Testimonials of families who traveled with Luis Rodriguez
Mom of 14 and 16 yr olds
15 day Tortuguero, Sarapiqui Rainforest, Arenal Volcano, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Manuel Antonio beach with eco-Upgrade Lodging
Thank you for organising the most wonderful trip, we had such an amazing adventure!
Luis was an amazing guide and such a lovely, interesting guy to spend time with. We can’t thank him or praise him enough.
Overall everything worked really well and we were delighted with all of the accommodation and enjoyed all of our excursions.
The only real negative came after a wonderful couple of days in Tortuga Lodge when we received the bill for the trips we had done and it was more than three times the price we had agreed when we booked
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Mom of 13 and 15 yr olds
10 day Arenal Volcano, Sarapiqui Rainforest, Playa Negra Beach with eco-Plus lodging
My family LOVED our trip to Costa Rica with Global Family Adventures. It was our first international adventure as a family, and GFA made everything comfortable, and an exciting learning experience.
We stayed at Silencio del Campo in Arenal, Selva Verde in Sarapiqui, and Playa Negra Guesthouse in Cahuita. Each unique accommodation was spacious, clean, and comfortable (with AC). Further, and most importantly to us, each place had beautiful grounds full of nature. We loved walking around looking for animals and playing in the pools surrounded by wildlife.
Our trip was also made comfortable by our driver and guide, Keep Reading →
17 person group with kids ages 10-16
8 day Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Arenal Volcano and beach booked by fmaily with eco-Plus lodging
We had an incredible time in CR!
Both of the accommodations were excellent. I really enjoyed both of them. Hacienda Guachipelin was such an interesting destination. Clean and friendly. Great food. We took full advantage of the buffet and loved the open air dining area. Really enjoyed that it was so close to Liberia so that the first day, after arriving, we had only a short drive from the airport. Hotel Lomas del Volcano was lovely – the grounds were incredible. We had clear views of the volcano. We loved the pool area especially (and the piña coladas). It also
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Mom of 12 and 14 yr olds from CT
12 day Arenal Volcano, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Samara Beach itineary with eco-Upgrade lodging
Costa Rica had been on our family trip bucket list for a while. We knew we didn’t want a typical all-inclusive, resort-like vacation. We were seeking ADVENTURE and wanted to immerse ourselves in Costa Rican culture. A neighbor recommended we look into Global Family Adventures and the rest is history! Our trip was the trip of a lifetime and it would not have been made possible without GFA! Jenny thought of EVERYTHING and our itinerary was so detailed we didn’t have to think of anything. The lodges she booked were magical. We had our own private villas/houses at each location
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Doug, dad of 14, 14, 12 yr olds
7 day Arenal Rainforest, Volcano with eco-Tico lodging
Thank you Doug for sharing these fun photos of your trip!
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Michelle, Mom of 14 and 16 yr olds
10 day Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Cloud Forest, Samara Beach with eco-Plus lodging
Just wanted to say how awesome our trip was! Every experience we had, every place we stayed, was truly memorable. Luis was beyond amazing- so knowledgeable and organized. Having you put together the trip for us meant I could truly enjoy the trip and be stress-free – important for a single mom!
I love that you use family-style properties vs big chains.
We walked the beach, took in sunrises, went surfing (boys did), screamed on ziplines, enjoyed hikes in the rainforest, went to the volcano, swam at 2 waterfalls and took in the hot springs.
We fit a
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Mom of 19, 17, 14 year olds
7 day Arenal Volcano & Monteverde Cloud Forest with eco-Plus lodging followed by beach time booked by family
We had an amazing time with
Luis and in Costa Rica. All of our accommodations were amazing. Luis said the Arenal Volcano Inn was a new one for you – it was great. The pool was super and the restaurant was really nice.
Also, the hotel we stayed at in Santa Teresa was also great and I would highly recommend it for families – it was called the Manala Hotel.
