The tour was amazing. We loved the cycling, snorkeling, hiking and, of course, the rafting. Buenazo, mae. The only part of the tour that we would change, would be the zip line. We thought that another day's rafting would be better for us - spend a bit more time on that fabulous river rather than flying like a toucan. Our only goal now is to figure how quickly we can return to your wonderful country. Feliz Navidad!
- Susan and Michael Tourigny

Dec. 16, 2006 “The first good food I have ever eaten in Costa Rica.”
Monteverde Lodge was great. The first good food I have ever eaten in Costa Rica. We went 4 yrs ago as well. We should have stayed at your lodge in Tortuguero because I didn't realize Pachira had become like a factory... way too big and I didn't appreciate being told where to sit for meals since I was not part of a tour. Would definitely stay with you in the future. The major rain Dec 1-8 was pretty bad. Do you have any suggestions of a better month to visit? it is probably unpredictable but it is difficult to see animals when it rains so much. thanks again!
- Valerie Goldstein

Dec. 7, 2006 ''An excellent vacation.''
We had an excellent vacation. Here are a few photos I took, including a good one of a scarlet Macaw in flight at Punta Leone.
- Bill Hatch

Dec. 6, 2006 “One of the greatest experiences I have had.”
Dear Michael & Natalie: Thank you for your email. Just want you to know that my time at Monteverde Lodge, and also my entire trip to Costa Rica, has been one of the greatest experiences I have had. The incredible natural beauty of Costa Rica plus the graciousness of the people that I met will stay with me forever. Thank you for chance to visit Monteverde & I truly hope to be back again some day.
- Bob Hackler

Nov. 27, 2006 Costa Rica Connoisseur: “The trip of a lifetime.”
My wife, Kathy, and I wish to thank you and the staff at Costa Rica Expeditions for an outstanding vacation and the trip of a lifetime for us (the Costa Rica Connoisseur trip). From the time we arrived in Costa Rica until we left, the CRE staff was on time and met (and usually exceeded) our expectations.

I would like to thank Herrol Mora, our travel planner, Luis Torres, our naturalist guide, Norton Tucker, our Tortuguero boat pilot, and Ramon, our van driver, for their excellent services. Luis, in particular, was able to find and show us birds and animals that we did not expect to see, given the season of our trip. He was very knowledgeable about the wildlife, the background, and the history of the various areas we visited (San Jose, Tortuguero, Arenal volcano, and Monteverde Cloud Forest). Norton and Ramon also spotted many birds and animals and always gave us safe transport.

Our accommodations were very nice at every location and the food was always outstanding. I was particularly fond of the gallo pinto and picked up several recipes for that. I also liked that the meals were what is normally served in Costa Rica and not modified to suit "tourist" tastes. At least I hope not too much!

I can recommend your organization highly. I have also included several pictures that you are welcome to use if you wish. Thanks again for a great trip!

As far as suggestions for improvements go, the only one we had was the choice of restaurant for our farewell dinner. The Chateau 1425? (not sure of the number) in San Jose was a very nice place, but they were pretty slow in serving the group and the four fish entrees ordered in the group were all undercooked.
- John and Kathy Wishart, CO

Nov. 10, 2006 ''Thanks for all your careful work.''
Dear Nadya: We're home safely with lots of wonderful memories of our trip to Costa Rica, including the warm farewells by Eric and the rest of the CRE folks who took us to the airport. We plan to send you a detailed note about our trip, but one thing we wanted to mention right away: If we left a pair of binoculars somewhere along the way (possibly at Corcovado), please DO NOT try to send them to us. We are happy to have them stay in Costa Rica, where someone might find them useful. (Randy had been planning to buy a pair of more advanced binoculars, so this just gives him an excuse to do it sooner.)

Thanks again to you for all your careful work, and to everyone (especially Luis Torres and Ricardo and Pablo Aguilar and Pato and Dennis in Puerto Jimenez and his friend the farmer with the truck!) for making this a vacation we will treasure.
- Randy & Deb Lyons

Oct. 2, 2006 “Our trip was fantastic...it was so special because we had a wonderful naturalist guide.”
Our trip to CR was fantastic, and it was so special because we had a wonderful naturalist guide. I didn't get his card, so I only know him as VICTOR.

