Feb. 10, 2008 “The trip excursions and sightseeing were exceptional.”
Below are our comments concerning our trip and your service. All the staff, including drivers, at Costa Rica Expeditions were courteous, knowledgeable and friendly. The trip excursions and sightseeing were exceptional. Everyday we marveled as to how lucky we were to have chosen Costa Rica as the spot to spend our "belated" honeymoon.

There were two slip-ups regarding our tours. At the hanging bridges in Arenal, there was no guide waiting to take us for our scheduled hike in the afternoon. They had us scheduled for an 8 am nature walk. My husband and I asked Johnny, who was at the reception desk, if he was experienced and free to take us on our tour. He was. Johnny was a great guide and we had a great afternoon with him.

In Manuel Antonio, we were scheduled for a canoe/kayak tour. In the morning when we found out we had to paddle ourselves, we had to cancel the tour. My husband had surgery last year on his neck and shoulder, and this would have been too strenuous for him.

Regarding the hotels: The Bougainvillea Hotel was great in every way. We were supposed to stay at the Arenal Manoa, but were told upon arrival the hotel was overbooked. We were moved to the Mountain Paradise Hotel. Although this was an upgrade, we were not happy with the rooms - the walls were "paper thin" and we could hear everything in the room next to us. We asked to be transferred to a different room. Lighting was poor and very dim. The shower waterfall soaked the entire bathroom. The food was not very good either. The staff, however, was friendly and accommodating. We would not recommend this hotel.

The Monteverde Lodge was our favorite hotel. The grounds were beautiful, the accommodations very comfortable and the staff was very friendly. The food was delicious. For $330 per night (3 nights), we were very disappointed with the rooms at the Gaia Hotel. There was a catwalk outside our entry door, so when the curtains were open, we had no privacy. The modern room design was not optimal. The bathroom (toilet, sink and shower) was behind sliding doors IN THE ROOM. To be blunt, there was no privacy when we had to use the bathroom. The bed was ok. The last night of our stay, the air conditioner broke and we were moved to another room. Dining and spa services, however, were excellent. We would not recommend this hotel.

Overall, we were very happy with our trip and would gladly recommend Costa Rica Expeditions to our friends and family. Thank you for taking the time to follow up with us.
-Beth & Michael Stebel

Feb. 2, 2007 Everything with Costa Rica Expeditions went very smoothly and we were extremely impressed with your service.
Michael and Natalie,

Thank you so much for touching base with me. We really enjoyed our honeymoon to Costa Rica - everything with Costa Rica Expeditions went very smoothly and we were extremely impressed with your service. We were most impressed that all of our guides and transfers were on time if not early to pick us up.

The only challenge we encountered was when we went to the included lunch at Villa Caletas. It wasn't clear to us what exactly was included in the lunch when we ordered and there was a huge range in prices on the menu. Because this was the most expensive restaurant we encountered on our trip, it would have been nice to have some more information about whether everything was included, everything except alcoholic drinks, or everything except drinks in general. We ended up paying for our drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and it wasn't too much, however, it made it difficult to fully enjoy the meal not knowing what the charges could be at the end and how they were going to be paid for since our guide was not in view.

Per your request, I will be sending you our photos right now...there are a lot, however, I couldn't really narrow it down too much because I wasn't sure what pictures you might appreciate and want to use. The resolution on our camera isn't great - so perhaps this might be a limiting factor as well, but I will let you decide.

Sincerely,
-Jennifer Kallay

Jan. 6, 2006 Corcovado Lodge “was the highlight of our entire trip!''
My fiancé, Jonathan Nituch, and I stayed at Corcovado Tent Lodge from December 3-6, 2005. I have to say it was the highlight of our entire trip! Everything was perfect. We enjoyed every minute and hated to leave. Every place after that we stayed in just didn't compare. I really appreciate all the help I received in retrieving my lost suitcase with my wedding dress in it. I am already planning my next trip to see the rest of the country, with a stop at the Tent Lodge, no matter where we are.

There was one dish at supper at the Tent Lodge that I really enjoyed and would like to make at home. It was sliced tomatoes, a basil leaf and a slice of cheese. What is the name of the cheese? Was it local cheese, or do you think I can find it Canada? Thanks for everything!
-Kerri Pokorny

Feb. 17, 2005 "The reviews (about Corcovado) can never do it justice - this place is magical."
After all the great things we'd read, my husband and I were excited to visit Corcovado Tent Lodge as part of a two week honeymoon in Costa Rica. However, I was still a bit apprehensive about the idea of a tent near the rainforest as I'm not a huge fan of insects and critters.

