Please wait... Overseas Adventure Travel / Costa Rica / Trip Evaluation / Dec. 2004
Comments on Pre-Trip Service/Materials:
All pre-trip materials were received on time and were clearly printed. The pre-trip materials where very helpful in my preparations. I especially liked the complete day by day itinerary and the address and contact information of our lodgings so that I could leave this important information with my family at home. The duplicate copy of the lodging information was a bonus. And thank you for the money belt/passport wallet gift. That was a nice start of hopefully a long lasting travel relationship. Gary G. Schempp
Comments on Traveling to/from Your Destination:
The reason for the poor rating on the Miami to Philadelphia flight was due to over crowding and lack of employees to assist the mobs of people at the Miami airport. Although it was the holidays and over crowding was expected, Miami airport should have made arrangements to handle the expected traffic. There were actually huge round masses of thousands of travelers and no apparent lines or assistance. Our small group going to Philadelphia made the connection with only seconds to spare and required more than a comfortable amount of nudging to get to our gate. It was a very close call. In my opinion, many people would avoid future travel if having to incur such a stressful airport experience. Gary G. Schempp
Comments on Trip Leader:
Although I have traveled extensively and independently worldwide, this was to be my first organized tour with a professional company. I was previously impressed with your companys website and beautiful glossy color brochures and magazines. However, it was not until I received a telephone call the day before my adventure in Costa Rica was to begin from my guide to be, Mario Esquivel, that I knew it would be a great trip. From that moment until we parted at the San Jose Airport, Mario made me feel like a captured audience. His professionalism, abilities, knowledge, friendship, kindness, boundless energy, resourcefulness, and total concern and dedication to me and the group were overwhelming. I heard my group partners who had traveled extensively on other tours and with other tour companies discuss how they felt Mario was the best guide that they had ever experienced. Gary G. Schempp www.GaryGS1.com
Comments on Accommodations:
WOW!!! What great accommodations!!! All the lodgings that we stayed in were excellent and exceeded my expectations. All were very clean, politely staffed and seemingly well managed. The natural settings of all the accommodations certainly complimented an already outstanding travel experience in Costa Rica. Buena Vista Lodge with all of its on-site activities, such as the canopy tour, horseback riding, mud bath activities, hot springs, water slide and fantastic sunset views was a highlight as well as the Sarapiquis Centro Neotropico with its unique round thatched roof buildings beside the Tirimbina Rainforest Center and nearby white water rafting on the Sarapiquis River. Gary G. Schempp www.GaryGS1.com
Comments on Learning and Discovery:
Learning and Discovery was a non-stop process with our group leader, Mario Esquivel, local biologists and other experts at the helm. The listed itinerary agendas of Bio-Diversity lectures, wildlife and bat tour/classes, coffee and pineapple plantation discoveries, visiting a tea making co-op, nature walks, river, rainforest and canopy explorations, as well as the other unexpected but unique learning experiences, dazzled us. Our group was amazed at the level of knowledge we were surrounded with and guided by. The highlight for me was a visit to the Escuela San Rafael where we met the most charming and polite children followed by a local home hosted lunch and a conversation of local foods and family. Gary G. Schempp
Comments on What Shops Offered the Most Unique & Locally Made Products:
Near the end of our trip heading back to San Jose we stopped in a very unique gift shop that I, unfortunately, do not remember the name of. However, it is where there were three young indigenous girls creating artwork and crafts around a table in the backroom of the gift shop. One Girl was painting scenery on single local bird feathers with oil paints while the others were working with fabric and making the unique Molas. I was drawn into a spell watching these experts at their craft. Afterwards I purchased some items that I will cherish forever. This was my favorite shopping experience. Gary G. Schempp www.GaryGS1.com
Comments on What Optional Excursions Provided the Best Learning & Discovery:
My favorite optional excursion was the Canopy Tour at Buena Vista in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. I had watched on television learning shows, and read in trade journals and magazines about botanists, biologists, and other scientists as well as those interested in adventure, studying and subsequently riding thru the rainforest canopy on these cable runs from tree top to tree top far above the rainforest floor. I had hoped that one day I too would be able to experience this lifelong desire. OAT made it possible for me to fulfill this personal quest. Thank you, Gary G. Schempp www.GaryGS1.com
Comments on Itinerary and Pacing:
Itinerary and pacing was definitely in balance. I was most impressed at the level of organization and commitment that our trip leader Mario Esquivel and in general the entire travel company of Overseas Adventure Travel design into their itineraries. Our courteous, polite, helpful and very professional driver Walter was instrumental in getting us to our destinations safely and timely. In addition, the comfortable travel bus designed for 16 people was kept meticulously clean by our driver, Walter, while the group was busy on excursions or in off hours. Walter even does window! Thank you Walter!!! Gary G. Schempp
Comments on What was the Most Enjoyable Aspect of This Trip:
I enjoyed most the explorative spirit and camaraderie that embodied our group in our exploration of Costa Rica. This was undoubtedly brought on by the involvement of our group leader Mario Esquivel in his personal and professional quest to educate our group on the virtues, beauty, uniqueness and splendor of his country, Costa Rica. Thank you, Mario for all your interest, personal attention and friendship. You are truly a wonderful person and unique individual. Gary G. Schempp
Comments on What was the Least Enjoyable Aspect of this Trip:
Miami Airport. Thats it!!! Gary G. Schempp
Comments on What Suggestion (s) for Improvement of This Tour Do You Have:
Suggestions for improvement? When I can think of some I will definitely let you know! Thank you for a fantastic, memorable and complete experience. I am looking forward to future adventures with Overseas Adventure Travel. Please contact or otherwise advise me for any additional information that may be helpful to you. Please also advise me in the event there is any function that I could perform for you or your company in the future. Fairly complete subtitled photo documentation of all 13 days can be found on my travel site www.GaryGS1.com .Click on Whats New and find Costa Rica Albums. Or, type this URL into your browser: http://public.fotki.com/GaryGS1 (Untitled pictures in chronological order are provided on the enclosed Photo CD for easy viewing and browsing.)