I want to say that I have traveled widely and deeply for the last almost forty years. I have tracked gorillas and chimps in Uganda. I have been on tiger safaris to India and Nepal. I've been on safari in Africa six times, just having returned from Tanzania recently. I've been in Borneo looking for orangutans and proboscis monkeys. I'm only telling you this because I want you to know that I have a vast background with naturalist guides and tour companies who specialize in adventure travel. Victor was a very special guide.

Let me count the ways. He got up very early every morning to lead us on nature walks by 6:00 am. He spent all of his time every day with us, even sitting with us at meals. Many guides wll not do that because they don't want to work overtime. He was always available for answering questions, even dumb ones which he answered with patience and pleasant demeanor. He lugged the spotting scope through dense vegetation and up rugged slopes and through wet grasses. He set it up quickly so we could get close-ups of toucans, rare macaws, trogons, etc.

He always dressed in fresh, bush-appropriate clothes and looked the professional that he is. He always told us what to expect for each outing so that we had the right stuff, whether it be rain gear, jackets, bug spray and all the other stuff that people are uncomfortable without while moving though forests or beaches or wetlands.

He was NEVER moody. He treated us all with courtesy, playing no favorites. His enthusiasm is boundless. He was very considerate with us, knowing we had differing ability, ages and backgrounds in levels of outdoor experience. He was NEVER condescending. We ALL loved him and still talk of his professionalism.

Victor knows birds well, and he tried so hard for us to see a quetzal. We did hear one, but we had no sighting. He regretted it as much as we did. He is a wonderful representative of your country and company. I would rank him at the top of my outdoor guides over the years. He is very special, and I hope you see a place for his advancement in your company. You wouldn't want to lose him. He is truly a gem.

I hope you will recognize Victor for the special person he is. His sincerity, honesty, and genuine love for his country's splendid natural features made us love Costa Rica too. Your company is top drawer, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to enjoy Costa Rica's natural beauty with a naturalist who CARES.
- Dianne Lethcoe

Sep. 18, 2006 “Everything was just perfect.”
Hello from Florida! I want to let you know what a fabulous trip Costa Rica Expeditions planned for us. It was exceptional. Everything was just perfect. The people in Costa Rica are so very friendly and helpful. I felt very welcome everywhere we went. Our driver, Ramon was wonderful. He was the icing on the cake to a perfect trip. He was so helpful and cheerful. He is a good man with a big heart. It was a pleasure spending 5 days with him.

If I return to Costa Rica, which I hope to in the near future. I would absolutely use Costa Rica Expeditions to plan my trip. You have a very professional business and you care about your clients. Thanks again for a wonderful trip.
- Mary Petrandis

Sep. 18, 2006 "The citizens of Costa Rica really made the trip special."
Our trip was fabulous. The country is beautiful but the citizens of Costa Rica really made the trip special. From the moment our driver (Ramon) met us at the airport until he delivered us safely back things could not have been better. He met us every day with a bright smile and even though we were seriously Spanish-impaired he made every effort to show us all things special about Costa Rica.

Our group of nine were so impressed with the accomodations, the activities and the scenery that we have already begun discussing our trip next year. Please know Costa Rica Expeditions will once again coordinate our travel plans.
- Midge Mercer

Sep. 11, 2006 Tortuga Lodge: ''The food was the best I had in Costa Rica.''
Finally getting around to answering your email. We had a wonderful time at the Tortuga Lodge. I can't say enough good about the service and facility we visited. The whole experience was excellent -- right down to the wild, stormy July nights we spent there. I loved it and look forward to coming back. Your staff was friendly, efficient, helpful. The food was the best I had in Costa Rica. The presentation of your food was lovely -- thank you to your chef. The waiters/waitresses were so pleasant and patient with us. We all enjoyed your housekeeping staff -- they very patiently tried to help us with our faltering Spanish and allowed us to practice on them.

The boat tour of the canals with Nardo (Gerardo Aguilar) was so very interesting and he obviously has a great knowledge and love of your wildlife. I recommend Costa Rica Expeditions to everyone I can when I recount our wonderful trip this past July. All of us had a super day rafting -- but my kids, in particular, enjoyed it, as they hadn't been rafting before. Alejandro Carazo, the rafting guide, was excellent and I really appreciated how generously he shared his wealth of knowledge.
- Laura Preheim

Sep. 10, 2006 “Costa Rica Expeditions is truly a world-class company who has raised the bar of expectations for service.”
Michael & Natalie: We will be providing a response to the two questions you posed before we went on the study group tour soon. However, we felt compelled first to write about the stark contrast between the great service of your staff and that of Air Canada when Tove's bag went missing on the way to San Jose. Air Canada squandered every opportunity to make up for their mishandling, while everyone from CRE went well beyond the call of duty to assist us.

