- Joined
- Oct 18, 2006
- Threads
- 6
- Messages
- 45
- Location
- Tamarindo Beach, Costa Rica
- Website
- www.offroadcostarica.com
Tropical Wheelin!
Ok folks, the date is drawing near, we have a 3 day / 2 night expedition down the Nicoya Peninsula, we leave Tamarindo Beach on the 7th of March.
below is an itinerary for the expedition, the special MUDer' price- $900 per person.
Three cars confirmed.
PM me to Reserve your FJ or BJ 40 today!
Cancellation policy – 30 days prior to departure, no refund. 45 days prior to departure, 50% refund. 46 days+ prior to departure, 75% refund. (The logistics for these trips are difficult and cancellations are not fun for us. If we can fill your cancellation, we will provide you with a full refund.)
The trip will depart from our offices in Tamarindo at 8:00am. (We will have met with all clients the night before at our welcome sunset drink gathering at a favorite local restaurant. For those clients doing full booking through Off Road Adventures, we will meet you at your flights arrival at either Liberia or San Jose International airport.)
The overnight trip will wind along the coast road past Junquillal and Ostional to Nosara (for a good map of the Nicoya Peninsula, please click here http://www.nicoyapeninsula.com/general/map.html
The trip will include:
1. Your own restored BJ40 Toyota Land cruiser. These are legendary off road diesel vehicles all built between 1970 - 1980. Roll bars, soft-tops, new heavy duty mud tires, fully renovated engine, re-built suspension, restored seating, powerful CB radios. All fuel is provided of course. Six gallon spare fuel tanks are kept full and at the ready. We assume our clients can drive a standard (stick shift) vehicle. Previous 4x4 or off road driving is helpful but not necessary.
2. All jungle supplies - machetes, maps, compasses, water containers, magnifying glasses, field guides, hand radios, GPS, first aid kit, etc. And believe it or not, a bull whip (if it was good enough for Indiana Jones, it’s good enough for us.)
3. All lodging. (for an example of the type of places we are negotiating with, please visit http://www.casa-romantica.net/englisch/hotel.html) We have taken a page from the heydays of the best of African safaris (think Ernest Hemmingway). These adventurers knew that the perfect balance to a day of trekking, hiking and hunting was a comfortable bed with thick linen sheets, a warm fire and a good martini. Well, we can’t let you hunt (Costa Rican government frowns on that for some reason) but we will be sure you have the luxurious bedding and the perfect wine or drink to end your day. We'll even round up some hand-rolled Costa Rican cigars if that is your preference.
4. Full breakfast every day. These will feature fresh juices, Costa Rican coffee, eggs, breads, bacon, ham, croissants, and fruit. The meals are higher-end and frankly better prepared than much of the fare to be found at many hotels and resorts. Breakfasts will be included in the price of the trip and will be provided at a local restaurant.
5. Gourmet lunches in the field. The gourmet lunches are an Off Road specialty. We have teamed up with an excellent caterer and we have worked on several weddings thus far. We provide gourmet lunches in the field at the secluded beaches, wooded clearings and waterfalls that we know about. An Off Road team races ahead of the group (in an HJ45 stretch Land Cruiser truck of course!) and in about 30 minutes time, sets up a field camp with canopy tents, tables, table linens, china, wine glasses, candles and fresh cut flowers. Lunches include:
a. Appetizers (choice of Caesar Salad or a green leaf chef’s salad. Dressings – Caesar, balsamic vinaigrette, extra virgin olive oil or chef’s honey mustard
b. Main Course (choice of oven-baked herbed chicken, carefully marinated overnight, served with seasoned wild rice and buttered baby vegetables. A couple slices of platano maduro (fried ripe plantain) for the Costa Rican Touch. Or – Pan seared yellow fin tuna, prepared with fresh ginger and black peppercorns, served with light soy sauce and Wasabi, garnished with sautéed vegetables and wild rice.
c. Desert (Choice of fresh chocolate-covered strawberries, freshly cooked tarts or pies and/or home made chocolate cookies or brownies. Served with delicious Costa Rican coffee. Our deserts are supplied by Panaderia de Paris or Laguna del Cocodrilo (http://www.lalagunadelcocodrilo.com/english/index1.html)
d. Beverages (Montepulciano D’abrutzio (red Italian wine), Marques de Caceres (white Spanish wine), Imperial Cervezas (beer), fresh juices, bottled water and soft drinks. (Please note that drivers are not allowed to drink alcohol during lunch. Or at least we are not supposed to see you do it so be sneaky about it please).
