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Costa Rica:
Jungles & Rainforests

Experience an Unforgettable Eco-Adventure!

* Family-Friendly Tour Selection

8 Days from $2,290* per person, based on double occupancy

Tour Dates Available in 2009:

March 13, 15
April 12, 19
June 7, 14
July 5, 19, 26
August 9, 16
December 19, 22

To check space availability or to register, contact SMA Tours at (800) 239-7444.

Experience this unforgettable eco-adventure that takes you to the cloud forests, tropical rainforests, and jungles of Costa Rica.  Look for iguanas, sloths, crocodiles and monkeys on a Penas Blancas River Rafting Adventure in the heart of the rainforest.  Take a sky tram ride for a bird’s eye view of continuously erupting Arenal Volcano and its surrounding landscapes.  Enjoy a choice of activities from volcanic mud pools to river tubing to horseback riding at Hacienda Guachipelin.  Stay in awesome lodges in the heart of the jungle.  You won’t stop smiling on this fun-filled family adventure to the volcanoes, rainforests and beaches of Costa Rica.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive Liberia, Costa Rica

Your transfer is included from Liberia Airport to the Hilton Papagayo Resort, set on a private beach on the Bay of Papagayo – a perfect place to start your eco-adventure! Join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight. (Dinner Included)

Day 2 - Hacienda Guachipelin Adventure

Dive into a morning of family fun at Hacienda Guachipelin, a working hacienda (ranch) set at the foot of the active Rincon de la Vieja Volcano – whose name means “the old woman’s corner,” and comes from a local legend about a recluse who lived on the mountain. The hacienda has carried on the traditional work of raising cattle and horses for more than a hundred years; along with the corrals where real cowboys and ranch hands work each day, its grounds boast lush gardens with native trees, exotic flowers and many species of birds. Your choice of activities includes a dip in volcanically heated mud pools, horseback riding along scenic trails, or an exciting river tubing adventure on the Rio Negro. Return to your resort to spend the rest of the day enjoying its many available activities as you please. (Breakfast and Dinner included)

Day 3 - Pan American Highway / Lake Arenal / Sky Tram

Stretching all the way from Prudhoe Bay in northern Alaska to Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina, the Pan American Highway is unofficially the world’s longest road at approximately 15,000 miles! Drive along part of it today en route to majestic Lake Arenal, Costa Rica’s largest lake, which was expanded to its current size by the completion of the Lake Arenal Dam in 1979. Looming over the lake is another of Costa Rica’s seven active volcanoes – cone-shaped Arenal Volcano, which has been continuously erupting for nearly 40 years! A boat cruise on the lake offers impressive views of the volcano, weather permitting. After lunch, you’ll enjoy still another view of this natural wonder and its surrounding scenery – a bird’s-eye view that is – during a thrilling sky tram ride. Depart Lake Arenal this afternoon and continue on to Tilajari Resort Hotel for a two-night stay in a private reserve set along the lush banks of the San Carlos River. (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

Day 4 - River Rafting Adventure / Tilajari Resort

Another exciting day in Costa Rica’s tropical paradise begins with a leisurely jungle river-rafting trip on the Penas Blancas River. As you float along this gentle, scenic waterway, your expert guide will help you spot amazing wildlife from giant iguanas to chattering parrots. Stop along the way to visit the home of a local farmer and his extended family who have lived on the river all their lives, much as their ancestors did. You’ll return to Tilajari Resort to spend the rest of the day as you please among its 35 acres of lovely gardens and tropical fruit trees along the San Carlos River, home to a diverse range of wildlife including crocodiles, caimans, monkeys, and an immense variety of tropical birds. Go for a swim in the pool, get in a game of ping-pong, play tennis on indoor or outdoor courts, or explore the resort’s butterfly or botanical gardens. You may also choose to take advantage of optional activities available for an additional charge, such as horseback riding or a hike to the Tilajari Reserve. (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

Day 5 - Pineapple Farm / Tortuguero National Park

Rise early today and depart the Tilajari Resort for an eastward journey from Costa Rica’s dense interior, through wildlife-rich rainforests to the Caribbean coast. En route, you’ll stop at Finca Corsicana, a state-of-the-art organic pineapple farm located near the foot of Mount Poas, a highly active volcano that boasts the second-largest crater on earth. The largest operation of its kind in the world, Finca Corsicana features 3,000 acres of pineapple fields arranged in geometric patterns. Learn how the pineapple came to be known as the “fruit of kings” as you tour this fascinating farm in specially designed vehicles, accompanied by a local guide. You’ll get an insider’s look at the entire pineapple process from growing through harvesting and packing, and learn how production methods have evolved over the years. This afternoon, a rugged drive on unpaved roads leads to a jungle launch, where you’ll board small canal boats and set off for your riverfront lodge set on a network of scenic canals just minutes away from the main entrance to Tortuguero National Park – one of the world’s most important nesting sites for the endangered green sea turtle; colorful toucans, caimans, and monkeys reside here, too. (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

Day 6 - Exploring Tortuguero National Park

Brimming with a wealth of diverse wildlife, the marshy islands and beaches of Tortuguero National Park are yours to explore by land and by boat! Start the day with an optional canal cruise for birding and nature viewing, then visit the village of Tortuguero or take a hike with a local naturalist. Lunch at Pachira Lodge precedes an afternoon cruise through the national park’s rivers and canals with an expert naturalist guide. In June, July and August (during turtle season), you’ll put on some dark clothing for an unforgettable night or early morning beach excursion to watch nesting turtles; along with the endangered green sea turtle, hawksbill and leatherback turtles can also be found nesting here. During other times of the year, your day includes a visit to the Caribbean Conservation Learning Center in Tortuguero, dedicated to the preservation and study of the green sea turtle. (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

Day 7 - Coffee Plantation Tour / San José

Costa Rica’s volcanic soil is perfect for growing coffee; a private charter flight takes you out of the jungle to San José and the nearby Café Britt coffee plantation, one of the country’s largest. A guided tour of the operation, including the organic coffee fields and roastery, reveals the secrets of this important export from beans to the cup. Continue to your hotel in San José to explore Costa Rica’s capital as you wish; please join us tonight for a farewell reception and dinner. (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

Day 8 - Journey Home

Tour transfer is included from the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel to San José Santa Maria International Airport. Allow a minimum of 2 ½ hours for check-in. (Breakfast included)

Pricing

Special Notes:

• International Airfare is additional. Call for special rates on international air for travel originating in the United States (subject to availability).
• Costa Rica departure tax is not included.
• Triples are usually a two-bedded room, plus one rollaway cot, when available.
• Sea turtles only nest during summer months – night visit to the beach on Day 6 is not offered at other times of the year.

Hotels

Hilton Papagayo Resort, Papagayo, Costa Rica  (2 nights)

Tilajari Resort Hotel, Tilajari, Costa Rica (2 nights)

Pachira Lodge Tortuguero, Tortuguero, Costa Rica (2 nights)

Costa Rica Marriott Hotel, San Jose’, Costa Rica (1 night)