Photography Expedition

	Photography Expedition

Discount
Airfares

Costa Rica: Coast to Coast
Photography Expedition
with
Adrian Hepworth

March 3rd – 10th, 2012

If you would like to take a tour on dates not listed below or have any other queries
you can contact Adrian directly at AdrianHepworth@CentralAmerica.Com

Itinerary

Day 1

After arrival at Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaría international airport you will be chauffeur-driven to the domestic airport in San José, from where we will depart on our 1-hour flight to the town of Puerto Jiménez and the wilderness of the Osa Peninsula. We will take a 45-minute ride in a 4x4 vehicle from the airstrip in Puerto Jiménez to Bosque del Cabo Lodge, arriving late afternoon with enough time to settle in and have a stroll around the grounds before dinner.

Night 1 at Bosque del Cabo Lodge.

Day 2 & 3

The cliff-top gardens, sandy beaches and extensive network of rainforest trails around Bosque del Cabo Lodge will be our home for Days 2 and 3. The amount of wildlife here is astonishing and includes scarlet macaws, four species of monkey, coatis, peccaries, the Golfo Dulce poison dart frog, toucans, parrots and tyras. Though extremely rare, both jaguars and pumas have been sighted close to the lodge. Participants wishing to simply relax at any time during their stay at Bosque del Cabo are welcome to slip into the swimming pool or simply pull up a lounge chair and admire the stunning ocean views.
After dinner, those with head-flashlights can seek out some of the fascinating nocturnal insects, spiders, frogs and snakes that become active in the rainforest after dark.

Nights 2 and 3 at Bosque del Cabo Lodge.

Day 4 & 5

Today we will move to a very different ecosystem as we head north in a private transfer up into the Talamanca mountains of Costa Rica. Our destination is the small community of San Gerardo de Dota, which is nestled amongst cloud forest at the bottom of a steep-sided valley at an altitude of 2,200 meters. We shall stay two nights at Savegre Mountain Hotel photographing in the gardens and on the trails of the surrounding cloud forest. Of great interest here is one of the most beautiful birds in the world: the resplendent quetzal, which we are extremely likely to encounter. Savegre is also a superb destination for photographing a number of different hummingbird species; the action is fast and furious around the hotel feeders, where we will set up to shoot these birds visiting nearby flowers. Those wishing to unwind without a camera can treat themselves to a session in the new hotel spa and one of the recommended dinner specialties for all visitors is the fresh rainbow trout from the village river.

Nights 4 and 5 at Savegre Mountain Hotel.

Day 6

Our destination today is the fourth distinct ecosystem of our trip: the freshwater canals of Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast. A 3-hour drive followed by a 1-hour boat trip will deliver us to the boardwalk of the Tortuga Lodge hotel in Tortuguero. On the canal we typically see a crocodile or two, herons, anhingas, roseate spoonbills, iguanas and basilisks.

The evening offers us two exciting options to choose from: we can join a guided tour to see a green turtle laying eggs on Tortuguero beach (non-photographic and July to October only) or search the hotel gardens for insects and snakes.

Night 6 at Tortuga Lodge.

Day 7

In our own private boat, we have 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon to explore the canals that meander through the dense, primary rainforest of Tortuguero National Park. Caimans, monkeys, toucans, kingfishers, tiger herons, basilisks, otters and river turtles are usually encountered and can be photographed if approached slowly. Many other animals such as sloths, bats, snakes and hawks can also sometimes be found in the vegetation overhanging the water and green macaws, ospreys and manatees are occasionally glimpsed.
Lunch will be taken in Tortuga Lodge between boat outings.
After dinner, either of the previous night’s optional activities can be selected.

Night 7 at Tortuga Lodge.

Day 8

This morning, after an early breakfast, we will take a 30-minute flight from Tortuguero back to San José with superb views of the Caribbean coastline, Braulio Carrillo National Park and Turrialba and Irazú Volcanoes. Once we land at San José’s domestic airport you will then be transferred to the Juan Santamaría International Airport for your homeward journey.

Complete list of recommended equipment for this expedition.

Price: $3,045*

*All rates are per person based on double occupancy for a group of 6 people.
For a group of less than 6 people please contact us to adjust this quote.

Price Includes: Individual and group photography instruction by Adrian Hepworth, all land, water and air transportation within Costa Rica, three meals per day beginning with dinner on Day 1 and ending with breakfast on Day 10, services of local, bilingual nature guides and all park entrance fees.

Price does NOT Include: Snacks, alcoholic beverages, turtle-watching tour fee and optional tips.

Custom Expeditions: With advanced notice, Adrian can conduct this tour on dates other than those advertised.

Contact CentralAmerica.Com For Information & Reservations

E-mail PhotoTour@CentralAmerica.Com

Call toll free from United States or Canada at 1-800-948-3770