Costa Rica fully escorted trip - Tuesday 7th March 2023 With Clare & Paul of Ponders Travel

STAR CLIPPERS - Founded in 1989 -

Costa Rica fully escorted trip - Tuesday 7th March 2023 With Clare & Paul of Ponders Travel

The Entire Tour Day By Day Day 1 - Tuesday 7th March 2023 | London – San Jose Depart London to San Jose, flight times and airline TBC 11 months prior to departure.* Group transfer to Costa Rica Marriott Hotel in San Jose, hotel based on dinner, bed & breakfast.

Day 2 – Wednesday 8th March 2023 | San Jose – Arenal Depart early in the morning, after breakfast from the Central Valley to the northern lowlands, heading to La Fortuna town, home of the Arenal Volcano. Stop at Doka Estate, one of Costa Rica’s premium coffee plantations, and producer of internationally acclaimed coffees. The tour continues to the Poas Volcano national park for a guided walk. Poás Volcano is considered the largest active crater in the world. It is approximately 1.6 Km (1 mile) wide and over 1,000 feet (320 m) deep. The picturesque sightseeing ride to the volcano will allow you to see how the vegetation changes as you keep ascending until you reach the cloud forest. Lunch included.

Afternoon arrival at the Arenal Kioro Resort & Spa, if the weather conditions allow, you will enjoy magnificent views of the imposing Arenal Volcano. 2-night stay at Arenal Kioro Resort & Spa including dinner & breakfast.

Day 3 - Thursday 9th March 2023 | Arenal If you are a nature lover and your idea of a fantastic tour is seeing as much local wildlife as possible, then Caño Negro is your perfect destination. You will travel for an hour and a half through the Northern plains until you reach Los Chiles, a village located only 4 km from the Nicaraguan border. At Los Chiles, you will board a boat that will take you around the river for a floating Safari through the rain forest. Here you will be able to see many different types of birds, especially during the dry season. Among the most commonly seen are the Anhinga, the Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Storks and the jabiru, the largest bird in Central America and quite endangered. If you look closely at the shore, you can see Howler Monkeys, Spider Monkeys and White-faced Monkeys, as well as the Three-Toed sloth and reptiles like caimans, Jesus Christ lizards and turtles. Through the trip, you will be able to eat some snacks and afterwards, you will enjoy a delicious Costa Rican lunch, local fruits, natural juices and coffee. (Overnight stay at Arenal Kioro Resort & Spa with dinner & breakfast) Day 4 - Friday 10th March 2023 | Monteverde Transfer this morning to Monteverde, as you get closer to the mountains you will enjoy the beautiful rural towns that adorn the gravel road and as you approach the high ground, you will feel a slight change in temperature since you will be more than 1300 meters above sea level. If you would like to have an amazing view of the Monteverde cloud forest that only birds have, the Sky Walk and Sky Tram are the perfect way to get through the forest’s sky. The Sky Walk is made of a trail of 2.5 km, which includes 6 hanging bridges of different lengths and heights, giving you a 360° view of the cloud forest all around you. At the Sky Tram, you will be able to fly among the trees inside a comfortable and spacious gondola while you watch local wildlife nearly at your fingertips.

As you move among the forest, you will see how it starts changing due to the height. Here you will enjoy the fantastic views of Arenal volcano and its well-known lake, as well as great views of the Tilarán mountain range.

Arrival and check into the El Establo Hotel for a night stay and enjoy dinner & breakfast at the hotel.

Day 5 - Saturday 11th March 2023 | Monteverde - Puerto Caldera Monteverde is widely recognised as the perfect destination for those looking to spend some quality time surrounded by nature. This region is considered to be one of the most biologically diverse areas in the country.

This is why Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is continuously visited by nature lovers from all around the world, marvelling at its beauty. Led by your local tour guide, you will walk for approximately 2 hours at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Located at an altitude between 1,200 and 1,600m, this cloud forest gives you the chance of exploring a different type of forest, allowing you to make your very own comparison between the biodiversity found in a rainforest and a cloud forest, proving that Costa Rica is full of natural treasures. After lunch, embarkation transfer from Monteverde to Caldera pier.

Saturday 11th March 2023 | Join Star Clipper for 7 nights - Costa Rica & Panama Check in at around 4pm at Puerto Caldera cruise port.

