Budget family holiday to Costa Rica

country:	Costa Rica
departures:	2008: 14 Dec, 21 Dec 2009: 4 Jan, 5 Apr, 12 Apr, 5 Jul, 19 Jul, 2 Aug, 15 Dec, 20 Dec
price:	From £820 (13 days) excluding flights, local payment US $200. We can arrange flights from the UK. Children welcome over the age of 6

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Costa Rica holidays

Wildlife holidays

Family holidays

the amazing things you'll be doing

White beaches, abundant bird life, active volcanoes and magical cloud forests.

Costa Rica is the ideal destination for the active family seeking an exciting alternative to traditional family vacations. There are plenty of kid friendly activities for the enjoyment of the entire family.

Animal life includes sea turtles, boa constrictors, toucans and macaws. Costa Rica is a fantastic nature experience for families!

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	San Jose. Arrive and transfer to your hotel.
Day 2:	San Jose - Poas Volcano. The Poas Volcano National Park is one of the most visited protected areas in the country. The ride there is scenic and pleasant, only 47 kilometres away from San Jose. The La Paz waterfall is the most photographed waterfall in all of Costa Rica. In the same complex we can enjoy the Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden and the Serpentarium. In the afternoon we return to San Jose.
Day 3:	San Jose - Tortuguero National Park. Travel by bus and boat into the Tortuguero National Park. This vast park is one of the jewels in Costa Rica’s crown and features miles of jungle-fringed canals and lagoons that are home to howler monkeys, brightly coloured parrots and a wide variety of other wildlife. This is also where green and leatherback turtles come to lay their eggs once a year. We spend two nights in a lodge in the park. The lodge includes swimming pool, nature trails, comfortable rooms with private bathrooms, hot water and ceiling fans.
Day 4:	Tortuguero National Park. We spend a full day exploring the National Park by boat with our knowledge local guide.
Day 5:	Tortuguero - Sarapiqui. We leave the rainforest behind and head for La Quinta de Sarapiqui Inn. This is a country inn run by a Costa Rican family. Each room opens onto a shaded porch with chairs where you can enjoy the view of flowers and birds. The hammocks at the wooden deck in front of the small swimming pool and the river invite you to relax. La Quinta, together with its guests and the Sarapiqui Conservation Association, is helping to buy trees and develop projects to preserve the forest.
Day 6:	Sarapiqui - Fortuna. After breakfast we drive through mountains and typical small villages to Fortuna, a small town nestled at the base of the Arenal Volcano.
Day 7:	Arenal Volcano. The Arenal Volcano is highly active and its cone-shaped peak constantly emits explosions of sulphurous gases, streams of red-hot lava and loud rumbles. We have a full day to explore around the lower slopes of the volcano or to soak in one of the hot springs generated by the volcano. In the evening you will enjoy a perfect view of the volcano from the porch of your own room.
Day 8:	Fortuna - Monteverde Cloud Forest. Early in the morning a short ride take us to Arenal Lake. There we board a very comfortable and safe pontoon boat for a 30 to 40 minutes (approx.) ride to the other side of the lake. From there we drive to the Cloud Forest Reserve of Monteverde, an astonishingly beautiful park that teems with flora and fauna of every description. Monteverde has gained international renown as one of the most outstanding wildlife sanctuaries in the tropics. The reserve spreads out over 10,500 hectares of land that hold six different life zones.
Day 9:	Monteverde Cloud Forest. Today we try the Sky Walk, a combination of suspension bridges and platforms built in the cloud forest, that offers an opportunity to explore the forest canopy in a safe and easy manner. The Sky Walk allows a vision of the forest from a different perspective which starts with a walk on the ground through the forest, and takes you up to explore the tops of the trees! There is abundant wildlife and we hope to spot the resplendent quetzal as well as a variety of monkeys, wild cats and reptiles.
Day 10:	Monteverde Cloud Forest - Manuel Antonio National Park. Drive to Manuel Antonio National Park, where we spend two nights. This park features some of Costa Rica’s finest beaches, with long stretches of beautiful white sand backed by lush jungle, from which iguanas and monkeys often emerge.
Day 11:	Manuel Antonio National Park. A full day to relax on the beach or follow hiking trails through the tropical forest.
Day 12:	Manuel Antonio National Park - San Jose. After a relaxing morning we travel back to San Jose.
Day 13:	San Jose. Tour ends

travellers' tales

Seeing a green sea turtle laying eggs on Tortuguero Beach; seeing Volcan Areanl erupt and rapelling down a 65m waterfall were the most memorable parts. (more)

small group family holiday

This is a 'small group family adventure' - typically you will join several other families and travel in a group of approx. 16 people. The trips are great value and a great way for you and your children to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of time to yourselves. Most adventure kids tend to be aged between 7 and 15, but some are younger (minimum age 6) and some older (perhaps travelling as part of a larger family group). Please check with the operator to confirm the minimum age for this trip.

highly commended

This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.

Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.

how this holiday makes a difference

This family trip explores the vast ecological wealth of Costa Rica. Through the tour we stay in a variety of National Parks and expect to awaken an ecological awareness in the children on the tour whilst at the same time enabling them to enjoy some of the best outdoor life on the planet ! The tour visits Tortuguero National Park, one of the most important sea- turtle nesting places in the world. In the past, the local people used to trade illegally in sea-turtle eggs, shells, etc. which posed a major threat for the sea- turtle population. Nowadays, however, after several educational projects, the locals have redirected their efforts to tourism as a model of sustainable growth.

They now strictly enforce the Park regulations and control visits to the nesting beaches. Tourism has therefore now become a good source of income but is well managed and balanced with nature. Our local operator supports a local effort to fight poverty in Guachipelin de Escazu (near San Jose) through donations of money and time. The donations currently support the construction of a Community building project. The goal of this new building is to offer the community a meeting place where poor people can receive lessons in hair dressing, cooking, gardening, sewing clothes, furniture repair and other activities that will qualify them for new job opportunities. It will also offer day care for children so mothers will have the opportunity to work. 5 USD of each reservation we make in Costa Rica goes to this project.

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