Luis was really great – he had great recommendations for food and activities and
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Mom of 9 and 12 year olds
12 day Cloud Forest, Volcano, Rainforest, Tortuguero tour with eco-Tico & eco-Plus lodges
Overall we really enjoyed our trip! Luis was a great guide and driver.
My boys LOVED the zip lining in Monteverde!! And I managed to enjoy the first time we went. We went the next day too (bribe to my youngest for going on a bird walk in the morning) – he picked Xtremo – to be fair
Luis did warn us . . . . That one was less fun for me – though the boys loved it until we got stuck for 90 min or so at the top of a mountain waiting
Mom of 4, 7 yrs
10 day Arenal Volcano, Rainforest, Playa Negra beach with eco-Plus lodging
The trip was awesome. I wouldn’t say I’d recommend anything. The only thing I wasn’t prepared for was arriving early to Cahuita, not having a room ready and not having any thing easily accessible to walk to the beach or do something until our room was ready. I could have caught that also.
We had a great trip.
Luis is amazing, and I appreciate all of your help! We will be returning some day, and hope to work with you then as well.
Mom of 7 and 12 yr olds
9 day Arenal Volcano, Samara beach with eco-Upgrade lodging
We had an amazing trip — loved every minute.
We enjoyed SO MUCH of our trip, just as we did last time. This time around, we REALLY loved the ziplining tour through the canopy at Arenal. It was one of the most memorable things we’ve ever done, and my 7-year-old loved it as much as the rest of us. Walter took us to a wonderful place very close to The Springs that had a gorgeous view — but more importantly, the guides were extremely professional and GREAT with kids. We also had the best time exploring
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Mom of 18, 16, 14, 13 year olds
14 day Tortuguero, Rainforest, Arenal Volcano, Cloud Forest, Manuel Antonio Beach with eco-Tico lodging
We had a WONDERFUL time in CR, thank you so much. Luis was great, very informative, very helpful and very accommodating. We couldn’t have done it without you. You provide a great service. Everywhere was a highlight…I really couldn’t choose one but if I had to I’d probably say Tortuguero.
Whitewater rafting on the Rio Sarapiqui in the rainforest
Mom of 7, 5, 3 year olds
15 day Arenal Volcano, Cloud Forest, Esterios Este Beach with ecoUpgrade lodging
Thanks, Jenny! We had a great trip and a really good experience with both Alice [babysitter] and Luis. Everything went smoothly – apart from our kids! – and we appreciate how well thought out all the details were.
And just a quick summary of a few of our trip highlights, as promised: hiking through the volcanic landscape around Arenal; touring the chocolate producer near La Fortuna (what an unexpectedly great and non-commercial-feeling tour!); relishing the dynamic views of the Nicoya Peninsula and local bird life from the Sunrise Room at Hotel Belmar; visiting the sloth sanctuary in Monteverde and
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Dad of 8, 6, 4, 17mo olds
16 day Rincon de la Vieja Volacano, Arenal Volcano, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Samara Beach with Eco-Upgrade & Plus lodging
Thank you! We had a wonderful holiday.
Some highlights included a waterfall in Guachipelin and the chocolate tour in Arenal. Both stand out, especially the chocolate tour, which is great with younger kids. We also really loved spending time with Luis and had a number of fun hikes with him in various locations. Luis also made it really easy to find places to eat. We learned a great deal from him about the areas we traveled to and the nature we observed.
Overall I will wholeheartedly recommend you to anybody looking to travel to CR with a family.
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Traveled with large family group of 10 with kids ages 8-13
10 day Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Cloud Forest, Samara beach with combo of lodge types
It’s been really fantastic!
