This Year's Favorite Costa Rica Student Adventure

Day 1 ------------ Arrive and drive to La Cusinga (La Cusinga Ecolodge)

Today we will meet you at the airport and take you to one of our favorite spots in all of Costa Rica. The name is La Cusinga and the area the southern Pacific. Here you will find a location that is unmatched by any other place in Costa Rica. This ecolodge sits on a point out over the Pacific that lends itself to the most amazing views you will find. That is why when we stay here with student groups we get the two top suites. They are actually bunks but there are two that fit 15 students each.

La Cusinga is 200 acres of primary rainforest and here we will be surrounded by nature for our stay and it lends itself for a real chance to have some full days of learning. (Meals: Dinner)

Day 2 ------------ Nature Hikes & Intro to Rainforest (La Cusinga Ecolodge)

Learning in the jungle

Today the entire day will be around the grounds of La Cusinga. We will do everything from visiting the different nature trails, the beaches, organic farms, and an evening of bonfire activities. Today is an excellent day to set up an intro of hands on activities and getting kids aware of the rainforest and the tropical region. We have a number of games, scavenger hunts, and activities we will be doing on the nature trails where each student will be spending time observing, noting, and later reflecting on the day in the jungle. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 3 ------------- Zipline, Banana Plantation, & Night Hike (La Cusinga Ecolodge)

We will start the day out with a little bit of adventure as we enjoy one of the best ziplines in Costa Rica. We will make our way into the mountains where we reach an elevation of 1,000ft and breath-taking views of the coastline below. This is full morning of zipping through the rainforest.

After the zipline we will make our way to the nearby banana plantation where we will get the kids running with over 25 hands of bananas. This will give them a feel for what the journey of banana goes through. We will also talk about the topic of local foods, large monocultures, and some of the difficulties of life on the workers of the plantation.

In the afternoon we will be doing a night hike where we will have the chance to learn about the rainforest during it's night hours. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 4 ------------ Enter Cave Hiking & Waterfall Rappel (Sleep Behind Waterfall)

Get ready for an adventure as we make our way to the base of a ridge where we will begin our hike into the cave. This is actually just a cavern that is tucked behind a waterfall but without question one of them most unique and beautiful places you will ever see in in your life. The hike is intense but worth it by all means. We will hike for around 2 hours as we make our way up the ridge and then down into the canyon. On our way to the waterfall we will pass by a permaculture garden where we can learn solutions to large monoculture plantations.

Upon arrival to the cavern we will have lunch and then get geared up for the 120ft waterfall rappel. This is a perfect rappel that literally ends right where you will be sleeping. After the rappel we will take one more small hike to the top of one of the tallest waterfall in all of Costa Rica measuring 600ft where we can watch the sunset over the pacific ocean. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 5 ------------ Leave Cave & Drive to Turrialba (Casa Turire)

You will wake up and the first thing you will see is three waterfalls forming a wall that flow over where we will be sleeping. There is nothing like this that we can compare it to. After breakfast we will then make another hike to some more waterfalls and pools. The kids will have a chance to jump off a 15 ft waterfall into a beautiful pristine pool. After the hike it is back down to the cavern for lunch and then time to hike out. After we hike out of the cave we will make our way to the area of Turrialba by way of the Paramo of Costa Rica which is one of the most unique areas of the tropics. The Paramo is what comes after the cloud-forest in high elevations of the tropics below the snow line.

When we arrive to Turrialba we have a real treat planned for everyone. You will be staying in the Casa Turire hotel. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

  Note: This itinerary would also have the option of doing two nights in the homestays if you wanted to add a night or remove the overnight river trip and just do a day river trip.

Day 6 ------------ Enter Pacuare River (River Tent-Camp)

After a delicious breakfast in your Casa Turire hotel you will make your way back to the jungle. This time your adventure will be by raft. The Pacuare River is listed as one of the top 5 on the planet. We will be starting our adventure in the entrance known as La Cruz and raft down for around two hours stopping for a river lunch along the way. After we finish our lunch we will make our way to the camp site. This is not roughing it by any means and all of your camping gear is set up and meals prepared for you. There are bathrooms and showers at the camp-site. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 7 ------------ Leave Pacuare & Drive to Airport Hotel (Airport Hotel)

Waking up in the jungle with the sound of the river and surrounded by primary rainforest is a morning you will never forget. We will get some breakfast and geared back up for the most intense two hours of rafting you will have on the river. Today we will take on the Pacuare Canyon which is filled with some of the best rapids in all of Costa Rica.

