QUOTE: Ramesh Semi-private Custom Birding Itinerary

July 15-22 , 2023

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Discounted Rate (for payment by check or bank transfer)

Price per person (based on double occupancy): $4218

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Regular Price (payments by credit card)

Price per person (based on double occupancy): $4387

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Price based on 1 participant

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Tour includes: 

• 7 nights of lodging

• Meals starting with breakfast on Day 2, ending with breakfast on Day 8

• 1 private airport transfer from SJO airport to San Jose area hotel on Day 1

• 1 private ground transfer from San Jose to Sarapiqui on Day 2

• 1 private ground transfer from Sarapiqui to Savegre on Day 4

• 1 private ground transfer from Savegre to Carara area on Day 6

• 1 private airport transfer from Carara area to SJO on Day 8

• All tours listed above

• All taxes and fees

• Meals are pre-arranged. All rooms are comfortable, clean and have en suite bathrooms. 

 

Tours and Entrances included:

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• 1 Full-day, privately guided tour at La Selva Biological Station with lunch and roundtrip transportation (July 17)

• 1 Full-day, privately guided birding tour at Savegre (July 19)

• 1 half day, private guiding at Carara National Park with roundtrip transfers (July 21 AM)

• 1 afternoon private boat ride on the Tarcoles River with roundtrip transfers (July 21 PM)

 

 

DETAILED ITINERARY

July 15: Arrive in San Jose where you will be warmly welcomed by your driver and escorted back to your hotel. Spend the afternoon relaxing by the poolside or taking a walk in the lovely gardens to recuperate from your day of travel. This is a good place to see the White-eared Ground-sparrow, the Blue-crowned Motmot, Rufous-capped Warbler and Hoffman’s Woodpecker.

(Overnight at Hotel Bougainvillea - no meals included today)

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July 16: Travel by private transfer to the tropical lowlands of Sarapiqui. You may choose to spend the afternoon exploring the wildlife-rich riparian zone along the banks of the Sarapiqui River independently. This rain forest region at the base of the Caribbean slope is well known for hosting the greatest diversity of tropical flora and fauna. Here the Sunbittern, Black-faced Grosbeak, and Gray-necked Wood-Rail are a few of the inhabitants of the area. This is the most likely spot on the trip to see the Great Green Macaw, an endangered species that depends on the Dipteryx tree for feeding and nesting. This is one of the emergent trees commonly found in Sarapiqui. Also lurking in the forest are two- and three-toed sloth, 3 different species of monkeys, and peccaries. Today is self-guided or you can choose to book an additional guided outing through reception.

(Overnight at Selva Verde Lodge; Breakfast at Hotel Bougainvillea, Lunch & Dinner prearranged and prepaid at Selva Verde Lodge)

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July 17: Spend the day La Selva Biological Station run by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), clearly a highlight of the tour. The station is among the four most famous tropical research facilities in the world. We will see an outstanding abundance of wildlife. The station is home to more than 420 bird species, more than 500 species of butterflies, 55 species of snakes, and 120 species of mammals. A vast variety of different species of trees can be seen in the arboretum. This is the most likely place to make your Tinamou dream come true. There are three species of Tinamou that inhabit La Selva. We will be looking for Rufous Motmot, Trogons, Caciques, Purple-throated Fruit crow, and Snowy Cotinga, among many others. Animals here are not camera shy, so there will be ample photo opportunities. Peccaries (wild pig), agoutis, coatis, sloth, and monkeys frequent this area. All of which makes for unforgettable days. Your private transfer will pick you up at 7:20 am at hotel reception to take you to La Selva. Your guided tour begins at 8:00 am. Please check in at La Selva Reception to fill out a waiver and meet your guide. You will have a lunch break and then return to the field in the afternoon. Your guided experience ends at 4:00 pm and your private transfer will pick you up at La Selva at 4:15 pm to take you back to the hotel.

(Overnight at Selva Verde Lodge, Breakfast at Selva Verde Lodge, Lunch at La Selva, Dinner pre-arranged and prepaid at Selva Verde Lodge)

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July 18: After an early breakfast, travel by private transfer to the Savegre Valley in San Gerardo de Dota. You may choose to spend the afternoon exploring the misty highland cloud forest reserve on your own at the lodge. 