30th wedding anniversary couple trip
12 day Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Cloud Forest, Samara beach with eco-Plus lodging
We had an amazing trip. We would go back in a heartbeat. Luis is AMAZING, we were so grateful for his guidance, knowledge and expertise. This trip to Costa Rica was such a special gift and a wonderful way to celebrate our 30 year wedding anniversary. Some of our highlights were: Luis, volcano, Cloud forest, wildlife everywhere, swimming in the waterfalls, zip lining, coffee and sugar cane plantation tour, canopy bridges, night hike, time at the ocean, kayaking in the mangroves, meeting people from all over the world, the people in Costa Rica are beautiful people and the opportunity
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Marte, mom of 16 and 17 year olds
16 day custom itinerary Sarapiqui Rainforest, Tortuguero, Arenal Volcano, Cloud Forest, Manuel Antonio Beach with eco-Plus lodging
/>We had the two most wonderful weeks in Costa Rica. The whole family is just mesmerized by the beauty of our new favorite country. It would not have been the same without your excellent quick work on the organizing and booking side of the trip planning. Thank you so much.
Luis was the best! To travel with him as a guide just exceeded our expectations and elevated this trip to a
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Jennifer, mom of 19, 17, 14, 11 yr olds
13 day Rainforest, Volcano, Cloud Forest, Samara Beach Itinerary with eco-Plus lodging
Our family trip to Costa Rica was a trip of a lifetime and we will never forget the memories that were made. What made our trip so rich and stress free was having Luis as our guide and naturalist. He taught us so much about Costa Rica’s amazing culture, wildlife and biodiversity. Luis took us on amazing hikes and pointed out monkeys, sloths, snakes, birds and insects which we would have never seen without him. It was so nice that he drove us to each destination and a relief to not to have to worry about directions. Luis was
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Gretchen, mom of 8 and 6 yr olds (grandparents also joined trip)
Tortuguero Turtles, Rainforest, Volcano, Cloud Forest
I wrote up some of my notes from the trip…Overall we had an amazing adventure and are serious about coming back again next March. I’ll be in touch!!
Hotel Buena Vista, Alajuela
Loved this hotel! It was a great place to start the trip. The people were so kind there and the food was excellent.
Tortuguero
I think this was our favorite location! (see photo above) Tortuga Lodge & Gardens was gorgeous and the accommodations were so nice. My only note with this property is the meals… 3 course lunches and dinners are time consuming and overall
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Christine, Mom of 5 and 7 yr olds
10 day Volcano, Rainforest, Beach tour with eco-Plus lodging
Our trip was amazing. We have so many pictures and stories, I don’t know where to start. We really enjoyed Luis‘ company. A couple days after he left us, my youngest (Zach -5) said “I miss Luis” – he never said that about anyone before.
Our personal highlights were:
Me: swimming in the river while feeding the fruit-eating “piranhas” during our raft tour in the rain forest near Sarapiqui; having monkeys throw figs at me in the Cahuita national park. Also, I brought a blacklight flashlight with me on a night walk with Luis and Xavier in Sarapiqui
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Suzanne, mom of 10, 9 and 6 yr olds
10 day Rincon de la Vieja Volcano & Samara Beach custom itinerary
We had a fantastic trip! So glad we choose to go to Costa Rica
It was such a stress free trip since Jenny did all the planning and Luis made it so easy. He is great. We felt like we made a new friend. We kept our trip relatively simple – Rincon de la Vieja for 3 nights and 4 nights at samara. We spent a night on each end at a hotel in Liberia and we enjoyed it also. We spent one evening walking around Liberia, nice park and church.
Hacienda Guachipelin was beautiful, the adventure center, restaurant
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Alicia, mom of 7 and 10 year olds
8 day Volcano, Rainforest, Beach Itinerary with eco-Plus lodging
We had an absolutely wonderful time. We had so many fabulous experiences that it is hard to pick out highlights. The kids tell me their favorite activities were the zipline/pools experience we had near Arenal, the jungle cruise on the Sarapiqui, and the horseback ride we went on with Brigette’s horses in Cahuita. Finding animals and learning about plants and Costa Rican history, culture, and language from Luis really deepened our experience. We all enjoyed our time with Luis and my husband and I remarked on his tremendous professionalism, incredible knowledge, and fun, easy temperament. We just liked being
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Kara & Andy, parents of 15 month old, traveled with grandparents also
11 day Volcano, Rainforest, Beach with eco-Plus lodges
We had a great time, and I can’t thank you enough for everything. Luis was a wonderful guide and we all learned so much. I have A LOT of thoughts on our experience and, with your permission, will dump them all here for you to take or leave as you will! I’ve been working in marketing a very long time so I can’t seem to prevent myself from weighing in when feedback is requested!