5. Dinners are paid for by our clients. Our guides and naturalists will be eating dinners at a predetermined restaurant and any or all of our clients can join us. We hope they do as these dinners will include slide shows showing the stunning flora and fauna of Costa Rica and the Nicoya Peninsula. But we recognize that our clients may want to dine on their own and we respect their privacy. We would be happy to set up dinner reservations for our clients whether they chose to join us or dine on their own. Dinner prices vary from $25pp to $70pp at a good restaurant with one or two bottles of wine.
6. Expert Field guides. Fully certified Costa Rican guides with years of experience. Our guides have grown up in Guanacaste and have a deep love and appreciation for their country. They know the flora and fauna well of course and can spot monkeys, armadillos, rare birds and plants. They are fluent in English and enjoy discussing Costa Rican history and politics. They, together with the mechanics, will plan the days route so that the off-road driving will include 4 x 4, river crossings, mud, winching, hill climbing. We spend about 4-5 hours driving and exploring in the cars each day. (Note from Ted – I spend a lot of time interviewing and getting to know my guides before hiring them. These guys are carefully culled from the best of the best. Not only are they smart and capable, but they are also a lot of fun. The guides and the cars are what make Off Road trips so great.)
7. Water and beach toys. We travel with a sea kayak, beach chairs, beach towels, umbrellas, boogie boards and full snorkeling gear. Our beach stops last for 90 minutes each day (often to watch the sunset) and we know the best locations for snorkeling and boogie boarding. Great times to rest from a day’s drive or your last hike. Snacks provided include fresh fruit, bottle water, and Famous Amos Chocolate Chip cookies. It ain’t a trip, without Chocolate chip.
8. Local tours will be arranged for the mornings in Nosara. We have checked all of these out and believe that this represents the best and most authentic way to experience the beauty of Costa Rica.
Kayaking: Behind the beach of Nosara, the Rio Montaña and Rio Nosara converge to form a large lagoon with extensive mangroves, teeming with maritime life and waterfowl. Gliding slowly and silently through the water in a kayak is the best way to explore this fascinating habitat. The lagoon and river mouth are favorite haunts for local fishermen and are famous for fly fishing. Conditions are at their best with the incoming tide, at which time you can observe traditional "pescadores" catch fish with hand lines, and shrimp with large oval nets.
Boat tours: Local fishermen at Playa Pelada will take you on a tour with their pangas (small boat) to try your hand at fishing, or simply contemplate the spectacle of dolphins, turtles and the seasonal passing of whales.
8. Expert Mechanics. Off Road Costa Rica has its own full time mechanics, who while not on tours, spend their days fixing and maintaining the Land Cruisers. These guys are expert drivers and a whiz at fixing flats or suspension problems in the field. We travel with a complete spare parts kit including tires, hoses, leaf springs, shocks, welding kit, fuses, lights, brake fluids, air, break and fuel filters, spare fuel, and full tool kits. Frankly, you break it, we fix it. And speaking of breaking it, since this is an off road trip, all road repairs are done at our cost. We recognize that you may get the car stuck in a river or damage a wheel and we make provisions for this.
9. Insurance, Licenses, Permits and Approvals. Off Road Costa Rica is fully licensed by ICT and the municipality of Santa Cruz. We maintain extensive liability/bodily injury fleet coverage up to $250,000 USD per vehicle. We also maintain an umbrella policy of $1.2 million USD as additional coverage. We have to maintain this level of coverage to be able to book tours with the large Costa Rican Hotels and tour providers. Evidence of our licenses, approvals and Insurance will be posted as a .PDF file on our web site by November 1st. We are proud of our coverage and our 100% safety record and we will continue to consider our clients safety as our number one concern.
