I’ll begin with our first night at the Finca Rosa Blanca, near San Jose. We loved it and were sorry that we
could only spend the night. It’s a real gem, and got our trip off to a good start.

Another marvelous memory was our stay at the Bosque de Paz, in the cloud forest. It is a special
place, close to nature, secluded and peaceful. The owners were there, and treated us like family.
We never would have known about it on our own. I’m so glad we got to stay there. There was
a young man, native to the place, who is a naturalist and gave us a wonderful nature hike, and let
us see a microscopic orchid he collected that is extremely rare.

From there, we headed toward Arenal, stopping on the way for what turned out to be an
absolutely delightful afternoon with Dona Mara and her family (daughters, grandchildren), with a
home-made delicious lunch in her covered, open-air patio (with kitchen!). Dona Mara is a
gracious and kind lady who made us feel like part of her family. She helped us make our own
tortillas (a first for me, I buy them in packages at home!) and gave us a bountiful lunch of local
cuisine. Then she gave my daughter and I earrings she had made in the colors of the Cost Rican
flag as souvenirs. This experience was certainly unique and not one we would have had on an
ordinary tour, or on one we had planned ourselves. It was unforgettable and it still makes me
smile to remember it.
A few words abut our guide, Julio Madriz. A more knowledgeable and congenial travel
companion cannot be found. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the flora and fauna,
geography and history of Costa Rica and shared it in a casual and interesting way, helping us
sample a forest-found fruit and see tiny creatures hidden to the untrained eye. He had boundless
energy and patience and made us feel like new-found friends. I hope you are lucky enough to
have Julio as your guide. He added so much to our trip.

The grand finale was a few nights at Punta Islita resort, where we had arranged to stay in an
individual villa, complete with a plunge pool with a gorgeous view of the forest and beach, and
hand-hewn beds of native woods, in air-conditioned comfort. It was low-key and charming, with
a resident troop of monkeys in a mango grove on the property.. The lovely beach ( very warm
and calm water) and amenities of the resort made it the perfect place to unwind and relax before
heading home.

All in all, it was perfect, just what we hoped for, and more. A wonderful time and now,
wonderful memories.

During the Christmas holidays, our family of 4 took a trip to Costa Rica. We were 2
middle-aged (but in pretty good shape physically) and active adults, and a 19 and 17 year old. It
isn’t easy to plan a trip that will satisfy all of the wishes and wants of 2 adults and a college age
and a high school age teen. Usually, we plan our own trips, but this one called for some savvy
and well-informed assistance.
We had read in Conde Nast Traveler magazine about some travel agencies that specialized in
Costa Rica, so I took their recommendations and called 4 places. I gave each one a description of
our group, and our wish lists and priorities, as well as the time frame. We then carefully read and
evaluated the proposed tips itineraries and budgets.
Greenspot stood out from the beginning. We liked their suggestions, and felt that they “got”
what our family is like and what we were looking for. And they were so pleasant and easy to
deal with.
The trip turned out to be absolutely wonderful- we’d do it all over again in a minute! We were so
happy with all of the choices of accomodations and activities. What made the trip so enjoyable
and stress-free was that the logistics were flawless. Greenspot made sure that, at every transfer,
we were met by drivers who knew exactly what to do and where to go. They were always there,
waiting for us, pleasant and prepared to do their jobs. So we could relax and just enjoy
ourselves.

Read more about some of our highlights of the trip next.

By playing a critical role in Lapa Rios’ Wildcat Research Experience 2010, we will reward you with a free night of accommodation and your meals for one day at Costa Rica’s award winning Lapa Rios, with a minimum of four night stay between May 2nd and May 15th, 2010.

Lapa Rios has been supporting a local team of wildcat researchers and conservationists for several years and we would like to further involve our guests in the Jaguar, Puma and Wildcat Conservation Efforts through this once in a lifetime experience. 

During your four night stay at Lapa Rios in May 2010, you will be able to enjoy all of the regular tours and activities at the lodge, and we will also involve you in a variety of special activities revolving around Wildcat Conservation, such as: 

• Attending a briefing on the status of the wildcat research and conservation program on the Osa Peninsula with project directors Aida Bustamante and Ricardo Moreno. 