Overall experience:
Having a guide like Luis was so helpful – the minute we exited the airport we had a guy in our faces
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Trisha + Daddy + 9-6-4 year olds
8 day Rainforest, Volcano Itinerary with eco-Plus lodging
We are so very grateful for Jenny’s help in organizing our trip. Not only did she help us book everything and provide us with advice on everything from accommodations to site seeing and packing, she also patiently answered our questions each step of the way. When our departure was delayed at the last minute (by a full day) Jenny rearranged everything for us. Our guide Luis was also absolutely amazing. He ensured that we were comfortable each step of the way and guided us throughout our visit. It seemed there was not a question he did not know the
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Kyra, mom of 7 and 3 yr olds
12 day Cloud Forest, Volcano, Rainforest, Beach with eco-Plus & Upgrade lodges
We had a fantastic and memorable trip, and enjoyed each place we visited. Although we traveled comfortably, we felt like we got a sense of the real Costa Rica and not some generic resort version of the country. Luis was knowledgeable, personable, and patient, and his advice about activities and pacing was spot on. We especially appreciated the flexibility and ease that came having Louis, we could adjust based on weather and how the kids were holding up, and we didn’t have to argue about directions! The people of Costa Rica were so warm, friendly, and welcoming to tourists.
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Kris, Mom of 11 and 8 yr olds
9 day Rainforest, Volcano, Cloud Forest Itinerary with eco-Upgrade lodging
“We couldn’t be happier with our Global Family Adventure experience. From the start, Jenny was quick to respond to any questions we had, as trivial as they may have been. She was thorough and knowledgeable and made planning this trip a cinch! The only thing I wish I had realized when picking three destinations for our 9 day trip was road conditions. When looking on a map, through the lenses of US roads, distances seemed short. But the 70 miles from La Fortuna to Monteverde actually takes 5 hours. I might have only gone with two destinations as half our
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Mom of 7 and 9 yr olds
11 day Cloud Forest, Arenal Volcano, Rainforest, beach with Tico lodging
We just returned home from the most amazing vacation! Everything was perfect. Thank you, Jenny, for the prompt responses to my numerous questions, for organising and booking our wonderful accommodations so quickly, and most of all, for pairing us with Luis.
Luis, this was our first experience with a private guide, and we could not have been luckier than to have had you to show us your beautiful country! From the moment you picked us up at the Hotel Aeropuerto until the day you dropped us off at the Playa Negra Guesthouse, all of us enjoyed every single moment. You
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Brooke, Mom of 3 and 8 yr olds
11 day Manuel Antonio, Cloud Forest, Samara beach custom itinerary with Upgrade lodging
We loved Costa Rica, and I see why you were so taken with the country years ago. It’s such a special place, since nature is right up in your face, and the people are so wonderful. My 8-year-old saw so many animals that he gave a presentation at school about them when he got home. They even picked up some Spanish. I think the kids were just as enchanted as we were.
We had a fantastic time with Luis. I found the entire trip so well-planned and we had a great time on the long drives, since Luis
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Katie, mom of 4 yr old
11 day Arenal Volcano, Cloud Forest, Samara beach with Plus and Upgrade lodging
Just wanted to let you know that we are having a great time so far! We loved the Observatory and now we’re at Iris Arco and it’s gorgeous, and we are very happy to have healthy happy kitties and dogs to play with 🙂
Luis is so great, he’s been super friendly and I’ve loved all the wildlife he’s managed to find on our walks.
