Name: Costa Rica - Cloud Forest & Quetzals
Brand: Rockjumper Birding
SKU: N/A
Price: 4275 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.8 (1 reviews)

Compare all Costa Rica Birding Tours & Packages tours, cruises, and vacations from hundreds of companies. Get the best price and experience for...

Costa Rica Birding Tours & Packages Tours & Trip Packages

Central America & the Caribbean

Costa Rica

Costa Rica Birding Tours & Packages

Read 221 traveler reviews on tours to Costa Rica Birding Tours & Packages.Compare trips from over 12 companies. Pick your perfect trip with...

Costa Rica Birding Tours & Packages Tour & Trip Reviews |...

Think twice about booking your travel through Road Scholar:
Recently I booked a trip with Road Scholar and used their travel department to book my trip. As luck would have it weather delays created a situation where I would miss most of the trip so I chose to cancel the Road Scholar trip.   When I asked United if they would cancel my flight and give me a refund they agreed…until the agent discovered I had booked the flight through Road Scholar. Because I booked through a third party, I was told I had to obtain a refund from Road Scholar directly. Road Scholar refunded all but $200.00 which they said was a booking fee. News to me, never was a booking fee if canceled discussed or mentioned while booking the flight. So, my advice to anyone thinking about booking a Road Scholar flight is to make their own travel arrangements or buy trip insurance.

Road Scholar

Think twice before you book your travel through Road Scholar

Rim to Shore: Costa Rica Multi-Sport Adventure

Exodus Adventure Travels

Explore!

Ada Tours

AdventureSmith

National Geographic Expeditions

Adventures within Reach

Tours of Distinction

Rockjumper Birding

Mayflower Tours

Cheepers Birding

Sierra Club Outings

I would recommend this well organised holiday to anyone who wants to explore 
the diverse landscapes of Costa Rica, as well as see a wide range of wildlife 
- sloths, monkeys, spiders, frogs, snakes, dolphins, butterflies - as well, 
of course, birds ( we saw over 100 different types!) The accommodation ranged 
from good to excellent, and the food was varied and plentiful - not just rice 
and beans! We were also very fortunate to be with the nicest group of fellow 
travellers.
A difficult question to answer, as there were so many wonderful experiences, 
but the three days at Drake Bay were very special.


Guillermo was the best of guides. He was patient and kind, he happily shared 
his love and deep knowledge of Costa Rica with us, as well as ensuring we all 
took all the photos we wanted. He also added several additional activities, 
which were appreciated.


Make sure you pack Deet, strong suntan cream and a good poncho. Water shoes 
for any river crossing or the sea, would be useful at Drake Bay.


If you are interested in the history of Costa Rica, and have some time to 
spare in San Jose, I would recommend a visit to The National Museum of Costa 
Rica (Museo Nacional). Otherwise just relax and enjoy spending time in this 
beautiful, sane country.

Costa Rica's Coastal Secrets

Thoroughly enjoyed this holiday. We saw so much wildlife from sloths and 
monkeys and even an anteater to scarlet macaws and toucans, as well as the 
elusive quetzal, dolphins and lots of beautifully coloured birds, fish and 
reptiles. The group we travelled with was  very friendly and good fun.

We saw many different landscapes and the whole trip was extremely well 
organised.
It is impossible to pick one - seeing so much wildlife for the first time was 
wonderful. And the scenery was ever changing and beautiful.


Guillermo was a brilliant guide - he spotted so much wildlife, had a vast 
knowledge of nature and was kind and very well organised.. You will be very 
lucky if you have him as your guide.


Make sure you have deet and sunscreen and good walking boots or shoes for 
when it is muddly and to keep things from biting your ankles.

A rain poncho will keep out the rain and keep your rucksack dry.

Have a good camera.

Relax and enjoy it


Thoroughly recommended.

Overall we had such an amazing trip. Our tour guide was fantastic and one of 
a kind. He really knew his stuff and went the extra mile above and beyond for 
the group. We always maintained respect for Nature and conservation, further 
more learning the importance of why Costa’s Rica is so special.  Costa Rica 
was teaming with wildlife, we spotted 9 sloths including  a close up chance 
encounter of a wild two toed sloth, A surge of 30 Coati and their young on 
the edge of the rainforest coastal walk at Coravado. Swimming with green 
turtles and white tipped reef sharks, seeing a young humpback whale calf up 
close with mum....an experience to see the well renowned  Quetzal...Macaws, 
Anteaters, Howler Monkey families at the door step of our lodge facing the 
Pacific Ocean  not to mention the many countless bird species, insects and 
reptiles we  encountered along the way. If your looking for paradise, Costa 
Rica has it all and more.
Being surrounded by Hummingbirds close up at our stay lodge in the middle of 
the cloud forest was pretty sensational.

Quite difficult to narrow it down to one, the snorkelling experience was also 
a high experience as we had never done anything like that before. It opens 
your eyes up to a completely different world.


Johnny (Villalobos) was amazing. He really leaps out at you as a extremely 
proficient and interesting tour leader, not your run of the mill tour guides. 
I wasn’t surprised to learn he had won an award for his work. There’s 
something very honest about Johnny and you can see how extremely passionate 
he is about conservation, wildlife and his country. Also dedicated twitcher!