• Setting up and checking the heat sensor triggered cameras in the Lapa Rios Wildlife Reserve. These cameras are used to monitor the movement of jaguar, puma and other wildlife in the reserve and the Osa Peninsula. 

• Hiking into the rainforest and helping collect wildcat footprints in the rainforest.
• Learning how to conduct an analysis of the wild cats’ diets in the rainforest. 

• Working along side locals who might have been hunters before and now are active in the conservation of the wildlife, flora and fauna of the Osa Peninsula.

• Participating in talks given at local schools, community groups and hotels about the wildlife conservation program.

• Setting up and testing the program that monitors the movement of peccaries (medium sized, wild piglike mammals) with the help of GPS collars, in the reserve and Osa Peninsula. 

For further Information and reservations, please contact us at info@laparios.com. For more information on the Wildcat Research conducted on the Osa Peninsula, please visit here.

- Kelly Galaski

I have to say I feel pretty lucky to be going back to Costa Rica already. I’m going to be visiting some of my favorite places, and people, for an authentic cultural and nature experience. First we will be at Savegre Lodge where the rainforest sights and sounds are at your fingertips.

Then we’ll be off to my beloved friends and “family” in the Alexander Skutch Biological Corridor. This is the area that has two protected nature preserves, one named after the famous ornithologist that lived there and studied the birds and other wildlife in the rainforest for 60 years!

 

It will be great to see everyone again. We are going to do some “comida tipica” or traditional food lessons, learn how to make some yummy “tica” food. We will be staying at La Escondida, the “Hidden Farm”, a sustainable coffee farm and home of Luis Angel Rojas, his wife Carmen and their family. I can’t wait to see the toucans and monkeys that come every morning while you’re eating breakfast!

Then we’ll be off to the coast, to the beautiful and wild Uvita area, to La Cusinga ecolodge, which sits up on the coast with beautiful views of the ocean, and tons of birds on the property that are always in view from their outdoor dining area.

Come on the trip with us! Vamos a Costa Rica

By Shirley Linde, SmallShipCruises.com

We were 16 days on the cruise and 10 of them were on jungle rivers or exploring wildlife in some way. The wake-up calls on exploration days sometimes came at 5:30 a.m., with passengers having a quick breakfast of fruit, melon and pastries, then boarding zodiacs and heading for the shores or tributaries of the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers. Many days there were two scheduled zodiac trips, one in the morning and one in late afternoon, to check out wildlife or to visit local villages.

This is not a casino/cabaret/dancing-till-dawn kind of  cruise. It’s an ecotourism-style voyage on the Clipper Adventurer, the expedition ship of Clipper Cruise Line that was a former Russian research and passenger ship. Renovated and refurbished, carrying naturalists and culturists as guides and lecturers, the ship now takes 122 passengers (max) on adventure cruises into off-the-beaten-path places where big ships don’t go.  Read about the rest of the adventure here.

By Irene Edwards & Kelly Galaski

Our venture into indigenous culture began when our guide picked us up from our hotel in Panama City and it took about 30 minutes to get to the dock on the Chagres river in order to take a boat to the Embera village.

 

Men dressed in loincloths waited in canoes to take people across the river to the village.  The boat ride takes about 20 minutes – depending if you are in a motorized canoe called a “piragua,” or more traditional one. 

The women were waiting in the village, where there were people playing drums and other instruments. The area has several small villages, with about six families each.  There are small artisan shops to buy the colorful fabrics and jewelry made by the women. Their food comes from the surrounding river and forests and their own farms, such as fresh fish, plantains, and yucca (yummy!).  
Their houses are small thatched-roof open huts. The men were in charge of the music while the women performed a traditional dance.  The delicious lunch was fried tilapia and “Patacones” which are fried flattened plantains, all served on banana leaves.  Tourism here is managed by a community association that works with tour operators to bring visitors to the community to boost their income. Sometimes travelers stay with villagers for a night or two to really get the experience.   
The website for the community association, Embera Drua describes the history of how they began inviting people to their community, how they first received assistance from the Panama Tourism Board, the World Bank and local NGOs with training and to be connected with tour operators. Most of the adult members of the village are part of the association/NGO and they have elected a board of directors to work with the tour operators. They speak of the benefits tourism brings so that they can send their children to secondary school, pay for healthcare, and purchase cooking equipment and supplies. 

