Travel Review: Luxury Vacation in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, Arenal, Whitewater Rafting, Sunset Catamaran Cruise

I would probably have my agent book the hotels and arrange transfers only.  I would probably handle the activities myself.  There are so many unknowns during the trip that might affect daily itinerary.  Some of us got stomach flues and were not able to attend the activities. Since all the tours were paid in advance so no refunds were allowed. So if I were to do the trip again I would allow some flexibility.  Also, I would avoid holiday traveling.  Now that I know the road condition of Costa Rica, it's best not to get into jams during peak time.   

TRAVEL COMPANY COMMENTS:

Thank you very much for your positive review on your Adventure with us in Costa Rica. Regarding the sunset sail, it was unfortunate that there were jellyfish at the selected snorkeling spot. In these outdoor adventures, we are at the mercy of Mother Nature, which also provided the beautiful sunset. We understand that the crew immediately applied the medicine they carried to try to alleviate the discomfort.

In reference to the land transfer from Monteverde to Arenal, I recall personally monitoring your drive with our driver. We actually got you early to your horseback riding adventure and, upon your request, your driver stopped for you to see the crocodiles of the Tarcoles Bridge. We are sorry you were hungry and tired by the time you reached the hotel. The driver said he did offer to stop for lunch before and after your horseback riding adventure but you told him to proceed to the adventure, and then on to the hotel in time for sunset as promised despite the unusual heavy traffic due to the peak of the high season here.

Regarding the noise for the New Year celebration at the hotel, unfortunately they have a new management team in place, and we are watching them closely. We totally agree with you that they should have been far more quiet and aware of your precious vacation time. We are very sorry for this. While your premium plus rooms have a lovely view, they probably were hit harder by this construction and take down for the celebration. We have written to the hotel and we are still waiting for an answer. We have used this hotel for years as the quite unique 5-star facility it is and we even had several other travelling parties at the time, and your is the second complaint ever. The fact that both complaints happened in the last three weeks and also the fact that the hotel has not even responded yet have us very worried and, as stated above, continuously monitoring the situation. It is such a fine property but ultimately in our experience the attitude is the most important. At the same time that we apologize to you, we also thank you very much for letting us know. We did tell you, even in writing, about the mandatory New Year party celebration at the hotel. Yes, the per person price was USD 185. All other 5-star hotels in Manuel Antonio, and really all hotels, were completely full by the time we booked your trip. In fact, yours were actually rooms we had purchased way in advance.

As for your suggestion to book the bilingual guided adventures yourself, I would like to point out that it would actually have been a paradox for that would’ve made it less flexible. In fact, you might not have been able to book the activities you wished for at the last minute and any no-shows during the peak of the high season in Costa Rica, like I mentioned to you during our farewell call, automatically imply no refund. This is due to the cost of opportunity the operations incur in when saving the space for somebody.

Yes, avoiding holiday travel is sound advice when folk can afford the time to do so. Private charter and even regularly scheduled public domestic flights go a long way in reducing the time needed to get from one destination to the next during any season, and it’s particularly so during the peak of the high season, but the price is higher. Also, the one drawback the flights might have, if any, is that you’re not able to enjoy and adventure on the way to your next destination, though the flight is very scenic over our diverse terrain here in Costa Rica.

Above all we are deeply grateful for your visit and for your constructive criticism and we remain at your service. As I personally told you when I met you at the airport on December 24th, and then when I met Alexander and the rest of your family on December 27th at the airport, we would be available to you 24/7, during and after your trip.