Recent Traveler's Comments, Reviews & Memories
Un-edited (except to remove personal info for privacy reasons) comments from travelers. Images and text used with permission.
I just wanted to let you know how extremely happy we were with this trip and your company’s services!
The hotels were great (we were particularly fond of the Lost Iguana and Aguila de Osa!) and what just blew us away was the timeliness and courtesy of all of our drivers, whether on the tours or just for transfers here and there.
Everyone was there on time, introduced themselves, and provided comfortable, clean vehicles. Also, the tours were excellent – great guides!
I don’t know if there is somewhere online I can go to post a review for you but, if there is, please let me know and I will happily put up an excellent one. We had a wonderful time. The weather got a bit hot and humid for us down on the Osa but we still had a good time.
Thank you for all your help and please let everyone involved with our trip know how happy we were!
P.L. — Lake Oswego Oregon
April 26, 2010
Best memories Attached are a couple of my favorite pictures. The first is from our balcony at Lost Iguana. Beautiful isn't it! The second is a two-toed sloth we saw on our hike in Manuel Antonio Park. The guide had a wonderful telescope and could take pictures through it with our cameras. As he said: "National Geographic quality!" The last is a beach on the Osa Peninsula, where we started our hike in the Corcovado Park. One of the things I will remember best is the dolphins playing in the wake of our boat as we headed to Cano Island for snorkeling. There was a baby dolphin who was delightful and they were all grand to watch.
Best to you!
Fantastic Trip! Hi Gretchen,
I apologize for not contacting you sooner, but I wanted to thank you and your company for the outstanding trip you planned for my father and I. Your planning was perfect, all the transportation, hotels and tours were great.
The Arenal Lodge was very nice, though the people behind the counter, though nice, were not overly helpful. But, it did not take anything away from us having a great time there.
I know the Mango Moon in Manual Antonio is not a hotel you normally work with, but it was absolutely wonderful! The people who run it and work there were about the nicest most welcoming people we encountered. That's saying a lot, since the people in Costa Rica are some of the warmest people I have met in my travels. The hotel was a treat in itself---so beautiful with great views. You should check it out, because it might be one you might want to recommend to others. I know I would!
I would love to return to Costa Rica in the future to see some of the things that we missed this time. I will be sure to contact your company, and I will recommend you to any one I know who may be going there.
Thanks again,
J.W. — San Antonio Texas
May 12, 2010
Hi Meghan,
I just wanted to thank you on behalf of myself and group of friends for setting up an awesome trip for us to Costa Rica! We all had a blast on our recent trip and I would have to say that this was one of the best vacations I've had in a long time!
Every aspect was wonderful: the ease of the vouchers, the friendly drivers, the knowledgeable tour guides, and the hotel staff at each of our locations were delightful. Having not been to Costa Rica prior to this trip I wasn't sure what to expect, but have definitely convinced several friends that they are in need of visiting such a special country. I have also passed on your contact information to several other friends who are in the process of making arrangements for upcoming trips to Costa Rica as I know they will be happy with the level of service you are able to provide.
Thanks again for helping make this trip possible, the memories formed will stay with us for a lifetime!
Pura Vida,
M.D. — Brookline Massachusetts
April 28, 2010
Best memories It's hard to summarize my favorite memory of the trip because the whole experience was amazing but I think the two most special encounters were the Arenal volcano tour and walking through the cloud forest on the hanging bridges in Selvatura.
The volcano tour was awesome, we were part of the lucky 35% that actually get to see the erruption as the clouds normally limit visibility and our tour guide Jose rocked! Not only was he funny and knowledgable, but when I asked him what the Arenal volcanic rocks look like he went and found six for me and my friends to take home with us!! Walking through the cloud forest on the hanging bridges was also truly special the flora and fauna is nothing like I've ever seen before.
Unfortunately it didn't really rain while we were in Costa Rica so we never saw any monkeys, but while walking through the cloud forest we did see a quetzal. At first I didn't know what it was, but later in showing a Tico we had befriended the photo I had taken he informed me that these special birds only live in the cloud forest/Monteverde and people travel from all over the world to try and see them. I feel fortunate for the up close and personal sighting!
Once again, thanks for all you did to make this trip possible! Can't wait to go back!
Meghan, Gretchen, and everyone else on the Pacific Tradewinds team,
I just wanted to let you know that because of your help and hard work, our recent trip to Costa Rica (Arenal and Puerto Viejo) was a fantastic success. My husband and I both agree that this was by far the best vacation we have ever taken. We will be returning to Costa Rica as soon as we can, and we will definitely be using your services again. I can't thank you enough.
