1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

At the Tango Mar hotel near Montezuma we had front row seats to one of the most spectacular lightening storms. It was a mile or two out at sea, but with the hotel being literally right on the beach, the view was amazing. Also at the Tango Mar, on the one and only clear night in our 17 day trip, and because of it's relatively remote location, we saw the most incredible night sky I have ever seen. You think you've seen stars until you see you've seen something like this. It was a very special moment. But the most memorable thing was that my 3 boys ages 14, 11 and 8 hardly fought at all during the trip. It was, as my husband put it, an "adventure" holiday with a small "a" - which for us, at this stage, was just right.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

I would say that some destinations are much more "touristy" and built up than others. Manuel Antonio, for example, was wall to wall hotels and people. We were there in low season, I cannot think what it would be like at other times! Also, if you are going with a family like ours 10 days to 2 weeks is quite long enough. Because the range of outdoor activities seems to be more or less the same where ever you go, plan carefully. We hired a car rather than booking shared transfers which was great. Driving was absolutely fine (not nearly as crazy as driving in Italy) but without a doubt, get a 4 x 4 as paved roads mysteriously stop and start and DON'T do it without a Sat Nav (GPS). It was suggested to us we not drive after dark but never had to put that to the test. Also take US dollars which are just as, if not more, acceptable than the local currency (colones).

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

Definitely benefited local people as tourism is an increasingly big earner for Costa Rica but because CR has become a very popular holiday/retirement destination - mainly with Americans - if anything I felt we were contributing to the destruction of even more rain forest. We did our bit by not flushing loo paper (yucky as that sounds) and not having new towels and sheets every day, but I fear Costa Rica could be a very different place in 10 years if they're not careful.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

It is the first time we've gone further a field with our family and overall I would say it was a huge success. Despite my comments in question 3, I would consider going back at some point in the future.

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

There were so many memorable moments, but I would say the high point was watching a leatherback turtle lay her eggs near Playa Tamarindo at 2am on Christmas Day. It was a full moon that night so we could see. The Park rangers handled the visit very sensitively, ensuring that we were not disturbing the turtle as she went about her business. A biologist was on hand to answer questions once the turtle had laid her eggs. This was our National Geographic moment.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

If you are averse to a lot of rain and mosquitoes, you should think of going somewhere else. If you want a guarantee on seeing wildlife, go to a zoo. We heard from some of the Ticos that tourists often complain about the rain and mosquitoes, not being able to see wildlife and being disappointed.

If you are time constrained (our holiday was for 11 days and we visited San Jose, Playa Tamarindo, Monteverde, La Fortuna and Tortuguero), perhaps limit the number of destinations in Costa Rica as it increases the chances that the logistics you thought were pre-arranged before arrival actually were not arranged to your specifications. If you are arranging your hotel accommodations and private ground transportation through a UK travel company before arrival in Costa Rica, ensure that upon arrival in Costa Rica that you scrutinize carefully the travel itinerary the local travel agent provides so that it matches what you were given by the UK tour company. (Please see #3 for a full explanation) Allow some extra time to factor in delays in your itinerary for various reasons - this will cut down on stress and anxiety.

3. Any areas for improvement?

A) it would have been nice to know before hand that if any of my family member's flights were delayed arriving in San Jose, that we'd have to arrange other transportation for that family member. B) We had requested a number of things that were confirmed by the UK travel agent but did not materialise when we arrived in San Jose: i) a twin bedded room for my two nephews (ages 21 and 18), ii) that our excess luggage be transported by car to Playa Tamarindo from San Jose since we were taking a domestic flight from San Jose which limited the weight of our baggage; iii) that our pick up in Monteverde be in the afternoon. Because we arrived at night at the hotel, nothing could be done about the accommodations for that evening. The next morning the driver came to pick us up but was not aware that our excess baggage was to be transported by car to Playa Tamarindo. Our flight was leaving in 45 minutes and I had to make an emergency call to the local travel agent before their office opened. The person who answered the call did not speak English very well and fortunately the receptionist at our hotel spoke to her in Spanish. I had to call the travel agent again when I arrived in Playa Tamarindo to ensure that our luggage would be taken care of, and to change the pick up time in Monteverde (which she agreed to do, but the driver failed to show up at the agreed upon time and I had to call the agent again). I could have done without the stress. Having said that, whenever I had to call the local agent, Hazel Delgado, she was extremely pleasant, professional, and immediately took care of the problem. At our third destination, my nephews were finally able to sleep in separate beds.

Perhaps my expectations were too high - this trip was positioned as a 'luxury' holiday by the travel agent - while I had no expectations of luxurious accommodations, what surprised me is that attention to detail was not up to the standard of the 'budget' holidays I've taken.

4. Any other comments?

Despite this, the Ticos we interacted with (drivers, guides, hotel personnel, etc) for the most part were very friendly, professional, courteous, and helpful. Our guides spoke excellent English and were knowledgeable. Costa Rica seems to have invested time and resources to train individuals employed in the tourism industry. (We did have a few exceptions. Our driver from Monteverde to San Jose not only didn't pick us up at the appointed time but also had questionable driving skills. He had a rather dramatic, quirky personality which compensated somewhat. Also, after our visit to Tortugeuro, the driver dropped us off at a restaurant which was the pickup for our next driver who was taking us back to San Jose. The driver abandoned us and went into the bar to get a drink - unlike the other drivers, he left us in his vehicle and didn't even secure his vehicle! Our next driver was no where to be found. We had to go into the bar to look for him and ask him to help us locate our next driver. Of course, he didn't speak any English, but a kind stranger helped us translate for him. He appeared very irritated that we required his help.)

My family and I were in awe of the natural wonders of Costa Rica. We were most in awe of Tortuguero, but every destination had unique aspects - dry forest of the Pacific NW, cloud forests and volcanoes of the highlands, rain forest/jungle of Tortuguero. While we knew there were no guarantees we would see wildlife, what we saw exceeded our expectations. We felt as if we were actuallly in the middle of a National Geographic film. We were very impressed that the Costa Rica government - relative to other countries - has put in place policies that limit mass tourism and appears more sensitive to environmental issues than most Latin American countries I have visited.