Can you recommend any Costa Rica Tours?

[carol459]

We did a cruise in January and used "Okey Dokey" tours. We were very pleased with them. Several people from CC signed up for our tour. I was the organizer - we had a group of 22 in all - 2 vans. I would highly recommend them.

dj127

 

We went to Puntarenas on the way through the Panama Canal on the Infinity in October. We went with OKEYDOKEY Tours and were very pleased with the excursion. He gives price breaks to Cruise Critics. Below is an email I received from Charlie(his spelling):

 

Hi Rick , i hope you doing well, and many thanks for e mail me , iam glad to know that you live in California , this is my 2nd country , i live in san Diego for 3 years, wow wonderful place, ok, Rick i really recommend you the B-4 tour ....7 hrs.....$99 p.p. but w the special discount for my cruisecritic members and another porcent for your group you can pay me only $79 p.p.private & personalized tour just for your party , & this is an itinerary,

1st la Roca forest where we can feed the cappuchin monkeys , nature habitat, there sometimes we can see iguanas and coatys too,

2nd country side & mango plantation , there we can taste some of the tropical fruits,incuded,

3rd the wonderful crocodile man tour , river cruise roof to block the sun , very comfortable seats, to enjoy the 3 ecosistems; mangrove, rainforest, and beach , wild life: lizards, iguanas, crocs, monkeys, and exotics birds,

4th Tarcoles to look for the macaws & toucans, nature habitat,

5th jaco beach to enjoy the beach w a thipycal costarican lunch included,

6th Villa Lapas , ocean , river and waterfalls view,

7th supermarket for coffee vanilla souvenirs,

full air conditioned van , this van can hold 14 people but we dont like to put more than 8 - 10 people to be comfortable, wear: t shirt, short pants, hat, sneakers or tennis shoes, no deposit or payments, you can patyments, you can reserve by e mail and you can pay me cash at the end of the tour, would be an honor to be specting for you w my staff, refreshments & fresh fruits along the tour and lunch at the beach , holding a sign Okeydokey & your name on it 1 hrs after arrival time to give you an perfect introduction of my beautiful country , returning in plenty of time to the ship, thanks a lot have a wonderful and bleseed day , su amigo charlie de costa rica http://www.nanada.com http://www.okeydokeytours.com cell p. 506 8879 60 69

 

We arrived back at the ship with plenty of time to spare. He supplied cold water, soft drinks, and beer, no added cost.

There were two groups from our ship who went with Charlie, 9 in each van.

 

Rick

[bigenna]

We also went with Charlie Soto of OkeyDokey Tours. Seems like we went on the same tour as the previous poster.

We had a wonderful time. Charlie met us right at the pier as planned and we were taken everywhere he had told us. The price of $79 per person included all admissions, beverages, and a wonderful Costa Rican buffet lunch. In fact, when I mentionned I wanted to have a mango tree pointed out, the driver stopped at a fruit stand and bought a mango for me, sliced and peeled.

We had had a tour previously in Cartegena with another guide a few days before and I was really badly overheated. When I told Charlie that I was concerned about this and that the tour was going to be close to 7 hours, he said he could, if the others agreed, to shorten things up a little.

As it turned out, he had 8 people booked for his van and got another couple at the pier, so he got another driver for us and we had our own driver and car. We followed the van and stopped everywhere that they did and we were very comfortable. In fact the weather was slightly cooler and we ended up taking a side trip to a beach to have a wade in the ocean and ended up with an 8 hour tour - all at our bidding - he would have had us back earlier if we had wanted.

Very accomodating man is Charlie Soto. I would highly recommend his OkeyDokey tour company.

[chrisv348]

I just had the opportunity to spend the last two weeks vacationing in Costa Rica. During this trip I was accompanied by a private guide by the name of Jorge Ramirez Morales. I met Jorge for the first time in April 2011 after I booked a private tour with him to Cahuita National Park and to the Jaguar Rescue Center as a cruise ship passenger. After returning home Jorge and I continued to correspond regularly by email and I inquired about the possibility of hiring him to be my guide for a 2-week stay in Costa Rica. I planned to travel alone for the first week of my trip and to have my teenage daughter fly down and join me during the second week. I felt the security of a guide was essential because I do not speak Spanish, nor did I feel comfortable traveling alone in unknown areas. I customized my trip with Jorge’s assistance to include overnight stays in Limon, Tortuguero and the Arenal Volcano area and a day trip to the Veragua Adventure Park.

I cannot begin to express how pleased I was with the overall experience. Jorge is a kind, caring person with morals and dreams. His overall attention to my safety was amazing and I was completely comfortable in his presence at all times. His knowledge of the English language is excellent and he proved to be so helpful in translating Spanish to English for me. I could go on and on about this experience and our adventures but the bottom line is that Jorge is an exceptional guide. You will not find anyone more dedicated to his profession. I urge anyone interested booking a tour in Costa Rica to contact Jorge. He can be reached at jorgel.cr@hotmail.com. If you have any additional questions feel free to contact me by email at cvoight2@verizon.net

[scapel]

I just had the opportunity to spend the last two weeks vacationing in Costa Rica. During this trip I was accompanied by a private guide by the name of Jorge Ramirez Morales. I met Jorge for the first time in April 2011 after I booked a private tour with him to Cahuita National Park and to the Jaguar Rescue Center as a cruise ship passenger. After returning home Jorge and I continued to correspond regularly by email and I inquired about the possibility of hiring him to be my guide for a 2-week stay in Costa Rica. I planned to travel alone for the first week of my trip and to have my teenage daughter fly down and join me during the second week. I felt the security of a guide was essential because I do not speak Spanish, nor did I feel comfortable traveling alone in unknown areas. I customized my trip with Jorge’s assistance to include overnight stays in Limon, Tortuguero and the Arenal Volcano area and a day trip to the Veragua Adventure Park.

I cannot begin to express how pleased I was with the overall experience. Jorge is a kind, caring person with morals and dreams. His overall attention to my safety was amazing and I was completely comfortable in his presence at all times. His knowledge of the English language is excellent and he proved to be so helpful in translating Spanish to English for me. I could go on and on about this experience and our adventures but the bottom line is that Jorge is an exceptional guide. You will not find anyone more dedicated to his profession. I urge anyone interested booking a tour in Costa Rica to contact Jorge. He can be reached at jorgel.cr@hotmail.com. If you have any additional questions feel free to contact me by email at cvoight2@verizon.net

 

Very Nice of you to post this.

[TMLAalum]

He is our guide for our day in Costa Rica next month. We are going to Veragua, lunch on Playa Bonita and on to a short ride on the Tortuguero canals!

 

I booked him based on some very positive posts, and am very much looking to our tour together.

[Putterdude]

We have used Charlie Soto and his Okedokey Tours in the past and would not hesitate to use him again.

[TKS]

We just returned from Costa Rica and used Odyssey Tours at odysseytourscr.com to visit the rain forest above Puntarenas. They cover both the Puerto Limon and Puntarenas ports. The day we visited there was a road block near the port and a long backup, but they came up with a quick alternative and when that was completed they resumed our booked trip and the fee was not increased. Alvaro and Diego are attentive, honest and dependable, and their tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. His English was excellent. I recommend this company. Hope you have a wonderful trip. Costa Rica is a beautiful country!

[hampshirelad]

Just come back from a Panama Canal cruise on Cunard QV. A group of us from the Roll Calls used them. They gave us a great day out at a reasonable price. Well organised with plenty of back up. Payment can be made by card for a token fee.

 

If you are going near a rain forest - it rains !!

[Holly2]

We had a wonderful tour with Jorge last year when on Equinox. So glad that others have had a chance to tour with him as well -- he is a lovely, well informed person.

[TMLAalum]

We had a wonderful tour with Jorge last year when on Equinox. So glad that others have had a chance to tour with him as well -- he is a lovely, well informed person.

 

We very much liked touring with Jorge although our day with him was a washout (literally). We experienced monsoon/typhoon conditions, but we were able to visit Veragua- some of us did the tram and others the zipline. Lunch at Bonita Beach was tasty despite the restaurant having no power- we had to move well under cover as the wind whipped the rain over the tables at the edge of the roof. We then proceeded to the Tortuguero canal a short ride away, but with the deluge the majority of our group voted to return to the Equinox-even tho the boats had transparent plastic side curtains, we would't have been able to see anything and all the wildlife was hunkered down anyway. Enroute back to the ship a powerline came down near our van and then, as our driver tried to bring us back as near to the ship as possible, he went thru a puddle that masked a huge chuckhole and got stuck! So we had a quarter-mile dash to the warmth of the ship. Gotta love Celeb as there were hot towels and warm drinks awaiting us right as we boarded-not under cover though because their tent was blown apart. It was quite the adventure...

 

Jorge's daughter, Diana, who was off school, joined us. What a delightful 13 year old she is! Her English is excellent and her ability to converse with a group of adult Americans is amazing. She hopes to follow in her father's footsteps and become a guide, too.

[Jakecruises]

We recently used Odyssey Tours (http://www.odysseytourscr.com/htmls/our_fleet.html) and were well pleased with Alvaro's reliability, price and local knowledge.

Jake

[jgga]

Used Eduardo with Your Lucky Tours in Jan 2011 and will be in Costa Rica again this month (Jan 2012). Already booked another tour with YLL.

[unclekritz]

We were is Costa Rica on Jan 18 and booked a tour with JJ tours....big mistake. Another group off our ship booked a different tour with JJ and we got pushed off on a cabbie....we didn't get any where close to what we were told, and were actually happy to just get out of the cab, of course we did have to spend, $90 for the learning experience:(so unless you are going as a large group, don't go with JJ, something better might come up and you could be stuck in a cab with Victor.....