Sincerely, Gary G. Schempp
Comments on Pre-Trip Service/Materials:
All pre-trip materials were received on time and were clearly printed. The pre-trip materials where very helpful in my preparations. I especially liked the complete day by day itinerary and the address and contact information of our lodgings so that I could leave this important information with my family at home. The duplicate copy of the lodging information was a bonus. And thank you for the money belt/passport wallet gift. That was a nice start of hopefully a long lasting travel relationship. Gary G. Schempp
Comments on Traveling to/from Your Destination:
The reason for the poor rating on the Miami to Philadelphia flight was due to over crowding and lack of employees to assist the mobs of people at the Miami airport. Although it was the holidays and over crowding was expected, Miami airport should have made arrangements to handle the expected traffic. There were actually huge round masses of thousands of travelers and no apparent lines or assistance. Our small group going to Philadelphia made the connection with only seconds to spare and required more than a comfortable amount of nudging to get to our gate. It was a very close call. In my opinion, many people would avoid future travel if having to incur such a stressful airport experience. Gary G. Schempp
Comments on Trip Leader:
Although I have traveled extensively and independently worldwide, this was to be my first organized tour with a professional company. I was previously impressed with your companys website and beautiful glossy color brochures and magazines. However, it was not until I received a telephone call the day before my adventure in Costa Rica was to begin from my guide to be, Mario Esquivel, that I knew it would be a great trip. From that moment until we parted at the San Jose Airport, Mario made me feel like a captured audience. His professionalism, abilities, knowledge, friendship, kindness, boundless energy, resourcefulness, and total concern and dedication to me and the group were overwhelming. I heard my group partners who had traveled extensively on other tours and with other tour companies discuss how they felt Mario was the best guide that they had ever experienced. Gary G. Schempp www.GaryGS1.com
Comments on Accommodations:
WOW!!! What great accommodations!!! All the lodgings that we stayed in were excellent and exceeded my expectations. All were very clean, politely staffed and seemingly well managed. The natural settings of all the accommodations certainly complimented an already outstanding travel experience in Costa Rica. Buena Vista Lodge with all of its on-site activities, such as the canopy tour, horseback riding, mud bath activities, hot springs, water slide and fantastic sunset views was a highlight as well as the Sarapiquis Centro Neotropico with its unique round thatched roof buildings beside the Tirimbina Rainforest Center and nearby white water rafting on the Sarapiquis River. Gary G. Schempp www.GaryGS1.com
Comments on Learning and Discovery:
Learning and Discovery was a non-stop process with our group leader, Mario Esquivel, local biologists and other experts at the helm. The listed itinerary agendas of Bio-Diversity lectures, wildlife and bat tour/classes, coffee and pineapple plantation discoveries, visiting a tea making co-op, nature walks, river, rainforest and canopy explorations, as well as the other unexpected but unique learning experiences, dazzled us. Our group was amazed at the level of knowledge we were surrounded with and guided by. The highlight for me was a visit to the Escuela San Rafael where we met the most charming and polite children followed by a local home hosted lunch and a conversation of local foods and family. Gary G. Schempp
Comments on What Shops Offered the Most Unique & Locally Made Products:
Near the end of our trip heading back to San Jose we stopped in a very unique gift shop that I, unfortunately, do not remember the name of. However, it is where there were three young indigenous girls creating artwork and crafts around a table in the backroom of the gift shop. One Girl was painting scenery on single local bird feathers with oil paints while the others were working with fabric and making the unique Molas. I was drawn into a spell watching these experts at their craft. Afterwards I purchased some items that I will cherish forever. This was my favorite shopping experience. Gary G. Schempp www.GaryGS1.com
Comments on What Optional Excursions Provided the Best Learning & Discovery:
My favorite optional excursion was the Canopy Tour at Buena Vista in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. I had watched on television learning shows, and read in trade journals and magazines about botanists, biologists, and other scientists as well as those interested in adventure, studying and subsequently riding thru the rainforest canopy on these cable runs from tree top to tree top far above the rainforest floor. I had hoped that one day I too would be able to experience this lifelong desire. OAT made it possible for me to fulfill this personal quest. Thank you, Gary G. Schempp www.GaryGS1.com
Comments on Itinerary and Pacing:
Itinerary and pacing was definitely in balance. I was most impressed at the level of organization and commitment that our trip leader Mario Esquivel and in general the entire travel company of Overseas Adventure Travel design into their itineraries. Our courteous, polite, helpful and very professional driver Walter was instrumental in getting us to our destinations safely and timely. In addition, the comfortable travel bus designed for 16 people was kept meticulously clean by our driver, Walter, while the group was busy on excursions or in off hours. Walter even does window! Thank you Walter!!! Gary G. Schempp
Comments on What was the Most Enjoyable Aspect of This Trip:
I enjoyed most the explorative spirit and camaraderie that embodied our group in our exploration of Costa Rica. This was undoubtedly brought on by the involvement of our group leader Mario Esquivel in his personal and professional quest to educate our group on the virtues, beauty, uniqueness and splendor of his country, Costa Rica. Thank you, Mario for all your interest, personal attention and friendship. You are truly a wonderful person and unique individual. Gary G. Schempp
Comments on What was the Least Enjoyable Aspect of this Trip:
Miami Airport. Thats it!!! Gary G. Schempp
Comments on What Suggestion (s) for Improvement of This Tour Do You Have:
Suggestions for improvement? When I can think of some I will definitely let you know! