JANUARY 2013 GARDENS OF COSTA RICA

COSTA RICA

Tropical Gardens, Lush Jungles & Vibrant Cloud Forests

Jan 12-21, 2013

“I had never seen a forest so green. Vines spiraled upward into the tops of huge trees draped
with hanging plants. Even the light was green.”

- Jeremy Schmidt -

 

View our Ways to Save $250 per person below!

 

Escape the cold gray days of winter (and ice storms) and join us on a very special garden adventure to sun soaked Costa Rica. On this nine night tropical garden adventure you’ll discover a jungle paradise unlike any other. Despite its diminutive size, Costa Rica boasts greater biodiversity than all of Europe or North America! Over 850 species of birds have been identified here, far more than have been seen in Europe or Australia, and more butterflies thrive here than on the entire continent of Africa. Enjoy numerous visits to outstanding botanical gardens, explore lush jungles, stroll along the shores of starlit beaches and view an abundance of exotic wildlife from a bridge that gently suspends you in the mist of the Cloud Forest canopy. Sultry breezes, tropical gardens and colorful birds await you.

 

JOURNEY OVERVIEW

2 Nights San Jose (first and last night)
2 Nights Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs
3 Nights Monteverde Mountain Cloud Forest
2 Nights Pacific Beach/Manuel Antonio National Park
 

JOURNEY HIGHLIGHTS

Colorful garden visits as listed in your itinerary ♦ A coffee plantation visit ♦ Towering Arenal Volcano ♦ The Monteverde Cloud Forest ♦ Soaking in the Tabacon Hot Springs ♦ Hummingbird Gallery ♦ Skywalk and zip line canopy tour ♦ Wildlife viewing via a Cano Negro river float trip ♦ Butterfly Gardens ♦ The stunning Pacific Coast ♦ Morning and evening bird walks ♦ Monteverde Orchid Gallery ♦ Sightings of toucans, quetzals, monkeys, iguanas, sloths and more!

 

IT’S INCLUDED

• An expert Earthbound Expeditions guide/naturalist
• Nine nights of accommodation in charming hotels, comfortable cabins and lodges (All rooms with private baths and hot showers)
• Roundtrip air from Atlanta to San Jose, Costa Rica
• Special visits to botanical gardens, cloud forests and orchid and butterfly galleries
• All breakfasts, plus sixteen additional meals
• Transportation from arrival to departure on board a spacious, air-conditioned motorcoach
• Complimentary airport transfers in Costa Rica (if arriving the day the tour begins)
• Entrances to all activities and national parks as listed in your itinerary
• Gratuities for your guides, naturalists and driver
• Fun introductory language lessons offered by your guide
• Hotel and country taxes of 13%
• Complimentary refreshments
• A fun group of fellow garden lovers

 

TRIP FACTS

Length: 9 Nights/10 Days
$2,675 PP Dbl. Occupancy Land only
$575 Single Supplement (waived if matched with roommate)
Trip begins in San Jose, at 5:00pm on Saturday, January 12
Trip ends in San Jose, Costa Rica on the morning of Monday, January 21

NOT INCLUDED: Airline fuel surcharges, taxes and baggage fees, alcoholic beverages with meals, room service and gratuities for hotel staff, travel insurance, meals, Costa Rica departure tax of $26 and any activities or items not listed in your itinerary.

 

WAYS TO SAVE!

Pay by check: Pay your final balance by check or money order and save $75 per person.

Alumni Discounts: All alumni of Earthbound Expeditions will receive $100 off the published journey price (private trips may be excluded). If Earthbound Expeditions has other discounts available, participants may choose the greatest available discount.

Refer a Friend: Refer a friend and save an additional $75 for each person new to Earthbound who travels with you on an Earthbound Expedition. “Refer a Friend” discounts may be combined with other discounts.

 

FACT

Costa Rica is home to over 9,000 identified species of vascular plants and…1,200 varieties of orchids

 

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“People don’t take trips – trips take people.” – John Steinbeck

 

 

YOUR GARDEN ADVENTURE BEGINS…

 

DAY 1
Discover Lankester Gardens
Pura Vida! Today your garden adventure begins as you arrive at noon in San Jose. After clearing customs and gathering your bags, you’ll be met by your guide and host and transported by private motor coach to an included welcome lunch. We start the tour right away with a visit to Lankester Botanical Gardens. The gardens were established in 1973 for conservation and research of tropical epiphytic plants, with a special interest in orchids. On 11 hectares, the field collections, collections in greenhouses and secondary forests host over 3,000 species of plants. The plant collections in conservatories come from botanical expeditions, donations, and exchanges with botanical institutions throughout the world. Tonight, enjoy an orientation and dinner hosted by your Earthbound guide. (www.jardinbotanicolankester.org).  Sleep in San Jose (L, D)

 

DAY 2
Coffee Plantations and Lush Jungles
Weather permitting, we’ll visit La Paz Waterfall Gardens this morning, and since this is harvest time, we’ll stop at at coffee plantation in order to learn about the “Grano de Oro” (the Golden Bean).  