I think if I were to re-visit Costa Rica again, I’d like Johnny to be there 
on the  tour front.


Go in with an open mind. The hotels are well placed for the locations and 
more than comfortable. The Drakes bay lodge, Cloud forest hotel are mind 
blowingly beautiful.

Be prepared you may not see all the wildlife viewing that’s on your hit 
list but the wildlife you do see is amazing , we saw so much amazing wildlife 
more than any other wildlife trip I’ve been on, no we didn’t see a Jaguar 
or any cat family member but we pretty much saw everything else including the 
odd rare species.

The beauty of the rugged coastal rainforests is amazing, be prepared with 
full rain water proof clothing, and make sure it is water proof. Water shoes 
are a god send, the advice another previous visitor highlighted to wear came 
in super handy when we boarded the speed boat.

Also if you have a nice fancy camera, make sure you have rainproof protection 
for it. I brought a water proof camera with me for snorkelling and the local 
tour guides were extremely kind enough to dive down and take photos of 
underwater wildlife , which we are aiming to share with the rest of the 
group.

The cloud forest is quite a change from the warmer climates of Costa Rica, 
make sure you are prepared with a good reliable warm hoodie. Our tour guide 
even had gloves and a hat on for the 5am Quetzal walk. Also make sure you 
have good waterproof walking boots as you do walk a fair way on special set 
occasions.


I’d love to go back on this particular  trip, hopefully with the same tour 
guide!

This is my first experience with Exodus and from meeting well travelled 
faithful Exodus travellers on this trip, I’ve found that Exodus is pretty 
much the company to go with, it’s not touristy and is respectful to areas 
they visit. I’ll definately be travelling with Exodus further in the 
future.

Our third visit to Costa Rica was everything we expected and more (sadly we 
didn't see a tapir - but that was the only disappointment!). The trip is full 
on - if you participate in all that is offered, you don't get much time to 
read your book! Early starts were the order of the day (not too difficult, 
due to the time difference between there and UK.) Some days there were longer 
journeys, but these were always broken up with stops for food or to see 
things of interest. The Costa Ricans are friendly and very keen on their 
eco-tourism. The lodges and hotels were of a good standard, with the meals 
(whether from the accommodation or from restaurants), were very acceptable. A 
holiday that starts and finishes with stays in lodges that can only be 
reached by a lengthy boat trip has to be very special.
One of the highlights of the holiday was our visit to a small locally run 
restaurant in Sitio de Mana. A large wooden terrace/balcony in a little 
village, sited on a mountainside, with spectacular views (which gradually 
appeared as the mist lifted), was almost surreal. The food was fantastic 
(including a chocolate cake that they had baked) was all prepared by the 
local village ladies, on very primitive looking cast iron stoves. While 
eating we were able to watch humming birds and toucans at very close 
quarters.
Another highlight was snorkelling at Cano island - a profusion of multi 
coloured fish flashed by, as a turtle slowly made its way to the surface 
within six feet of me, before disappearing into the depths again.


Our leader Jonny Villalobos was excellent - so good that while with us he 
heard that he had won Tour leader of the year (2017) - voted by Exodus 
customers. His depth of knowledge is huge, whether it be re birds, flora, 
history or general knowledge on Central America. He found some very good 
restaurants for us and dealt well with the minor medical problems that arose.


Do go on this trip - it complements the Exodus costa Rica Discovery tour. Do 
take plenty of sun protection - it is very easy to get burnt on the boat 
trips. Don't forget your camera, and if you have a waterproof one take that 
as well. Ensure that you have waterproof bags to line your day bag and 
protect your cameras etc.


There is such a profusion of wild life - we saw all four species of monkeys 
that are present, some saw a big cat (there are several species.) The seven 
kilometre walk, alongside  the pacific and the jungle was not strenuous and 
we saw loads of wildlife on it. Sloths were everywhere - we were educated in 
the sloth sanctuary, but saw more outside of it! On the faster side of life - 
the trip out to and from Drakes bay on a boat with twin 150 outboards was 
like participating in a power boat race - great fun.

