Has anyone ever gone to the Jaguar Rescue Center?

[cruisin zonies]

I can't find much information in any CC thread on the Jaguar Rescue Center in Playa Chiquita, Puerto Viejo which is about 1 hour from Limon.

 

This is the place I am talking about http://jaguarrescue.com/

 

It's listed as the #1 attraction for Limon, Costa Rica on trip advisor.

 

If you've been to it, please share your experience!

 

Thank you!

[Alsmez]

I haven't been there, but I sent an email to a man named JJ (who has lots of reviews on this board) regarding another tour and he responded with a list of all of the things he offers, which now includes a trip to this sanctuary and the Cahuita National Park for $80.

[cruisin zonies]

Our group booked with JJ for a custom tour including the Jaguar Rescue Center & Cahuita National Park tour with him for September 1 off the Freedom so if this is a new itinerary because of our inquiries, that is awesome! We are very excited to go to both places.

 

Jaguar Rescue Center is actually #1 tripadvisor attraction for Puerto Viejo which is about 42 km south of the Port of Limon (which by way of reference looks about the same distance between the Port of Limon and the Tortuguero NP Canals to the north) .

 

I will report back on our experience at JRC. Their center is small but if you "google" them, the people who have written reviews on various sites say it is an amazing experience. :D

 

THanks for sharing that info!

[keywestcat]

Hi Renata,

 

How did you like the Jaguar Rescue Center? My mom and I are thinking of going there for our PC cruise in April and I'd love to hear your experience. Also, how was your experience with JJ?

 

Thanks very much!

[cruisin zonies]

The Jaguar Rescue Center was AWESOME!!!! If that was the only activity we did in Costa Rica, it would've been totally and completely worth it!

 

The entrance fee to the Center is $12.00/pp. It was included in our tour package with JJ Tours.

 

The drive from Limon to Playa Chiquita is a bit over an hour but it is a beautiful drive. The JRC is less than a couple years old so it is a newer facility and probably smaller than others but it is very clean, beautifully maintained, and the experience here is just intimate, really one-of-a-kind. You don't feel like you're in a tourist trap but rather that you're privy to a secret and very special discovery because that's exactly what it is!

 

Our group was rather large- 21 people- so we were divided into two groups for our "Monkey Therapy" session. Once inside the enclosure, the baby monkeys were all over us!! I think there were 11 in residence at the time, so there were more than enough baby monkeys to entertain us all. One monkey climbed on my head and promptly fell asleep the entire 10 minutes we were in the enclosure. All I could do was laugh and watch the rest of the baby monkeys climb all over my family and friends and laugh some more. It is very therapeutic and such an awesome experience!

 

Encar- one of the founders of the center- was our guide for the day which made it extra special for me that she would take the time to be our guide. We were the first tour group from a cruise ship to visit the center so it was a special occasion for all of us. If you visit the JRC facebook page, you can see pictures and find out what the center needs if you want to bring items down with you. They asked for US visitors to bring Meyenburg powdered goats milk for the baby monkeys because they cant buy it there, so our group brought cans of it with us in our luggage and then onto to JRC! They were very happy that we brought it so if you or anyone goes to this amazing place, please bring the goats milk or whatever they are asking for since it helps them so much!

 

We also got to hold the most precious baby sloth I have ever seen! We got to pet a jacarundi, too (sp?, it's looks like a mini jaguar).

 

On our way back to Limon, we passed the Sloth Sanctuary (again) and I was really happy that we had picked JRC instead.

 

JJ took us to an open air restaurant where we had the choice of chicken, beef, or pork with rice and beans and a slaw type salad. As soon as someone from my group posts the picture of the restaurant sign, I'll tell you what restaurant it was, but it was excellent food! I asked everyone and there was not one complaint on the food. An A+.

 

We also stopped at Cahuita National Park but the group didn't want to take the nature walk so we left there and stopped at a banana plantation instead. The plantation was educational and actually pretty cool! JJ is a walking encyclopedia.