Ok folks, the date is drawing near, we have a 3 day / 2 night expedition down the Nicoya Peninsula, we leave Tamarindo Beach on the 7th of March.
below is an itinerary for the expedition, the special MUDer' price- $900 per person.
Three cars confirmed.
PM me to Reserve your FJ or BJ 40 today!
Cancellation policy – 30 days prior to departure, no refund. 45 days prior to departure, 50% refund. 46 days+ prior to departure, 75% refund. (The logistics for these trips are difficult and cancellations are not fun for us. If we can fill your cancellation, we will provide you with a full refund.)
The trip will depart from our offices in Tamarindo at 8:00am. (We will have met with all clients the night before at our welcome sunset drink gathering at a favorite local restaurant. For those clients doing full booking through Off Road Adventures, we will meet you at your flights arrival at either Liberia or San Jose International airport.)
The overnight trip will wind along the coast road past Junquillal and Ostional to Nosara (for a good map of the Nicoya Peninsula, please click here http://www.nicoyapeninsula.com/general/map.html
The trip will include:
1. Your own restored BJ40 Toyota Land cruiser. These are legendary off road diesel vehicles all built between 1970 - 1980. Roll bars, soft-tops, new heavy duty mud tires, fully renovated engine, re-built suspension, restored seating, powerful CB radios. All fuel is provided of course. Six gallon spare fuel tanks are kept full and at the ready. We assume our clients can drive a standard (stick shift) vehicle. Previous 4x4 or off road driving is helpful but not necessary.
2. All jungle supplies - machetes, maps, compasses, water containers, magnifying glasses, field guides, hand radios, GPS, first aid kit, etc. And believe it or not, a bull whip (if it was good enough for Indiana Jones, it’s good enough for us.)
3. All lodging. (for an example of the type of places we are negotiating with, please visit http://www.casa-romantica.net/englisch/hotel.html) We have taken a page from the heydays of the best of African safaris (think Ernest Hemmingway). These adventurers knew that the perfect balance to a day of trekking, hiking and hunting was a comfortable bed with thick linen sheets, a warm fire and a good martini. Well, we can’t let you hunt (Costa Rican government frowns on that for some reason) but we will be sure you have the luxurious bedding and the perfect wine or drink to end your day. We'll even round up some hand-rolled Costa Rican cigars if that is your preference.
4. Full breakfast every day. These will feature fresh juices, Costa Rican coffee, eggs, breads, bacon, ham, croissants, and fruit. The meals are higher-end and frankly better prepared than much of the fare to be found at many hotels and resorts. Breakfasts will be included in the price of the trip and will be provided at a local restaurant.
5. Gourmet lunches in the field. The gourmet lunches are an Off Road specialty. We have teamed up with an excellent caterer and we have worked on several weddings thus far. We provide gourmet lunches in the field at the secluded beaches, wooded clearings and waterfalls that we know about. An Off Road team races ahead of the group (in an HJ45 stretch Land Cruiser truck of course!) and in about 30 minutes time, sets up a field camp with canopy tents, tables, table linens, china, wine glasses, candles and fresh cut flowers. Lunches include:
a. Appetizers (choice of Caesar Salad or a green leaf chef’s salad. Dressings – Caesar, balsamic vinaigrette, extra virgin olive oil or chef’s honey mustard
b. Main Course (choice of oven-baked herbed chicken, carefully marinated overnight, served with seasoned wild rice and buttered baby vegetables. A couple slices of platano maduro (fried ripe plantain) for the Costa Rican Touch. Or – Pan seared yellow fin tuna, prepared with fresh ginger and black peppercorns, served with light soy sauce and Wasabi, garnished with sautéed vegetables and wild rice.
c. Desert (Choice of fresh chocolate-covered strawberries, freshly cooked tarts or pies and/or home made chocolate cookies or brownies. Served with delicious Costa Rican coffee. Our deserts are supplied by Panaderia de Paris or Laguna del Cocodrilo (http://www.lalagunadelcocodrilo.com/english/index1.html)
d. Beverages (Montepulciano D’abrutzio (red Italian wine), Marques de Caceres (white Spanish wine), Imperial Cervezas (beer), fresh juices, bottled water and soft drinks. (Please note that drivers are not allowed to drink alcohol during lunch. Or at least we are not supposed to see you do it so be sneaky about it please).
