Pick up at the airport and transfer to Bosques de Chachagua. Chachagua is a Costa Rica Rainforest hotel located inside the privately owned and maintained rain forest of Chachagua contiguous to the International Children's Rain Forest, which in turn is neighbor to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. This means that Chachagua Rain Forest Costa Rica, is part of a large protected area and helps provide habitat for many of the threatened inhabitants of the rain forest such as tapir, jaguar, ocelot, and peccaries.

http://www.chachaguarainforesthotel.com/
 

March 8th

Early morning guided bird and animal walk. Birding here is spectacular! Besides the birds there is much, much more to see! This area is home to several species of primates including white faced capuchin monkeys. You will also find coatamundi and a range of smaller mammals as well as all sorts of reptiles and amphibians. Your expert guide will amaze you as he spots different species along the trail. This habitat is on the edge between the cloud forest and Montane Forest so species of both ecosystems can often be seen here. The vegetation is also unique to this altitude. The property also has a large fruit and vegetable farm that attracts both birds and animals who come to feast on the ripe produce. Midday is a time to rest and recover from the flights. If you want you can book an optional horse ride into the nearby hills or hike several trails in the rainforest. In late afternoon we will once again take to the forest and see what we can spot. The day will end with a night time patrol looking for night birds as well as mammals. Always exciting!!!!
Meals: BLD

 
March 9th

We are up early this morning and off to the forest at daybreak. Birding and animal spotting are high on the list. This is the time when the forest is alive with activity and our guide will take us out in search of all manner of creatures. Along the way he will point out the interesting and unique flora that we will encounter. The bio-diversity will amaze you. Mid day transfer to Selva Verde Lodge. This Lodge has its own private reserve and is located in the lowland forest which is a completely different ecosystem. In the afternoon we will head out to explore this area. For the bird lovers toucans, parrots and hummingbirds will be high on the"must see" list and for the animal lovers we hope to encounter howler monkeys, sloth and peccaries as well as many species of reptiles and amphibians including the poison dart frogs.
Meals: BLD


March 10th

At 4AM listen for the the call of howler monkeys in the forest marking their territory. They are often very close to the lodge! We will begin our walk at daybreak and enter the private reserve across the river. Here we will find a number of species that are endemic to this ecosystem as well as many common species found in other areas. Your guides are experts in both birds and animals as well as plants and they will amaze you with their knowledge of the forest. Keep your eyes out for howlers and capuchins in the trees as well as many different smaller animals underfoot. This afternoon it is possible to do an optional half day whitewater rafting trip and then continue on with the night tour or simply explore the forest on your own on the self guided trails. In the early evening we have something very special planned! We will be going to OTS La Selva. A biological research station close to the lodge. Here we will do a night walk in the forest. Look for bats of all kinds as well as peccaries and many different reptiles and amphibians. Insect life will also be abundant along with night birds. The conversation at dinner will be very interesting!

Location: at the confluence of two major rivers in the Caribbean lowlands of northern Costa Rica, La Selva comprises 1,600 hectares (3,900 acres) of tropical wet forests and disturbed lands. It averages 4 m (over 13 feet!) of rainfall that is spread rather evenly throughout the year.
Meals: BLD

Principal Biome
Main Communities: Located within the tropical and premontane wet forest, the Station has about 73% of its area under primary tropical rain forest. History: La Selva was originally established in 1954 by Dr. Leslie Holdridge, as a farm dedicated to experimentation on mixed plantations for the improvement of natural resources management. It was purchased in 1968 by the Organization for Tropical Studies and declared a private biological reserve and station. Since then, it has become one of the most important sites in the world for research on tropical rain forest. Over 240 scientific papers are published yearly from research conducted at the site.
Meals: BLD


March 11th

Birding in the morning at Centro Neotropico Sarapiqui and afternoon birding at OTS. The Centro Neotropoco is another research station which has the distinction of being one of the countries few active archeological sites. At this location, a pre-Columbian settlement was discovered and is being excavated. We shall will stroll through this as well as the botanical gardens and the private reserve. Birding and animal viewing will be done in the private reserve reached by a huge suspension bridge across the river. In the afternoon we will return to OTS for some daylight viewing and then back to the lodge for dinner. OTS is a huge chunk of primary forest and contains a large number of birds and mammals. You never know what you are going to see next!
Meals: BLD

http://www.sarapiquis.org/home.cfm


March 12th

Transfer to Selva Bananito Lodge. Birding in the afternoon.
Outside magazine voted this one of the top 10 eco-lodges in the world. Selva Bananito Lodge, which opened its doors in December of 1995, is a secluded rain forest lodge situated 20 km south and 15 km inland of Puerto Limón on the Atlantic side of Costa Rica. It is owned and operated by the Stein family, who moved to Costa Rica from South America in 1974. We generate income from tourism for the protection of 850 hectares (2,000 acres) of privately owned rain forest, and for the funding of special conservation projects there and in neighboring areas. The private reserve which Selva Bananito Lodge supports, called Reserva Selva Bananito, is only a 10-minute walk from the lodge and graces the view from the cabins. To minimize the impact tourists have on this pristine rain forest environment, we allow only a small number of visitors in our forest at a time. Selva Bananito Lodge and Reserve are located on our family land. The reserve covers two thirds of the land and consists of primary rain forest. It shares borders with Area de Conservación La Amistad (La Amistad Biosphere Reserve), Central America's largest protected wilderness expanse, which consists of national and international parks and preserves. This area remains one of the least explored territories in the region, its biological wealth only partially known. The remaining third of our family land (about 416 hectares or 1,000 acres) is devoted to low-impact, sustainable agriculture and cattle management. As a special treat, we should be arriving at the beginning of the spring raptor migration. This is one of the best kept secrets in all of the birding world: Every year, millions of raptors from North America fly south in the fall to wintering grounds in South America. In the spring, these birds return north to their breeding grounds in the US and Canada. Species include Swainson's Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Swallow-tailed Kites and Broad-winged Hawks.
Meals: BLD


March 13th

The day will begin with a guided walk in the forest. We have both primary and secondary forest here as well as cattle pastures and open spaces. This makes for great bird and animal viewing. Howlers will awake us before dawn to and call us to the forest. For those seeking a bit of adventure we have some serious fun that can be arranged as optional tours. These include horse riding, tree climbing with ascenders as well as a canopy zip line and how about rappelling through a waterfall???? This afternoon we once again take to the forest and field in search of interesting birdand animals.
Meals: BLD


March 14th

Full day with morning and afternoon guided walks. Optional tours can be booked for those seeking an adrenaline rush!
Meals: BLD


March 15th

Our last trip to the forest this morning and the a mid day transfer to Bouginville Hotel near San Jose.
Meals: BLD


March 16th

Breakfast and transfer to the airport.



Price of $2,195 includes meals, guide gratuities, park admissions, double occupancy lodging. Add $50 for non-members and $395 for single supplement. Does not include airfare from Denver to San Jose (currently approximately $700), Costa Rica airport departure tax, alcoholic beverages. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.

For more information, call Becky Beckers at 303-766-5266 or email to AgentBecky@aol.com.