Christina Sample Itin Oct 21st - Nov 1st 2012

Day 1 ------- Arrive and travel to Cloud-forest  (Villa Blanca)

Nayara Resort

Today your private naturalist guide and driver will meet you at the airport. Here you will make your way to a beautiful hotel known as Villa Blanca. This is located in the center of the cloudforest. It was a former vacation home of an ex-president of Costa Rica and now has upscale cabins on the property using the main home as the social and dining area. It is a great hotel and a perfect first night for your Costa Rica Vacation. This is around a 1 hour and 15 minute drive from the airport. (Meals: None)


Day 2 ------ Drive to Arenal Volcano (Nayara Resort)

View of Arenal Volcano

Today you can spend the morning visiting the walking trails in the cloud-forest and then you will be on your way to the Arenal Volcano. This is one of the 10 most active volcanos on Earth. You will be staying in the Nayara Resort which happens to be one of our favorite hotels and a spot you will not want to leave. The views from the rooms at Nayara are some of the best you will find in all of the Arenal Volcano area. The drive from the Villa Blanca to Nayara is around 2 hours. (Meals: Breakfast)




Day 3 ------ Hanging Bridges & Zipline (Nayara Resort)


Today you will get the chance to see some nature. We plan on making nature as much part of your trip as possible. The hanging bridges is a chance for you to see the top of the rainforest where most of the action is. You will walk on suspended bridges with your naturalist guide and learn about the many different things from plants that eat flies, to bugs that have lights, and the four different types of monkeys in Costa Rica. After the hanging bridges it will be time to get the adrenaline going a little bit on the zipline. This is optional and kids are allowed so they can take a look and decide if they are up for it. There are two cables that are used for practice to let people decide if they want to take on the adventure.  (Meals: Breakfast)


Day 4 ------ Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge & HotSprings (Nayara Resort)

El Silencio

We said we wanted to show you some nature and this is a great spot for it. The Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge is a chance to see some of the many different animals in Costa Rica. It is located just 1 hour from the Nayara Resort and you will then get on a boat where you will float through the northern wetlands of Costa Rica. You will have the chance to spend the evening back in the Arenal area and enjoy the amazing hotsprings as you relax in the thermal waters. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)


Day 5 ------ Travel to El Silencio Lodge (El Silencio Lodge)

Your next stop is a place that is completely surrounded by nature. This is where elegance meets the jungle. It is a Costa Rican owned lodge located in the heart of the rainforest. You will be staying here only one night. This will break up the drive to the next hotel and is also worth the stop for one night. (Meals: Breakfast)


Day 6 ------ Drive to Turrialba (Hacienda Tayutic)

Hacienda Tayutic

Today you will drive to the Turrialba area where you will have views of another active volcano which has been smoking from it's crater for over a year. This makes for beautiful views from your room at the Hacienda Tayutic. The Hacienda Tayutic is a hotel that is one of a kind here in Costa Rica. It is only a six bedroom hotel which is located in a beautiful rural mountain setting in the mountains of Turrialba. The rooms and food is some of the finest you will find in all of Costa Rica. (Meals: Breakfast)


Day 7 ------ Raft Pejibaye River (Hacienda Tayutic)

Rafting for Kids

Today we are going to take the kids for some adventure. We know you do not want rafting that is toorough so we will be enjoying the day on the Pejibaye river. Everyone will get wet but this is a small river we use for elders and small kids that want a little bit of adventure. It will be a nice day on the river with plenty of little pools for the kids to swim in. You will have a river lunch made for you while maybe having to share it with a few monkeys. (Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)






Day 8 ------ Travel to Caribbean Beach (Almonds & Corals)

Almonds & Corla

With most Costa Rica being in the heart of the rainy season in October & November it is the Caribbean side that gets the sunshine. The Caribbean side is the part of Costa Rica that has beautiful beaches, blue waters, and not extremely crowded like other places of the country. The hotel that we feel is one of the finest on the Caribbean and all of Costa Rica is Almonds & Corals. It is a place that the best location just steps from the beach. It is filled with wildlife. There are monkeys, sloths, and toucans literally everywhere. There are few hotels now in Costa Rica that can offer this level of wildlife. This is a luxurious eco-lodge which means they are committed to operating their resort with respect to the environment. All of our guest love when they stay at Almonds & Corals but you should know it is an eco-lodge but with a very luxurious twist to it. They redid the rooms just one year ago and it is beautiful. (Meals: Breakfast & Dinne






Day 9 ------ Chocolate Tour & Relax at Beach (Almonds & Corals)


Today we plan on taking you to a Chocolate tour. If you are in to watching how the indigenous locals make chocolate then this 30 minute tour just a few kilometers from the hotel is a good way to get out and see the country-side of the Caribbean. After the tour it is back to the Almonds & Corals where you can just relax at the beach or enjoy the wildlife from your room. (Meals: Breakfast & Dinner)


Day 10 ------ Snorkel in Playa Uva (Almonds & Corals)

Howler Monkey

The Caribbean side of Costa Rica is known for it's corals and that it why we plan on going out for some snorkeling. This is very easy snorkeling and we can take sea-kayaks out to the area of Playa Uva. We will spend the morning snorkeling and then enjoy the evening relaxing at the hotel on the beach or we can take you out to explore some more areas around the Caribbean. (Meals: Breakfast)


Day 11 ------ Travel to San Jose (Grano de Oro Hotel)

Say good-bye to the Caribbean blue ocean as today we will make our way back to San Jose where we plan on staying in the Grano de Oro Hotel. This is our favorite hotel in the city and the kids always get a kick out of it being the former home of the family that owns the cookie factory in Costa Rica, Pozuelo family. This will put us just 20 minutes from the airport for your final day departure. (Meals: Breakfast)

Hola Christina

Day 12 ------ Fly Home!


Travel to the airport and fly home