After we make our way out of the Pacuare canyon we will take out of the river and make the short drive to the area of San Jose putting us close to the airport for a day 8 departure. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 8 ------------ Fly Home!

Transfer to the airport and Fly Home! You can extend this itinerary more days and include the area of Sarapiqui which is lowland rainforest and the area of Arenal Volcano making it an 11 day trip.

Anteaters

Todays topic is the anteater. We have all heard of one but have you ever seen one? Do you know anything about them?

An anteater does enjoy eating ants but also spends a lot of it's time eating termites. They are found around the world in the tropics. There are four different types of anteaters (echidnas, pangolins, aardvark, and aardwolf). All of these anteaters are practically toothless probably because what they eat is so small. The anteaters have long sticky tongues which allow them to get the ants. The anteater has the largest tongue in relation to it's body size of any mammal on Earth. It's tongue can reach up to 2 ft long. It uses it's claws to dig into the ant hill and then sticks its tongue into the hill up to 150 times per minute. This fast rate of sticking it's tongue in and out makes it difficult for the ants to bite the tongue. Then with no teeth the anteater takes the ants that have stuck to the tongue and crushes them on the roof of his mouth and then swallows them.

Costa Rica has three different types of anteaters. The first is the Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) which weighs up to 45lbs and is a terrestrial forest dweller. The second is Tamanduas (Tamandua mexicana) which are medium sized and scansorial (which means it is capable of climbing). The third and smallest species is the silky anteater (cyclopes didactylus) is always arboreal (in the trees) and is rarely seen.

There you have it those are the three different species of anteaters in Costa Rica. Now it is time to go out and see them in the wild. Join us on a Costa Rica adventure!

October 15th "World Rural Women Day"



Smiles from Sitio de Mata Project

 Although this is a day late I wanted to inform everyone that yesterday was the World Rural Women's Day. Most have probably never heard of this including myself until this year. I was doing some research and after dealing with Rural Costa Rica for the last couple of years, having my brother make yearly trips to Africa, and having lived in other rural areas of Central America it crossed our minds that women in rural areas more often than not are the ones putting up the struggle for the food on the table and education of the children.

It turns out after one quick google the Day of Rural Women already exist and it is October 15th. It has been around for over a decade. Halloween will be taking second place now as my favorite holiday in October. This is a special day as we celebrate Rural Women across the globe. Just here in Costa Rica our company has a special relationship with the Rural Women in the village of Sitio de Mata where we have our Sitio de Mata Project going strong and just gets stronger as more of you put groups together to form more visits.

To all the rural women across the globe we hope you enjoyed your day. We will be doing everything we can next year to make October 15th a celebrated day in rural parts of Costa Rica. I called some of the ladies in our Sitio de Mata Project and none of them knew this day even existed which made me think probably most of the rural women on the planet don't even know this day exist. They were quite flattered to here a day was just for them and all their hard work.

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Coco Island Costa Rica

Coco Island is located off the Coast of Costa Rica and is Costa Rica's least visited National Park. It is surely the most difficult to get to as it is an expedition tour and a 36 hour boat ride. This island was declared a park in 1978 and is 2,309ha of land and another 97,235ha of Marine habitat. The park is known for it's marine life which make it one of the most popular diving areas on the planet. It is also very scenic as some of Costa Rica's most beautiful waterfalls fall from the island into the ocean. There are many endemic species on the island including different reptiles, birds, species, and plants. Along with diving there are hiking trails which open up to amazing views. The island is completely protected though and you sleep on the boats during these trips.

Image via Wikipedia 

I wanted to make this blog entry a little different. The Island is plain and simply an incredible spot and if I write about it's natural beauties much more I will just upset myself that I have not been there, yet. I did find some interesting information on the island reading a book on Costa Rican National Parks by INCAFO.

Now we have all heard that Costa Rica means "Rich Coast" because when the Spanish arrived the Indians had lots of gold and then the Spaniards went back to Spain and told the Queen they found the Rich Coast (Costa Rica). Turns out with all the rough terrain, rain, and disease they never found much gold.

