Costa Rica Tour Company plus more info/other countries

For any of you planning a vacation/tour to Costa Rica, look no further and check out Innerquest Adventures.

We offer eco-tours in Costa
Rica, Belize, Panama, Peru and the Galapagos Islands, all with a very strong
wildlife emphasis. We cater to wildlife lovers, with "off the beaten path"
destinations, local naturalist guides and biologists, and breathtaking
rainforest lodges from Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel.
For further Tour Information and planned packages by Josh Cohen’s experienced company, please vist his informative website and contact him directly for prices and options.   Company website for Costa Rica and other Countries is   www.innerquest.com    and direct email is  [email protected]

     Our tour all over Costa Rica was organized perfectly by Josh Cohen at Innerquest Adventures (soon to be called "Wild Planet Adventures") on our recent trip.  After flying into San Jose with a non-stop direct flight on American Airlines, we headed to our first destination of Sarapiqui.  About 2 hours driving from the airport, we checked into the beautiful La Quinta Lodge, full of activities, a butterfly garden, museum, and walking trails.  The employees were so friendly and helpful while serving some delicious buffet meals during our stay.  The top activity and highlight was the awesome River Rafting on the Sarapiqui River by Adventures de Sarapiqui Company.  The adventure was very safe and the guides were fun and extremely knowledgeable. The tour takes about 4 -6 total hours but is well worth it and the rapids are very safe as long as they don’t get above a level 4.  Our next stop was the town of Arenal.

 

     Arenal is popular for the big volcano even though you must get very lucky to see it erupt at night due to the often cloud factor.  Driving from Sarapiqui is about 2 hours and a must stop is Tobacon Hot Springs to relax in the different baths/spas.  The hot water feels great and the venue is a hot spot and can get crowded.  We checked into Villa Decary Lodge and enjoyed the fine hospitality and nice atmosphere.  I highly recommend La Mansion Inn to visit and have a great 5 course dinner at.  More info on La Mansion on the dining page.  After a great day at the Hot Springs and the gourmet feast, it was time to pack it in for the night.  Waking up to the fresh breakfast at Villa Decary before heading out to an option of activities such as windsurfing or fishing on the nearby Lake Arenal; a trip to Cano Negro and adventurous nearby caverns or the fun Riverboat Tour by (Safaris Corboici) while you have a light lunch, jump in for a quick swim and see monkeys, birds and iguanas about an hour away.   Next stop on the way was the Rain Forrest in Monteverde.

 

    Approximately another 3 hours drive (only because of the bad roads filled with plenty of potholes), Monteverde was an incredible little town full of activities, adventures and great restaurants.  The places not to miss are and part of the tour at Selvatura Canopy Tour which is an exciting thrill zip ride on cables through the forest way above the ground. Very safe and harnessed it, each person controls his/her own speed while approaching the landing area and onto the next cable.  Another company called Adventures offers the same adventure plus one repelling ordeal and an exhilarating Tarzan Swing.  Finca Ecological is a great place for hiking and to see some beautiful mountain areas and some keen waterfalls.  Other places of interest are the Frog Place called “Rainerio”, the snake place called ”Serpentium” and the main Monteverde Reserve for some great scenery, sloths, colorful birds and hiking through the Cloud/Rain Forrest.  A guide takes you through the full area while explaining everything you need to know.   Popular dining places worth eating at are Morphos Café and Johnny’s Pizza. Don’t let the names fool you as the menu has a big variety and both places are delicious.  Now it was time to head to the west coast and beach areas.

 

     The town of Quepos and more particularly “Manuel Antonio”  was my favorite visit on the tour.  This extravagant National Park has adjacent beautiful beaches and clean warm water to swim besides the numerous hiking trails and secluded sections to hang out.  There is minimal charge to enter the park and it is open everyday except Mondays.  There are many activities as well in Manuel Antonio but I suggest taking advantage of the beaches and hiking here.  The park is full of White-faced Monkeys who want food, numerous iguanas, & deer to name a few.  If you have time, make a reservation at the Serendipity Spa for one of their many treatments or massages after a day at the park/beach.  3 restaurants that are fantastic especially for seafood are Mar Luna, Barba Rojas, and Karoles all walking distance apart in this cool easy going town.  Don’t miss the gorgeous sunsets before changing and going to dinner.   Lastly was a flight to the south of the Country.

 

     Puerto Jiminez and Carate were the final stops on the tour.  We recommend flying on Nature Air and not on Sansa Airlines by the way as their reputation and options are better.  Nature Air also flies directly from Quepos to Puerto Jiminez while Sansa doesn’t.  The Parrot Bay Inn was very relaxing in Puerto Jiminez with its spacious cabins and options of activities.  Enjoy the Sunset Kayak Tour by Escondido Trex or take a Fishing Excursion (This is the most popular place in the country and people come from all over to fish here. It is a bit expensive but by the pictures of huge fish, you will have an experience of a lifetime). Take a nap on one of their many hammocks right on the beach to relax.  Carate is at the southern part of the country and Corcovado National Park is located there.  You have to get deep into the park to really experience the full effect.  We stayed the amazing Lookout Inn overlooking the ocean.  This place was true paradise and the owners were the most hospitable.  Gourmet feasts with the freshest food are included for breakfast and dinner.  You get an early wakeup call to start the day whether you like it or not. Enjoy the “Stairway to Heaven” hike at the top of the Inn and end the day at the beach for the sunset and jumping in the refreshing warm water.  Keep an eye out for low tide as the waves do get big.  Enjoy a great off the beaten path hike and visit a gold miner on a special Mike Boston tour.  This place was very cozy and everyone gets to know one another in the intimate lodge.  Lights out after dinner around 9:30pm.  Take the public collective ride back to the airport to catch your flight back to San Jose.  If time allows and you visit the city there, check out the Gold Museum-only one of a few in the whole world; the Costa Rica History Museum;  and the Numismatic Museum of the monetary system, all located in downtown San Jose.

One last high rated suggestion that we were not able to review is the entire "Ultimate Wildlife" itinerary which also includes the sloth wildlife refuge Aviarios as seen on the Discovery Channel, and ends at Luna Lodge, named one of the "top 25 eco-lodges in the world" by Conde Naste Traveler.

 

We want to give special thanks to all the people we met and helped out on our great Review Trip:

Beatriz- La Quinta Sarapiqui

Johanna and Miguel- Adventures del Sarapiqui River Rafting

Jeff and Bill- Villa Decary in Lake Arenal

Joey- Manager of La Mansion Inn in Arenal

Evelio- Elis Lodge in Monteverde

Evelyn- Selvatura Canopy Tour in Monteverde

Yanika- Serenity Spa in Monteverde

Maxine- Parrot Bay Inn in Puerto Jiminez

Escondido Trex Sunset Kayak Tours in Puerto Jiminez

Terry and Katya- Lookout Inn in Carate

Mike Boston- Osa Aventura off the Beaten Path Hike Gold miner Tours

And last but not least- (Josh Cohen) as the whole trip was made possible because of the great preparation and organization of his company “Innerquest Adventures soon to be "Wild Planet Adventures”.