First: When we were snorkeling on the reef by Cahuita, Rudy (our guide) directed us to several large schools of fish and a number of different coral varieties. I never imagined that I would be able to drift with the current and have hundreds of curious fish swirl around me in an explosion of color and motion. But even better was the bat ray that Rudy spotted. I have only seen rays at the San Francisco Aquarium. To see one skimming along in the shadow of the boat and to be able to follow it was quite an experience for both of us.
Second: My guidebook had a short write-up about Echo Books in Puerto Viejo, and I decided that I wanted visit it. We had seen the sign for the store on the way to our hotel, and one hot and dusty afternoon we headed out to find Echo Books. We turned off the main road and started walking down a single lane dirt road that seemed to lead off into the jungle. A few hundred feet down the road, a sign directed us to turn left, so off we went down an even smaller, bumpier road. After a short ways, a sign on this road pointed us off to the left yet again, this time along an even narrower lane. I was beginning to believe that Echo Books was just an illusion when we arrived at a two story house almost hidden in the trees. This was Echo Books, and it was an oasis of cool amid the dust and the drone of the cicadas. The proprietors are gracious, and the selection of books is eclectic. It's definitely worth the trip.
You folks are the best. This trip, which was my gift to my husband for his birthday, would not have been possible without your expertise and help. Thank you once again.
Kindest Regards,
R.E. — San Diego Califonia
April 11, 2010
The excitement of being whisked along blue sky canals towards Tortugero.
Sitting silently in a boat at night, on the same canals,surrounded by rain forest and stars so bright you could touch them.
Eating fresh cut pinapple amid mangroves on the coral strewn beach of Cahuita.
Strolling low-tide Samara beach at sunset ,glass of wine in hand,watching waves,a football game, and happy people.
Listening to torrential tropical rain from our balcony below Arenal.
Sensing the young enthusiasm of Costa Rican children singing and dancing in their traditional costume.
Pura Vida. Thanks again
R.M. — Sheffield, England
March 30, 2010
Hi Gretchen,
Sorry it has taken me this long to tell you that we all had a fantastic time in Costa Rica. We really enjoyed our stay in La Fortuna. Everyone was so friendly.
Our only issue was how out of shape we all are. The hikes were challenging for us. But we were so proud of ourselves for completing them.
Thank you so much for planning our wonderful vacation.
K.Q. & the Gang — Corrales New Mexico
April 23, 2010
All hotels were great (although the family sized room at the falls was in a bad location on the highway - they allowed us to move to a smaller, much nicer room inside the property facing the lovely gardens) and the excursions were wonderful. I've posted a couple of comments on Trip Advisor which will hopefully stick.
Many favorite memories including waking up in the middle of the night at Fonda Vela and looking out the gigantic window at the black sky filled with stars. Getting up early in the morning with a cup of coffee in Manuel Antonio and listening to the many different sounds of the forest. Seeing my kids faces after running the first rapid of the Rio Balsa and seeing their initial fear morph into delight at the fun we were having. Driving through the beautiful country in our rental car and seeing the landscape change from lush cloud forest vegetation to palm and coconut trees as we got to the coast.
Thanks again for your last minute assistance with this trip. Pura vida!
V.R. and family — Laguna Niguel California
April 13, 2010
Hey folks,
Just thought I would send you an e-mail thanking you (Ryan Cox) for the great job in organizing and executing our trip throughout Costa Rica.
We had a great time, saw lots of interesting things. I will have no problems recommending your services to my travel agent, and anyone I know that is planning a trip to Costa Rica.
Thanks again.
J.F. — Scarborough Ontario, Canada
March 17, 2010
I can never thank you enough — the trip was perfect, and I don't use that word very often!
Everything, the hotels, the drivers and tour guides, the zip lining , snorkeling and rafting, the food, the wedding, the flowers, the photos... everything exceeded my expectations. I know you worked hard to make sure every detail was taken care of and we all appreciate it soooo much!
Again, you are the best!
I will recommend you to everyone!
A.S. & Family — La Crosse Wisconsin
April 6, 2010
All Arrangements for the Wedding on Playa Hermosa and Honeymoon for the Whole Family
Hola Ray!
We had the most amazing time in Costa Rica! We can't wait to go back! The warmth of the people and the beauty of the landscape surpassed all of our expectations. Everything went very smoothly — your map was truly a godsend! We never got lost or stuck in the mud. Actually, the roads were much better than we expected them to be.
We thoroughly enjoyed each place that we stayed. While we were staying at Hacienda Baru, we got to see turtles hatch and swim into the Pacific. Our thirteen year old daughter, Melanie, was the first person from our horseback riding group to jump from the Nauyaca Waterfalls - twice! On a rainy day, we drove from Dominical down the west coast to Palmar Norte, stopping in Buenos Aires for lunch, then to San Isidro El General, and finally back to Hacienda Baru. We loved the drive! It was so interesting to see the change in the topography and the lush farmlands!