Coco Island Treasures

In the book by INCAFO it mentions that the Isla de Coco (Coco Island) might have actually been the inspiration for L. Stevenson's book "Treasure Island". They say Coco Island is famous for three great treasures that are hidden on the island between 1684 and 1821. Most importantly being the treasure of Lima which consist of tons of gold and silver ingots. After more years more and more treasures were said to be hidden on Coco Island and it became known as the island with the most treasures on it.

Because of this many organized search expeditions have been made to the island. Nothing has ever really been found except some "doubloons" (Old Currency from Europe).

Writing this we were thinking maybe our next Costa Rica Family Vacation Package will be a search party to the Coco Island to hunt for some treasure or we can organize a high school summer program and the kids might enjoy a scavenger hunt around the island.

If the Island has gold or not the Coco Island with all it's beauty and bio-diversity is now considered one of Costa Rica's most prized treasures and the world has begun to realize. In 1997 UNESCO designated it part of the World Heritage and I don't think they were thinking about the "doubloons". The island was also voted by Costa Rica as one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Costa Rica.

Want to Plan an Adventure to Costa Rica:
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Voted by CRR as the Best of Costa Rica: Agree?

7 Natural Wonders of Costa Rica

Elected in 2007 by Costa Ricans were 7 of their countries natural wonders. Six of these places happen to be popular tourist spots with the exception of Coco Island which is 550 km off the Pacific Coast. Take a look at what Costa Rican's considered their 7 natural wonders:

Costa Rica's Best Spots

1.  Coco Island

2.  Arenal Volcano

3.   Chirripo National Park

4.  Poas Volcano National Park

5.  Tortuguero Canals

6.  Monteverde Reserve

7.  Rio Celeste 

Why No Hurricanes in Costa Rica?

Image via Wikipedia I remember Alma in May of 2008 I was in San Isidro with some clients and there were some 70 landslides on Cerro de la Muerte. Almost all tourist ask about natural disasters such as Earthquakes, Tsunami's, and Hurricanes. With the climate change of today I will answer the question for today but it might be completely different to what the future might hold.

It turns out that 88% of hurricanes develope between 30 degrees and 10 degrees of the Equator and from the point they develop it is mostly of to tradewinds to where they end up which almost always is north of Central America.  Costa Rica is located at 9.55 degrees above the equator which happens to be the perfect spot to escape the path of hurricanes. Why?

Hurricanes need warm water around 80 degrees and humid air to develope so around the equator during fall months makes for the perfect time. Also a hurricane is made up of monstor winds. Well it turns out between 10 and 30 degrees of the equator is where you find the strongest Coriolis Forces. These Coriolis Forces do exist below 10 degrees of the equator but they are very weak. This means that at 9.55 degrees from the equator where Costa Rica is located it has very weak Coriolis Force (winds) to maintain a hurricane. Along with the tradewinds that move hurricanes north it looks as of now Costa Rica still has very low chances of getting slammed by a hurricane and as you can see it is right on the border because Nicaragua and Hondurous have both had their share of big hurricanes.

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Magma, Lava, & Tephra

Image via WikipediaSince it is still Happy Volcano week I thought I would describe the different between three terms you might here during your visit to Costa Rica. First of all one that people always ask is what is the different between Magma and Lava?

They are both motlen rock but Magma is located in magma chambers below the Earth's surface and lava is molten rock that has reached the Earth's surface. The tempature of mamga is between 1300F - 2400F and lava is 1300F 2300F very similar. Lava probably comes from the Latin word "Labes" which means to fall or slide which best describes its action when it reaches the Earth's surface.

Now a third fragment you might not be too familiar with but you should know when visiting Costa Rica is Tephra. Tephra relates very much to magm and lava. Lets look at it like this. Lava is to magma in an extusive form what Tephra is to magma in an explosive form. What this means is that Tephra is fragment material produced by volcanos which becomes airborne. This is very common in history in Costa Rica. We always here have coffee crops were destroyed from acid rain and the present Turrialba volcano activity. Ash can travel for miles into the stratosphere and large amounts of Tephra can reflect light and heat from the sun and tempatures on the Earth can drop just from the eruption of a volcano. Now thinking for the last post I wrote at the start of volcano week the Tephra material is a result of what kind of eruption that is very common in Costa Rica? Pyroclastic Eruptions! Very good I can see your learning.  The picture in this blog is not of Costa Rica but I liked it so much I thought I would share...

