Let's Go to Costa Rica

There is this great song called "Costa Rica" by Vince Vacarro that always puts me in a good mood. Partially because it is an uplifting catchy tune, but mostly it reminds me of my experiences in the land of Costa Rica, when I went with G Adventures.

Costa Rica is one of the best known countries in Central America, very stable economy, democratic society with the lushness of a tropical paradise and many creature comforts of home. CR is known for its adventure, beautiful beaches, active volcano's, jungles, and a wild range of animals that make any aged child giggle with glee.

I did a G Adventures itinerary which was a perfect taste of what the country had to offer, with volcano hiking, ziplining high above the giant rain forest, waterfall rappelling, horseback riding, coffee plantations, butterfly gardens, eco hikes through the cloud forest, ending with a few days on the beach in beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park. All in 9 days. Unreal itinerary and other than not getting to the east coast to see the tributaries on the Caribbean, this itinerary was bordering on perfect!

Van. Boat. Ban. Our local guide explained in his heavily accented Spanish that was how we were to travel. All we heard was banboaban which was met with perplexed looks on our face, but quickly became our catch phrase for the next 10 days, as it can with small groups. We had a fabulous experience packed full of adventure, culture, delicious food, wonderful music, warm weather, little hidden gems of crocodile river (which we watch from a safe distance), and exploring the plant and wildlife was such a treat. Slow moving sloths, lizards of all shapes and sizes, beautiful butterflies, even insects that were fascinating in their camouflaging abilities (and trust me I don't 'do' insects), Costa Rica truly is a fabulous experience.

For those who know me, I am a true coffee snob. And the coffee plantation we went to called El Trapiche was splendid. Some of the best coffee I have tasted around the globe. And learning about the tedious detailed process of producing a flavorful coffee bean was entertaining, to everyone on the trip. Sugar cane production as well, meaning we got to have some sweet treats too, can't complain there!

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In summary, Costa Rica is a travel friendly destination for all ages. Children and adults alike will get great pleasures out of the wilderness this country has to offer, in the comfort of wonderful hotels. Sure the roads are bumpy and weaving which makes slow travel, but this gives you the opportunity for heaps of photo ops and many oohs and awws at the lush country side.  Non stop flights are available from Alberta to Liberia (beach destination), and daily flights via Houston to San Jose, where all the tours start from. US cash is widely accepted, Canadians do not require visas, and just standard vaccinations, making this an easy and affordable vacation for all. Further questions? Drop us a line at info@thetraveldesk.ca

Let me leave you with this video, a teaser of the best of Costa Rica: