Costa Rica Mother/Daughter Trip Review: Arenal Volcano, Tabacon, Manuel Antonio National Park, Zip Lining, River Excursion

We went to three different areas in Costa Rica and each of these areas was interesting and fun in its own way. We went to the Arenal Volcano area (rainforest) and enjoyed the hot springs at Tabacon. The massage at Tabacon was one of the best I have ever had. Other activities included a butterfly exhibit and a river excursion. The river excursion was guided by someone who lived near the river so he really knew a lot about that ecosystem. Next we went to the cloud forest and traversed the eight bridges in the treetops. That was fascinating. We went to several other exhibits, a night walk in the rainforest and my daughter zip lined. At the hotel on the Pacific we loved our balcony view of sunsets. We went to a guided tour that discussed cocoa production -- 1000 years ago when the Maya considered cocoa to be a gift from the gods. I would like to see more of Manuel Antonio. The food service, choices, presentation, and tastiness at both Tabacon and the hotel in Manuel Antonio were exceptional. So much fresh fruit in the morning and the coffee was great!
In all these exhibits the guides were very knowledgeable about their subject matter. They knew as much about the lush botany of Costa Rica as they did the  fascinating animals of Costa Rica. The concern over maintaining the biodiversity and beauty of Costa Rica was evident in their presentations.