We were so thrilled when we arrived at the camp to find such a beautiful and isolated area. The reviews can never do it justice - this place is magical. We stayed 2 nights and loved every minute of it. The tents are extremely comfortable, public washrooms are clean, grounds are beautifully maintained, staff is so friendly and helpful and the meals are excellent.

Our favourite part of our stay was to meet and get to know all the different guests the lodge attracts. It's a very worldly crowd, each with the most amazing stories and we enjoyed the time we spent with them at dinner, on hikes and at the bar. The tent lodge provides incredible value for money. It was by far our favourite part of our trip to Costa Rica. Even though it is not the most convenient place to go to, it is completely worth the effort and totally surpassed our expectations. It is a once in a lifetime experience.
-Manasi Kulkarni, Toronto

Dec. 2, 2004 ''Everything about our honeymoon was terrific.''
Everything about our honeymoon was terrific, every place we went was beautiful and everyone we met was so tremendously nice! Every aspect of the trip was arranged perfectly, thank you so much for everything. We absolutely plan to return to Costa Rica, and we will absolutely contact you to help when we do.
-Kate and Jamie Vann

Oct. 18, 2004 “We had a wonderful honeymoon trip.”
Dear Michael: Thank you for your email. We had a wonderful honeymoon trip, thanks in a large part to Costa Rica Expeditions. Your company booked our trip in the perfect accommodations for us. We loved every place that we stayed at. Also, it was an invaluable help to have your company meet us at the airport, make transfers for us, collect our lost luggage, on our last day pick us up at hotel and return us to the airport, and just made the overall experience in Costa Rica so nice for us. We will highly recommend your company to anyone we know traveling to Costa Rica. We were very impressed. In a large part, much of the thanks goes to Selena Solis, whom I worked with many months in advance for planning our trip. She took care of everything and was on the ball for even the smallest details needed for our trip to go smoothly. She is a valued employee and our many thanks go to her. She did a great job for us.
-Lorri and Larry Stanton

Nov. 28, 2003 “An unbelievable honeymoon trip to Costa Rica... Your staff was amazing!”
My wife and I just recently returned from an unbelievable honeymoon trip to Costa Rica. Part of our happiness and excitement came from an excursion we took to Corcovado. I cannot describe to you our overall feeling of amazement we had from the trip. The good feelings started with our planning. Your representative was so kind and quick with information and help.

Although my wife Piper is not a relaxed flyer, the small Cesna 206 and crew made her feel OK (even though one of the Cesnas was quite old and outdated). From the moment we landed on the Corcovado airstrip and were greeted by Aaron to the moment we left, it was an outstanding experience. Your staff was amazing!

Truly and sincerely friendly, helpful, grateful and welcoming. They went out of their way to provide an outstanding trip. Although the Platform was out of service and being worked while we were there, we were treated to a great hike, horseback ride, food, conversation and service. The whole staff was beyond great. I just wish we had more money to give them all as a tip! Piper and I cannot wait to return and maybe explore Tortuguero as well next time.
-Jeff Kubiak & Piper Andersen

Oct. 10, 2003 “We spent 4 days of our honeymoon at Corcovado and we absolutely loved it.”
We spent 4 days of our honeymoon at Corcovado in April 2003 and we absolutely loved it. It was like "luxury camping" - daily housekeeping service, fresh delicious "home-cooked" meals, great pina coladas at the bar, lots of hammocks for napping. Our guides, Nadine and Aaron, were friendly and well-informed about the natural habitat. We learned so much, and saw more wildlife and flora and fauna than anywhere else we went in Costa Rica. The other guides we encountered (elsewhere in Costa Rica) just didn't compare. The manager, Eric, was also friendly and helpful.