It began at the airport where the AC agent was not sympathetic to her plight: no clothes, toiletries, or essential medicine. No idea of how they would deal with us leaving San Jose for Tortuga Lodge before the bag would arrive on their next flight. Not even a 'care package' so Tove could brush her teeth! Then we came out of customs to a most patient CRE transfer guide (Alejandra I believe - sorry for the spelling) who immediately gave Tove a package with essentials plus a T-shirt. And she told us how CRE would take over the effort to get Tove's bag and get it to us.

My last contact with Air Canada was to let them know CRE would be acting for us. They were not very communicative then. And from what I can tell, not any more so when your staff contacted them. Come Monday, we were informed by your staff at Tortuga Lodge that the bag had not arrived on the Air Canada flight. In fact, Air Canada did not know where the bag was. When there was no more information by Tuesday, your team sprang into action.

First they organized for your doctor to write prescriptions for Tove's heart medicine and for those drugs to be flown to Tortuga Lodge. Then they prepared a package for Tove that included essentials like underwear, more T-shirts, and a pair of Capri pants along with the meds. Herrol Mora, our travel planner, included a nice note apologizing for our inconvenience (even though it was not your fault). The medicine was becoming essential, but the rest was both unexpected and deeply appreciated. And finally the bag arrived and your staff brought it to us on the bus that picked us up for our return to San Jose.

We want to mention specifically the effforts of Herrol, Sofia Cordero our guide, the manager of Tortuga Lodge (Jonathon?), and Alejandra who were the folks who helped us directly. At the same time, we realize there were others behind the scenes who also helped us. We deeply appreciate the concern and efforts of all who were a part of helping us out. These efforts certainly went well beyond what could have been expected by any company not responsible for the problem in the first place. Everybody took every opportunity to turn this into an event where we would come away saying: Wow, that was great!

This simply confirmed our feelings that Costa Rica Expeditions is truly a world-class company who has raised the bar of expectations for service. We believe this is something organic that can only come from enlightened leadership, such as you have obviously provided (v Robert Milton of Air Canada). And is manifest in the way your staff go about their work with a smile on their face, a concern for the guests, and a commitment to do what it takes to make our time in Costa Rica truly memorable. We can assure you of two things: we will be returning again to Costa Rica perhaps many times, each time we will be with CRE, and we never miss an opportunity to spread the word about such a remarkable company and its tours. Please let everybody know how much we appreciate their efforts.
- John Reece

Sep. 3, 2006 ''Our favorite places to stay were: Lapa Rios, Monteverde Lodge and Finca Rosa Blanca.''
On behalf of our whole family I would like to say a big "thank you" to Costa Rica Expeditions. In particular to Nadya Shaw who arranged the most wonderful holiday, perfectly in line with what we were looking for. Her judgment and organization were impeccable: she was a joy to speak with. Our favorite places to stay were: Lapa Rios, Monteverde Lodge and Finca Rosa Blanca, which was a lovely retreat before and after our flights.

We would definitely recommend your company to anyone visiting the country. Your skill and long-term experience and contacts throughout the country are clearly of immense value. Every single driver and guide and all the staff at the above hotels were totally friendly and helpful and all contributed to a very memorable experience.
- Clare Duggan and family

Aug. 23, 2006 ''I was pleased to learn of Costa Rica Expedition’s philanthropy.''
Hello Herrol: I wish to thank you and your team for making my Costa Rican trip quite an unforgettable experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and would not hesitate to recommend your services to anyone with plans to go visit. As a matter of fact, I am giving your company’s name to a family that is planning to visit this coming December.

Your and your representatives were always available to assist me, answer any concerns I had and handle any special request that I expressed. I was also extremely pleased to learn of Costa Rica Expedition’s philanthropy and how they quietly give back to the community. This giving touches so many lives and makes a difference whether big or small.