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Rose, mom of nearly 4 yr old traveled with her family and mother
12 day Cloud Forest, Volcano, Rainforest, Tortuguero with eco-Tico lodges
Thank you for a great trip – our guide Luis was fantastic and we had the best time. We will be back again! I couldn’t speak highly enough of him.
We also met Diego? I think – in Sarapiqui, who was out for lunch while his group were resting
Overall the pace of the trip and the way it went – beginning with Monteverde and ending with Tortuguero- was great.
Tortuguero boat rides with 3.5yr old was no challenge!
All the accomodation was great – even the most “rustic” – Andrea Cristina B&B in Sarapiqui – ended
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Becca, Mom of 11 and 13 yr olds
9 day Arenal Volcano, Rainforest, Caribbean Coast Beach with eco-Plus lodges
Some thoughts on our 8 days in Costa Rica…
Luis was amazing. He was a careful driver and managed well with our motion-sickness prone family. His van had wi-fi (which saved our 13-year old from social isolation), nice A/C, and plenty of room to relax and enjoy the view. He was an encyclopedia of knowledge about everything to do with Costa Rica–the wildlife, food, culture, history–and he conveyed the information in a way that was easy to understand and remember. He had a knack for being around when we needed him while also respecting our family time. We had
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Jen, mom of 6 yr old, traveled with friends with 4 and 6 yr olds
8 day Arenal Volcano, Samara Beach itinerary from Liberia with eco-Plud lodges
We had a really nice trip! We loved the Volcano Observatory Lodge and Villas Kalimba and the first night at the airport hilton garden inn was perfect after a long flight – the breakfast was awesome and the pool was really nice for the kids before we hit the van for the long drive up to Arenal.
Luis was amazing!!! He was really personable and a safe driver – without him, we would not have seen half the wildlife we did at the Ecocentro Danus and the Hanging Bridges walk! I loved that he brought the scope and let
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Marcel, Grandfather planned trip for grandparents, parents and 5 yr old granddaughter
8 day Cloud Forest and Samara Beach from Liberia airport with Eco-Upgrade Lodges
We’re back, and thankful to you for organizing a wonderful trip. We all loved Santa Elena and Hotel Belmar, a true gem. Without doubt the ziplining in Selvatura was the highlight, our 5-year old grand daughter absolutely loved it, as did the adults. She also was delighted with the Herpetarium, looking for the frogs and snakes both during the day and in the evening (the little, and no so little, critters are incredibly well camouflaged, but Emme did an amazing job of finding them). We liked Morpho’s for dinner and the Orchid Cafe for lunch. I would not recommend the
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Retired couple
14 day Cloud Forest, Volcano, Rainforest, Beach itinerary with eco-Plus lodging
Dee and I enjoyed the trip very much and think Luis was a wonderful guide/driver. I really can’t think of anything to suggest to have improved our experience.
Traveled with family: 6 adults and 3 kids (ages 9-13)
14 day custom tour that included Rainforest, Volcano, Cloud Forest, Baru at Dominical
You arranged a wonderful “cooks tour” of central and coastal CR and we just loved it! There were so many highlights I hardy know where to start. We left a snowy, cold monochromatic world to fly to a place of magic, color, and burgeoning life. It started and stopped at the Buena Vista which was luxurious and relaxing [with the tiny exception of the chronically barking dog just over the fence — but we have one of those here!].
Much as I loved the country, the bulk of my praise must go to Luis [guide] and David [driver]. Luis
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Mom of 12 and 15 yr olds
8 day Volcano, Rainforest, Beach Itinerary with Upgrade Lodges
We had a fabulous time in Costa Rica, and that’s saying something because I am a pretty anxious traveler. Not only was the planning and execution positively flawless and the accommodations distinct and unique and just perfect, Luis was a dream. Like literally, there was not one thing about him we would change. It takes a truly gifted person to be willing and able to sit in the car and hang out for days with a family and all its dynamics and just seamlessly fit in, like he’d always been there. He is so down-to-earth and knowledgeable about everything
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Mom of 6 and 8 yr olds
13 day Custom Itinerary Volcano, Rainforest, Beach, Peace Lodge with Combo lodges
Thanks Jenny! We did end up taking nature air from Limon to SJO and taxi to peace lodge-$60 for taxi (less than peace lodge transport). It was well worth the extra money and getting up early. The drive out to Cahuita was very long!