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The Strongest Creature On Earth

Image via Wikipedia Five Facts About the Hercules Beetle:

• Can carry 850 times it's body weight
• reaches 6.75inches (Its a BEETLE!)
• Has long horns used for fighting
• Costa Rica's Largest beetle (Native to the Rainforest)
• Larval stage is one to two years

Scarlet Macaws Costa Rica

Image by alisofff via FlickrWhen making the drive down the Pacific coast with clients now I usually act like I'm looking for something like all good guides do (I happen to "not" be one of those "Eagle Eyes"  guides but when you get in the looking position your clients think you are and it adds a moment of excitement to the bus ride). Well as of late the Central Pacific is one of the best spots for a guide or anyone to give this little trick a try. If you are around Carara or just past Jaco before arriving to Hermosa beach keep an eye out for the Macaws in the trees or flying around in pairs.

They are making a comeback which is good to see but we cant forget that this species is still endangered. The last study showed that there are around 430 Scarlet Macaws in the Central Pacific of Costa Rica. Which is the countries second largest population. The Central Pacific hopes by 2020 to have a population of 1000 which would be amazing and quite the site the way these birds like to make themselvese seen and heard.

If you are on a Costa Rica vacation and want to see the largest population of Scarlet Macaws then the Osa Peninsula is still where you will find between 700 - 900 of these birds. Its a sure bet upon arrival to the Osa you will see and hear the Macaws. If your interested in planning a family vacation to Costa Rica contact us and we promise we will find some scarlet macaws during your stay http://www.crrtravel.com/ or info@crrtravel.com.

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Costa Rica's Best Kept Secret

When you plan your Costa Rica Family Vacation if your up for a 2 hour hike and a night in the jungle this would be one of the places we would suggest. If you like the video just click the link below:

Costa Rica Adventures

   
          
      I WANT TO SLEEP BEHIND A WATERFALL IN COSTA RICA!!!!!!

Pacific Costa Rica What were they Thinking?!!!

From what most of you have read you can see when it comes to the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica my main focus would be the Dominical area. I know this area well due to the tours we run hear normally and also working a little bit in and around the area in Real Estate.

The nice part about this area is that there are no large tour operators that is moving large amounts of people daily. For example in the Arenal area you might find a zipline that has 200 people a day or a rafting company that rafts 100 clients in a day. I have never seen that type of tour in the Dominical area and I dont think you ever will. This area lends itself to the type of service we offer on a Costa Rica vacation making the feeling a bit more private and remote.

Then why in the heck do they have a 150 person boat docked off the beach here offering whale tours. The whale tour is a great idea and there are quite a few small companies who do it (they could use a few more bi-lingual guides with more knowledge of the whales and dolphins). I can see their point because the small companies have small boats and the ride is very rough. But they will have to get a monopoly on all the tourist here to even get the boat half full just a few times a week.

It would be a shame to see one boat get all the people on their Costa Rican vacations looking for the whales as many small businesses make their living off these whale trips. We have kept an eye on this boat and I have not seen it move all week I've been here and we are in the Costa Rica family vacation high season. Have any of you seen the whales in Costa Rica? If so where and when?

Costa Rica's Best Zipline

One of the many things that have made Costa Rica famous is the chance to going zipping through the rainforest. Many zipline companies in Costa Rica will take you from tree top to tree top. If you are up for a real thrill maybe you should try mountain top to mountain top and that is exactly what the SkyTrek at the Arenal Volcano will offer you.

This is a zipline where you will zip on 8 different cablse most of which hundreds of feet off the ground the highest being 700ft. The length of the cables can get up to 1km long and you travel at a speed of 40mph.

We enjoy taking all our student travel trips here and most of our family vacations opt for the thrill of the zipline. If you are looking for an amazing adventure then the SkyTrek at Arenal is the right choice. Have you ever been on a zipline that you thought was worth sharing? If so where and tell us about it? Also if your interested in planning a family vacation and enjoying Costa Rica's top adventures then contact us http://www.crrtravel.com/ or info@crrtravel.com.

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Social Media Outside the Cubicle

When I first got involved in Social Media I asked myself how much time I would really have to dedicate to this idea of being social on the web. My day to day job involves rafting down rivers in the rainforest, hiking through the jungle, and rappeling waterfalls. I do this as a job of taking family vacation groups and student groups through Costa Rica.