I have not had the pleasure of going through my pictures as of yet since my arrival back here. Seems like everything has a tendency to happen when one is away… I have my plate full but rest assured, I will send you some of the pictures I did take. Please note: Lost Iguana Lodge is an outstanding place to stay. What they need to have there is a creative chef who can offer above the mark cuisine to match the ambiance the facility offers.
- Helen J. Flowers

Aug. 22, 2006 Accolade to Priscilla, Travel Planner.
I want to take the time to thank you for the wonderful services provided to me, for my clients, by your travel consultant Priscilla. She was untiring in her efforts to create a trip for my travelers and was patient beyond patient with the many changes and questions. As a Virtuoso agent, we expect our on-sites to help us but she has done such a super job, I had to let you know. I have worked with her before, and with no complaints, but sometimes it is very important to give an accolade to a super super job.
- Anita Becker, CTC, McCabe Bremer Travel, McLean, VA

Aug. 22, 2006 "Everything about our trip was all we hoped for and more."
Everything about our trip was all we hoped for and more. Best thing: probably the guides. Their congeniality was superb; fun people to spend time with. And their knowledge stretched far beyond the subject they were there for. In addition to wildlife and biology, we had far-ranging discussions about Costa Rican society, politics, history, economics. Felt like we really got maximum insight from this trip.

One thing I would change: the 7 am starts every single morning were hard on our kids. If I had it to do it over, I would specifically request some sleep-in mornings. But I didn't know this in advance, and didn't say anything to Herrol Mora, who did a wonderful job for us. Well done!
- Liz Sloan

Aug. 19, 2006 "We have great memories of our trip ."
Dear Michael: We have great memories of our trip to Costa Rica, and can't wait to return, or check out Nicaragua! In the meanwhile, we have recommended you to some Dewees Island friends, who may be interested in setting up a group trip. Thank you again for such a wonderful experience!
- Judy Drew Fairchild, Dewees Island, SC

Aug. 18, 2006 ''Costa Rica Expeditions was fabulous!''
Dear Michael: Costa Rica Expeditions was fabulous! Our tour guide was better than any other tour guide I’ve ever known. His name is Alvaro (Natu). It’s amazing how you keep it all put together.
- Michael Danylin

Aug. 18, 2006 ''Costa Rica has been a blast.''
Dear Mr. Kaye, This trip in Costa Rica has been a blast. Natu was the best guide I’ve ever had. All the places we went to were great. Thank you!
- Ned Danylin

Aug. 8, 2006 “I had an excellent experience with Costa Rica Expeditions.”
I apologize for my delay in replying to your email. Once again I have had an excellent experience with Costa Rica Expeditions. Sofia was a wonderful guide (full of information) and I must also give credit to Don Fernando who operated the canal boat and who was our turtle guide during our nighttime visit to the nesting sites.

As always all the activities flowed together very nicely even when it was necessary to make adjustments due to the weather or when is was more appropriate to modify the schedule to a more suitable time. I do have a problem with sitting off and relaxing (I am working on this) however, I will say that Sofia ensured that there was always something for us to participate in if we wished to do so.

I hope to be back in Costa Rica in January or February 2007, during which I hope to catch at least one of the Costa Rican festivals…It was a pleasure to meet you (Michael) at the Parque Del Lago Hotel In San Jose and once again Costa Rica Expeditions has put together a most enjoyable trip to Tortuguero.
- Rick Spurling

Jul. 11, 2006 ''Having traveled with CRE on several trips, this was the best yet. Service throughout was a 10.''
I've attached an evaluation form. My apologies again for getting it to you so late:

At the Airport: Promptly met at the airport by the transfer guide who provided all tour information. Upon arrival at the Don Carlos there was a problem with not having the single rooms as needed, but after some discussion that was resolved with the two single men getting separate rooms. A grateful thank you to CR Exp. for picking up my co-leader at the airport later in the evening upon his arrival from San Salvador. (having been delayed due to stolen passport!)

Vehicles: Cleanliness and comfort – 10, good equipment in good condition is much appreciated.

Arrangements: punctuality - 10, flexibility – 10

Office/Sales Operation: Priscilla Jimenez; Accessibility, Problem Solving, Flexibility – 10, I received excellent advice and suggestions.

