Costa Rica Adventure Family Holiday

The whole family loved the trip and everyday even the travel days there was something to look fwd to.

Costa Rica truly is a stunningly beautiful country populated by gentle and enlightened people and its extraordinary wildlife is usually just outside your hotel room door and sometimes inside as well!. This trip was a perfect mix of stunning scenery, jungles and beaches from your dreams, activities that the whole family loved and magical wildlife encounters. Oh yes - and the food was amazing too.

What an incredible trip! Costa Rica is everything that we had hoped for and more. The wildlife and scenery was spectacular, and the tour gave us a great experience of all of the different areas of the country. Each day felt like it couldn't be topped only for the next to be even better. We had a magical Christmas in Tortuguero and New year in La Fortuna. Exodus had thought of everything to make the holiday special and our guide was simply awesome and really made the holiday. The hotels were in some great settings and grounds, were comfortable (more than adequate) but not luxurious. We would highly recommend for families that love nature, the outdoors and new experiences, and like to meet new people.

Wow, just back from our 2 week adventure. I don't usually do reviews but this one is definitely worth a few lines! Firstly, our guide Edward absolutely made the trip for us. Enthusiastic, unfappable, great with kids. Very knowledgeable about all aspects of the country, particularly wildlife and specifically birds (Edward is a trained and expert ornithologist and took keener members on a couple of early morning twitching trips). Edward gauged the needs of our diverse group really well, and made just the right number of decisions for us to keep it relaxing without being constraining. A special word for how he dealt with a favourite cuddly toy being left in a hotel (when we noticed about 200 miles away). Edward's connections, organisation and determination led to a reunion the next day! Costa Rica, generally, delivers exactly what it says on the tin. Amazing wildlife and landscapes. The big highlights for us were the additional paid-for trips. White water rafting was exhilarating, with just enough thrills to feel edgy for our 9 and 11 year olds, whilst feeling completely safe and in control. Zip wire near Arenal volcano was similarly exciting. As someone with an intense dislike of heights (I feel wobbly in thick socks - and seriously, struggle to stand on a step ladder) I'd encourage anyone like me to go for it. The start and interim platforms are deep in the trees, so don't feel at all exposed or high. And the "zippy" bits are, yes, high above the valley, but high enough for the drop to be abstract and so fast there's no time to look down! The only slightly tricky bit for me was the walk (down a spiral staircase - think of a fire escape) at the end. Tips: - Everyone accepts dollars, and debit cards work everywhere too (including all the restaurants). - It's wet in August! (as everyone kept reminding us - it's a rainforest...). Doesn't interfere with the enjoyment at all but anything that gets wet, will stay wet and then smelly. If we went again we'd take 7 days worth of clothes and get them washed (i.e. and also dried) at a couple of hotels. This was fast and efficient when we tried it. - We travelled 1000 miles on fairly slow roads (so, a bit more than 20 hours in total) over the 2 weeks. For younger kids, bring activities for the coach. Feedback for Exodus (other than the obvious "it was all great and Edward is amazing") Cahuita didn't really do much for us and also featured the weakest of the set of hotels. Nothing specifically bad about it (so don't worry, prospective bookers!) but maybe drop that (and the 2 long-ish transfers) for more time around Arenal? The last 36 hours felt a bit flat/wasted. Maybe have an early start, drive straight from Dominical to the airport on the last day, and have an extra night in Dominical? Overall, and excellent trip, well worth the money, and we'll be back for more in the future!

This was a really memorable holiday. Costa Rica is an extraordinary country with a plethora of fantastic birds, animals, and flowers to see - and the big appeal of it when travelling with children is that on any expedition you ALWAYS see something. Hotel gardens themselves are places where anything can happen - I had one of the most exciting bird sightings (a trogon) in the garden of our hotel in Dominical - where we also saw a boa constrictor in the stream by the hotel. It really did feel like an adventure - the itinerary packs so many experiences into a short space of time. It was great for our 11 year old daughter to have other children in the group to make friends with - that made her braver and more tolerant of some of the long journeys and physical challenges of so much torrential rain. What makes it all work is the style of the tour - yes, there is a busy itinerary but our guide always sought to offer choices of places to eat and things to do, so it felt quite organic and we never felt over-managed or regimented. Her deep local knowledge, and that of the driver made a huge difference. Costa Ricans are friendly, efficient and proud of their country and that made this trip special too.

This was an excellent family holiday to a magnificent and inspirational country full of adventure opportunities and wonderful wildlife. Our tour guide, Hector, was excellent and very knowledgeable. There was a lot of travelling, but the destinations were worth the time spent travelling. It was the wet season, but the rain didn't cause any real difficulties or stop the planned activities. Accommodation was good, mainly in lodges, and the food everywhere was better than expected from the guide books. The wildlife is amazing and generally so close to hand.

A fantastic, safe but action-packed way to explore a totally new country. The wildlife was amazing (the crocodile eating a howler monkey was a 'highlight'), as was the white water rafting. A wonderful way for a family to connect to each other and to nature.

As an ex trolley dolly I would consider myself a seasoned traveller used to travelling independently.  Taking my 11 year old daughter on this trip of a lifetime gave me back my sense of adventure and has inspired her to globe trot.  I met an American on a rickety boat in Thailand 20 years ago - he told me to visit Costa Rica as it was beautiful - well he was wrong, it is the most beautiful and magical country I have ever visited!!!!!!!!!!

We went on this trip as a family of four with children aged 12 and 14, over Christmas 2022. We had an absolutely brilliant time and the memories will stay with us forever. Costa Rica just has everything- amazing wildlife, great weather, beautiful scenery, beaches, friendly people, felt very safe and just a wonderful and easy place to be. Without exception the activities were all brilliant especially the hot springs and rafting. Johnny and Victor looked after us incredibly well and really went the extra mile to make sure we had a great time. Johnny clearly has a genuine love for his country and is exceptionally knowledgeable regarding the wildlife. The travelling was all very pleasant and the only bad thing was that the trip had to end! Cannot recommend this trip highly enough if you want a great experience with loads of amazing wildlife, fun and adventure.

Costa Rica is a fabulous country and well worth the long flight. We went as a family of 5, parents of nearly 50, my mum in her early 70s and 2 girls aged 10 and 12. We were looking for a change from the usual pool / beach holiday and gosh, it was different!!! The wildlife is nothing short of phenomenal. We saw spiders, snakes, macaws, crocodiles, lizards, fantastic birds, frogs etc...... the list just goes on. The plantlife was great - plants we have at home in pots in the house growing tens of feet high in their natural habitat - it was quite something to see. It was also very educational, not just seeing plants and animals in their natural environment, but also other experiences such as the trips to the chocolate / cacao plantation and the sloth sanctuary. And it was great fun, especially the white water rafting and the zipwiring in Arenal. It was however, quite exhausting. I must admit we were not quite prepared for the pace, the early mornings and the long coach trips, but, in retrospect, they were all for a reason and all worth it for the sights and sounds and experiences in each location. And of course, I must mention our guide Glenda and our driver Mauricio who were quite simply, marvellous. Their professionalism, efficiency and enthusiasm for their country made the holiday very special for us.