On request of the Director of the Zoo Frankfurt/Germany I planed and managed a Tour discribed below. 3 members: Dr. Paul Vogt, Director of the Zoo in Krefeld, Dr. Christian Schmidt, Director of the Zoo in Frankfurt and his wife. Nov 21 - Nov 28, 2003. This tour paquet includes: Visit of 7 National Parks or Biological Reserves 7 nights in the Hotel Mirador de Samara 1 night in the Hotel Carara (near the National Park Carara) 1 night in the Hotel Rain Forest Lodge (near the Biological Reserve Monteverde) All meals, free choice of first class wines, brand name liquors, lobster etc. Entrance fees, the different guides, taxes etc. All tours are accompanied by english speaking guides (in 2 cases not where not nessesary) Privat car, driver/manager speaks German, English and Spanish Transfer from and to San Jose. I pick you up at your hotel in San Jose, and we will be driving direction to the Pacific. Most of the time we will stay around the area of Arenal. Visit of the waterfall Catarata de la Fortuna. Hiking through Rain Forest to the lake on the bottom of a 60 meter high waterfall, where you can take a refreshing bath. Drive to the nearby Tabacon Resort, a bathing resort, featuring 5 natural mineral pools with hot water heatend by the volcane, set in exotic gardens. This resort is placed at the foot of the volcane, so we have a good chance to watch an eruption. A 2; 3 hours stay is planned, also here we will have lunch. Our trip continues with a drive through the beautiful rainforest around the lake Arenal and finally we reach the Hotel Mirador de Samara having lunch. Breakfast; 1 ½ hour drive to the port of Puerto Humo, situated in the Palo Verde National Park. This tiny village lies in the banks of the Tempisque River, with its typical mangrove swamp ecosystem providing the perfect conditions for different types of migratory water birds. During our three hour boat trip, we will not only birdwatch, but also find crocodiles, huge iguanas, howler monkeys and whiteface monkeys. Lunch in the village, dinner in the restaurant of Hotel Mirador in Samara. Breakfast; Drive to the National Park Rincon de la Vieja. One of the 5 active volcanes in a period of relative calm. Accompanied by a local guide. 3; 4 hour hike through cloud forest leading to hot sulfur springs, geyser, hot bubbling mud, hidden waterfall. Chance to watch toucanets, trogon, howler, spider and white-face-monkeys. Lunch in Liberia, dinner in Samara/Hotel Mirador. Breakfast; Drive to the National Park Santa Rosa. Accompanied by a local guide. 3 hours hike through the Park, a mosaic of distinct habitats, savanna, oak forest, dry forest etc. It attracks wide range of animals, like white tailed deer, coatimundis, howler, spider, white-face-monkeys, anteaters, snakes. Jaguars still roam Santa Rosa, as do ocelots, pumas, and jaguarundis, They are shy and seldom seen. Lunch in the Park, dinner in Samara/Mirador. Breakfast; 4 hour drive to the National Park Manuel Antonio. Accomanied by a local guide. Also because of its stunning white sand beaches one of the most beautiful Parks in Costa Rica. A network of welcoming trails makes it possible to watch monkeys, slots, coatimundis, scarlets macaws etc. Lunch outside the Park. Drive to the Hotel Carara, dinner there. This Hotel is not a special attraction, the group of some almond trees next to it yes: Many pairs of macaws are visiting throuout the day these trees, good chance to birdwatch. Breakfast in the Hotel Carara, after a visit in the National Park Carara. This rainforest is a climatological zone of transition from the dry of the Pacific north to the very humid southern coast - and is a meeting place for species from both. American crocodiles, anteaters, spider monkeys etc. A 2 hours boat tour follows this hike. Lunch in the hotel Carara; dinner in Samara. Breakfast. After drive to the Biological Reserve Monteverde; Santa Elena. We stay overnight in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge. Breakfast in the Hotel. 3; 4 hours hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. Accompanied by a local guide. This cloud forest protects more than 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, more then 1.200 species of amphibians and reptiles. Good chance the watch the resplendent quetzal. Lunch in Monteverde, after drive back to San Jose.

The Aparthotel Mirador de Samara is built high on a hill, about 40 meters above sea level, commanding a panoramic view of the village, beach and ocean from every room and terrace. The beach is just a five-minute walk away. The building is constructed in stricty north South position which allows the ocean breeze entering into the rooms during daytime and atnight bringing cool breeze from the mountains behind. The only sound at night that you hear are the waves - early in the morning you might be woken up by the abandunt birds starting their singings. A restaurant and private bar for guests of the Mirador adjoins the hotel in a tower with a 360-degree panoramic view. All apartments have cable tv and wireless internet conection. The hotel consists of 2 main buildings with 8 apartments and 4 skyrooms. The apartments have a size between 900 and 1.100 sque/foot with 1 or 2 sleeping rooms, loundge, fully equipped kitchen, big bath room with hot water, private safe box, big terrasses or balconies with panoramic ocean view. Max. occupation 6 pers. All Skyrooms ( 350 squa.meters) have a balcony with ocean view, fridge, nice bath with hot water, safe box, cable tv, internet connection, orthopedic matrasses, etc. Good for 2 max. 4 pers. The hotel is situated in a one acre tropical garden, where you can watch animals like howler monkeys, armadillos, iguanas and a lot of different tropical birds. The hotel also offers a large garden area with swimming pool, parking and reception,and services such as safe deposit box, phone fax, laundry, ground transfer to/from international airport, etc.. Background. The hotel manager is German who also speaks spanish, English and French. The hotelmanagers speak English, Spanish, German, French and also Check. Most of the time they also accompany you on the tours. We offer also the tranfer to and from the hotel any direction you want. Any emergency any time of theday we can help. There is also a small clinic in Samara.

