Aerial Tram Tour questions

[Brown Eyed Gurl]

Do you take a bus to the tram and is it air conditioned?

Do you drive through mountains or any pretty scenery?

Does this tour include a walking tour, or only the tram and lunch?

Do the tram cars rock alot?

Do they stop every time someone gets on other cars?

We really would like to see the rainforest and are wondering if this is a worthwhile trip?

Thanks! :)

[kenteecruisin]

We're doing that tour. I'd also like to know if there is time to do any shopping? :rolleyes:

[Brown Eyed Gurl]

I just wanted to comment on this excursion and say how much we enjoyed it!

We took an air conditioned bus (with a restroom) for about a 2hr drive into the lush countryside. We did drive through/up some small mountains & hills. The roads were bumpy and full of pot holes, but we had a good driver who avoided them. We passed pineapple fields, banana fields, corn plant fields, the university, etc. The tour guide passed around books on the plants & animals of the area. It was not a boring drive. Our driver stopped on the side of the road so we could see/photograph a sloth in one of the trees.

When we arrived at the park, we got out and had the opportunity to use the restroom and switched to either an air conditioned van or an open air tractor to drive the remaining 5 minutes to the actual site. There we watched a 10 minute movie about the park and tram. They said bug repellant is not necessary, but having read on the CDC website that this is an area with a Malaria risk, and we did not have any shots or pills, we used it to be safe. They claim there are enough bats and mammals that eat the mosquitos. Even with the bug repellant I was bitten twice on my legs by something unseen. :eek:

We then boarded, 6 + 1 guide per gondola. The actual ride is about 1 1/4hr long. It is very smooth, it does not rock, but sometimes it feels like you are on a bungee cord and it bounces very gently/slowly when you stop (yes it stops everytime passengers get on/off). Words cannot describe how beautiful the rainforest is. We saw plenty of butterflies, birds, moths, dragonflies, orchids, ferns, palm trees, broccoli trees, air plants, bromeliads, vines. It was amazing. It was just beautiful on the top part when you clear the canopy and see the volcano in the distance. Unbelievably, it did not rain at all the entire time we were there! It was sunny and very hot. It did look like it was going to pour when we were leaving though, so we lucked out.

When we finished the tram ride, we were let off to either eat at the included lunch buffet, shop, or hike the trails, they gave us an hour. We shopped (they had magnets, books, videos/DVDs, coffee, liqueur, candy, t-shirts, mini orchids, keychains, etc available), then ate the most amazing black beans and rice (and steamed veggies) at the buffet. They also had chicken in some sauce, we are Vegetarians and didn't eat it, so I'm not sure what other meat they had available, but I know they had some type of chicken. We were told they cook their rice & beans in coconut oil so it has a different flavor. They had strawberry & banana juice and guava juice to drink.

While at the buffet area we saw a lizard, a family of quati (which we were told is rare to see around people), 2 very large (harmless) spiders, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and a chirping hummingbird.

There was also a little cafe there, in which we bought some cassava (yuca) chips-which were really good!

Very little walking was involved unless you opted to hike one of the trails.

Then we repeated the same transfer as when we arrived, but our tour guide took us to a pineapple farm on the way back (that was never mentioned in our excursion book) and we were able to try fresh pineapple for free, along with some of their other items (pineapple salsa, pineapple jelly, etc), and shop. They had 2 very large (live) horned beetles (about the size of my fist) and a poison dart frog they were showing, that you could photograph.

On the way back, our tour guide made us a grasshopper out of one woven coconut palm frond and gave us a free map of Costa Rica & some banana stickers from Dole. :)

We arrived back to the ship with enough time to shop locally (about an hour or so) but we chose to watch the musicians & dancers on the dock.

[isujim]

Thank you so much for that wonderful and full explanation and review.

 

Jim

[Mary Jane 711]

Do you happen to know which aerial tram ride you took? I now there are several throughout COsta Rica. Where was this one located? We took one just inland of Jaco Beach. It was nice, but we went on our own while vacationing there. It was expensive, not very informative and quick. I think we paid 50 bucks a piece for it. We are not sorry we did it, but it was pricey.

[Lvteks]

Sandra, I'm sold! Great review...what was the name of the Tour you were on? Was it through your ship? We will be on HAL Volendam in January. This really sounds like a winner. Would appreciate details so we get the one you enjoyed so much. Thanks,

 

Blessings, Gail

[Brown Eyed Gurl]

Gail,

oops, sorry, I should have specified. :o

It was through HAL (we were on the Zaandam), it was listed as "Rain Forest Aerial Tram", 8hrs, $129 per person. We docked at Puerto Limon, but I believe HAL offers this same excursion on the Pacific side. :)

[Lvteks]

I guess this tram hangs from a wire support or such....and this isthe closest I'll come to being a "swinger"....or is it a "zipper"? I am neither the harness type nor "mule to the top or bottom". (Too much sympathy for the mule for that!) :)

 

Thanks again,

 

Blessings,

 

Gail

[PuertoLimonTourGuide]

Hello Brown Eyed Gurl

 

As a tour guide here in Costa Rica I don’t consider the aerial tram the best place to view the rainforest. I need to explain you that Costa Rica has a central valley that is in the middle of the country, that’s where the capital is, at 3 to 4 thousand feet. To get from Puerto Limon to San Jose, you need to cross the Braulio Carrillo National Park. There is a 4 lane highway that crosses the National Park where the Aerial Tram is located.

