keep an eye on your possessions on the beach as we saw many raccoons actually going through peoples’ bags. The beach is beautiful but the sea is rough so care is needed.
The final part of our trip was to the Osa Peninsula, another lengthy road trip and we arrived at Lapa Rios Eco Lodge. Set in the rainforest with the ocean in the distance. Sitting having breakfast you can spot Scarlet Macaws, Toucans and Howler Monkeys. The lodge runs lots of activities with one of the most popular being the Night Walk, we spotted the famous tree frog aswell as snakes and spiders.
There are so many eco projects in Costa Rica it is hard to name them, from bamboo straws, hydro- electricity plants and even recycled electrical insulators to simulate a coral reef.
Hotel standards are generally high and food quality is excellent.
Costa Rica is a wonderful destination all about the nature and protecting our plane, forget the hair straighteners, make up, your inhibitions and enjoy!