11 independent reviews for Costa Rica wildlife holiday, Coastal Secrets
Reviews for Costa Rica wildlife holiday, Coastal Secrets
Andrea Bunea review 4 Feb 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Animals and natural parks2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Not to expect to be alone: a lot at tourists.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes l do. Tourism has always a bad impact on the environment, but at the same time helps to support conservation.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
ExcellentFrances Davies review 10 Apr 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Difficult, tapirs, sloths, quetzels, forests, fellow travellers, brilliant guide. Impossible to say.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for really cold weather, and the altitude hopefully3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Hopefully, but not sure.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very interesting, glad I went and I really enjoyed it but no yearn to go back . Like a bit more exciting holidays.Karen Ashenden review 21 Feb 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Drake Bay resort was the highlight - amazing setting, staff so helpful and excursions varied.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Pack light and come with quick dry clothing. Walking trainers or really good trainers and water shoes is all you need. Binoculars and small camera if interested in wildlife. $ dollars accepted everywhere, change given in local currency. If heading to the mountains layer up and take warm fleece/coat. It does rain so light weight rain coat or poncho in your rucksack at all times. Good insect repellent and high sun screen. Wi-Fi not always available in all lodge bedrooms just reception areas.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
In the areas we visited local people staffed the hotels, water was always available to refill water bottle. Local ingredients where used in restaurants - vegetables, fruit, fish, eggs etc. Most plastic seen was recyclable - bags, straws etc. All walks etc we where always advised not to touch wildlife, not to leave any mark on the places we visited.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent guide who shared his loved of Costa Rica and supported us to be environmentally aware everywhere we went.Rosie Morgan review 13 Feb 2020
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The wild life and diversity of the country2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared to get wet. It rains a lot and is very humid even in the dry season. Don't expect to dry your clothes - everything is damp. Having said that, it's a fantastic trip. Just GO and leave your good clothes and bling at home. Our guide Jorge was excellent - he saw things with the naked eye that we needed a telescope for. He was very knowlegable and in our free time he organisd lots of extra outings. Even saw a quetzal!!!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, the whole country is very environmently friendly. Plenty of safe free drinking water - no plastic bottles required, just a good refillable one. Don't expect AC!4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Fabulous!!!Robert Lisney review 3 Feb 2020
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
seeing the country2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
prepare fully for wide range of weathers and for wet landings3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
it may have done4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
enjoyableJane Bailey review 10 Nov 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Boat trips in Tortoguero, Walking on lava field at Arenal, Walking through cloud forest, Seeing all the wildlife in company of expert guide2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take good binoculars, Take plenty of T-shirts and light walking trousers /shorts You won’t need smart clothes, Take low denomination dollars - local shops/cafes may not accept $50/$100 dollar bills3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
In the sense that we stayed in hotels/lodges in the main which supported environmental projects. Also spent money in local small restaurants and shops4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Great/ fantastic wildlife. Country is stunning and trip well organised with very knowledgeable guideLinda Rockliffe review 6 Oct 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The walks2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for uphill stuff and some places vertigo instilling scenery.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Definitely benefitted local people4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
ExcellentJulia Calvert review 18 Aug 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I loved the boat rides and seeing the humpback whales, and also the humming bird garden.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure you bring insect repellent and also wet weather stuff.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Very much so4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Wonderful holiday. We were not in the more touristy areas of Costa Rica so in that sense it felt very personal. We did plenty of walking, ate lots of healthy food and the lodges we stayed in were in the midst of the wildlife we had come to see.Jenny Abbott review 5 Feb 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing such a variety of animals and birds every single day. But the highlights must be the quetzals, the racket of the howler monkeys and of course the sloths.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for long long days in the mini bus when transferring between national parks. Still lots to see but through a window! Also very little downtime to just relax and enjoy your surroundings.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
The majority of tourism of course benefits the local economy and must indirectly benefit the country’s goals for the environment and their conservation targets. Had little opportunity to meet and talk to Ticos.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A full-on trip! Wildlife galore. I will definitely be back in Costa Rica soon.Alison Pelikan review 24 Jan 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
There were many as we saw several different habitats! I loved the Cloud forests and the rainforests especially being able to walk some of the trails on my own as then I can experience the forest more quietly and directly and see animals and bird life that is not possible when people on a group walk are chatting. The group were great too with lovely people to share experiences with.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Invest in a reasonably good pair of binoculars! Several people on my trip just had very small binoculars so struggled to see things, but when I lent them mine they would say "ohhh!!" Makes a big difference to your enjoyment of the wildlife.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
To some extent yes as there were several lunches and dinners when we ate out at local restaurants thus were spending money locally. Also we had a visit to a woman who ran her own small dairy farm and learned about her way of life which was really interesting. Several of the lodges we stayed at recycled and one made their own compost. We learned from our guide that the partner organisation supported a local rural school by getting them school supplies and by sponsoring and organising trips for the children to some of the best wildlife sites in Costa Rica.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very enjoyable indeed and would recommend it to anyone especially if this would be someone's first time in that area or first time someone would be doing a wildlife trip. The only reason I am not rating it with 5 stars is that I personally prefer to stay in much smaller lodges, whereas we often stayed in very large lodges although they were well run and well organised.Maryanne Roach review 13 Mar 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Sloths2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Drink lots at altitude; a number of us suffered from altitude headaches and nausea. A travel kettle and supplies were welcome as was that other travel essential, a wash basin plug.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Well, we spent some money. We also filled our water bottles from bulk water in the hotels rather than buying bottled water.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Poor. Long bumpy journeys in a mini bus with uncomfortable front and rear seats. Didn't see as many birds as I expected; one needs to be interested in lichen, lizards, termites, ants, spiders etc as well! And I was also disappointed by the lack of mountain scenery.Read the operator's response here:
We would like to thank Maryanne for her feedback regarding her holiday in Costa Rica, although we are very sorry that some aspects of the holiday did not meet her expectations. We regret that she found the journeys to be long and the transportation to be uncomfortable; the feedback about our ‘Costa Rica's Coastal Secrets’ tour is usually overwhelmingly positive, so we are very sorry that Maryanne’s experience was not so positive.
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