The Peace Lodge room was incredible, the kids really enjoyed the animals. It was too zoo like for me. I felt like a captive there with high prices for everything. I compare it to Disney! I just wanted typical casados for dinner instead of fancy dinners. But at this point we were low on cash
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Mom of 10 and 12 yr old
9 day Volcano, Rainforest, Beach itineary with Combo lodging
First off, we loved it!!! We really enjoyed feeling like we saw a good portion of the country. The outdoor landscape with the mountains and beaches was fabulous. We spent as much time as possible outdoors and really loved every minute.
Hotel Aeropuerto: Loved this hotel! Looking back, it was funny how our first day there we were so excited to see “all of the” birds and wildlife. Staff was wonderful to deal with (we did so many 3 separate visits!) and very accommodating. Special thanks to Luis of HA for assisting us with taxis, directions and room accommodations.
Next
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Mom of 6 and 8 yr olds
8 day Custom Rainforest, Volcano, Samara Beach Itinerary with Tico Lodges
Wow, what a great trip! Everything went so smoothly and we truly had a blast!!! Luis was a wonderful addition. We were lucky to have him on our trip. We would never have been able to see or do as much if he wasn’t there. Thanks for such a beautiful and memorable trip!!!
Some highlights/comments:
San Jose
· Buena Vista hotel was great! We had a small room for the first night & a larger one on the last night. I would definitely recommend booking a family of four in the larger room. We really enjoyed it! The restaurant
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Mom of 12 yr old and 10 yr old twins
13 day Custom Itinerary Volcano, Cloud Forest, Hacienda Baru, Osa with eco-Upgrade lodges
We had a fabulous, well planned trip.
Luis was terrific! Knowledgable, sweet, calm and a pleasure to be with. It really felt like a vacation as parents to have someone else doing the thinking, driving, etc.
I know Copa de Arbol was new to you. We felt it was well worth our splurge. Accommodations were phenomenal as was food and staff. Beach was gorgeous. National Park and the guide we went with were amazing. He taught us how to survive on termites and coconuts. We saw many whales and dolphins on the boat ride there and
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Mom of 6 yr old
14 day Cloud Forest, Volcano, Rainforest, Beach Itinerary with Combo lodging and an added day at the start of the tour near the airport to recover from jet lag
Some feedback from Global Family’s first family from Norway:
1. Your service and how you responded my requests were well beyond
expectations! Your information both on your web-site and the e-mails you
have sent have been very detailed and informative.
2. I liked the flexibility in choosing both destinations and types of
accommodation.
3. We were very pleased with our guide Luis.
4. Monteverde and Arenal great places. 3 + 2 days perfect. The coffee farm
(El Trapiche) guided tour was really interesting, also for our daughter.
4. Sarapiqui
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Jennifer, mom of 6 and 8 yr olds
7 day Rainforest, Volcano tour with eco-Tico lodging
It was SUCH a great trip and I thank you very much for your excellent service.
Luis was wonderful and we were very lucky to have him with us. I know he showed us quite a lot that we would have missed. We do not have any complaints. It was incredibly hot for our time there – even the locals were complaining of the heat. But we managed with extra cold showers and water activities.
I already passed your name on to an acquaintance. Thank you again.
Tamar, mom of 1, 4, 8 yr olds
8 day Volcano, Rainforest, Beach Itinerary with eco-Tico lodging
We had a wonderful vacation. Luis was so professional and clearly loves what he does. We learned so much about the plants and animals we saw from him, and he was extremely patient with our unruly crew. The accommodations were lovely, as well, at all our destinations. For us, Playa Negra [Guesthouse] was a dream because it was safe and easy with a toddler and had a pool, the beach and everything we wanted within a short walk. After some more ambitious exploration in the pouring rain, those couple of days at the end were paradise!