I told myself that I probably would not have that much time to sit in the office and tweet, post, and stay connected. Well I was wrong. After some research and an amzing 3G service of cellphones in Costa Rica I was able to put together a Social Media Jungle kit. With a little Gateway netbook and a blackberry I can get connected hanging off the side of a waterfall if needed.

When you are taking 20 kids rafting down class IV rapids you can imagine the emails I get from parents back home wanting to know how their kids are. This is how Social Media has turned our travel company into some of the most personalized service possible. I really dont care right now if I get a bunch of more sales from Social Media. What I am getting is satisfied customers. We keep a blog for each student group so the parents can follow day to day activities with pictures of their kids posted minutes after each activity. The parents all follow and post back in minutes. It gets everyone involved in blogging and is from what the parents have told me an amazing service as a part of our company.

A Social Media kit that takes you to places that have a bit different conditions than your average cubicle should include:

1.) A Pelican Case - These are the cases that are waterproof and pretty much everything else proof if needed.

2.) Kodak waterproof cam. I was going to go with the flip but this was cheaper and took alright pictures also. Short videos for the blog are huge when parents can see their kids.

3.) Digital Camera - get those pictures going and make them easy to upload on the web because time is precious when you are on the road.

4.) Blackberry or anything with a 3G service. For me in Costa Rica I hook my phone up to my netbook and Im posting blogs for parents to see atleast 3 times a day in some of the most remote places of the rainforest.

5.) Carabiners - this is a type of hook used in adventure sports that you will want to hook your pelican up to. These are extremely durable and you will never lose anything hooked up to this.

6.) Headphones - if you are like me and have time on your hands (we often have long drives to get from A to B) then download some Social Media books on Audible.com and stay updated on tips and ideas for soical media.

So for now I am happy with the idea that it is not so much what social media can do for my future sales but how it can improve on sales I've already made and help my company offer some of the best travel service around. What do you guys think about this can you come up with any ideas of how we could keep parents and family members involved in their childs trip through Social Media?

5 Jaguar Facts

If you decide on Costa Rica for a family vacation or a student travel trip it is because you are probably looking for some adventure and wildlife. One of the most sought after animals of the rainforest is the Jaguar. If you happen to see one of these on your vacation to Costa Rica you will join a very small group of eco-tourist who were lucky enough to see the beautiful animal who might not have much more time left on this planet. Take a look at some interesting facts about the Jaguar.

1.) Is a very good swimmer.

2.) The Jaguar is Endangered due to loss of natural habitat.

3.) 3rd largest cat on the plante behind the lion and tiger.

4.) Eats small mammals. (We are small mammals!!!!!!)

5.) They hunt at night. (This is one reason why tourist rarely see them)

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Arenal Volcano Vacation Costa Rica

When visiting Costa Rica on a family vacation or student travel trip going to the Arenal Volcano is a must. This is an area where there is so much to do from ziplining, rafting, rappeling, nature hikes, and much more all within a very short bus ride.

This past week we had a group that scheduled their stay for four nights at the Arenal area and they did day trips from the hotel each day. This means they did not end up traveling very long and far on the bus which is often a sacrifice one has to make to see the different wonders of Costa Rica. The one day they did travel far was the Pacuare River. There are other rivers to raft in the Arenal area but the Pacuare is one of the best on the planet so if you dont mind one day of around 8 hours in the bus it is still worth the adventure.

Weather at the Arenal Volcano

The other days were filled with ziplining, rappeling, and chances to see nature with one of our expert naturalist guides. I will say this group had excellent weather at the Arenal Volcano which made staying four days easy. The risk you take on a family vacation or student travel trip is that the Arenal Volcano can actually be cloudy for four straight days. If you happen to being staying in the area for four days and you never see the volcano you will probably be asking yourself why the better half of your Costa Rica vacation was spent looking at a volcano covered by a cloud. But if you happen to visit the area for four days and get atleast 2 out of the 4 days clear and you mix that with a little adventure then you will be happy with the choice of four days at the Arenal Volcano.

So when planning your next Costa Rica vacation if you want to take the chance staying at the Arenal volcano for a few extra days just might be worth the chance.