Discover the highlights of Guanacaste:volcanos, beaches, plants and animals. Affordable, escorted customized private tours for 2 or more people. Tailored to fit your precise dates and interest. Ideal for couples, families, affiliated groups. Your guide speaks Spanish, English and German or Czech. All included: food, drink, transportation, boat fees, lodging, entrance fees, etc. Price per person:$890. Tour to Rio Tempisque. Relaxing in the beach. We will pick you up at Costa Rica's Juan Santamaria International Airport and we will stay in, a comfortable, three-star hotel. located in the heart of. Next morning we will drive towards the Pacific, passing rain forest, hiking down to a huge. (you might have a chance to take a swim in the lake below ) and by midday we will reach the active volcano. If the day is clear, we will observe this volcano's impressive eruptions. Right at the volcano we will enter the hot springs bathing in this fantastic tropical garden. Our trip continues with a drive through the rainforest around lake Arenal via Tilaran, Canas, crossing the Tempisque river by ferry and finally reaching the beach and village of. We will lodge in the suites of the small, four-star Aparthotel de Samara, with its breathtaking view. After breakfast we will drive about an hour to the port of Puerto Humo, situated in the Palo Verde National Park. This tiny village lies on the banks of the river, with its typical mangrove swamp ecosystem providing the perfect conditions for different types of migratory water birds. During our three-hour boat trip, we will not only birdwatch, but will also find crocodiles, huge iguanas, howler monkeys and whiteface monkeys. Our next stop is the traditional pottery-making village of Guatil, where we can watch the potters at work and purchase original Indian pottery. On our way back, we may stop for shopping in the typical Costa Rican town of Nicoya. and its surrounding areas offer the perfect setting for tours. You will be accompanied by a guide on this five-hour tour through little-known jungle trails and deserted beaches, with plenty of time to take a swim. We have to get up early in the morning to meet the. Coffee and cookies will be served on the boat. For about four hours, we will enjoy the expansive ocean, looking for jumping dolphins, whales, floating turtles and gliding manta rays. The boat is equipped with fishing utilities. Today is free for relaxing at the. You will be taken back to the airport for the trip home. You also have the option of spending additional days at hotel. Because of the unpredictability of nature, the time scale of some tours may be altered. In some cases, we may even substitute one tour for another; for example, if there is a good chance to see turtles laying eggs at the nearby Ostional beach, we may add this tour charging a little extracost. Of course, these changes also depend on your preferences.

Climate: Costa Rica is a tropical country and experiences only two seasons: wet and dry. The dry season is generally between late December and April, and the wet season lasts the rest of the year. The Carribean coast tends to be wet all year. Temperatures vary little between seasons, the main influence on temperature is altitude. The coasts are very hot and humid, with the Caribbean averaging 21 degrees Celsius at night and over 30 degrees Celsius during the day, the Pacific is a few degrees warmer still. Topography: Costa rica is bordered to the north by Nicaragua and to the south by Panama. It has has both a Caribberan and a Pacific coast. A series of volcanic mountain chains runs from the Nicaraguan border in the south east, splitin the country in two, In the center of these ranges is a high-atlitude plain, with coastal lowlands on either side. The Caribbean coast is 132 miles long and pacific coast is 635 miles long. Government: Costa Rica is a democratically elected republic. Elections are held every four years. Time zone: Costa Rica is the same as U.S. central standard time but does not observe daylight savings time. Language: Spanish is the official language. English is spoken in tourist areas throughout the country. Taxes: There is a 13% sales tax at hoteles, reastaurants and most service industries, and an additional 3% tourist tax at hotels. Population: Costa Rica has a population of 3,5 million people. Over fifty percent live in central valley which comprises 4% of the entire country. Electricity: 110 - volt AC is found nationwild. A few outlying areas use their own power source so check ahead before travelling. Communications: Direct-dial telephone service, facsimile, telex, radio and cable television are all aviable. Bilingual operator assistance for international calls is -116, Local information -113, Long distance information -124. Telephone: Direct-dial service is efficient and there are more telephones per capita than in any other Latin American country. Many international long distance services are aviable. Check with your hotel front desk for more information. Currency exchange: The official currency is the Colon and is easier to use than dollars. US dollars areaccepted throughout the country. Currency can be exchnged at banks. Most hotelshave an exchange counter. You can also exchange money at the International Airport.The currency rate fluctuates without notice. Credit cards and Travelers checks: Most major credit cards are accepted throughout the country, but some smaller businesses will only accept local currency. Travelers checks can be easily cashedbut some will only accept a certain kind. From Naturally Costa Rica - The visitors Guide to Costa Rica 2000/2001