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Frank, dad of 6 yr old who traveled with his family and mother (aka grandma)
12 day Cloud Forest-Volcano-Rainforest-Beach Itinerary, eco-plus lodging, July 2013
“Here are our notes / tips from our trip:
- Buena Vista hotel
Loved the location. Some rooms are fantastic (looking out over city). Some rooms are a little loud (rooms that are near front of hotel, right over where workers start arriving at 6am). Play area in back is nice, we didn’t realize it was there until our second stop on way out. Breakfast was great. - Monteverde
Loved Arco Iris EcoLodge, people at front desk were great, laundry was inexpensive (nice touch), breakfast was great, nice to be able to walk to things. We went zip-lining with
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Shelly, mom of 6 and 4 yr olds
8 day Volcano, Rainforest, Beach Itinerary, April 2013
“Overall, our trip was wonderful!
Our highlights were:
- Loved the Cultour at La Casona. We would recommend this very highly to everyone. Food was amazing (best we had in Costa Rica), hosts incredibly friendly and informative, and meeting the kids at the school just fabulous. Then the farm visit too. So much fun.
- We also loved Eco Danaus. It was a perfect setting to see such a variety of animals, insects and plants. So enjoyable.
- The beaches in Cahuita were right up our alley. The mellow feel of the town, the wonderful guesthouse, great swimming at the beaches made
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Christina, mom of 4 and 6 yr olds
9 day Volcano, Rainforest, Beach Itinerary, March 2013
“We had an absolutely wonderful time. Luis was a fantastic guide- he was patient with our 6 and 4yo kids, and we all learned so much from him.
The home visit in Sarapiqui was really great [booked through Selva Verde lodge]. We visited a family with a 7yo child- our kids didn’t want to leave after a nearly 2hr visit! We saw their animals and crops- so in this case, it was more of a home visit (which was what we wanted) than a farm visit. I would highly recommend it- especially if you can specify visiting
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Dan, dad of 5 and 13 yr olds, traveled with his family and the grandparents
10 day Rainforest-Volcano-Cloud Forest tour, eco-plus lodging, November 2012
“All in all, the trip was fantastic.
Luis was an excellent guide, both friendly and professional. We loved where we stayed, and the numerous hikes through the forests were wonderful. Even our 5-year-old kept up during those hikes.”
Karen, mom of 10, 12, 14 yr olds
8 day Rainforest, Volcano, Cloud Forest Tour, November 2012
“Luis was just wonderful; what an encyclopedic mind!
A veritable wealth of knowledge of plants, animals, birds, history, geography, geology, current events, etc. and all in the most incredible detail! He was always very professional, friendly, and reliable. All of his recommendations for meals, activities, times, etc. were right on the mark.
Ok, highlights–we all LOVED the waterfall rappel/canyoning half-day trip (pricey at $85 or 90 per person w/lunch included, but well worth it, and guides were great) with Defasio outfitters in Arenal, and the ziplining canopy tour (13 ziplines, $45 per person) at Selvatura in Monteverde. I, who am
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Friends Patty and Bonnie traveled with their families including 6 kids between the ages of 6 to 10
9 day Cloud Forest, Volcano, Rainforest, Beach Tour, August 2012
“Yes we had a great trip.
All went well. We loved Luis [guide] and would highly recommend him and our driver Victor was great as well. We felt like they were family by the end of the trip… Anyway keep using Luis he was great, attentive, good with the kids and very knowledgable about all things Costa Rica. ~ Patty
We had a wonderful time! Couldn’t ask for better guides in Luis and Victor!!! Will write in detail when we get home and settled. We are actually just getting in to Miami. Thank you for helping us plan a once
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Erin, mom of 10 and 12 yr olds
10 day Volcano, Rainforest, Beach Tour, July 2012
“David and I cannot say enough good things about Luis [guide]. He was truly exceptional!
