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Elevation: 5,000 FT
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Temperature: MAR 60–80°F • DEC 50–70°F
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8 DAYS, 7 NIGHTS
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November 18 – 25, 2006
December 16th – 23rd, 2006
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DOUBLE
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SINGLE
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TRIPLE
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QUAD
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CHILD
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$2,099
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$2,599
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$1,999
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$1,899
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$1,699
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| Children under 18 must be booked in a room with at least one adult. All gratuities and intra-airfares are included. Domestic airfare and departure taxes are additional. Please inquire about pre- and post-extensions. Travel insurance is recommended. |
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B,L,D = Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Call your travel professional, or GTC at
1-888-415-9100
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DAY 1 — WELCOME TO COSTA RICA! Arrive at San José’s Juan Santamaría International Airport where our local representatives will escort you to your San Jose Hotel. Tonight, meet your group leader and learn about the exciting details of your Costa Rican adventure. D
DAY 2 — FARMERS' MARKET AND IMBIO PARK. Get up early today for breakfast and a morning visit to the Farmers' Market, a location where fruit growers and traders from all over the country gather to sell their fresh produce from the early hours of the day. A visit to the market is a traditional custom in Costa Rica and it will not only be a great opportunity for you to learn about tropical crops, but also experience some of the local farming culture! Next visit Café Britt for lunch and an entertaining tour about coffee production. This afternoon you will head to IMBio Park, where you will learn about Costa Rica’s biodiversity, as well as a series of important activities developed in the field for its conservation, scientific research, and sustainable use through interactive exhibits, multimedia, audiovisuals and interpreted natural trails. B,L,D
DAY 3 — RAFTING ON SARAPIQUI AND LA FORTUNA. This morning head out for a day of rafting and floating down the Sarapiqui river (Class I-III water). Continue on our drive to La Fortuna for a two-night stay. B,L,D
DAY 4 — ARENAL VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK AND ECOTERMALES HOT SPRINGS. Visit Arenal Volcano National Park for a discovery walk to the lava site - an area formed from the 1968 eruption. Undisputedly one of Costa Rica's foremost tourist attractions, Arenal Volcano is the centre-piece of the national park and currently one of the world's most active volcanoes. Its periodic eruptions of ash and molten rock, accompanied by thundering sonic blasts, are an unforgettable experience anytime, but become extremely spectacular after dark. Inspect the view of the forest canopy via an aerial Sky Tram. End the day at, Ecotermales Fortuna, the Hidalgo Family Farm and Hot Springs for a dinner specially prepared by a Costa Rican family. B,L,D
DAY 5 — BOAT TRIP ACROSS ARENAL LAKE AND MONTEVERDE. After breakfast, take a leisurely nature walk over local suspension bridges. Next enjoy a scenic boat trip across the Arenal Lake to Rio Chiquito and then continue up into Monteverde. Monteverde is a peaceful community made up of dairy farmers, naturalists and tourism service providers who have joined together to create a model for sustainable development and protection of the environment that is becoming known throughout the world. Founded in 1954 by a group of Quakers searching for a peaceful place to live, it is the home of Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, the Children's Eternal Rain Forest, and the Santa Elena Reserve. This evening you will enjoy a lecture by a local naturalist speaker. B,L,D
DAY 6 — CERO PLANO SCHOOL, SELVATURA PARK AND FROG POND. Today begins with a visit to the Cerro Plano School where you will have the opportunity to share in the life of the children from Monteverde. You’ll learn about their life in Costa Rica—and they will want to hear from you about your life at home and everyone will enjoy a picnic lunch. Visit Selvatura’s Park - walk through tropical jungle on a trail system that features seven suspension bridges that criss-cross deep canyons at treetop level. Later in the afternoon visit the Frog Pond, with over 20 species of frogs and other amphibians. Learn about species that are unique to the tropics of Costa Rica. B,L,D
 DAY 7 — FINCA ECOLOGICA, SARCHI AND SAN JOSE. Begin the journey back to San Jose with a visit to "Finca Ecologica La Trinidad". Plant your own tree and support a conservation program which aims to encourage farmers to return farmland to its original state and gradually recover some of the Tropical Dry Forest on the central pacific coast of Costa Rica. Planting a tree is a very meaningful experience for the younger generations and provides everyone the opportunity to leave their mark in conservation. Lunch en route and then visit the artisan's town of Sarchi - home of the colorfully painted oxcart that former coffee growers would use to transport the coffee beans from the central valley region to the ports. Visit the artisan’s cooperative, an ideal location to get some souvenirs and woodcrafts, before you return to San Jose Farewell Dinner! B,L,D
DAY 8 — TRANSFER OUT & DEPART SAN JOSE. Adios y gracias for visiting Costa Rica with us! B
Refer a Friend
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