Family Fun at Savegre and Manuel Antonio
Credit: Lautjie Boshoff & Rafiki Safari Lodge
Trip Type: Custom-Made Travel
Territory: Central America
Region: Costa Rica
Trip Price: $5,250
Duration: 9 days/8 nights
Trip Begins/Ends: San Jose, Costa Rica / San Jose, Costa Rica
National Parklands: Manuel Antonio NP
All custom travel is tailored to the desires and interests of our traveling clients (see How Custom Travel Works tab). Trip pricing detailed is an estimate of the per person pricing for the sample itinerary detailed and includes all of the lodging, activities, and guided experiences described. Actual pricing for the trip designed expressly for you and others traveling with you will depend on the features and elements developed during the trip planning process. Travel with Off the Beaten Path requires agreement to our standard Terms & Conditions.
No Sweat - 1-2 miles of walking or hiking per day, plus easy activities
Nice & Active – 3-6 miles of hiking or walking per day, plus physically active exploration
High Five! – 5-10 miles of hiking per day, plus possible peak bagging or other action-oriented fun
The Energy Index detailed above relates to the level of exertion associated with the sample trip detailed. This would be modified to fit the style and ability of your group as a part of the custom trip planning process
We’ve been tailoring custom journeys for clients since our very inception in the mid-1980s! The process is all about connecting the interests of the travelers with the best that a given destination has to offer. To achieve this, we rely upon good ol’ fashioned conversation! Our geographically focused travel designer love to meet new people and learn about their interests for travel. Understanding your goals informs the process immensely and serves as the foundation for the development of a bespoke travel experience for you and yours.
The trip detailed on this web page is a sample of something we’ve done for other clients over the years. In order to start the process of designing your own custom travel experience, just call us at (800) 445-2995 and ask to speak with one of our Travel Advisors. After a bit of time on the phone, you will then have the opportunity to connect with one of our travel designers.
The entire planning process is very personalized and works in an iterative fashion until a final, perfect trip has been created. We then secure all of the lodging, activities, and guided experiences associated with your trip and send along abundant trip materials capturing these details – and much more about your travels!
Welcome to wonder-filled Costa Rica! Upon arrival into San Jose, enjoy a hassle-free, private transfer to your accommodations at Finca Rosa – a coffee plantation and luxury inn that crowns the central valley mountain highlands. If you arrive early enough and are feeling the “Pura Vida,” considering heading straight for one of the country’s most beloved national parks, Poas Volcano. Or, keep it simple and enjoy a private tour of the coffee plantation on which your accommodations reside.
After breakfast at Finca Rosa, leave San Jose and the Central Valley behind and enjoy the ride through rural countryside, past small towns and soccer fields to the Pacific Coast and your destination, the Savegre River Valley, an untouched paradise with a wonderful adventure base – Rafiki Safari Lodge. Rafiki combines African-inspired safari tent accommodations, excellent cuisine, and myriad activities, all of which connect you to the wild nature of Costa Rica – an aqua hike, ziplining, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and more.
Leave the lodge this morning with a most fabulous send-off– an easy kayak paddle along the gentle Savegre River, amid verdant rainforest rich with wildlife – monkeys, sloths, toucans, and other tropical critters – to the Pacific Ocean. Paddle along the shoreline to Rafiki Beach Camp for a tasty Tico barbecue. After lunch, a private driver will whisk you off to your next accommodation, Arenas del Mar Beach and Nature Resort, your base for exploring one of Costa Rica’s most magnificent wildlife hot spots – Manuel Antonio National Park. The lodge offers spectacular views, excellent accommodations, dining, and a plethora of activities, onsite and off.
After three days of rich exploration, return to San Jose for one more night in Costa Rica. This day can take a number of directions, depending on your whims and preferences. Linger around Manual Antonio, explore San Jose, visit Poas Volcano (if you didn’t do it upon arrival), or…
Today you bid farewell to the wonder-filled Costa Rica.
Built in the hills overlooking Manuel Antonio National Park, Arenas del Mar offers breathtaking ocean and rainforest views. The resort offers a luxurious lodging experience in harmony with nature, where Costa Rican culture comes alive in the service, the cuisine, staff and setting. Guest rooms are designed to offer a high-end resort experience with modern amenities and the chance to enjoy the sounds of the rainforest and crashing waves. There is an onsite spa, two pools and two restaurants, as well as convenient access to Playitas Beach – just a short walk away (it’s an even shorter ride by way of complimentary golf cart shuttle!). A gift shop, featuring local arts, and crafts and business center round out the amenities to satisfy guest needs. The restaurants serve fresh meals inspired by local flavors and with a variety of vegetarian and seafood options. The informal beachfront café serves lunch and snacks; simple but satisfying. Arenas del Mar is the perfect base to explore the area and spend the day enjoying activities and nearby attractions including the extensive trail network of the hotel’s private reserve complete with hanging bridge and botanical gardens. Nearby Manuel Antonio National Park is one of Costa Rica’s wildlife hotspots, where visitors regularly encounter many of the birds, mammals, and amphibians for which Costa Rica is famous.
Rafiki is a family-owned, African-inspired, safari-tent camp and tapir re-introduction program located near the border of the Quetzal National Park, near the Pacific coast. Located just 30 kilometers from Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park, from Rafiki you can enjoy myriad activities that connect you to the wild forests of Costa Rica, while also supporting meaningful sustainable tourism initiatives. The location is superbly isolated in the lush jungle of the Savegre River Valley, yet has everything you could possibly need for a comfortable and enjoyable stay in the rainforest, including a waterslide and pool fed naturally by a stream, a great bar and barbecue area, and even an on-site massage therapist!
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