Holiday review by Sue Filmer
Name: Sue Filmer
Date of trip: 24/01/2019
Number of people: 2
Everything, from the moment we arrived at the international airport in San Jose to the moment we returned there 2 weeks later. The people were welcoming and friendly to tourists, the food and accommodation was great, and the highest points were the spectacular trees, plants and animals - the whole holiday was fabulous.
Tribes Overall:
The holiday far exceeded expectations. Costa Rica was fabulous, and the logistics, organised by Tribes, was perfect - the 3 locations and hotels were superb and all the various pre-organised travel arrangements turned up on time as promised.
Tribes Service:
My dealings were with Paul Cook. The holiday he arranged was spot on - and indeed better - than my brief. I cannot speak highly enough of the service we received from him.
Guides:
All were polite, well informed and spoke good English.
Social & Environmental Responsibility:
Each of our 3 locations openly publicised all that there were doing regarding S&ER, and encouraged their guests to comply. Also, each guide spoke about it with pride. I had felt that I was environmentally aware before this holiday, however my experience in Costa Rica has shown me how businesses and indeed a country can take it to a high level.
The places you stayed
Alta Hotel
Costa Rica
Perfect for the one night following our BA flight and in preparation for the next day's travel. At first I wondered why were were staying some distance from the airport as we would be returning there early the next morning, however the ambience and style of the hotel was well pitched for the style of the holiday (i.e. it was not a run-of-the-mill airport Holiday Inn). The food at dinner and breakfast was tasty.
El Remanso Lodge
Costa Rica
Oh my goodness, what a magical place and the top highlight of our holiday. Our bedroom (a cabin) was fabulous as it was surrounded by rain forest. We did all of the treks within the Lodge's estate - some were more challenging that others but all provided a great experience of the rain forest and its wildlife. The food was superb, staff friendly and the guides hugely knowledgeable.
El Mangroove
Costa Rica
The first few hours at this hotel was a shock as we'd come from the midst of the rain forest to a modern beach hotel, but we soon realigned ourselves. Walks along the beach each day were lovely, as was watching the many iguanas. We also went on a few good trips to see the local wildlife and plants. The only reason this hotel didn't get an 'excellent' from us was the food - it was fine, particularly breakfast, but there wasn't much of a choice, however we found a couple of great restaurants in the area which gave good alternatives to the standard hotel food.
Hotel Belmar
Costa Rica
A great place to end the holiday. The view from the bedroom was spectacular, everyone was so friendly (we went on a complementary tour of their organic food garden, which was fascinating), and the restaurant food was excellent - each meal time was a delight in both taste and presentation.