 

It has become pretty popular with lots of buses around at the docks. Some people argue that this type of tourism is exploitative, and others argue that it supports the communities. Depending on how the association manages the income and how the village residents feel, both sides could have some truth. We would like to pose the question to our readers.  Do you think that communities such as the Embera Drua are benefiting from having visitors to their villages and homes?

 

This morning we took an early flight on a tiny plane over to the small island of Providencia, or
Providence as the local Creole-speaking islanders call it, in English. I was too tired to do the first dive so I took a nap after breakfast and waited till the second dive. We took the boat out into turquoise waters, with the background of the green mountains and palm-lined sands completing the postcard image.

I feel a little nervous at the beginning of each submersion I think just because of the whole breathing under water thing, but I’m getting used to it. I’m also still having difficulties with equalizing, which is what you have to do on the way down. It just means filling the air spaces in your head like the ear drums and sinus cavities (not my brain cavity thank you), by plugging your nose and trying to blow through it at the same time. Your ears squeak letting you know air has gone through. I get pain in my ears so I have to do this quite often, but hopefully that will get better with practice too.

Once down below, after about 5-10 minutes, the adventure really starts. What I thought were corals are sponges, and they are really alive here, some looking like castles with long tubular shapes hosting a number of different colourful species. I have no idea how many different fish I saw but there was definitely a highlight. The other day seeing those large stingrays fly gracefully through the water. Today I saw what divers seem to be most excited about seeing: a shark. Yes a shark! It was just a small nurse shark, but a shark none the less. It was resting under a coral shelter and about four of us hovered around just looking at it sitting there on the bottom, peacefully, with its eyes closed. A little while later a couple of other divers made some noises or enough movement that it decided to change location, so I got to see it emerge and swim away. If you’ve seen Sharkwater, you know how special, important, gentle, and endangered sharks are. Like the lion is to the land animal kingdom, the shark is to the ocean animal kingdom. Without them, the entire ecosystem that is the ocean, our source of oxygen on land, could collapse. Not a bad first “official” dive.

It doesn’t end there, the day gets better. After a short rest and late lunch at about 4:30, all were deciding on whether or not to go on the planned night dive. Some were too tired, or just felt like taking a break. But Gonzalo, Ezequiel, and Willian (the Chilean, Argentinian and Brazilian guys) convinced me to come along, that it would be really awesome and that I didn’t have to worry. Willian is an instructor back in Brazil and Gonzalo is a PADI certified rescue diver, so really, with them and the instructor I didn’t have much to worry about.

Being out in the boat at night is so beautiful, especially in an island way out in the middle of nowhere; there were millions of stars out shining bright. The only difference on a night dive is that you have to use flashlights and so while I was a bit nervous thinking about it being dark all around me, it wasn’t really because we all had lights and while it was different it wasn’t scary.

Probably the coolest part was the phosphorescence. The plankton are out and about in the night and they glow in the dark. They just look like brown particles with the lights on. But towards the end of the dive we all gathered at the bottom on the sand in a tight circle and shut off our flashlights. Then we started waving our arms around like crazy which makes them all light up. Our leader, “Peachy” from Felipe’s Dive Shop (he’s an English, Creole and Spanish speaking local dive instructor) was humming a dance tune to get us into a rhythm as we moved around our arms lighting up the plankton creating a show. It was really cool. So cool it was just making me laugh out of sheer happiness.

Instead of returning right away for dinner, Peachy took us to Roland’s Bar, a nice outdoor beach bar with thatched roof tables and benches and we had a little fire where we stood around in our wet suits and he bought us all a beer. Now that’s a full dive service!

Sitting here now I feel a little bit of motion. I think being submerged twice in one day, for the first time in my life is having a strange effect on my body. Not in a bad way, just a sort of swaying, like the water molecules in my flesh and bones haven’t quite stopped moving around.

