Testimonials
Sonia, mom of 9 and 7 yr old
15 day Cloud Forest, Hacienda Baru, Osa, Manuel Antonio with Combo lodging
Dear Jenny and Jose [guide]
We want to thank you both for the most enjoyable two vacations we have ever taken.
In December (2013) we traveled with GFA from San Jose to Arenal, then to Sarapiqui, onward to Playa Negra and finally home via San Jose. The trip was 10 days in total and made such an impression on us that we came home and booked within our first month home a second trip for the following year.
Our second trip, this past December (2014), was longer and took us to the other side
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Yvonne, mom of 6 yr old
17 day Cloud Forest, Volcano, Rainforest, Beach with eco-Plus lodging
Costa Rica was truly amazing. Leo was amazing and truly passed all our expectation. On more than one occasion on the trip my husband commented to me; how well educated he was, how dedicated to showing us a nice time he was, how professional he was, extremely clean and well mannered. His personality corresponded very well to my family.
The trip was prefect. Leo was fabulous about my diet [gluten free] and explained it
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Maria, mom of 4 yr old
12 day Cloud Forest, Volcano, Rainforest, Tortuguero, Beach combo eco-Tico and eco-Plus lodging
I think our favorite was Arenal. We loved the hot springs and the little farm at the hotel. Anton really enjoyed getting to milk a cow. We also really enjoyed EcoCentre Daneus. We also had a great time on our horse back ride. We could have skipped the waterfall however. The hike was quite arduous and since Anton couldn’t swim they made us stick to the shallow section- the rocky section.
In Playa Negra, the highlight was the Tree of Life Animal Rescue Center. We got a close-up view of some of the animals we saw on all of our
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Juliane, mom of 6 yr old pictured with dad and guide at Monteverde Cloud Forest
10 day Volcano-Cloud Forest Custom Itinerary with eco-Plus lodging, July 2014
We had a fantastic trip! All the material you sent us before leaving was very useful! We were very well-prepared. There were no glitches in transport or hotels. Everything was smooth and easy.
Jose Pablo was one great guide! I cannot say enough about him. He was fantastic. Besides being a very knowledgeable naturalist, he was perfectly helpful for things we needed. He was a very safe and considerate driver (road sickness). He was super-fun, we all had a great time and our seven-year old bonded with him instantly!! He took us to the authentic, interesting
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Rachel, Dai and Tal (4 yrs) from the UK
14 day Cloud Forest, Volcano, Rainforest, Beach Itinerary with combo eco-Tico and eco-Plus lodging
Arrival/transfer/meeting: Kevin [guide] all went without a hitch which was great after a looong journey. Monteverde Villas Lodge was fab, simple but very clean and excellent breakfast. We did a number of the recommended activities and the forest hikes were just beautiful. We also went on the little train- pricey but great fun for a train obsessed four year old, and spectacular views of Arenal for the grown ups. Kevin was great with our little boy Tal on all the hikes, showing him all kinds of plants and wildlife. We ate at Sabor Tico and thought the casado was excellent!
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Sarah, mom of 9 and 14 yr olds, pictured at Arenal Volcano
Tour done in reverse with eco-Plus lodging December 2013 - January 2014
“We had a wonderful time on our trip. All of the accommodations you booked were great!
Here is a quick rundown of our experience. The heat in Cahuita was a bit of a shock, coming from North Carolina in the winter. However, we cooled down and really enjoyed our stay. The black beach took a little getting used to for my 14 year old daughter, but, in the end, she said that Cahuita was her favorite place. We took the chocolate tour that was offered by the Surf Carribean soda. It took us to BriBri, where we had a great
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Cheryl, mom of 9 year old twins and a 6 year old, pictured at Playa Negra Guesthouse with her family and guide, Pedro
9 day custom Cloud Forest, Volcano, Rainforest, Cloud Forest, Beach Itinerary with mix of Eco-Tico and Eco-Plus lodging, November 2013
“We had a fantastic time!
A bit more driving than we had anticipated but had a wonderful time experiencing Costa Rica. Pedro [guide] was definitely the highlight of our trip. He is so knowledgeable and passionate about his country and the life within it. Our experience would not have been the same without him. My kids still miss him. We felt some immersion in the culture with Pedro and are so grateful we had an amazing guide.
Thank you again. Your list of activities was very thorough along with the pricing. And the packing list was super helpful as well.
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Hans & Katie, parents of 9, 13 and 14 yr olds
9 day Custom Itinerary Cloud Forest-Rainforest-Tortuguero National Park, August 2013
“The trip was spectacular — everyone had a great time.
Leo [Herrera Lopez, guide] was a tremendous guide — I can’t say enough good things about him. The kids were really, really bummed that he couldn’t come with us to Tortuguero. Our visit there was fun, but we kept saying “If Leo was here …”.
The highlight of the trip for me was Sarapiqui. Leo seemed to know people everywhere. On the way to Sarapiqui [Arenal area] he took us to a hot springs resort and it was just perfect. We had massages, drinks, and
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Beth, mom of 8 and 10 yr olds
9 day Volcano-Rainforest-Beach Itinerary with Eco-Plus lodging, August 2013
“Our trip to Costa Rica was absolutely wonderful.
We went with our 8 year old son and our 10 year old daughter. They were the perfect ages to take to Costa Rica and they loved the trip. Our guide, Gil, was amazing. He had wonderful suggestions of activities to do with the kids and really worked hard to give us a fabulous Costa Rican Vacation. He is so knowledgeable about the animals and plant life of Costa Rica. We would be driving down the street or out on a hike and Gil would stop to point out a plant or
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Tina, mom of 9 yr old
7 day Rainforest-Volcano itinerary with Eco-Tico lodging, August 2013
“Our travels to and from CR went off without a hitch.
We loved Hotel Buena Vista. It was breathtakingly beautiful without being the least bit ostentatious. And the staff was so kind. The dinners there are huge, so I might recommend if anyone chooses to eat there, they may want to share plates.
Within 10 minutes of meeting Kevin [guide and Andrea Cristina B&B manager], I was composing my recommendation in my head. My in-laws would describe him as “un sol” — just an all-around stellar fellow who frankly could have taken us to the laundromat and made it seem
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