Costa Rica holiday, tailor made

country:	Costa Rica
departures:	We offer a complete tailor made service allowing you to decide where you stay and what to do. We recommend that you spend two weeks in this fabulous country.
price:	From £2295 (16 days) including flights from the UK. Prices shown are per person based on 2 people sharing. This trip can also be booked without flights

read 3 travellers reviews

Costa Rica holidays

what excites us about this holiday

Costa Rica truly is a country that has it all for adventurers from riding the white waters in rafts to admiring the awesome grandeur of the bubbling Arenal volcano. Waking up to vibrantly coloured parrots fly past my window and the sounds of howler monkeys echoing mysteriously through the rainforest would be my idea of a perfect morning. Lisa, responsibletravel.com

the amazing things you'll be doing

Consistently one of our best-loved destinations, this is a country where you can trek through million-year-old rainforests, climb volcanoes, raft wild rivers and walk amongst a glorious mix of birds, reptiles, quetzals, jaguars and a myriad of other wildlife. Costa Rica is also the only country in Latin America that does not feel the need for an army.

Costa Rica is perfect for lovers of the outdoors.

Tamarindo: One of the nicest beach resort areas in Guanacaste with a 'local feel' bubbling under the surface, it is a fun place to be.

The beach lingers for two or three kilometres over some rocky headlands. There's a great selection of bars and restaurants and a lively nightlife. Leatherback turtles sometimes favour it too, as it is a good safe place to come and lay their eggs.

Sarapiqui: The tropical lowland area of Sarapiqui offers a great mixture of plantation lands and premontane rainforest. The Rio Sarapiqui runs through in a spectacular manner (perfect for rafting). One of the richest areas in the country for birding, the great green macaw is one of the highlights. Some lodges have set up a bridge canopy system with some sections crossing the roaring river below. There are also great trails for hiking, mountain biking and kayaking. Sarapiqui serves as a perfect stop off point for the journey from Tortuguero to Arenal or vice-versa.

(Please note we are a UK based company and are only able to help with flight arrangements from the UK.)

best time to go

The dry season is from November to the end of April. May can often be a good time to go as it is the end of the season and much quieter but it is very hot and humid. The rainy season starts at the beginning of June through to October. It does not rain all day but often clouds over at lunchtime and there are downpours in the afternoon. There is a risk of hurricane during August, September and October in the Caribbean coasts of Central America.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1-2:	San Jose, 2 nights. Fly to San Jose. Free day to explore the city or to take an optional full-day tour to the Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall and Hummingbird Gardens.
Day 3-4:	Tortuguero National Park, 2 nights. Very early land and boat transfer to the North-Caribbean coast with fantastic wildlife spotting opportunities en-route. Includes full board, guided tours on lagoons, jungle trails and turtle spotting in the right season.
Day 5-6:	Sarapiqui jungle lodge, 2 nights. Boat and road transfer to the Sarapiqui area. This is the perfect spot for a first hand rainforest experience. You will find plenty of opportunities to enjoy the landscape, birdwatching, other wildlife, nature trails and canopy tours.
Day 7-8:	Arenal Volcano, 2 nights. Transfer by road to the Arenal area. Free day to watch the volcano glow and explore the region. Optional tour of Cano Negro Wildlife Reserve.
Day 9-10:	Monteverde Cloudforest, 2 nights. Transfer to Monteverde by road and boat across the Arenal reservoir. Free day, optional tours include the skywalk, zip wires and a guided tour of the national park.
Day 11-14:	Tamarindo, 4 nights. Transfer to Tamarindo in the Pacific coast for a relaxing end to your holiday. Optional kayaking tour.
Day 15:	Fly back to San José to connect with your flight back home.
Day 16:	Arrive home.

travellers' tales

I must admit that we did get a good "tree hugging" feel from the whole experience. Local guides were used everywhere and the accommodation was designed for minimal environmental impact. (more)

tailor made holiday

This trip can be tailormade to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more luxurious trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments before relaxing in comfort in some of the best and most characterful local accommodation! Quality and value are the hallmark of these trips.

how this holiday makes a difference

Over twenty-seven percent of Costa Rica is designated as National Park, biological reserve, wildlife refuge or some other category of protected area. Most of the hotels and lodges we use in this itinerary are based within one of these designated areas and take their responsibilities towards the environment very seriously.

Tortuguero is one of Costa Rica's most popular National Parks. It is a wilderness area with great biological variety. The wildlife is rich and diverse, with eleven different defined habitats. These include high rainforest, littoral woodland, slope forest, swamp forest, holillo forest, herbaceous swamp and herbaceous lagoon. Mammals, birds and fish are numerous.

By supporting the local guides, tourists are contributing to the local economy that in turn furthers the support of local conservation efforts. Integrating culturally friendly tourism preserves the integrity of the native population and enhances the possibility for the survival of the unique biodiversity of Tortuguero National Park.

As with the Tortuguero National Park the Monteverde region is well known for its commitment to the sustainable development of the community. With the forest providing a direct income to local residents through ecotourism and other mechanisms.

During visits to the Monteverde Cloud Forest and several National Parks passengers can learn about the endangered species in the region and spot the native wildlife. This teaches them about the local environment and encourages them to respect their surrounds. Tour leaders encourage passengers to behave in an eco-friendly manner at all times.

As a tailor-made operator we try wherever possible to use locally owned hotels, local guides and transport owned and operated by local people. All of the guides we use are trained to ensure that the guests understand the nature of the environment and minimise the impact that they may have. The hotels and lodges we use in this itinerary have been selected for their excellent Eco credentials. Some of the lodges we use have been built in an area that used to farm palm hearts, however due to severe competition the market suffered. Therefore these lodges have helped bring employment back to the area.

As a tour operator we have supported World Land Trust in their project to save tropical forests of the Osa Peninsula, a hot spot for biodiversity that was threatened by a major highway and inappropriate tourism development.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.