Itinerary: Pace - Not too fast, we prefer full and active days. Variety of Sites – 9/10, sites were selected by me with assistance of travel planner, Landscape at Sites – 10, Wildlife at Sites – 10, Activity vs. travel time – 10, effort was made to reduce long distances by vehicle.

Accommodations: Hotel Don Carlos – 7, good choice for a downtown hotel with walking access to historic center city museums and restaurants, historic nature of hotel provides some cultural experience, great courtyard for breakfast.

Selva Verde Lodge – 7, rooms and food are quite adequate, walkways and trails provide excellent birding and wildlife viewing, new patio area at restaurant is very nice.

Arenal Observatory Lodge - 9 for very nice 'Smithsonian' rooms; the view if not cloudy, would have been spectacular. Breakfast and service – 7.

Monteverde Lodge and Gardens – 10 for rooms, meals, and all services.

Hotel Villa Lapas – 6 for rooms, (but perhaps some other rooms are better), 7 for service, 8 for meals. Birding opportunities were very good. (I had previously stayed at Villas Caletas and there is no comparison! Something between the two, in the vicinity of Carara, would be welcome.)

Service Personnel: Guide: Miguel Marin - 10. Knowledge of Birds – 8, Overall natural history/ecology – 9, History/Culture – 10, Accessibility – 10, Problem Solving – 10, Delivery of Info – 10. Miguel was a terrific traveling companion, catering to our every request and finding new locations for birds we may not have seen. All of us enjoyed his company and the stories shared of Costa Rican people and culture.

Driver: Max – 10 on all criteria, he was our best driver ever; we especially appreciated his always cheerful and helpful attitude.

Expectations - 10: Having traveled with CR Exp. on several trips, this was the best yet. Service throughout was a 10. Your pre-trip booklet provides some of the best and most thorough traveler information I have seen. It is very important to provide the messages contained as well as the helpful maps and facts. Of utmost concern to me as a trip leader, is safety. I believe you are doing the maximum and appreciate that only the safest experiences are offered. Good lodging and healthy food are next in importance. The natural history experiences are provided by your country in abundance. My role is to assist travelers in engaging in these experiences in a comfortable manner where they are unaware of the details and logistics in getting them there. I am always looking for the CR Exp-like company operating in other countries we visit!
- Linda Ingram, Ceiba Nature Tours

Jul. 4, 2006 ''EVERYONE was extremely kind and made our experience one we'll never forget.
A Great Experience! As soon as we arrived, we were warmly greeted by the staff. After breakfast we went to our room and our bags were already there. We saw more wildlife than expected. In June, nesting turtles are a hit or miss. Even though other turtle tours we passed on the beach didn't see a nesting turtle, our guide Fernando worked extra hard to make sure we saw a nesting turtle - unbelievable! The food, the tours and the overall experience were just fantastic.

Walter the bartender worked late and helped me with my Spanish, the cook gave me a copy of her Pinto Gallo recipe (which I tried today July 4. Mine was not as good as hers) and as we waited for our plane to leave, the gardner helped my find wildlife in the garden - he pointed out an iguana & toucans, he put a giant grasshopper in my hands, looked for a snake he saw a few minutes earlier. EVERYONE was extremely kind and hospitable and made our experience one we'll never forget. Thanks and hope to see you again soon!
- Jeff & June Sano

Jul. 3, 2006 “The lodges, tours and food were awesome.”
We were so impressed with the punctuality, as well as friendly help from all your staff. We want to say how fantastic our trip was to your beautiful country, and also thank you for your help in arrangements. Your staff and guides, without exception, were so helpful and knowledgeable.

The lodges, tours and food were awesome. We filled out various forms, but in the bleary eyed checkout our last night, I can't remember if I gave them to anyone. Ricardo, Daniel and Owen were extra great at Tortuguero. Luis was also so much fun in driving us to our boat transfer and on our trip back from Monteverde. We were thrilled to see a Leatherback Turtle laying eggs and Tortuguero. The pilots were very professional on our various flights. We enjoyed Kenya so much, and Freddy's cooking was great. He even shared his chocolate mousse recipe with me.

At Monteverde, Hava was outstanding. Everyone was. Our only suggestion is that we wish comida tipica was on the lunch and breakfast menu at Monteverde.

We were so impressed with the punctuality, as well as friendly help from all your staff. The guys that drove us to the airport to head home were just great also. We were able to focus on our activities, and not worry about transportation, food, etc.

Thanks also for getting us the information about the Orchestra Sinfonica - they were outstanding, and the Theater National is a jewel. My husband is the Principal cellist in the Great Falls Symphony, and introduced himself to the principal cellist in the OSSJ, and it turned out they had studied with some of the same teachers. Again, thank you - it was a magical trip, and we hope to return.
- Thad and Su Suits

Jun. 30, 2006 ''The service and the friendly employees of your company are the best we have encountered anywhere.''
Dear Michael and Natalie: Thank you for the magnificent trip that your staff prepared for us. Last October, my wife and I had our 25th anniversary. Since I am a teacher, we decided to do a trip this summer. I researched information on Costa Rica and decided your company was the best to go with. My wife was very hesitant about planning a trip over the Internet, and was a little worried. That all vanished when we were met at the airport the first night, and the next morning when our transfer guide waited several hours with us at the airport for our flight to Corcovado (bad weather). The service and the friendly employees of your company are the best we have encountered anywhere. They were extremely helpful, professional, and we felt that they really liked us when we interacted with them.

I was happy that I could adjust our itinerary (with the help of Hérrol) to extend our stay at Corcovado and Monteverde. I think the extra days there allowed us to experience them better. I don't think you can really get to know a place in two days. Our naturalist guides in each region were outstanding ("Fillo" - Rufilio - in Corcovado, Mal in Manual Antonio, and Eliàmar in Monteverde). What we were really impressed with was that they really loved their jobs, and loved their country. We also have never seen such cooperation among guides. They weren't competing, but they were willing to share sightings with the next group to come along. We went to Monteverde reserve a second day on our own. Eliàmar was waiting for his group to return from the restrooms, recognized my wife, and called her over to show her a trogon in his scope, even though she was not a paying customer that day. Another guide did the same later in the forest.

Overall, I can say that our trip was the nicest that we have ever been on. Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and its people are very warm and friendly. We felt that they were all very proud of their country, and they should be. We truly do think we have friends there now, and really want to go back to Costa Rica, as soon as we can afford it. Maybe next time we'll take our daughters with us. I would be glad to share my images with you, but after editing I have over five-hundred from the trip. I am sending a few with this email as samples.
- Daniel Kennell, Gallup, NM

Jun. 26, 2006 ''Thank you for making this trip probably one of the best I have ever experienced.''
Mr. Kaye: Your company provided me with a vacation that exceeded my expectations. Tortuguero Lodge as well as Monteverde Lodge were like visiting fantasy island! You are to be commended for designing and building such beautiful getaways. In addition, your staff is impeccable and went out of their way to extend every courtesy to me during my stays. It is I who should thank you for making this trip probably one of the best I have ever experienced.
- Sherri Klosterman

Jun. 9, 2006 “We hope to return soon.”
We enjoyed our whirlwind tour of Costa Rica in March and thought that our guide, Luis, and driver, JJ, were excellent. I have posted some photographs on my website, Gale Force Photography under the heading, "Central America." I'm especially proud of my red-eyed tree frog. We hope to return soon to Costa Rica.
- Susan MCKinney

May. 17, 2006 “Our excursion was flawless.”
We were referred to Nadya Shaw and your company by our friends, who booked a tour with you a few months back. We were so intrigued by their itinerary that we opted for the same one. Nadya provided excellent service and was always timely with her responses. We could not have asked for a better trip. Everything went as planned; all the drivers were on time, courteous, and drove safely; the accommodations were very nice...our excursion was flawless and we will definitely recommend your company to anyone traveling to Costa Rica.

We have to give a special mention about Daniel Carballo Conejo, who drove us from Playa Conchal to Monteverde. Daniel is such a nice man and he made the drive so enjoyable. He said his English wasn't that good, but we don't know Spanish and yet we managed to converse the entire trip. The drive up the dirt road to Monteverde was very treacherous in places--you look out the window and you could just drop off into a valley--and Daniel was very careful and went slow...definitely not in a hurry to get us to the Monteverde Lodge so he could get home. We told other people we met traveling with CRE that we hoped they had the good fortune to have Daniel as their driver as they went to other destinations.