5. Dinners are paid for by our clients. Our guides and naturalists will be eating dinners at a predetermined restaurant and any or all of our clients can join us. We hope they do as these dinners will include slide shows showing the stunning flora and fauna of Costa Rica and the Nicoya Peninsula. But we recognize that our clients may want to dine on their own and we respect their privacy. We would be happy to set up dinner reservations for our clients whether they chose to join us or dine on their own. Dinner prices vary from $25pp to $70pp at a good restaurant with one or two bottles of wine.
6. Expert Field guides. Fully certified Costa Rican guides with years of experience. Our guides have grown up in Guanacaste and have a deep love and appreciation for their country. They know the flora and fauna well of course and can spot monkeys, armadillos, rare birds and plants. They are fluent in English and enjoy discussing Costa Rican history and politics. They, together with the mechanics, will plan the days route so that the off-road driving will include 4 x 4, river crossings, mud, winching, hill climbing. We spend about 4-5 hours driving and exploring in the cars each day. (Note from Ted – I spend a lot of time interviewing and getting to know my guides before hiring them. These guys are carefully culled from the best of the best. Not only are they smart and capable, but they are also a lot of fun. The guides and the cars are what make Off Road trips so great.)
7. Water and beach toys. We travel with a sea kayak, beach chairs, beach towels, umbrellas, boogie boards and full snorkeling gear. Our beach stops last for 90 minutes each day (often to watch the sunset) and we know the best locations for snorkeling and boogie boarding. Great times to rest from a day’s drive or your last hike. Snacks provided include fresh fruit, bottle water, and Famous Amos Chocolate Chip cookies. It ain’t a trip, without Chocolate chip.
8. Local tours will be arranged for the mornings in Nosara. We have checked all of these out and believe that this represents the best and most authentic way to experience the beauty of Costa Rica.
Kayaking: Behind the beach of Nosara, the Rio Montaña and Rio Nosara converge to form a large lagoon with extensive mangroves, teeming with maritime life and waterfowl. Gliding slowly and silently through the water in a kayak is the best way to explore this fascinating habitat. The lagoon and river mouth are favorite haunts for local fishermen and are famous for fly fishing. Conditions are at their best with the incoming tide, at which time you can observe traditional "pescadores" catch fish with hand lines, and shrimp with large oval nets.
Boat tours: Local fishermen at Playa Pelada will take you on a tour with their pangas (small boat) to try your hand at fishing, or simply contemplate the spectacle of dolphins, turtles and the seasonal passing of whales.
8. Expert Mechanics. Off Road Costa Rica has its own full time mechanics, who while not on tours, spend their days fixing and maintaining the Land Cruisers. These guys are expert drivers and a whiz at fixing flats or suspension problems in the field. We travel with a complete spare parts kit including tires, hoses, leaf springs, shocks, welding kit, fuses, lights, brake fluids, air, break and fuel filters, spare fuel, and full tool kits. Frankly, you break it, we fix it. And speaking of breaking it, since this is an off road trip, all road repairs are done at our cost. We recognize that you may get the car stuck in a river or damage a wheel and we make provisions for this.
9. Insurance, Licenses, Permits and Approvals. Off Road Costa Rica is fully licensed by ICT and the municipality of Santa Cruz. We maintain extensive liability/bodily injury fleet coverage up to $250,000 USD per vehicle. We also maintain an umbrella policy of $1.2 million USD as additional coverage. We have to maintain this level of coverage to be able to book tours with the large Costa Rican Hotels and tour providers. Evidence of our licenses, approvals and Insurance will be posted as a .PDF file on our web site by November 1st. We are proud of our coverage and our 100% safety record and we will continue to consider our clients safety as our number one concern.
