My friend and I recently completed this tour. It was our first visit to Costa Rica, and our first-ever trip with CharlieTheTraveler. It won't be our last! ... I can’t say enough good things about CharlietheTraveler (hereafter referred to as CTT for short).
It started with a phone call from Charlie himself within 24 hours of putting down a deposit. Not sure he does that for every tour they book, but needless to say, we were like, wow, never expected that! Communication from the staff about every aspect of the upcoming trip from that point on was timely and detailed.
One of the really nice aspects of CTT was being able to pick our own start date. Unlike many other tour companies which have pre-set dates for their tours, CTT is totally flexible. While I am retired, my travel companion still works, so she had specific dates for her vacation. No problem!
Prior to departure, we received an extremely detailed daily itinerary which included descriptions of our activities that day, along with what times we would be picked up, the outfit picking us up, and even the driver and their WhatApp contact info. Included in the daily descriptions were estimated drive times and length of activities. These all turned out to be incredibly accurate!
Additionally, we were provided with the contact info for a private, in-country concierge who would be accessible throughout our time in Costa Rica. She provided us with timely adjustments to a few pickup times, and quickly responded to us two different times when we had some questions or requests. She also arranged an alternative activity for us one day, as we did not want to do the standard CTT tour offering that afternoon.
This tour itself was the perfect balance of daily outdoor activities, with adequate time each day to relax. On all but one day, we had evenings to do as we pleased, except for the day we did a night hike - we had the morning free on that one. All our hotels were 4.5-5 star facilities. Breakfast was included at all of them, and our daily tours typically included lunch (one time a breakfast, one time a dinner), so we only had to cover one meal each day.
Costa Rica was simply wonderful. The tour was a nice mix of beach & mountain stays, as well as beach and mountain activities. We were constantly treated to new experiences. Highlights were horseback riding on the beach, a catamaran cruise with snorkeling and a gorgeous Pacific sunset, zip lining in the cloud forest, and rapeling alongside waterfalls in a mountain canyon. Although we are both quite active, I’m 71 and my companion is 66, so we had some reservations about those latter two. Turns out, we had a blast! The outfits that CTT scheduled to handle those activities were first class. We took several national park tours, one with hanging bridges (very cool), which provided us with some awesome opportunities to view wildlife, gorgeous waterfalls, and colorful birds. Being a serious hobbyist photographer, I’m glad I took my good camera and a telephoto zoom lens along. Got some great wildlife shots! Oh, and the coffee plantation tour was really nice and quite informative!
I could go on, but this review is already WAY longer than I intended. But maybe that tells you something … We’re now big CharlietheTraveler fans, and we plan to do another trip with them at some point. We highly recommend you take a look at what CharlietheTraveler has to offer, wherever your travels may take you!
My BFF and I recently spent 12 days in Costa Rica. We followed the 9 day itinerary and added 2 extra days. Using Charlie the Traveler was the best decision we could have made regarding this trip. From our arrival pick up in Liberia airport to our departure drop off in San Jose airport, there was not one complaint or concern throughout our time in CR. The itinerary was well laid out and planned. We were able to see many of CR's beautiful lands-
capes and topo-
graphy. Beautiful beaches, volcanoes, waterfalls, rain/cloud forest, wild life, etc...We saw it all!!
The coordinat-
ion and planning of this trip by Charlie was perfect. We were able to enjoy our trip without any hassles, getting lost, standing in lines, or trying to figure out what to see or where to go. We were also given a 24 hr. on call concierge for any questions or concerns. Such peace of mind for navigating a foreign country.
We were provided a full detailed itinerary that included what to wear or bring to an excursion and times to show up in lobby..
We cannot speak highly enough about Charlie the Traveler! We are definately going to book our next adventure through Charlie! If you are not a fan of planning a vacation on your own...try it out! You cannot beat the flexibility and ease of traveling when booking your vacation with Charlie!
~Jennifer and Janine
My journey with Charlie the Traveler was nothing short of remarkable, if you're seeking an adventure that is thoughtfully curated, filled with breathtaking moments, and led by a team that truly cares about your experience, Charlie the Traveler is the way to go. This trip has not only left me with unforgettable memories but also a deeper appreciation for the wonders of our world.