Another day of diving and exploring Providence, where there are only 4500 inhabitants and 13000 annual visitors. Jennifer, one of our local hostesses, says they like it this way. They could use a little more tourism to boost their businesses, but they don’t plan to overrun it, because they know it is a special place, with limited resources so sustainability is top of mind. With a seven-month dry season they really have to watch water-consumption and could not support large hotels. Most of the island is protected and undeveloped, with mangroves, forests and healthy reefs. It is calm, ‘tranquilo’ and super safe. A hidden gem of the Caribbean and pride of Colombia.

I’ve always been pretty adventurous. I tried skydiving when I was 19, I’ve been snowboarding for about 10 years, done lots of hiking, and I’ve tried my hand at surfing in Costa Rica and Bali. For some reason diving always interested me but never registered as something I could do, maybe because I’ve never lived near an ocean.

Well my friends, a new chapter of my life has begun. The world of diving offers so much. It’s a special experience for humans, out of their natural environment, floating weightlessly among the fish and seeing the vast coral ecosystems that are hidden from the surface.

Those are my legs!

Tuesday was a full day of lessons and tests for me. I watched three videos in total, read three chapters of the PADI Open Water Diver Manual, and took three short tests. That was the “in-class” part. The “practical” part included two pool submersions where I had to learn all sorts of skills, practice hand signals, simulate running out of air and sharing your “buddy’s” secondary air source, practice buoyancy control, among others. This includes learning about the equipment, how to put the tank and regulator and buoyancy control device (BCD – that’s the vest) together and turn on the air, check the pressure, etc.

After I passed all the tests and practiced the necessary skills, Fabian, my instructor, took me out to the ocean for the real deal, practicing skills at the bottom of the ocean. I had already been out once the day before after my first pool submersion and had been doing fine so this was just a progression.

Then I went back for the final test and I now have the PADI Scuba Diver certification. The full Open Water Diver certification takes a little while longer, but this one allows me to dive anywhere in the world, to a depth of 40ft as long as an instructor dives with me.

I have to say I am really impressed by the attention and service I got from Blue Life Dive Center because knowing my time was limited, Fabian and his father, Educardo, the owners of the shop, made sure I was able to complete all the requirements.

That’s me in relaxed diving form

All the other divers on the trip were really happy for me, congratulating me on “joining their club” and toasting to me at dinner which was really nice.

For our last night on San Andres before heading to Providencia we went to an excellent restaurant that served fondues and imported cheese and wine, a nice end to a great first day in the world of diving. Thanks to Fabian for the pics!

Being part of GreenSpot.travel means not only am I trying to find out which are the best hotels that we could potentially send our clients to, but also which ones (if any) have sustainability initiatives, are contributing somehow to the preservation of the island’s natural heritage and are benefiting the local people. I have to say that there are a few hotels right on the beach, and literally only several feet back, that are not integrated into the natural landscape at all. There are however some charming smaller guesthouses and posadas which are part of a program which helps Colombian natives rent out rooms in their homes, offering a private space but a warm and welcoming family atmosphere. There are of course a handful of all-inclusive hotels owned by mainly one chain.  So the main thing is to find lodging that would accommodate our clients in a unique and green way.

Speaking of green initiatives, our restaurant last night, La Regatta, was out on a pier and while they served the best fish I’ve had maybe ever, what struck me on the way in was the way they reused their bottles on the grounds to create gardens and decorations, some seriously creative recycling!

Onto the subject of diving, I have to say the undersea world is something all humans should be able to experience!  If the opportunity comes up, take it, because it is unreal. At times I felt I was watching what was in front of me on TV because it was so incredible to see so many fish swimming about right before my eyes.  The coral here is known to be quite healthy in comparison to other parts of the world. I did not see any brightly coloured coral yet, but the fish were amazing. And sting-rays! They are so beautiful. Several times we watched a large sting-ray, even an elusive Eagle ray, which had been resting on the soft sand floor, rise up and float away looking like it was flapping its wings. Such a breathtaking sight, we got to our knees in the sand and just watched. One of our group members, Willian Bueno from Brazil took a video that I will have to post.

