TRIP DETAILS   8 days   Dates: February 13-20, 2010 Arrival: San Jose, Costa Rica, Saturday, February 13, by 6 pm   Airport Code: SJO   Departure: San Jose, Saturday, February 20, any time of day   Price: $2395 per person based on double occupancy   Single: $890 This is an optional charge. If traveling alone, you can be assigned a roommate or pay the single supplement to guarantee your own room.   Extras: $185 per room per night, Hotel Aurola Holiday Inn, (includes taxes and transfers) We suggest arriving a day early, on Friday, February 12. This will give you more time to explore San Jose and enjoy a Friday night out in San Jose.   Fitness Level: easy   Accommodations: Hotel Parador Tabacon Hot Springs Resort and Spa Hotel Aurola Holiday Inn Meals: 7 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 5 dinners   Includes: 2 nights at the Hotel Aurola in San Jose 2 nights at the Tabacon Resort 3 nights at the Hotel Parador in Manuel Antonio Rafting (1/2 day) Sail boat cruise Canopy adventure tour On-site Costa Rican guide and naturalists Airport transfers Ground transportation throughout tour Return flight from Quepos to San Jose Taxes and service charges Hiking tours Not included: international airfare, premium beverages like alcohol, personal expenses like phone calls and laundry, internet service, departure tax ($26), some meals, guide gratuities

Costa Rica Adventure February 13-20, 2010 Ah vacation! While up north the weather has gotten cool and the days have gotten short, Costa Rica has warm tropical weather and sunny days. The most peaceful and developed country in Central America, Costa Rica boasts high literacy, good infrastructure, progressive social policies, beautiful nature preserves, and an established gay scene. Join OutWest Global Adventures for a week of fun, adventure, and relaxation while we explore the best that Costa Rica has to offer. Raft through the rainforest on the Pacuare River, hike on a volcano, walk through the red-ripe berries of a coffee plantation, and feel the warmth of the Pacific Ocean as you swim along the beaches and islands of beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park. Or maybe you’d prefer to take a nature walk or kayak excursion, or just kickback by the pool and enjoy a tropical drink? Do as much or as little as you want on OutWest’s Costa Rica Adventure. Highlights: Relaxing in the hot springs near an active volcano Sailing on the Pacific Ocean Dancing in one of San Jose’s gay nightclubs Hanging by the pool at the resort Take a canopy tour of the rainforest by zipline. Yippie! White water rafting on the Pacuare River   Jenn Nelson Jenn lives in Red Lodge, Montana.

FULL ITINERARY:

DAY ONE.  ARRIVAL IN SAN JOSE. Your Costa Rican hosts will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel, the Hotel Alta, located in the valley near central San Jose. That evening we gather for our welcome dinner at Café Mundo, very popular with San Jose’s gay community. Bienvenido!
Accommodations: Hotel Aurola Holiday Inn

DAY TWO.  WHITE WATER RAFTING ON THE PACUARE RIVER. The first full day begins with an exciting trip down the Pacuare River. The class IV river has been declared a Wild and Scenic River. The 20 mile route winds deep inside of one of Costa Rica’s most impressive primordial rainforests. Yippie!

For the next two nights, the Tabacon Hot Springs Resort and Spa is our home. Nestled at the base of the Arenal Volcano, Tabacon is famous for the constant energy of an active volcano, the warmth of flowing thermo-mineral rivers, and the surrounding lush tropical rain forest.
Accommodations: Tabacon Hot Springs Resort and Spa

DAY THREE.   ARENAL AND HOT SPRINGS. Today we hike to the Arenal Volcano, undoubtedly the best way to experience the mighty “Mountain of Fire.” We will hike through diverse flora and fauna to the famous lava wall where you will walk on lava rocks from ancient time and observe lava boulders tumbling down the flanks of Arenal. Throughout the hike your professional guide will teach you about the activity and history of this marvelous volcano. Back at the resort, you may schedule a massage or take time to just kick back in the hot springs.
Accommodations: Tabacon Hot Springs Resort and Spa

DAY FOUR.  MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK. In the morning we depart south to the famous Manuel Antonio. Along the way, we will pass through coffee plantations and orchid farms and, for lunch, we will stop at the magnificent Villa Caletas. After lunch we will continue on to our final destination- the village of Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park. This area has become a Mecca for the local gay community who come to enjoy its beauty and solitude.
Accommodations: Hotel Parador

DAY FIVE.  CANOPY TOUR BY ZIPLINE. No OutWest trip is complete without a little adrenaline. We begin the adventure with a safari drive through tropical rainforests and across a river. Then we explore the rainforest on a canopy tour. You see the jungle from above as you glide from platform to platform suspended on a cable, high in the canopy of the rainforest. Yippee! Along the route, we’ll spot for poison dark frogs, toucans, Titi monkeys, and a variety of tropical plants.
Accommodations: Hotel Parador

DAY SIX.   OPTIONS AND SUNSET SAIL. Included in OutWest’s tour is a sunset sail. As the boat sails down the scenic coast, look for dolphins that often swim next to the boat. Occasionally, whales and giant sea turtles can be spotted. Enjoy dinner as you watch the sun set on the Pacific.
Accommodations: Hotel Parador

OPTIONS. OPTIONS. OPTIONS.  The area has many sites, which you can explore on your own. For an additional cost, you can go horseback riding, sailing, snorkeling, mountain biking, or kayaking in the Manuel Antonio region. OutWest is there to help you make arrangements.

DO NOTHING.  Bring a beach towel and lie on the sand. Lounge by the pool and read a book. Make new friends around the resort bar. Get away from it all on OutWest’s Costa Rican Adventure.

DAY SEVEN.   SCENIC FLIGHT BACK TO SAN JOSE. We’ll fly back to San Jose in the late morning or early afternoon. Back in San Jose, you’ll have part of the afternoon to explore the city’s museums, markets, and stores. That evening, we’ll gather at San Jose’s trendy Olio’s for our farewell dinner, then it’s off to explore the nightlife.
Accommodations: Hotel Aurola Holiday Inn

DAY EIGHT.  RETURNING HOME. BACK TO REALITY. All good things must come to an end, but the memories of your tropical escape with OutWest Global Adventures will remain. Transportation is provided to the international airport. Adios!