[smallworldtraveller]

I would not reccommend JJ tours as you don't get what you are promised, we were in costa rica last week and very dissappointed in tour. it was a bad situation we were put in and were very greatful to get back to ship. You could hire a taxi and get a better tour than what we got from JJ tours

[knitpurl]

We just toured with Eduardo Humphreys Your Lucky Tours...

There were some issues with the vanbut immediately corrected it and our trip to the rain forest ..and areal tram ride was really worth the long ride..

also had a good guide on opur ride to and from the rain forest ...

[ABC Cruisers]

Another vote here for Okey Dokey, we used them on our Jewel of the Seas cruise, they are quick to respond to your email and did a wonderful excursion for us, we did the A1 tour. They have a good variety & we would use them again in a heartbeat. have fun, Costa Rica is beautiful!

[mandeb]

Just came back from a HA cruise where we stopped in Coasta Rica. We had a private taxi driver take us to the rain forest and a banana plantation. He was wonderful and spoke perfect English. Told him I would post him on cc. JorgeL.cr@hotmail.com

His cab is airconditioned and holds 3 plus him. He charged us $50 us for 2 hours for 3 people. He is on Facebook also. Jorge Luis Ramirez Morales.

[Deeliteful]

Just got back yesterday from Panama Canal cruise on Island Princess which included a day in Costa Rica. It was the highlight of the trip for me.I booked a private tour with Oscar Brown tours and the day was just perfect! Oscar is a great host who loves his town and country. We toured Limon pretty quickly and then headed out to some friends of his where we got to eat lots of different and delicious fruits and see some of the beautiful plants and flowers in their gardens. We also got great close up pictures of a sloth in the garden. Next we went ziplining through the forest - a real highlight for me. Here we saw tree frogs, spiders, howler monkeys, tree ants and more. Next a short trip to the banana plantation and then the Tortugero canal trip with Walter. He was fabulous, a great spotter of wildlife, we saw some Basilisk lizards, crocodiles, alligators, loads of different birds and sloths & howler monkeys too.

We then had a great Caribbean lunch with beer to finish off the tour.

Perfect! Half the price of the ship's tours and with with great personal service.

[rohrmoser]

For a different type of Costa Rica excursion - try http://www.teetimescostarica.com They have a excursion to play golf at Los Suenos course and visit Villa Caletas.

[lourdest]

I would recommend a tour with Danilo Hall from Adventure Caribbean, adventure_caribbean@yahoo.com.

 

Here is my review of Danilo Hall

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1558212

[The Floaties]

Yes, I would recommend Jorge Ramirez Morales as a tour guide if you are anywhere in Costa Rica. We just returned from our cruise on the Celebrity Equinox and a tour with him on March 31, 2012. Jorge and I had set up a custom tour of places I thought we might like to visit. I had requested to visit the Jaguar Rescue Center, a banana plantation, a tour of the Tortuguella Canals, lunch on the beach, and a tour of the city. Jorge met us just outside the gate of the terminal. He had sent me instructions and a picture of himself, so there would be no confusion. He was there as soon as we walked past the gate. He escorted us to his taxi. It was a private tour with just him and his 13-year old daughter. His daughter is delightful and we had a wonderful day with her and Jorge. He can accommodate as few or as many people as you might have in your group by land or by boat anywhere in Costa Rica. We first went to the Jaguar Rescue Center which was about a 45-minute drive. On the way, he spotted sloths in the tree and stopped so we could get out and look at them. We had a guided tour throughout the center, but Jorge and his daughter was with us the entire time. Then we went to the Del Monte Banana Plantation where we had a tour learning how bananas are grown, processed and shipped. Then we went to Bonita Beach and had a great lunch of beans and rice with chicken at Quimbamba Bar/Restaurant. It was very enjoyable and right on the beach. Our next stop was Tortuguella Canals where we had about an hour long ride back in the canals viewing wildlife. The driver of the boat would stop when he spotted any wildlife so we could see and get photographs. After the boat ride, Jorge drove us through Puerto Limon and showed us the town. We drove up to the highest point and walked through a restaurant and looked out over the entire town.

We talked the entire time during the tour and Jorge told us about his country and the customs. We could ask anything and he would answer. When I asked about their currency, he gave me all the change he had in his taxi. He also offered to get me paper currency. He offered to take pictures of us at any time and was willing to take us anywhere we wanted to go. He offered to take us to the grocery to get local coffee or anything else we wanted. He provided soft drinks and water (and beer if desired) and snacks.

If we are ever lucky enough to return to Costa Rica, I would insist on having Jorge as our guide. It was truly and enjoyable day and a day we will remember the rest of our lives. Jorge and his daughter have become special friends to us. His daughter and my granddaughter have become pen pals. Jorge is a very honest and loyal man and very proud of his country and his daughter. Jorge’s email address is jorgel.cr@hotmail.com. I am including this because he does not have a website and I had a hard time finding him after reading some great reviews here on Cruise Critic. He is on Facebook under Jorge Luis Ramirez Morales, but I had a little trouble finding him on Facebook too. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at jjschmitt@wowway.com