(Overnight at Savegre Hotel; Breakfast at Selva Verde Lodge, Lunch and dinner pre-arranged and pre-paid at Savegre Hotel)

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July 19: Today you have a full day of guided birding. The day begins at 5:15 am before breakfast and ends at approximately 4:00 pm. You will have a break for breakfast at 7:30 am and lunch around noon for around 40 minutes to an hour depending on client's needs. Spend the day exploring the gardens, riparian highland habitats, and old growth tropical oak cloud forests surrounding the lodge. Walking through the gardens and along the Savegre river, you can hope to see Flame-colored Tanager, Collared Trogon, Torrent Tyrannulet, Volcano hummingbird, and Gray-tailed Mountain-Gem, among many others. Some of the other species you will be looking for include Black-faced Solitaire, Spotted Wood-Quail, Buffy Tufted Cheek, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Ochraceous Wren, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, and of course the Resplendent Quetzal. 

(Overnight at Savegre Hotel; Breakfast, Lunch & dinner prearranged and prepaid at Savegre Hotel)

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July 20:  After an early breakfast, travel by private transfer to the Central Pacific lowlands where your lodge is situated at the edge of the Carara Biological Reserve on the banks of the Tarcoles River near the Pacific coast. In the afternoon, you can choose to explore the bird-rich trails through the forest on your own,  and hope to see Scarlet Macaws and Tiger Herons, among many others.

(Overnight at Villa Lapas Hotel and Jungle Village/ Breakfast at Savegre Hotel, Lunch & Dinner prearranged and prepaid at Selva Verde Lodge)

 

July 21: After an early breakfast you will be picked up by your guide for a morning of exploring the Carara National Park, a unique climatological zone where the ecosystem of the humid southern coastal region joins the dry climate of the northern Pacific area, becoming a rich meeting ground for species from both regions. This is truly one of the highlights of the tour, where we hope to find the Orange Collared Manakin dancing in their lek. This is a great location to spot antbirds, up to five different species of Trogons, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, and even Royal Flycatchers.  (pick up time to be announced)

 

In the afternoon you will enjoy a two-hour guided mangrove tour by boat along the Tarcoles River with a local guide. During the tour we will not only be impressed by the giant crocodiles that inhabit the area but also the variety of shorebirds, water birds, and raptors. 

(pick up times to be announced)

(Overnight, breakfast, lunch and dinner prearrange and prepaid at Villa Lapas Hotel & Jungle Village)

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July 22: Private Transfer to the airport for departing flights. Please keep in mind that travel time ot the airport is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes and airlnes require a 3 hour prior to departure check in for international flights. (Breakfast at Hotel Villa Lapas)

 

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Important Notes & Conditions:

 

• Meals are pre-arranged and prepaid so if the client wishes to make changes to the schedule that result in missing a pre-arranged meal, there will be no refund for the missed meal and guests will assume the additional cost of the missed meal elsewhere for themselves.

• We encourage guests to bring reusable water bottle and refill water bottles at filtered water dispensers in lodges  to reduce our use of plastic

• International airfare not included

• Early check-in (usually before 3pm) and late check-out (usually after 10am) fees are not included. If an early check-in or late check-out is requested, the client will pay the corresponding charge per hotel policy. 

• Cotinga Tours will not cover any additional costs that could result from flight changes such as schedule changes, flight cancellations, airstrip closures, flight rerouting or other situations that are out of our hands, including extra costs in transfers, lodging, or costs due to missed/rerouted/cancelled flights that may result from these changes.  All additional costs due to flight related changes will be covered by the client

• No refund for any unused entrances or tours

• Non-smokers preferred. Costa Rica has strict laws on smoking in public. Smoking is only permitted in designated smoking areas away from the main public amenities. This means that there is no smoking on public property, inside the hotel facility, trail systems or reserves. 

• Physical Fitness Disclaimer: This tour has moderate daily fitness activity. Participants will need to be able to stand for long periods of time out in the field. Anticipate walking a daily total of 1-2 miles at a slow pace on fairly flat ground. If there are inclines they are usually slight and gradual. Also be prepared for climbing some stairs. If this could be an issue please let us know. 

• Tips to guides and hotel staff not included Guidelines are available upon request

• Alcoholic beverages and costs of a personal nature are not included

• We highly recommend purchasing comprehensive travel insurance that covers trip
  cancellation, trip interruption, and loss or damage to optics and equipment, in order to protect your investment.

• Payment in full is due upon booking.

• Cancellations and respective refunds are according to the following schedule (all cancellations must be received in writing):

  • Cancellations received before 90 days prior to the arrival date, the client receives a full refund less the non-refundable deposit.

  • Cancellations received between 90 and 75 days prior to the arrival date, the client receives a 50% refund of the total less the non-refundable deposit.

  • Cancellations received between 74 and 66 days prior to arrival date, the client receives a 25% refund of the total less the non-refundable deposit.

  • Cancellations received at 65 days or less prior to the arrival date, there will be no refund available.