 

You are a lot closer from a Rain Forest if you take any tour going south of Puerto Limon to cahuita or manzanillo, instead of going east to the main city. If you go or north to the canals you will also enjoy sloths, toucans, howler monkeys, white face monkeys, cormorants, herons and many other bird species. And you will also have the feeling of how we live in the Caribbean.

[PuertoLimonTourGuide]

Do you happen to know which aerial tram ride you took? I now there are several throughout COsta Rica. Where was this one located? We took one just inland of Jaco Beach. It was nice, but we went on our own while vacationing there. It was expensive, not very informative and quick. I think we paid 50 bucks a piece for it. We are not sorry we did it, but it was pricey.

 

Yes this company has two, one on each coast... Pacific Dry Forest and Caribbean Rain Forest. Thats the Aerial Tram,

 

You can also find other ones in the pacific area like Turubari...

[trish99]

PuertoLimonTourGuide, what would you consider the best way to see the rain forest from Limon? We'll be there in January, and this is the stop we're looking most forward to. Not really interested in zipline, but want to try to get the most into the limited time that we're there.

 

Trish

[du2cruise]

Yes this company has two, one on each coast... Pacific Dry Forest and Caribbean Rain Forest. Thats the Aerial Tram,

 

You can also find other ones in the pacific area like Turubari...

 

PuertoLimonTourGuide Would you know if there is much difference between the aerial tram tours available from Puntarenas? This year HAL has 2 listed. One is "Pacific Aerial Tram" which is designated as easy activity and costs $99, the other "Tropical Forest Aerial Tram" is moderate activity and costs $119. The first one lasts 5 to 5 1/2 hours, the second 5 1/4 hours. They are both 1 1/2 hours from Puntarenas, and the rest of the description sounds pretty much the same also.

http://www.hollandamerica.com/dest/port.do?portCode=PU3&dest=T

I don't want to pay more than I need to, but on the other hand if it's worth the extra $$ then for sure that's the one to take. I just can't tell any difference from the descriptions.

I did contact shore excursions to find out what the difference was and they said the main difference was the location.

From their website I was wondering if Turubari was more of a theme park type of place - not as natural surroundings?

[GCS-LifeIsGood]

Hello,

 

This is a great discussion. I will be on ms Volendam (HAL) in March, 2007. I am looking forward to the Costa Rica stop.

 

I am interested in the HAL shore excursion called "Rain Forest Aerial Tram" Of those who have taken this, is the excursion completely wheelchair accessible? The Tram operator says yes. HAL Shore Excursions also says yes. I just thought I would ask "paying customers" if a person could stay in a wheelchair the entire time and get around unhindered?

[poppabear]

To all on this thread, especially PuertoLimonTourGuide.

We will be in Costa Rica in January aboard the Princess Coral. We are very interested in taking the aerial tram. I notice that Princess offers 2 different excursions that feature the tram. One is the tram by itself as described above. The other excursion includes the tram ride AND the Tortuguero Canals. This sounds even better if we can do both on the same day. I was wondering if anyone has done this before. Now I notice in the above posts that for the tram there is very little walking unless one wants to. Unfortunately my wife can only walk very short distances so now my question is - how much walking will be involved for the second half of this double excursion treat? It's a total 10 hour excursion but as long as she won't need to walk (or especially CLIMB) any great distances I hope she will be OK. Any feedback and advice is GREATLY APPRECIATED. Here is the description of the excursion from Princess:

Board your air-conditioned transportation for the approximately two-hour drive to the tram site, located at an eco-tourism and research facility near Braulio Carrillo National Park. Your one hour and 15-minute tram ride travels through the rain forest canopy, home to two-thirds of Costa Rica’s rain forest species. Then enjoy a traditional Costa Rican lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to your launch site in the Tortuguero Canals. Enjoy a snack of fruits and a complimentary beverage prior to boarding a covered mawamba boat for a leisurely cruise as your guide explains the wetlands ecosystem. Keep an eye out for wildlife including howler monkeys, sloths, toucans, and crocodiles as well as exotic flora. At the end of your cruise board your waiting transportation for the short transfer to the ship.

 

Thanks again,

poppabear