I decided while I’m here to do my beginners certification because the more I learn about the sea, the more I want to see.  Today I began by watching a video at Blue Life Dive Center, and then my instructor, Fabian, and I went to the pool to practice and get used to the equipment. Now I have a text book that I have to study to take some tests tomorrow before I do a second open water dive like I did today, as well as another pool session to practice more technical skills.

In the afternoon we took a tour of the island to see some sights, including Henry Morgan’s cave where the infamous pirate hid treasure centuries ago. It is now a tourist attraction with some good points and some bad. It has a pirate museum which is interesting because of the artifacts such as old kitchenware and utensils, 400 years old, that have been discovered around the islands.  It also has locals dressed in pirate attire, giving spiels about the history and a replica of Morgan’s ship with dance of the pirate times. These aspects are not very authentic experiences, but the cave in addition to the small museum is interesting because it is made completely of coral, showing that the entire island was once under water.

 

Touring local areas on islands is always the most fascinating part for me, seeing where the people live, often times how poor a place really is especially in comparison to sprawling resorts. I’d much rather spend some time with some natives of a place in their homes or their hangouts but it’s something that’s not always possible. That’s why I love the posadas concept, because while it is a regulated system to ensure standards, it gives the local people the opportunity to really benefit from tourism, and provides a really enriching and authentic experience for the visitors. I only wish I get to stay in one but as we are a group it was not arranged for us.

I hear that Providencia, where we are heading to next, is spectacular compared to San Andres so maybe the excitement is just beginning!

By Kelly Galaski 

I wanted to look up some of the places I’ll be traveling to in Colombia, to give you an idea of what part of the country I’ll be visiting. As you can imagine, it is a country of great diversity with remote dense rainforests, mountains, big city centres with bustling culture, and indigenous heritage. Also, the world’s third largest barrier reef lies just off the Atlantic coast among Caribbean islands. Since the focus of my particular trip is scuba diving, that’s where I’ll be headed. How I love the Carribean.  I decided to do a little research on http://www.colombia.travel/ about some of the specific stops which include:

- Tayrona National Park near Santa Marta, on the Caribbean coast
- The Island of San Bernardo, near Cartagena, Colombia’s best preserved architectural  jewel
- The islands of San Andrés and Providencia on the Caribbean Coast, which lay next to the most extensive coral reef system in the world.

Tayrona National Park

Lonely Planet Publications chose this lovely nature reserve as one of the ten destinations to visit in 2010. It is located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and consists of 15,000 colorful hectares, 3,000 of which are marine. The park has over 108 species of mammals, among which howling monkeys, ocelots, corn monkeys, deer and over 70 species of bats stand out. Bird species, including the white and lone eagles, number over 300. Close to 110 coral, 471 crustacean and 700 mollusk species live in its oceans.

The Tayrona Indians were deeply aware of the environment. They channeled mountain water to their houses in an organized way and designed cities and cultivation terraces with the aim of protecting nature always in mind. Visitors to the park have access to the ruins and can attest to their creative abilities.

San Bernardo

The Corals of Rosario and San Bernardo National Natural Park is perfect for observing colorful coral reefs in shallow waters. Located at 45 kilometers from Cartagena, the park protects underwater ecosystems, mainly the coral reefs, which are fragile ecosystems, inhabited by a multitude of invertebrate species and a variety of fish whose movements and colors resemble ballet choreography.

San Andres and Providencia

The singular coloring of the coral reefs and the mangrove lagoons have conferred upon the sea of Providencia the name of “sea of seven colors”. Providencia is a beautiful Caribbean island located seven hundred kilometers from the city of Cartagena. In the underwater part of the park, the barrier reef that protects the coast of the island from the onslaughts of the sea may be admired in its entire splendor. In its land area, the park comprises a small hill by the name of Iron Wood and the McBean mangrove area. The prodigious coral reef and the McBean mangrove lagoon paint the sea with a spectacular gamut of colors, from deep blue to aquamarine to turquoise.

After that I’ll be whisked off to the city for an all day meeting where I will try to build relationships with Colombian operators that we can work with to design an itinerary and start sending people on trips!

Excerpts from http://www.colombia.travel/