Day 6 - Sunday 12th March 2023 | Quepos, Costa Rica The small busy town of Quepos serves as the gateway to the Manuel Antonio National Park. The park’s mangroves, lagoons and beach-lined rainforests shelter howler, white-faced and squirrel monkeys. Nearby sandy beaches include Playa Espadilla and Playa Biesanz. Northwest of the town, the Damas Island mangrove estuary is home to wildlife including caimans, snakes and iguanas. Or, just have a wander around the town, there is a good restaurant scene, the streets are easy to navigate and the locals are very friendly.

Day By Day Continued...

Day 7 - Monday 13th March 2023 | Golfito, Costa Rica Golfito is Costa Rica’s most southern port town. It was built on bananas – the United Fruit Company moved its regional headquarters here in the ‘30s and remained until its departure in the 1980s. There are plenty of activities on offer including horseback riding, kayaking and trips to nearby mangrove forests.

Day 8 - Tuesday 14th March 2023 | Coiba Island Panama Coiba Island lies 30 miles off the south coast of Panama. It is the largest of the 38 islands that make up the Coiba National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has 1,450 plant species and its rain forests are home to hundreds of different animals. The surrounding waters support the eastern Pacific’s second largest coral reef, which makes scuba diving particularly rewarding. You could spot whale and tiger sharks, manta and eagle rays and large schools of fish. The island also has a fascinating history as it was once a penal colony and was largely isolated for the past century.

Day 9 - Wednesday 15th March 2023 | Marine Park Golfo de Chiriqui, Parida Island, Panama Golfo de Chiriquí is home to a national marine park protecting an area of just over 147 sq km, including 25 islands and 19 coral reefs which host abundant wildlife. It’s home to marine ecosystems, including coral reef, mangrove swamps and marine meadows. Here you could find howler monkeys, several types of nesting sea turtles and 280 recorded bird species. You can snorkel, surf or kayak in the calm waters or take a big game fishing trip.

Day 10 - Thursday 16th March 2023 | At Sea Day 11 - Friday 17th March 2023 | Islas Tortugas, Costa Rica Isla Tortuga is widely regarded as the most beautiful island in Costa Rica. With giant coconut palms framing powder soft white sand beaches that are lapped by crystal clear turquoise waters, this really is a tropical paradise.

You can play beach volleyball, rent a kayak, swim, or even get a ride on a glass-bottom boat. If you are feeling adventurous you can ride the zip line as part of a canopy tour.

Day 12 - Saturday 18th March 2023 | San Jose - London Disembark Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, return flight home from San Jose to London, flight times and airline TBC.

SUN DECK

MAIN DECK MAIN DECK

MAIN DECK MAIN DECK

CLIPPER DECK CLIPPER DECK OWNERS OWNERSOWNERS OWNERS CABIN CABIN CABIN CABIN

S T D A E R C C K L P I L P A P N E R

SUN DECK

CLIPPER DECK CLIPPER DECK

COMMODORE DECK COMMODORE DECK

COMMODORE DECK COMMODORE DECK

= Third berth D= Fixed double bed S= Single berth O= Open directly into dining room R= Raised over 1 meter off ground

= Third berth D= Fixed double bed S= Single berth O= Open directly into dining room R= Raised over 1 meter off ground

7TH MARCH 2023 PONDERS GROUP DOUBLE OCCUPANCY PACKAGE PRICES

= Third berth D= Fixed double bed S= Single berth O= Open directly into dining room R= Raised over 1 meter off ground

Owners Suite 1

£4,744

Virtual Tours of select cabins are available at www.starclippers.com

O= Open directly into dining room R= Raised over 1 meter off ground = Third berth D= Fixed double bed S= Single berth£4,163

2 3 4 5 6

Virtual Tours of select cabins are available at www.starclippers.com

£3,962

£3,874 Virtual Tours of select cabins are available at www.starclippers.com £3,783

Virtual Tours of select cabins are available at www.starclippers.com

£3,662 £3,545

7TH MARCH 2023 PONDERS GROUP SOLO OCCUPANY PRICES Owners Suite

£7,543pp

1

£6,381pp

2

£5,200pp

3

£5,069pp

4

£4,932pp

5

£4,750pp

6

£4,573pp

Prices are per person, based on 2 persons sharing and include return flights, land tour as described and 7-nights full board sailing on Star Clipper. All airline taxes and port taxes are also included. *Please note, flights for 2023 are not released yet, and these fares are based on a provisional route and rate which will be bookable 11 months prior to departure. We will contact everyone booked on to this special departure to confirm the airline, departure airport and any increase/decrease on cost to the package at this stage. Any requested upgrades for flights will be quoted at this stage too. We will require a £600pp deposit upon confirmation and full balance payment 14 weeks prior to departure.