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Tropical Birds Open Photo Adventure
July 14-24, 2007
April 18-28, 2008
Day 1
Arrival to Costa Rica. Meet our representative at the
Juan Santamaría International Airport and transfer
to your hotel on the outskirts of Costa Rica’s capital
city, San José.
Bougainvillea Hotel (No meals included) |
Day
2
After breakfast, we will have a scenic drive to the beautiful
San Gerardo Valley. Nestled at 10,000 feet above sea level
in between the peaks of Costa Rica’s highest moutain
range, this picturesque location has one of the most abundant
populations of Resplendent Quetzals in the country, as
well as many hummingbirds – such as the volcano,
magnificent, and gray-tailed mountain gem – that
are easy to photograph around the feeders at your lodge,
which has its own private reserve of oak cloud forest.
Arrival for lunch is followed by free time to explore
the grounds and do some photography around the feeders.
Hotel Bougainvillea (B) Savegre Lodge (L, D) |
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Day
3
This morning we will have a guided hike to try to locate
a Quetzal to be photographed along the trails in Savegre’s
property. We also will have a good chance of photographing
other birds such as trogons, acorn woodpeckers, and the
charismatic collared redstart. After a hearty lunch, we
will continue with our bird photography, either pursuing
more quetzals or continuing with hummingbirds.
Savegre Lodge (B, L, D) |
Day 4
After breakfast, we will travel to the verdant Turrialba
area, where Rancho Naturalista is located. A famous location
for birdwatchers, Rancho Naturalista is known for the
diversity of birds, especially hummingbirds such as the
elusive Snowcap, that can be found along the several trails
and around the lodge itself. The feeders on the lodge
grounds offer unparalleled opportunities for hummingbird
photography, and we will take full-advantage, setting
up multiple flashes to capture hummingbirds in flight
and pollinating flowers.
Savegre Lodge (B) Rancho Naturalista (L, D) |
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Day
5
All day devoted to photography, especially around the
bird feeders in the lodge’s proximity. We will start
early in order to photograph smaller birds such as tanagers,
chlorophonias, and barbets at the fruit feeders. After
breakfast, we will continue with hummingbird photography
and the birds at the fruit feeders. In the afternoon,
visit the trails on the lodge grounds for landscape photography
of the misty cloud forests. Those participants that wish
to continue photographing birds are free to do so. Optional
activities such as horseback riding and river rafting
are also available if any participants want a bit of adventure
and a break from photography.
Rancho Naturalista (B, L, D) |
Day 6
After an early breakfast this morning, we travel to the
Selva Verde Lodge located in the tropical lowlands of
northeastern Costa Rica. The lodge is situated on a 500-acre
private tract of primary and secondary tropical rainforest
on the Sarapiquí River. Sarapiquí country,
where Selva Verde is located, is home to over 500 bird
species and dozens of mammal, amphibian, and reptile species.
Accommodations at Selva Verde are in jungle lodges built
on stilts above the forest floor, connected by a network
of covered walkways.
After lunch, we will enjoy a boat tour on the Sarapiquí
River, an excellent and relaxing way to photograph waterbirds
such as tiger herons, anhingas, and kingfishers. We
also will photography other wildlife including basilisk
lizards, caimans and possibly even howler monkeys and
sloths. Take the late afternoon to photograph the beautiful
Sarapiquí River in late afternoon light or photograph
songbirds at the feeders and the male violet-headed
hummingbird that visits the flowers outside the lodge
restaurant.
Rancho Naturalista (B) Selva Verde Lodge (L,
D)
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Day
7
After an early breakfast, we will visit Heliconia Island,
a local botanical garden and outstanding location for
flower and bird photography located on the banks of the
placid Puerto Viejo river. The owner has fruit feeders
with natural bird perches that make for great portraits
of species of tanagers, honeycreepers, and woodpeckers.
Colorful Heliconia flowers abound and are especially interesting
photographic subjects in terms of color and shape. We
will enjoy a delicious lunch cooked by Heliconia Island’s
owner and served in his ranch-style dining area with a
beautiful river view. After lunch, we will visit the famous
La Selva Biological Station, where we will roam the grounds
in search of interesting birds to photograph. We will
also take advantage to photograph the pack of collared
peccaries (a species of wild boar) that visit the grounds
in the late afternoon. We will return to Selva Verde Lodge
for dinner and will have a night hike to search for nocturnal
frogs to photograph.
Selva Verde Lodge (B, D) Heliconia Island (L) |
Day 8
After an early breakfast, we will head for the wild lowlands
of the Caño Negro area near the Nicaraguan border,
stopping en route to photograph green iguanas at the famous
Muelle bridge. Caño Negro’s wetlands are
a paradise for wildlife, including a mix of water and
forest birds, including spoonbills, storks, herons, toucans,
and tanagers. After a light lunch en route, we will settle
in at Caño Negro Lodge and explore the grounds
for late afternoon bird photography. After a relaxing
dinner, we will take time to review our photos.
Selva Verde Lodge (B) Lunch en route (TBD) Caño
Negro Lodge (D)
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Day
9
This morning we will have an early morning tour of the
wetlands for bird photography. We will try for atmospheric
portraits of the birds that frequent the waterways. After
lunch, we head toward the Ensenada Lodge, where we will
photograph water birds native to the mangroves in the
lodge’s private reserve. In the late afternoon,
we will focus on colorful habitat shots with birds and
the spectacular sunsets for which Ensenada is famous.
Caño Negro Lodge (B, L) Ensenada Lodge
(D) |
Day 10
This morning we will take advantage of the early light
for more bird photography, looking especially for portraits
of highly photogenic magpie jay. Mid-morning we return
to the San Jose area, stopping for a light lunch en
route, and arriving at our hotel above the hills of
the capital with time to relax, pack, and confirm our
flights. In the late afternoon and early evening, we
will review our photos and share with the group, while
also providing caption information for your images.
We will then enjoy a farewell dinner at a nearby local
restaurant.
Ensenada Lodge (B) Lunch en route (TBD) Dinner
TBD Overnight at Buena Vista
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Day
11
Private transfer to the Juan Santamaria International
Airport for your departure flight back home.
Hotel Buena Vista (B) |
Tropical
Birds Open Tour Pricing |
| #
of participants |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9
- 15 |
| price
per person |
$2,110 |
$2,012 |
$1,946 |
$1,883 |
$1,762 |
$1,746 |
Open
signup tour prices are in US dollars and include
all taxes and service charges. except for tips.
Prices also include all services as specified
in the itinerary above. Note that the prices do
not include international airfare. Final price
depends on the number of participants that sign
up. We will communicate the final price to you
no fewer than 60 days from the start of the tour.
Your reserve deposit counts as a payment toward
your total trip cost. Transportation is in a spacious
and air-conditioned minibus with a professional
driver. |
Click the button above to
reserve your spot on one of our open signup photo adventures.
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