Costa Rica Adventure - Esquipulas Rainforest and More! - Costa Rica Adventure - Esquipulas Rainforest and More! Earlier in April, I was on a mesmerizing tour across amazing Costa Rica with my wife and two friends. The whole tour was an endless kaleidoscopic whirlwind of exotic scenery and nature impressions to remember for a lifetime. Costa Rica has many facets of beauty but what makes me place this wonderful destination on top of my list is the unbelievable bio-diversity and the captivating bird-watching experiences it offers. Amidst lush rainforests and diverse ecosystems we were able to encounter vibrant toucans, resplendent quetzals, and countless other species, immersing ourselves in the rich avian tapestry of Costa Rica. Esquipulas Rainforest was a highlight during our 10 Days tour across Costa Rica from Liberia - Arenal / Fortuna - Monteverde - Manuel Antonio - San Gerardo de Dota to San Jose. We did a self-drive tour on our own but some of the logistics including the hotels were booked through the Costa Rica based DMC - Travel Excellence. During our stay we were able to enjoy the wonderful flora and fauna, beaches, Costa Rican cuisine and making contacts with the locals. As birders, we were especially looking out for the birdlife and saw over 170 species. We visited the Esquipulas Rainforest in two occasions and were able to see many "Lifers". Here is a selection of the 170 species of birds we encountered during our dreamscape to this tropical haven of birds.

Great. - completely nice place, very friendly staff and willing to help with advice, plus excellent typical breakfast

Alvin of Costa Rica - Alvin was a great guide pointing out dragonflies, crabs, sloths, monkeys, birds, bats and so many other flora and fauna. Easy going guy with a lot of knowledge and interest in us as well. Highly recommended!

Birdwatching in Manuel Antonio with Herold - We had a bird watching tour with Herold today and he really made our day! Picked up directly from the hotel he brought us to an amazing hot spot! A real professional ornithologist! Helped us with taking pictures and knew everything we asked! Thanks a lot for the great experience!

Magical bird tour!! - This early morning birdwatch was a highlight of our trip. We saw over 21 species from a beautiful hillside over the ocean at sunrise. Our Guide, Harold, was kind, funny, engaging and very knowledgeable. Harold is very tuned in to all the birds- sights, sounds, habitat. We were taught so much more about Costa Rica than just about the birds- culture, history, and ecology. We were able to capture some photos through his scope (for those birds perching at a distance). We saw macaws, toucan, Lineated woodpecker, hawks, falcons, caracara, tanagers parrots and many more! 1000% recommend.

Rainforest walkabout - Outstanding opportunity to explore a rainforest environment without the demanding physical conditions…

Great Experience!!! - What a great experience! Our guide, Marvin was outstanding. He was so friendly and knowledgeable. My mom, who is an avid birder saw 16 birds she had never seen before! I highly recommend this tour (and especially Marvin!).

Great birding tour - Fantastic tour! We are novice birders & saw 35 species in the Manuel Antonio area (rural farm land sort of area). It ended up being a private tour which was great. Our guide was great. We didn’t consider ourselves “birders” when we came to CR, but we definitely left as “birders”.

A very cool experience and they’ll try their best to find as many animals as possible! - We saw a bunch of toads, a bullfrog, two lizards, some spiders, a stickbug, a big centipede and some other insects, a few crabs, and one person saw a kinkaju (a mammal in a tree). Unfortunately no tarantulas or snakes, but it wasn’t for Kevin’s lack of trying. We were out there for almost two hours because he was trying to find both for us. So you can be sure they’ll try their best to make the experience as good as possible! Kevin is knowledgeable and calm and a very good guide.

Costa Rica has beautiful birds! - Go for morning tour and not 3 PM. Guide was marvelous! ……..Costa Rica has amazingly beautiful birds!