Enjoy a traditional lunch, then cross the continental divide through the heart of lush jungles. Our home this evening will be at the base of Arenal Volcano, best known for its spectacular and frequent displays of volcanic fireworks. At 5,437 feet, Arenal Volcano looms large and ominous over the pastured green hillsides that surround its base. As Costa Rica’s most active volcano, its history is charged with eruptions – both major and minor – that have intimately affected the region and the people who live here. 1968 saw the largest recorded eruption in Arenal’s history. After nearly 400 years of inactivity, the Arenal Volcano burst open and buried over 5 square miles in rocks, lava and ash. And thanks to geothermal activity beneath Arenal, the area surrounding the volcano is home to a number of stunning hot springs.  Sleep at the base of Arenal Volcano (B, L, D)

 

DAY 3
River Wildlife Float Trip and an Evening at the Hot Springs
The Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge is considered to be one of the best sites on the continent for bird watching. In addition to an abundance of birds, Caño Negro is also home to many exciting animals, such as sloths, three types of monkeys, caimans, lizards, bats, and a variety of flora native to the wetlands. Our tour to this beautiful region leaves from La Fortuna and travels approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to Los Chiles, a rustic village just two miles from the Nicaraguan border. Then we begin our boat ride to the wetlands. On the way up, you will see many bird and animal species. We will stop midday along the river for a typical Costa Rican lunch before heading back to Los Chiles where we’ll board our bus and return to our home at La Fortuna. In the late afternoon you have the opportunity to soak in the warm thermal waters of Tabacon Hot Springs, a tropically, lush resort where you can relax under warm, rushing waterfalls and in pools of varying degrees of warmth. Sleep at the base of Arenal Volcano (B, L, D)

 

FACT

“Although Costa Rica lacks an army, it claims over 830 species of birds.”

 

DAY 4
Monteverde Cloud Forest and Butterfly Gardens
Following breakfast, we’ll say “adios” to Arenal and make our way to the renowned Cloud Forest of Monteverde. Our picturesque drive will take us along the windswept shores of Lake Arenal before heading up over the continental divide once again. Making a number of stops where the scenery is at its best, we end our drive at Monteverde itself. Due to its high altitude – some 4,662 ft above sea level – Monteverde is privileged to receive a steady supply of clouds and the life-giving moisture that they contain. This moisture, often in the form of fog, catches on the branches of the tallest trees and drips down to the other organisms below. This helps to support a complex and far-reaching ecosystem, one that harbors over 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, tens of thousands of insect species, and over 2,500 varieties of plants, 420 of which are orchids. After checking into our mountain lodge, we visit Jim Wolf’s amazing Butterfly Garden where you’ll get a closer look at these fragile creatures and a few of their less lovely friends. Time permitting, we’ll head out this evening for a sunset bird-watching walk. Spend the next three nights in the midst of the Cloud Forest. Sleep in Monteverde (B, L, D)

 

DAY 5
Vibrant Cloud Forests and an Energetic Hummingbird Gallery
This morning prepare for the overwhelming lushness of the Cloud Forest of Monteverde, home to numerous species of plants, birds and animals. Your guide will lead you on a walking journey through this abundant environment, pointing out the many exciting plants and animals and keeping a keen eye out for quetzals, considered by many to be the most beautiful bird in the world. Having heightened our interest in birds, we make a quick stop at the Hummingbird Gallery to enjoy a viewing of these tiny and beautiful members of the Cloud Forest community. The afternoon is yours to explore the area of Monteverde at your own leisurely pace. Of course, you may just want to take a siesta, or relax at the lodge. Sleep in Monteverde (B, L, D)

 

DAY 6
Canopy Skywalk and Orchid Gardens
This morning we enjoy the rare opportunity to visit the Cloud Forest canopy. Skywalk is a series of suspension bridges that will allow you to walk where our planet’s life is at its most complex. Eighty percent of all life in the Cloud Forest is to be found in the canopy. Hovering one hundred feet above the dark floor of the jungle, the sun-soaked canopy explodes with life. Former guests have stated that Skywalk is the trek a lifetime. 

