Corissawilmes
16 Jan 2022
This was the best part of our trip! We started the day on a bus that took us ziplining from there we got to ride horses and then spent time learning about the local culture. We got to try coffee and sugar cane and saw / bought absolutely beautiful pottery. We finished the day with the most delicious meal that was our favorite meal of our whole 10 day trip. I'm still thinking of the star fruit
As mentioned in the description, this tour consists of several parts:
Zip lines: The zip lines were decent but if you're expecting the auto breaking feature like the one at Diamante, you will be disappointed. You'll be expected to break at times using a leather glove which is fine but it does require some interaction. Otherwise, you can walk the hanging bridge if zip lines aren't your thing, but you won’t be doing much more while waiting for everyone to finish. If it’s a busy day, you’ll spend some time waiting your turn at each of the platforms which get a bit crowded. The staff were nice enough and did a good job safety wise. Keep in mind to get to the first platform, you’ll have to hike several minutes up hill past the water slide, so bring something comfy to walk in that you won’t mind getting muddy.
Water slide: Honestly, this thing was scary as hell. Any water slide that requires a helmet and an inner tube for protection should give you pause. You’ll have to hike back up the same path as the zip lines to get to the top of the 1200-foot water slide. Women are given a leather “diaper” to wear to provide a bit more protection. You sit in the concrete/clay slide with your elbows tucked into the inner tube and then an operator opens a hand raised water dam which unleashes all of the blocked water and shoots you down the slide. The slide isn’t perfectly straight so you bounce around like a ping pong for awhile while water is splashing all up around your head. At certain turns, you’ll almost flip over and then you’ll splash down into the pool wondering what just happened. If your arms slip out of the inner tube and hit the side of the slide, you’ll probably bang up your elbows pretty good. Or you can just skip this one.
Coffee sampling with snack: This consists of visiting a local potter on site who makes a number of fired clay products such as vases, toys, and other decorative items. A coffee shop sits behind him where you can sample some of the different local coffees and even purchase bags for yourself. Ladies standing near the kiln will offer you a small sample of snacks in a banana leaf. The pottery items were all reasonably priced in my opinion.
Lunch: Lunch was actually pretty good with a small buffet consisting of fish stew, rice, chicken, salad, spaghetti, beef, and dessert. Everybody seemed to enjoy their meals. You’ll also have access to coffee and juice.
Horse back ride: The horses were all very well behaved and trained to follow the lead horse without much interaction from you. The trip was probably a solid 15 minutes or more to the hot springs at a nice leisurely pace with some very nice scenery. If you opt not to take the horses, you can ride the tractor down to the springs. The only physical part of it was getting off of the horse which the guides will help you do.
Hot Springs: this was easily our favorite part of the whole experience. After changing into your swim suits, you’ll be asked to sit in a sauna for a few minutes to open up your pores. Then you get to slather volcanic mud all over yourself and stand on a platform to let it all dry. The view at the hot springs were amazing, being flanked on both sides by tall canyon walls and a river splitting it down the middle. Once your mud is dry, you shower off in some pretty cold water and can hop into the first of three hot springs (essentially, warm, hottest, and hot). The hottest (105 degrees Fahrenheit), was perfect on a rainy day and so relaxing. There are also two bars there that offer paid-for cocktails and other beverages, a snack bar area, a paid-for massage area and some sitting spaces if you’re hanging around and not in the springs. After you’re done, you take the tractor back to the entrance.
Tip: If it’s the rainy season, consider bringing a poncho or raincoat. Lockers are provided at the entrance and the springs so don’t be afraid to bring a small bag for a change of clothes. Also, bring cash with you wherever you can. There are tip boxes for each of the events but if you locked up your belongings in one of the lockers, you’ll be hard pressed to get it and come back to some of the location. The potter and the coffee bar take credit cards as well as the photo guys. If you want to do the water slide and not hike barefooted in the dirt/mud, wear water friendly shoes. Bring bug spray, you’ll shower it all off before getting into the springs anyway.