DELUXE ECO-ADVENTURE 9 Days


Deluxe Eco-Adventure
For the best trip of your life! Check-in to another world at the seductively stylish Punta Islita Hotel. Few hotels in Costa Rica can deliver this sense of romance. A spectacular hot air balloon ride over the picturesque San Carlos Valle.

TOUR ARRANGEMENTS INCLUDE:
 
• Deluxe Alta Hotel in San Jose
• Deluxe Suite with Outdoor Jacuzzi with Plunge Pool at Punta Islita

• 1 Night Hotel Tilajarie in San Carlos
• Hot air balloon ride over the picturesque San Carlos Valley
• Full day Irazú Volcano and Orosi Valley
• Round trip flight from San Jose to Punta Islita
• All guided tours, excursions and meals as outlined in itinerary including admission fees to parks and all places of interest
• All transfers with baggage handling and all transportation within Costa Rica
• Government Hotel Taxes
• Services of SLT local representatives throughout
• SLT guaranteed tour performance warranty
• SLT $1 Million Insurance Protection Plan

 
ITINERARY

1ST DAY • USA/SAN JOSE

Arrival in San Jose International Airport where you will be met by our representatives. Transfer to the elegant Hotel Alta overlooking the Central Valley high in Alto de las Palomas.

2ND DAY • IRAZU VOLCANO, OROSI VALLEY AND LANKESTER GARDENS

After breakfast, we depart for a visit to the Irazú Volcano. Walk along the crater rim, where on a clear day one can view both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. This 11,257 foot giant last erupted in 1963. As we descend to the city of Cartago we will stop at the Virgin of the Angels church that according to religious custom is a peregrination site for many believers. After visiting the Church we will stop at Lankester Gardens, a University of Costa Rica Institute for investigation. This place protects more than 800 species of orchids, bromeliads and countless species of other plants.We will continue on to Orosi Valley where the creation overflows in an unparallel beauty. We will be able to visit one of the few remaining colonial churches and stop for lunch in one of the local restaurants. Late afternoon return to your hotel in San Jose. During our tour we will be able to observe “La Casa del Soñador” an example of Costa Rican primitive art. Suggested Equipment: hat, jacket, walking shoes, insect repellent, binoculars and camera.

3RD DAY • REVENTAZON RIVER/ SAN CARLOS

This morning you will be picked up from the hotel by your white water rafting guide. The Reventazon starts with relatively easy rapids such as "Introduction to Rafting 1A" and "Introduction 1B". As your skills increase, so will the power of the river. In the middle of the 9-mile run you stop along the banks for a gourmet picnic lunch. Just before you arrive at the takeout you'll be ready to paddle the most challenging rapids, "El Gordo (The Fat One)" and "Hueco Santo (Holy Hole)". At completion of the tour in El Cairo, your will transferred to the fertile plains of San Carlos and the Hotel Tilajari for check-in and a night of luxury in the wilderness. Fabulous dinner at Tilajari’s Katira Restaurant. Meals BLD

4TH DAY • HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE

You will need to wake up at the crack of dawn for our hot air balloon launch over the picturesque San Carlos Valley. Costa Rica provides unquestionably some of the most fascinating ballooning in the world - low and slow. Our sunrise flight will offer us the best conditions and visibility possible. We take off in the balloon approximately 20 miles east of Arenal Volcano. Sometimes we are blessed with breaks in the clouds so we can ascend above and sit atop a foamy sea of white, where our only company is the majestic (and often puffing) Arenal volcano. We don't fly close (there's real danger in approaching the volcano — we maintain at least 15 miles from the base) but sometimes we have a view that can only be seen from above the clouds. Our real goal, however, is to fly low over nearby rivers, fields, and forests, to play with the clouds, to frolic with the birds, and to laugh with the animals. The forests of this area are filled with monkeys and iguanas, and sometimes we can get a full chorus calling up to us from the trees. The joy of flying in the balloon is to experience the wonder of flight, open and free and in harmony with nature. Flying in a balloon allows you to view the earth like you rarely do: high enough to see the crop patterns below, but low enough to watch and listen to the birds and monkeys chattering in the tops of the trees. The equipment is expertly maintained by inspectors trained by the Ann Arbor, Michigan manufacturer of the balloons. Inspection and repairs are made in accordance with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and pilots hold international (ICAO) pilot licenses for balloons, valid for balloon flight throughout the world.The trip is intimate — a pilot and at most 5 people in a traditional open wicker basket, with everyone joining in to help launch and pack up. After a 3 course lunch, transfer to San Jose for overnight. MEALS: BL

5TH DAY - 7TH DAY • SAN JOSE/PUNTA ISLITA

Transfer to Pavas airport for your short flight to Carrillo. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your luxurious hideaway, Hotel Punta Islita. Check-in to your lovely Santa Fe Style Suite. Your accommodation combines absolute comfort with breathtaking ocean views. Your Suite offers a/c, ceiling fan, cable TV, wet bar and mini refrigerator, hand crafted King size bed, sitting area which opens to your own terrace complete with a private Jacuzzi, hammock and patio furniture. Inside, you'll find a unique bathroom designed with hand painted Mexican tiles overlooking a private tropical garden. During the next few days enjoy the sun, sea and splendid isolation of this small boutique hotel. Linger in a candlelit bubble bath overlooking your private garden or count bubbles under the stars in your Jacuzzi. Horseback riding, fishing, and beach buggies are available for rental. Savor an exotic cocktail while admiring the fantastic illusion of the pool melting into the ocean. Exquisite dining is available in the panoramic thatch palm roofed restaurant which recalls the graceful charm of a bygone era. Meals B (Daily)

8TH DAY • SAN JOSE

Morning flight back to San Jose. Upon arrival transfer to your lovely hotel for check-in and overnight. Meals B

9TH DAY • SAN JOSE/U.S

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the U.S. Meals B