After a tasty lunch, we head to Monteverde Orchid Garden. There are more than 1,400 types of wild orchids growing throughout the rainforests of Costa Rica, and 500 of these can be found in Monteverde alone. Incredibly, the Monteverde Orchid Garden houses 426 different species, spread across a neatly labeled and aesthetically pleasing outdoor garden. A trip here will educate you on orchid characteristics, as well as their environment and threats that orchids currently face. Your afternoon is free and we’ll meet up later for a group dinner. Sleep in Monteverde (B, L, D)  

 

DAY 7
Stunning Beaches Via Carara National Park
Birdwatchers flock to Carara National Park area because it presents two life zones and a variety of birds, including one of the largest remaining wild populations of Scarlet Macaw in Costa Rica. In addition, the park is a must for anyone interested in tropical biology. The park is located between the dry forests of the north and the humid ones of the south, and it is the result of this situation in an “ecotone” that gives Carara its diversity. There are trails that go through both zones where you can appreciate the forest’s exuberance and if lucky enough, spot some animal species which inhabit it. After lunch and our visit, we make our way to the Pacific Coast, where we’ll dine this evening on seafood specialties.  Sleep near Manuel Antonio National Park (B, L, D)

 

DAY 8
A Day at the Beach
Today is your day to truly relax. The only thing on the agenda is lying in a hammock contemplating the incredible beauty of Costa Rica from a suspended position. If you are interested, our resident naturalist will be available for an educational walk along the beach. For those who prefer a more active day you may wish to set out on a hike or simply discover the joy of body surfing in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean. Be warned: spontaneous beach parties have been known to occur here…pura vida!  Sleep near Manuel Antonio National Park (B)

 

DAY 9
Pacific beach to San Jose via the artisan village of Sarchi and the Kientzler Gardens
Our drive back to San Jose will take us past coffee plantations and striking scenery. We make a stop in the artisan village of Sarchi where you can do some last minute shopping before we visit the Kientzler Gardens. This Botanical Garden is home to over 2,000 different plants from around the world and is spread over 17 acres. Enjoy a farewell feast tonight hosted by your Earthbound guide. Sleep in San Jose (B, L, D)

 

DAY 10
Journey over after breakfast 
Return home with a lifetime of memories.

 

Buen Viaje!

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Click here to view photos of our 2012 Journey!

 

 

Click here to view Earthbounds bird and animal list

 

 

GARDENS VISITED

 

LANKESTER GARDENS
Internationally recognized for its noteworthy collections of epiphytes, the Lankester Botanical Garden was established in 1973 as a center for the exhibition, conservation and research of tropical epiphytic plants, with a special interest in orchids. On 11 hectares, the field collections, collections in greenhouses and secondary forests host over 3,000 species of plants. The plant collections in conservatories come from botanical expeditions, donations, and exchanges with botanical institutions throughout the world. www.jbl.ucr.ac.cr/php/jardin/historia.php

 

ARENAL BOTANICAL GARDENS (Time Permitting)
A labor of love by Englishman Michael LeMay, the garden not only displays over 2,500 tropical plants, it sells seeds and cuttings (pre-approved for export) for many of them. The huge butterfly enclosure is a highlight with hundreds of the jewels of the rainforest within easy sight.  www.arenalbotanicalgarden.com

 

ELSE KIENTZLER GARDENS
The Botanical Garden is home to over 2,000 different plants from around the world. They are perfectly suited for recreation, education and ecotourism. The Botanical Garden is spread over 7 hectares (17 acres) in Sarchi Norte, nestled at the foot of Volcano Póas in Costa Rica’s Central Valley.

 

CHILDRENS ETERNAL RAIN FOREST
The CERF is 22,000 hectares (54,000 acres) in size and encompasses primary and secondary forest as well as regenerating areas. The CERF, along with other private reserves and the Arenal National Park, forms a forest block under protection of about 50,000 hectares (110,000 acres). www.acmcr.org/childrens_eternal_rainforest.htm

 

MONTEVERDE ORCHID GARDEN
There are more than 1,400 types of wild orchids growing throughout the rainforests of Costa Rica, and 500 of these can be found in Monteverde alone. Incredibly, the Monteverde Orchid Garden houses 426 different species, spread across a neatly labeled and aesthetically pleasing outdoor garden. A trip here will educate you on orchid characteristics, as well as their environment and threats that orchids currently face. www.monteverdeinfo.com/monteverde/orchid-garden/photo.htm

 

MONTEVERDE BUTTERFLY GARDENS
The Monteverde Butterfly Garden – known locally as the Mariposario – is one of Monteverde’s most visited attractions. Situated in Cerro Plano, which lies between the town of Santa Elena and the Monteverde Reserve, the Butterfly Garden is comprised of four climate-controlled butterfly gardens, a medicinal plant garden, a biodiversity center, and a live leafcutter ant colony. Here, visitors can observe some of the most fascinating and beautiful insects in all of the tropics. www.monteverdeinfo.com/butterfly-garden/butterfly-garden.html

 

 

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