We loved being summoned to meals by the conch shell. Our favorite activities (aside from eating!) were hiking, trying to swim in the strong ocean current, and just lying in the hammock enjoying the isolated beauty of the area. I must admit the cold showers were challenging, but we were happy to stay at a place that values ecological responsibility over tourism. Overall, Corcovado was our favorite place to stay in Costa Rica.
-Melissa & Tony

Sep. 19, 2003 “Maria went out of her way to make our wedding day special.”
We had a marvelous trip in Costa Rica. I wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge the superb job Maria, the manager of the Monteverde Lodge, did for our wedding. Maria went out of her way to make our wedding day special. She listened carefully to our concerns (particularly with respect to the weather) and was flexible in making alternative arrangements at the last minute. Her extra special touches were truly appreciated and will not be forgotten. Please convey our utmost gratitude and thanks for the splendid job that she and the rest of the Monteverde staff did.
-Simon Carney

Jun. 13, 2003 “Thanks so much for an incredible honeymoon!!!”
We had a WONDERFUL time and your services were excellent!! We are waiting on our pictures - we'll be sure to send some out to you with descriptions! Thanks so much for an incredible honeymoon!!!
-Cathy Alderman

Apr. 16, 2003 ''You really did a great job of planning our honeymoon.''
Grettel: A week has gone by since we returned to New York. The day we returned, the temperature was a little over freezing, and there had been 7 inches of snow the day before! What an adjustment!

Before any more time passes, I want to send you a word of thanks. You really did a great job of planning our honeymoon - we loved both Hotel Flor Blanca and Lapa Ríos Ecoresort, each in a different way. It was the perfect combination of relaxation, activities, good food, nice people. We really liked the fact that both resorts are small. (We read an article in the New York Times when we returned about a resort in Costa Rica with over 300 guest suites - we would have hated that.) Also, it was wonderful the way all of our transfers were handled flawlessly - with someone to meet us each time, and everything running very smoothly and on schedule. Costa Rica Expeditions totally eliminated the hassle and stress that travel sometimes entails.

The ONLY thing we would have done differently (and I tell you this because I think you are a perfectionist) was the last day. We would rather have stayed at Lapa Ríos Ecolodge until later in the day on Monday, arrived later in San Jose and spent the night someplace convenient and perhaps more modest than Xandari Plantation. We felt like we were just passing time at Xandari, if you know what I mean. That said, we send a big thank you.
-Shelley Mazor & Bernard Schneider

Mar. 20, 2003 “We enjoyed Costa Rica and especially Corcovado.”
We enjoyed Costa Rica and especially Corcovado. The service and advice from Marco Madrigal, travel consultant for your organization, was fantastic. He answered my questions very good and promptly. He gave unasked advice. And most of all: arranged a wonderful tent, with a double bed for our honeymoon! Wonderful to have such employees.
-Gea Everards

Sep. 3, 2001 “We had the most fabulous wedding ceremony of all time.”
Carianne: Just as Chris has told me repeatedly, all of the stress with the documentation and deadlines was well worth it. We had the most fabulous wedding ceremony of all time and the people were absolutely wonderful. The whole week in Costa Rica was adventurous and heavenly and we have full intentions of returning. I couldn't be more pleased with all of your efforts and kindness and want you to be certain of our appreciation. We will never forget the part you played in making our beginning so special. Please tell your boss you deserve a raise! Thank you again and all the best to you as well.
-Tara & Christopher Rabb

Apr. 12, 2001 "Our unforgettable memory of our honeymoon was the 2-day Pacuare rafting trip."
We were treated first class by Costa Rica Expeditions. When you enter another country you don't know what to expect. At the airport in San Jose we were met by a representative of Costa Rica Expeditions, and that is when the first class treatment began, and didn't stop until we left 9 days later. The food was incredible. It truly was LEGENDARY SERVICE and UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES.

Our unforgettable memory of our honeymoon would have to be the 2-day Pacuare whitewater rafting trip. Our treatment there on the river and at the camp site was "AWESOME," we received the Honeymoon Suite (three room tent) and we even received tent service. Our guides VIP-ed us. We (unexpectedly) received a bottle of champagne, and two wine glasses. Our guides began to work like cutter ants.We received a wooden table, then a table cloth. Candles began to appear, and we were asked if we would like several? What do you think? Next, we received a bottle of rum, glasses and orange juice. The guides just kept working and working, then we received some food, this food was made outdoors? It was the best meal of our life. My new husband and I drank rum and ate our food in amazement.

This was our first real adventure as Husband and Wife. We will savor that moment for the rest of our lives. No fancy hotel, nor a huge cruise ship could ever ever ever have given us the true meaning of Love. Thank you again with much LOVE.
-Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Gillenwater (aka, Teresa and Doug the honeymooners)