 

Now, I have to say that our trip wasn't without a hiccup. JJ had to get another van because the first one broke down (we didn't even know this until later in the day) so we were delayed about an hour. Also, this itinerary was a custom itinerary that I asked JJ to put together. This was the first time JJ had done this exact itinerary and he traveled it before our arrival to meet JRC and time the whole day and everything. So for ships that only port in Limon for 7 hours or less, I would either do JRC, lunch, and Cahuita National Park OR do JRC, lunch, the plantations, and shopping. If the ship is in port longer than that, then you can probably do all of it but don't try to do too much or you might have disappointed people like I had in our group even though I told them more than once that we MIGHT get to all of the things and we might not- this is my second time I've coordinated a group and it is true what they say, you can never please everyone lol but it didn't help either that we lost an hour.

 

So, I cant fault JJ for the delay because it was beyond his control but he did react quickly, had the resources to get us on the road as fast as he could, and gave us a great day in Costa Rica. He is a very fun personality and is loaded with knowledge. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend JJ Tours. He took on a brand new itinerary for me that other tour operators had quoted me $20-$30 more per person.

 

P.S. Our driver told me that he had lived in Limon Province and knew his way around every nook and cranny and never knew about the Jaguar Rescue Center until our tour. Even he was blown away!

[canadarocks]

Thank you so much for this great review! We will be in Costa Rica in March 2011 and the only place I really want to visit is the Jaguar Sanctuary! (we've been to Costa Rica twice before and seen and done many of the other activities/places).

 

Unfortunately we will be there on a Sunday and that is the one day they are closed! :( Do you think there is any chance if I book with JJ that they would open for a tour? Perhaps if I can get others to join my husband and I?

[cruisin zonies]

Thank you so much for this great review! We will be in Costa Rica in March 2011 and the only place I really want to visit is the Jaguar Sanctuary! (we've been to Costa Rica twice before and seen and done many of the other activities/places).

 

Unfortunately we will be there on a Sunday and that is the one day they are closed! :( Do you think there is any chance if I book with JJ that they would open for a tour? Perhaps if I can get others to join my husband and I?

 

I don't know but it never hurts to ask! I hope you get a yes! Good luck!!!

[alishac]

I haven't been there, but I sent an email to a man named JJ (who has lots of reviews on this board) regarding another tour and he responded with a list of all of the things he offers, which now includes a trip to this sanctuary and the Cahuita National Park for $80.

 

Can you tell me how to contact JJ? Is that the name of the tour company? I would really love to do this tour to the sanctuary.

[canadarocks]

Can you tell me how to contact JJ? Is that the name of the tour company? I would really love to do this tour to the sanctuary.

 

Here you go..... http://jjcostarica.bravehost.com

 

I hope I can make my sanctuary plan work...... :)

[alishac]

Here you go..... http://jjcostarica.bravehost.com

 

I hope I can make my sanctuary plan work...... :)

 

Thanks Canadarocks! Good luck with planning your tour!

[canadarocks]

I emailed JJ last night and he responded already!

 

He thinks he can make a Sunday tour work, so I'm going to try to get other CC members to join us if possible. :D

 

Thanks again cruisin zonies !!! Hopefully it'll all work out as I want it to! :cool:

[keywestcat]

Wow, Renata, you just described our dream day in Costa Rica! And thanks for the advice on just keeping the JRC as the main focus without trying to do too many other things.

 

If you had your choice to do it all over again would you do the plantations and shopping or go with the park instead?

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to report all that!

[keywestcat]

Canadarocks,

 

What Sunday will you be there on? My mom and I will be there on Sunday April 10th (from the Coral Princess) and would love to join you if you happen to be going on that day.

 

Thanks!

[canadarocks]

Canadarocks,

 

What Sunday will you be there on? My mom and I will be there on Sunday April 10th (from the Coral Princess) and would love to join you if you happen to be going on that day.

 

Thanks!

 

I thought of you too, but unfortunately we'll be there on Sunday March 20th!

 

I've had two emails from JJ and he is totally willing to do the tour on a Sunday, but he's hoping I can get more people, so I'll be trying!!

[keywestcat]

Canadarocks,

 

Darn, we'll be just a couple of weeks behind you - I'm sorry we'll miss each other! Oh, well, I hope you all have a wonderful time and maybe you can let me know if you've picked up any other tips when you go. (Have you checked your roll call to see if anyone else wants to go with you?).

 

May I ask how much JJ is charging you per person and how many are in your group? I'm going to contact him tomorrow.

 

Thanks!

[canadarocks]

Canadarocks,

 

Darn, we'll be just a couple of weeks behind you - I'm sorry we'll miss each other! Oh, well, I hope you all have a wonderful time and maybe you can let me know if you've picked up any other tips when you go. (Have you checked your roll call to see if anyone else wants to go with you?).