We had never traveled with a guide before and were not quite sure about the protocol and what to expect. 😉 Luis was very happy to honor our requests about what we wanted to do or guide us in a better direction without having his own agenda and was completely accessible to us.
Since I received your email, I have been thinking of what I could tell you about ways your service could be improved, and I truly have not been able to think of
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Terumi, mom of 4 yr old twins
7 day Custom Itinerary including Rainforest, Volcano, Cloudforest and Beach, July 2012
Thank you so much! We had a great trip.
Luis was a great guide and the guys had a good time with him. They loved ziplining in Monteverde at the frog farm and Cahuita was very neat. We also tried the Monteverde Train-my guys loved it but it was a little pricey (we knew going into it) and we were surprised at how few kids were on it. There was only one other kid and mostly seniors so if my guys weren’t such train nuts we probably wouldn’t do that one.
We loved the house in Cahuita and I would
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Sara, mom of 2 yr old
8 day Rainforest, Volcano, Cloud Forest Tour with Eco-Basic Lodges
“We had a great time in Cost Rica.
Everything went so smoothly which is more than you can ask when traveling with a two year old! Luis was great. We were impressed by his depth of knowledge and his own obvious enthusiasm for birds and other creatures. He was very patient and had a good idea of what a toddler was capable of. Your list for packing was also very helpful.
Sara, mom of 7 and 9 year old
7 day custom tour to coincide with Dad's business trip in San Jose, May 2012
We had an incredible, life-changing trip.
Luis was amazing. He was patient and passionate about showing us all Costa Rica has to offer. We loved the balance of our trip- it was great to start “off the grid” in Sarapiqui. Tirimbina had tons of wildlife, none of which we would have spotted without Luis.
Our kids kept journals and logged something like 54 different types of animals we saw in about 5 days. Tremendous experience that would not have been as great without Luis. He helped us not only navigate the jungles, but also the necessary bathroom stops on the
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Michelle, mom of 3 (6, 4, 2 yrs)
9 day Rainforest, Volcano, Cloud Forest tour with combo of Eco-Basic and Eco-Plus lodges
“We had a great time! It is hard being back. […]
So many highlights! The first day of the tour we did Poas and then La Paz before heading to La Quinta. The second day we did a boat ride with just our family – it was great having the boat to ourselves – with someone that Luis [guide] recommended, lunch in town, some swimming for the older girls (6, 4 yrs) while the youngest (2 yrs) napped, then the chocolate tour. We ended that day with an evening tour of the La Quinta grounds with Luis, finding frogs, etc.
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Annette, mom of Ruben (15 months), pictured with her family at Arenal Volcano
12 Day Custom Itinerary with private guide
“Our holidays were great, everything worked out very well.
Luis is a wonderful guide, driver and photographer and showed and explained us all the plants, insects and animals. Definitely to be recommended! We were very happy with his service.”
Nirmal, who traveled to Costa Rica with her husband, two kids (1, 4) and parents, all pictured here at Tirimbina Wildlife Refuge
Custom Itinerary with private guide
“We really enjoyed CR and would easily go back.
Luis [guide] was good in every sense. On time, polite, worked with the requests of our kids, us, and my parents, treated our bags well. He was friendly to both our kids. His car was clean, comfortable, and safe, and he tied in our car seats very well. He knew everything we asked about and made real efforts to show as much as he could to us. A very good ambassador for CR.”
Helen, mom of twin 4 year old boys
Custom Itinerary with private guide
“We had a great trip.
The itinerary worked well for us and Luis was a wonderful guide. Highlights for us were: seeing Arenal laval flow at night, boat ride in Sarapiqui, zip-line in Monteverde (my husband’s fave) and flashlight frog tag at Alex’s inn (Andrea Cristina B&B). The boys had a lot of fun finding all the frogs/toads in the dark.”