I had booked this trip to celebrate "big birthdays" for both me and my 
daughter, so my expectations were high and this fantastic holiday exceeded my 
expectations.  Walking in the rainforest and cloudforest and sailing in the 
mangrove swamps was magical and thanks to the sharp eyes of our guide we saw 
at very close range howler and capuchin monkeys, two and three fingered 
sloths, poison dart frogs, blue jean frogs, transparent frogs, crocodiles, 
caiman, lizards, basilisks, snakes (the yellow eyelash viper was stunningly 
beautiful seen through our guide's telescope), green turtles, humpback 
whales, dolphins, hummingbirds, anteater, racoons, coatis, scarlet macaws, 
parakeets, heron, egrets and lots more. It was a safari!  We experienced  the 
diversity of the ecology and cultures of Costa Rica while avoiding the 
touristy areas.  The eco-lodges varied from good to excellent and all had air 
conditioning to ensure a good night's sleep. The food was excellent and 
special diets were well catered for.  We were warmly welcomed wherever we 
went. There was quite a lot of travelling in our air conditioned  minibus but 
the journey was made more interesting by the guide's stories about the local 
area and frequent stops to sample local fruit at the side of the road , 
eating in family run restaurants where you could watch the birdlife at the 
same time, or stopping to see archaeological remains such as the 
stonospheres. If you want to experience the great outdoors in the tropics and 
fall exhausted but happy into a comfy bed at the end of every day, this is 
the holiday for you.
There was something inspirational every day so it's impossible to name just 
one.  Sailing alongside a family of humpback whales was awe-inspiring. 
Hearing the calls of howler monkeys in the early hours of the morning. Seeing 
and hearing scarlet macaws while walking to get breakfast. Watching monkeys 
watching us. Sitting in the hotel garden in the cloudforest and being 
dive-bombed by hummingbirds.  The exhilarating sail to Drake Bay across the 
waves where the mangrove swamps meet the pacific. Snorkelling off Cano island 
and seeing so many colourful fish, turtles and a white-tipped shark.


If Johnny Villalobos had not already won the Exodus guide of the year, I 
would be nominating him!  His knowledge of nature, wildlife, history and his 
country was exemplary and he imparted his knowledge in an interesting and 
entertaining way.  He clearly loves his job. Johnny was sensitive to the 
group's needs, was very flexible in accommodating people's requests, and 
never lost an opportunity to give us an impromptu experience of real Costa 
Rica.  He was highly respectful of wildlife and ecological issues. Johnny 
went the extra mile for us and regularly put on extra walks or experiences on 
his own initiative that were not listed in the trip notes.  He was also 
quietly observant of individual's needs : when I was dehydrated and a bit 
seasick he arrived at my door with a jug of coconut water after finding the 
fresh coconuts in the lodge garden himself.  A thoroughly decent and modest 
man. Thank you Johnny for a fantastic holiday that was fun and 
mind-broadening.


A waterproof poncho is probably more comfortable in the (hot) rain than the 
waterproof breathable jacket I wear in the UK. Dry bags to line your day 
rucksack and for cameras are useful. Drink LOADS more water than you think 
you need as its very easy to get dehydrated. Take earplugs if you don't want 
to be woken by howler monkeys in the early hours of the morning (or just 
enjoy the experience). Expect to have wildlife in the lodges and remember 
we're in their habitat not vice-versa. Don't keep food in your room unless 
you want a close encounter with ants! There's no need to take food supplies 
for a vegan or wheat free diet as the lodges always have options. Don't buy 
chocolate souveniers to bring home at the start of the holiday as it will be 
heat damaged after 2 weeks! The best mozzie protection is to cover up and 
just spray the exposed bits with Deet 50%; even then, be prepared to get a 
few bites sometimes. Be wary of traffic in San Hose...it does not stop for 
pedestrians! Take the opportunity to see the National Museum, the Jade Museum 
and the market.


We had the same driver (Didier) all the time. He was a good, calm, safe 
driver at all times even when stuck in the madness of San Hose rush hour 
madness or when driving close to a precipice in the cloudforest.  I am a poor 
passenger and I felt safe at all times.

This was a memorable holiday, for all the right reasons. We were interested 
to find out about Costa Rica's wildlife and landscapes, and we were delighted 
with what we found. It was an active holiday, with quite a lot of 
early-morning rises, but this was more than compensated by the richness of 
the wildlife encounters. Our guide, Pedro, was outstanding: his knowledge, 
organisation, and enthusiasm were inspirational. The group, which ranged in 
age from 33 to 83, got on really well together, united by his passion and 
good humour. Accommodation was good to very good, and the food (most of which 
is included in the price) was also good to very good.
We experienced the full gamut of weather conditions, from tropical rain to 
warm temperatures and blue sunny skies.
As for organisation, the trip passed without a hitch despite certain roads 
being blocked by landslides and fallen trees, and we always felt safe.
There is quite a bit of travelling from one location to another.
Coming into close contact with so many wild animals in their natural 
surroundings is not an experience we are used to in Europe, and we have been 
lucky to return with some stunning photographs.


Pedro, our group leader, was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, efficient, helpful, 
and passionate about his country. He led the group with great humour and was 
always willing to go the extra mile.


For anyone interested in this tour, take sun cream, insect repellent, a 
poncho, walking boots and a good pair of trainers.  It is not really a 
trekking holiday, but conditions can be wet and muddy. A good camera is a 
must.
We chose to fly direct from the UK to San José rather than face the 
inevitable immigration queues if you fly via North America.


If there was one thing we would change about the activities on offer, we 
would advise against the Sloth Sanctuary at Puerto Viejo. It was rather 
self-promotional and we saw little evidence of the rehabilitation which they 
claimed. We had already encountered plenty of sloths in the wild, and the 
visit to the sanctuary added nothing to our appreciation of these animals. A 
visit to the crocodile and birdlife sanctuary on the River Tárcoles on the 
way back to San José on the last day is a much better option. But choose the 
right company- some are more ethical than others.