 

May I ask how much JJ is charging you per person and how many are in your group? I'm going to contact him tomorrow.

 

Thanks!

 

So far there are only two other people on my roll call :( so I guess it's a little soon to be trying there.....

 

JJ's prices vary by how many people are in your group. He said that he is the only person who takes tours to the Jaguar sanctuary as he is friends with the owner.

 

Feel free to mention Cindy (me) when you email him. He seems like a sweet man. :)

[keywestcat]

Thank you, Cindy, I will do that when I email him tomorrow (at least he'll know that you're getting him more passengers even if it is 3 weeks later! lol).

[mpcaruth]

Thanks so much for posting. I have been following this "dormant" thread for awhile. I contact JJ about 4 weeks ago regarding a private excursion in January. It will be me, DH, DS, and DD. It will be my son's 10th birthday and I want it to be special. He quoted a price to take us to the Jaguar rescue and Cahuita/beach. Since I have small children, I want to do it private with just us 4, so that we can decide how long to stay at places. I have been on big private tours, and the majority rules (or at least the most boisterous cranky person - haha).

 

I am soooo looking forward to JJ's tour to the Rescue Center. And thanks for the advice regarding the facebook page!

[melis74]

Just wanted to add...most tour operators will customize a tour for you. I asked JJ for a price for our party of 4 to go to the JRR and I asked YourLuckyTour. YLT was $23/cheaper per person, it didn't include lunch, but I'm pretty sure we won't eat $23/worth of food each. JJ does sound like a really nice guy though, I was torn...

[cruisin zonies]

Wow, Renata, you just described our dream day in Costa Rica! And thanks for the advice on just keeping the JRC as the main focus without trying to do too many other things.

 

If you had your choice to do it all over again would you do the plantations and shopping or go with the park instead?

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to report all that!

 

No problem!!! We all pay it forward on good info!!!

 

Had I not been in the group I would have done Cahuita National Park. I'm a nature girl so that was right up my alley with a pretty beach, snorkeling opportunities, a winding nature trail where you might spot monkeys and sloths in the wild, restaurants etc. Since you walk through a ton of shops inside the ship terminal, you can always pick up some souvenirs on the way back in. Just my thoughts. ;)

[cruisin zonies]

Just wanted to add...most tour operators will customize a tour for you. I asked JJ for a price for our party of 4 to go to the JRR and I asked YourLuckyTour. YLT was $23/cheaper per person, it didn't include lunch, but I'm pretty sure we won't eat $23/worth of food each. JJ does sound like a really nice guy though, I was torn...

 

You can opt out of lunch and it's a cheaper price (by $10) but if you do the JJ tour, I would really do the local lunch because it was very good.

 

I asked three tour operators about that exact itinerary so yes, each one will customize a tour for you but make sure you ask for all fees to be included in your prices when comparing. (there are entrance fees to both the JRC and National Park). Once I put an itinerary together, I shoot the same email to each tour company to see what they come back with.

[canadarocks]

Renata, thank you again for your help with this! I'm wondering if it would be possible to do the Jaguar Sanctuary, the Sloth Sanctuary, and the park? My husband and I have been to Costa Rica before and have done both the coffee and banana plantation sites. I absolutely love nature and wildlife (could care less about shopping!).

 

Do you think the Sloth Sanctuary is worth doing and is it possible to do both?

[cruisin zonies]

Renata, thank you again for your help with this! I'm wondering if it would be possible to do the Jaguar Sanctuary, the Sloth Sanctuary, and the park? My husband and I have been to Costa Rica before and have done both the coffee and banana plantation sites. I absolutely love nature and wildlife (could care less about shopping!).

 

Do you think the Sloth Sanctuary is worth doing and is it possible to do both?

 

I can tell you that all three things are close together so that's a big plus. I didn't go to the sloth sanctuary so I really can't say. Our big thing was being able to have direct hands-on contact with the baby animals and that's why we chose JRC.

[illinoismomof4]

I can say it was a great day, We were very pleased with everything. If nothing else excited me it was the look on my 13 year olds face when she held a monkey. She is my monkey girl and has loved them for as long as I can remember.

 

 

This tour was well worth the money we paid and would do it again in a heart beat

[illinoismomof4]