We will always remember Costa Rica with fond memories and are so glad we added a few extra days to our trip so we could experience Monteverde and Arenal. Thank you for making our trip so enjoyable!
- Philipp and Cherie Albrecht

May. 16, 2006 “The organization of my trip was top class.”
Dear Michael Kaye and Natalie Ewing: Many thanks for your kind letter. In fact, I was about to write and thank CRE and Marco Madrigal in particular for organizing a fabulous trip for me. I thought the organization of my trip was top class, in terms of efficiency and friendliness of the people I encountered, and the quality of the places I stayed at, (I loved the CRE lodges) and the wonderful nature environment.

I will fax the evaluation form to your head office shortly. I will also be glad to share photos. I wish to express my gratitude to all the extremely friendly and highly efficient employees of CRE whom I encountered along the way. Thank you once again for enabling me to have an outstanding experience. I loved Costa Rica.
- Peri Pamir

May. 15, 2006 “One of the best vacations in my life.”
I'd like to express my sincere appreciation for the services of your company. Both our stay at the Monteverde Lodge and the Tortuguero tour at Tortuga Lodge were incredible. Overall, this trip to Costa Rica was one of the best vacations in my life.
- Vadim Pliner

May. 9, 2006 “The wildlife we saw was incredible!”
Thanks for a wonderful Costa Rican Experience! Your staff was attentive and informative from the moment I was met at my hotel until I returned from Corcovado. I had been to the Tent Camp before and loved it so much I was back just one a half years later. This second trip was even better than the first. The small changes you have made were a nice touch. Our manager Kenya and the rest of the staff made sure that our stay was comfortable and that we had all we needed. The wildlife we saw was incredible! We took the plane to Sirena and hiked back to the Lodge and were not disappointed! Our guide Rufilio Nuñez (Fillo) was very knowledgeable and has an incredible eye to spot the wild life I would have walked right by. I know we were lucky, but in two days we saw 2 pumas, 3 Baird's tapirs, an anteater, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, white face monkeys, spider monkeys, scarlet macaws, a toucan, curassow, poison dart frog, ruby eyed tree frog, tiger heron, great kiskadee, and the list goes on! I can't imagine a trip to Costa Rica without returning to the Tent Camp. I look forward to my next visit!
- Alleen McLain, Jackson, Mississippi

May. 1, 2006 “Everyone from Costa Rica Expeditions was exceedingly helpful.”
Thanks for the follow-up email. I had intended to write you directly, but somehow the time just seems to get away once I'm back in the office and no longer on vacation. Perhaps we need to learn a lesson from your country - take life a little bit slower - it's much more enjoyable that way!

Margie and I had a really fabulous time. Yours is a very beautiful country and we are pleased to see that your leaders are dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of Costa Rica. Everyone from Costa Rica Expeditions was exceedingly helpful and went out of their way to make out trip enjoyable, even when we changed our travel plans in mid-week. Thanks again for a wonderful time.
- Brian & Margie Robertson

May. 1, 2006 “We experienced nothing but friendly, competent and delightful CRE staff.”
Thanks for your email, and, more importantly, for the service CRE provided us in our visit to CR. We enjoyed the experience immensely, and experienced nothing but friendly, competent and delightful CRE staff at every point. Everything, from accommodations, guides, and travel, was well organized and executed. No surprises, and, as a fairly frequent traveler, I know that is always a good thing. While every part of our visit was good, Hildago Hot Springs, and Punta Islita did stand out. When people ask my opinion about CRE, I do tell them the above. I do, however, also tell them that your pricing is at a premium to booking direct...I figure about 20%. For us, the extra price was worthwhile.
- Ian McElroy

May. 1, 2006 “Your team is phenomenal...Monteverde Lodge was wonderful.”
My trip was very enjoyable. Here are my comments that I sent to Nadya. Your team is phenomenal and service impeccable: Nadya, I want to thank you for arranging our trip to Costa Rica. It was wonderful vacation. I found "Costa Rica Expeditions" to be extremely professional. All the drivers showed up at the dot, were courteous and professional. Many of them went out of their way to make the ride fun. I was always kept informed of the time for pickup. The one time change I requested (when you were out of the office) was handled efficiently. Monteverde Lodge was wonderful and the hotel receptionist was extremely friendly and helpful. Overall, nothing but the highest marks for your company and people. I would be delighted to recommend your tour company to all my fellow travelers to Costa Rica.
- Ajit Agrawal