Costa Rican Resource:
http://www.crrtravel.com/
info@crrtravel.com

Whitewater Rafting Costa Rica

There are many different adventures in Costa Rica. On a family vacation if the kids are not too young then whitewater rafting should be on the list. Costa Rica has many rivers to choose from but if you are up to the challenge then the Pacuare River is without a doubt the river you need to be on. If you come during the dry season there is a chance that the river will have crystal clear water. This is good for taking pictures but if you want more adventure then you want the water to be a cloudy orange color. This is from the rain filling up the river and bringing sediments into the flow.

If you look at the picture you can see the water level is perfect. What we call in the rafting industry as the perfect day on the river is when you get the high water level on a sunny day. Because usually when the water level is high it is cloudy and rainy out.

So if you show up to your rafting adventure and you think that the river is dirty just remember its really not dirty and that you better hang on!!!

Best place to Eat on Your Costa Rica Vacation

When you are on vacation one of the most important things is where it is to eat. It turns out that taking a vacation to Costa Rica not too many come for the cuisine. If you come to Costa Rica for the cuisine it is because you want to load your family up on rice and beans. Dont worry in all the student travel trips we run I can see the importance in the students trying the local food and in some cases even learning how to make it. But what I am talking about here is a vacation, a family vacation. In this case you have to do a little investigation to get hyped up about the Costa Rican food.

The area of San Carlos which is where the Arenal Volcano is comes from a long history of cattle farming and unfortunately this is the reason why years ago Costa Rica lost most of its rainforest. Well with the rainforest making a comeback and the tourist coming to visit there has been a need for some of that cattle still in the San Carlos area which is to offer good meat to eat at a nice place near the Arenal Volcano.

If you visit the Arenal Volcano on your family vacation make sure the restaurant Don Rufino's is on your list. There specialty is meat and coming from the San Carlos area they dont have to travel far. There are many five star hotels in the area but when it comes to some of the best food you will find in Costa Rica Don Rufino's is hard to beat.

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Arenal Volcano Hotels on Vacation

When you are on vacation there are a few very important things. The hotel you stay in is always up there. In Costa Rica the Arenal volcano is an area that is general peace and quite and nature all around. If you stay in the town of La Fortuna you will probably hear the tour buses driving by at 5am. Our company has found a hotel that works very well with our student groups and family vacations.

The name of the hotel is called Casa Luna Lodge. This is located just outside of the town of La Fortuna on the road that goes near La Fortuan falls which is a must do in the area. I like this place for student travel trips because it is small the check-in is easy and they have great meal packages. Also being not near the center of town does not offer the kids too many options of getting in trouble at night except for your normal complaint of being too loud in the pool which I can deal with. For a family vacation it works well because it is a very nice place at an offordable budget. The rooms have excellent balconys with views of the volcano, a fancy place to eat, and rooms that can fit a family of four.

When looking for a place to stay in the Arenal volcano area depending on how much money you want to spend my opinion would be to always try and be in a quiet area (better chances of hearing the eruptions), a place that has a view of the volcano, and a place that is not very large. Remember Arenal is one of the most popular places in all the country and when big tour groups roll in a big hotel can get pretty crowded.

Transportation on Vacation to Costa Rica

When traveling to Costa Rica you will notice that you have to spend some time in on the roads to get from one natural beauty to the next. A vacation should be spent in comfort and that is why our company puts just as much attention into transportation as we do the hotels we pick for our clients. My personal favorite is the Toyota Coaster which is a 29 passenger van. There are a few different types of Coasters and in my opinion there are a few factors that you want to take into consideration.

The first factor is the most simple and is how modern the van is. If the van has been touring wet rafters around Costa Rica for 10 years the chances are its got some funk on the inside. I always look for a van that is no older than 3 years. With a student group or a family vacation the vibe of the trip starts with the arrival of the airport and getting into the van.

The second factor on the Coaster is the high roof. There are some Coasters with low roofs and some with high and believe me the high roof makes all the difference in the world. Although the leg room is the same and the length of the bus the feeling of more area in and around makes a huge difference.

Another reason why I consider the Coaster bus a perfect fit for family vacation and student travel is that the windows are very large all around. This allows for the windows to be open and get some fresh air (keep in mind that the coaster has very cold A/C which is another huge plus). Another reason for the benefit of the large windows is that it opens up opportunities to see wildlife. In a country where you want to be able to take all the scenery in the more window the better. Some of the bigger fancier buses are difficult to see out of which defeats the purpose of taking a Costa Rica Vacation or a student travel trip with the idea of seeing as much as possible.

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