Spent today with Odyssey Tours & Travel exploring Puntarenas, Costa Rica, with knowledgeable & friendly guide Alex. Traveling on NCL Jade, chose to go onshore for a Viator excursion.
Easy meet-up, new(ish) Mercedes van, 12 guest seats, we had 6, flexible and determined to please. Animals are fickle, and not always visible. We had exceptional encounters with White Face Monkeys and Macaws, crocodiles were not to be found (the site is currently under construction to provide an incredible upcoming experience over the water!) Alex & driver knew alternative locations to ensure wildlife sightings and picturesque scenery/ photos.
Monkeys were plentiful and adorable. NOT a zoo, these are "wild", but clearly know where the next snack comes from! DO NOT FEED the Monkeys if you don't want them climbing on you. (Reminded me of feeding the Stingrays in the Caribbean). This was so much fun, if at least one of you is willing! Words cannot describe - we were all laughing as not 1, not 2, but 3 white-faced monkeys jumped on the broad shoulders of my body builder son, for a 1/4 of an orange slice. LOL (See pics)
Driving between sites, or touring the main city, our guide entertained us with historical knowledge and species of birds monkeys, sloths and reptiles to look out for.
A stop for local fresh fruit (pineapple & mango) and the bathroom was refreshing. Lunch at a local restaurant, up in the hills with a great view, was enjoyed by all.
The pinnacle of our trip was an entire flock of Macaws in a high almond tree, near the beach. (Our trip up mountain was unsuccessful, thus we tried a local site). OMG!!! There were at least 20 Macaws, flying, perching, posing (?) So unexpected (and apparently rare to see so many together) we were all just mesmerized by these bright, spectacular birds.
A final stop at a souvenir shop, & so much more. Local artisans carving and painting Costa Rican animals/symbols and much local fare. (Ever been to Buc-ees in Texas?!)
The final highlight was a butterfly garden that included dozens of Costa Rican bright blue butterflies Blue Morpho and the Tiger Heliconian (see pic)s.
Dropped us off right where we began at the dock/walkway leading to the cruise ship. So much, in half a day (5 hours-ish) for so little. Definitely worth it!
Wir hatten eine wunderbare Zeit auf dieser Tour. Der Preis ist wirklich unschlagbar. Ich war schon einmal in Costa Rica und wir haben die meisten Highlights gesehen. Unser Reiseleiter Alex war sehr gesprächig und hatte viele Informationen über das Land und die Tierwelt. Wir haben sogar eine Gruppe scharlachroter Aras gesehen.
Ich wünschte mir zum Schluss noch ein bisschen mehr Zeit im Souvenirladen, da es auch ein Schmetterlingsgarten ist, so dass wir viel Zeit mit den Schmetterlingen verbracht haben anstatt einzukaufen.
Die Abholung und Rückgabe war einfach und sie behalten den Überblick über Ihr Kreuzfahrtschiff im Falle eines Hafenwechsels.
Wir hatten einen tollen Tag mit unserem Reiseleiter Albert und nur 6 anderen Personen. Der Minivan war sogar mit kostenlosem Wi-Fi ausgestattet! Erster Halt war der Besuch von Kapuzineraffen. Albert gab uns Bananen, um sie zu bestechen und bald krochen sie auf unsere Schultern. Lange schöne Fahrt hinauf zu einem abgelegenen Dorf, ein kurzer Halt an der Krokodilbrücke, eine Pause auf ein Bier an einer niedlichen kleinen Bar und ein Halt in einem Schmetterlingsgarten / Souvenirladen. Insgesamt war es ein toller Tag. Ich würde diese Tour jedem empfehlen.