Our time in San Gerardo de Dota was wonderful. We were so lucky that the two nights that we were there coincided with the operating hours of the Cottage Bakery! Laura is an outstanding baker and her daughter Erika did a nice job as her assistant waiting on the guests! The grounds of the Trogon Lodge were beautiful! We also thoroughly enjoyed the gift shop at the Dantica Lodge.
I can't say enough good things about Villa Florencia in Turrialba, but it was the owners and the manager that truly made our experience special. Gustavo, the owner, is a trained chef and the food that he prepared for us was outstanding! They also own the restaurant in C.A.T.I.E. Because I am studying education at the University of South Florida, they took me to the elementary school at C.A.T.I.E. so that I could meet the administration and the other American teachers. On the last night of our trip, they invited us to their home for a party to watch the soccer match between Costa Rica and Honduras. Needless to say, we had a great time!
As you can see from my comments, it was the connections that we made with the people that made our trip so memorable. Thanks for your help in putting this all together and hooking us up with Gretchen at Pacific Trade Winds.
Now I truly understand... Pura Vida!
J.G. Florida
Hi Gretchen and Justin,
We had a FABULOUS vacation and wanted to fill you in on our review of things. In short, it was all perfect. Certainly starting with our original flight from SFO being so delayed we had to take another flight and arrive well past 1 AM. Thank you for still having our driver waiting at the airport and the hotel also expecting us so late!
Costa Verde Inn in Escazu was perfect for our one night. Getting in bed by 3 AM and up at 6 AM was not on the agenda, but I couldn't wait to get out of bed and see where we were...I also heard so many unknown animal noises while I was laying in bed, I just knew we weren't in Kansas anymore!!! Hotel and our first tico breakfast were great, room HUGE, staff very nice. Our car was delivered on time and very professionally. It was our first day of Chuck and Susan's Costa Rica Adventure, and the delivery of the car and the gentleman who explained everything to us was great.
Loved our drive thru the country to La Fortuna and Arenal! Met with Desafio in plenty of time for our sunset volcano hike. I think I am now a wildlife geek! Good tour, but we didn't get to see the lava at night, as it was overcast! Showed up at Arenal Lodge after dark, and I appreciate the heads up on how far we needed to drive even after we thought we had gotten there. Waking up in the morning to see our view was amazing. 6 AM and there was steam coming from the volcano! There were bird feeders directly off of our balcony...this was one of my best memories of the trip. Perfect choice of room and location. I could have stayed there for days watching the birds and that weird black animal (tayra?). I also loved the macaws you told us about. Seeing them in flight was awesome. I think your wedding here must have been beautiful! Oh..and OMG...this is where I got to see my frog!!! Gaudy leaf frog! Made my trip...well, I still was waiting for turtles, but I wanted to see this frog too!
Arenal Lodge- this was the best experience, since it had the best birds right outside our window, good breakfast, and the best tour of their grounds.. .and more info than we ever had elsewhere. This guy was great. They give this free tour every morning at 9 AM. Also the volcano rumbled around 6 times during our 2 hr hike with this guy. He wanted to know if we could stay an extra night because he said it would be a great volcano viewing night! oh well, we couldn't stay.
Next day was Desafio and canyoning. Excellent trip all around...great company, great experience, great lunch!!! Wish it was longer! (more rappels)
Drive to Monteverde...OK...I had read about what an "adventure" it is...glad we weren't disappointed! LOVED the adventure, but couldn't imagine doing it in a tour bus, van, or during rainy season. We skittered all over the road in our Jimny, clutch popped out of gear many times...very funny. Definitely fell for the missed turn in whatever town that was, and bought a local map from the young guy with the really nice smile who was standing in the middle of the road as we made our U turn! Arrived finally in Monteverde. Again arrived at our hotel at dusk. Trapp Family Lodge. Nice hotel, not for out of shape people. Our room was great with a great huge window, but a hike to get there. We definitely worked off any extra calories we may have eaten. This was the only place that asked for the voucher; never needed them anywhere else. The hummingbird gallery nearby was amazing! Our suspended bridges hike was very good, transportation and organization went smoothly. Kinda sorta saw the Quetzal...well, its long tail anyway.
