It was a dream come true to travel with Aurora Expeditions to this beautiful, pristine wilderness. It was so exciting to witness playful orcas, waddling penguins, stunning icebergs, and lounging seals. A particular highlight was the ‘polar plunge’. It was exhilarating jumping into the icy Antarctic waters and earning a warming shot of vodka. Cheers!

Enjoy the road less travelled? Then search out some of the lesser known but equally beautiful regions of Costa Rica. Enjoy the nature, wildlife and beaches but without the crowds and stay in authentic and intimate properties. For an off-beat adventure, check out our recommendations…

Turriabla
Washed by the pure waters of the Reventazón River, this is a beautiful region of primary forests, biological reserves, reforestation and extensive plantations of coffee, macadamia and sugar cane. It is ideal for those seeking adventure and biological diversity away from the crowds.
Stay here: Casa Turire
Try this: Visit the Guayabo; Costa Rica’s most extensive pre-historic ruins.
Guayabo National Monument.

San Gerardo de Dota
The home of the brilliant Quetzal, beautiful San Gerardo de Dota is just 85km southwest San Jose. The dazzling highland scenery is a mecca for birdwatchers and nature lovers alike. Pack your camera and guide book and head down Pan-American highway for ornithology heaven.
Stay here: Dantica
Try this: search for the Resplendent Quetzal with an expert bird guide.
The quetzal is both beautiful and elusive.

Nicoya Peninsula
Remote and beautiful, this region is home to some of Costa Rica’s finest beaches and boutique beach stays. Perfect for relaxing, the atmosphere is laid back with fresh fruit, hammocks and yoga aplenty. Prefer to stay active then horse-riding on the beaches and surfing the famous waves here are just some of the options.
Stay here: Nantipa
Try this: take a surf lesson on Santa Teresa’s point break perfect waves.
Sunset surfing Santa Teresa-style!

We love chucking in a curve ball into our itineraries when requested. Let us guide you on an off-beat odyssey.

by Hilary

The sounds of the Ecuadorian Amazon and gentle rock of the canoe during the paddle upstream was lulling me to a dreamy sleep; so much so I grabbed a paddle to help Juan and Carlitos with what was actually quite a tiring task! The ‘wind storm’ approaching turned out to be Howler Monkeys (we were becoming accustomed to Juan’s sense of humour). And so engrossed we were watching them run through the treetops, we barely noticed the canoe glide out of the creek and on to the lake.

What a magical way to arrive at Napo Wildlife Centre. The three of us in the boat had of course all seen the pictures, but I don’t think any of us were prepared for such a tranquil and serene scene.

Juan’s radio suddenly came to life – his comrades at the lodge letting us know that Giant River Otters were there. We paddled as quickly as we could to try to catch a rare glimpse of this endangered species. We neared and slowed in time to hear the otters calling to each other as they disappeared and reappeared from the calm water. The munching noise was them gobbling their catch whole. Their teeth were indeed extremely large! It was amazing to see, and we couldn’t believe how lucky we had been to share the experience.

So, imagine my amazement when the family returned almost as soon as we got to our room. The most gorgeous sounds of splashing and playing. Becoming more vocal as they back-tracked in search of one of the three cubs who was hiding in the reeds. He bobbed out, and off they swam together, calling and diving and happy. This was proving to be a very special night in the jungle.