Drive to Ostional and Hotel Luna Azul. Another adventure. Again more roads where we could barley drive in 2nd gear, with the clutch popping back to neutral. The GPS also kept knocking out of the lighter...all very funny to us! We knew this going in, so it was all good. Also got to cross a very shallow river, but we didn't know it was shallow at first, so it was funny! Great hotel-great tico breakfast, fabulous dinner. They were closed the other night. so we went into "town" on their recommendation. Had our turtle watching that night!!! Met in town at 9 PM with someone, who took us out to the beach to meet with our guide. I planned this whole vacation around the turtle calendar you have on your web site, and OMG it didn't disappoint! Justin...yes, there were turtles! How many, I don't know. I would have loved an aerial view of the beach that night. Over 50 turtles, maybe 100. They were bumping into us as we would crouch and watch a turtle laying eggs...suddenly I felt a thump at my ankle and turned and startled to see a mother turtle who crashed into me. that happened to almost everyone during that tour at some point! A very amazing night!!! Thank you.
Turtle swim the next day...water was rough so it wasn't very good for turtle watching, and some people on the boat didn't feel very well. The guy who owns the boat was great! Would have loved to spend more time with him. Great information and storyteller of his adventures. he did get in the water and hold a turtle for anyone who wanted to jump in...Chuck did, but the water was to rough for me. Definitely continue to recommend this guy.
Off to Tamarindo and the coast. We stopped at Lola's place on the beach from the recommendation from Andreas at Hotel Luna Azul. Well, we loved it there and ended up spending our days there hanging out and swimming. It was perfect, as it was beautiful, had food and drink available and a bathroom, plus chairs for sitting. Also, low key and no pressure to stay there all day and not buy much. Loved it.
Hotel Luna Llena-at first we were a bit disappointed, as it was not as nice as all of our other places we had stayed. Dim lights in the rooms, and just not as cozy...but clean. But after a little while, we made it home and the people were great. We got to loving the feel there. I wanted to be walking distance to town and this was. Also having a sushi restaurant there was convenient for nighttime! Met nice people there who were taking Spanish immersion classes. Went to the local beach one day and endured the wind and watched people learn how to surf. After that we went to Lola's each day. Adventurous ride...funny, it is only 8-9 miles away and would take us 25 minutes or so. I know you guys are used to it but it was all new to us!
Every town has a "football" field, and any directions given revolves around the proximity to this field...turn before the field, after the field, it's right across from the field, etc.
All hotels were good-continue to recommend them. Breakfast included were all fine...smallest breakfast at Hotel Luna Llena, but definitely adequate. (fruit, cereal, toast)
Tour companies were all good..
The GPS was good, but I am glad we had our map and your written directions, as the GPS often popped out of the lighter, and I was a bit unfamiliar with how to use it to begin with. Written directions Justin gave us and asking when in doubt worked great.
I just loved the feel of being in Costa Rica...I felt very safe. I didn't feel creeped out by anyone, never felt like a scam was looming. It was a very good feeling, and very relaxing. All people we dealt with were all very helpful, very nice, never seemed rushed.
Thank you again for all of your time and help and suggestions. We hope to return next year...do you have any recommendations as to where to visit in our next trip? We loved seeing wildlife and looking the birds and animals up on our laminated charts. We would like more of that, and also beach time as well. I am thinking that March may be a good month, as costs may be a bit lower as it is closer to rainy season? Your thoughts would be most appreciated.
S.P. — Alameda California
May 25, 2010
Hola,
We had a WONDERFUL time. Everything and everyone was great and the hotels were perfect, the weather was also great, we enjoyed every minute.
I would not do the hot springs again, too much sitting and not enough seeing. Larry was very happy to sit as he couldn't do a lot. the zip line was fantastic. I did all but the jump. had a blast. Larry couldn't do it.
The massages on the beach made my day. I even did boats, of which I am not a fan.
We will return and I will recommend you to other people. You were very attentive to my needs and requests. transportation was the only letdown the trip from hermosa to san jose was a nightmare. we changed care 2 times and the final driver had no idea where the hotel was located he drove around and didn't ask anyone until larry told him to find us a cab. the cars were also a mess the car driver to hermosa literally dropped our luggage and took off from the hotel.
We are living in the afterglow of costa rica. Next time we'll fly into liberia and maybe bring our kids, Maybe. Do you do anything in Panama?
Thanks again for a memorable week
P.S. — Farmington Hills Michigan
March 18, 2010
HOLA
Well, the trip is now over, we are home safe and sound. What an absolutely wonderful vacation we had - it was so well planned out for us, we didn't have a worry in the world. The accommodations you choose were great - we had such an awesome time at all of them, but the Flamingo Beach Resort was second to none. The food (which I put on 5 lbs eating) was great, the ocean (which I spent 3- 4 hours a day) was amazing and the resort staff were terrific.
Thanks again for the lovely vacation - you will be recommended to all I speak to
P.M. & friends — Dartmouth Nova Scotia Canada
March 7, 2010
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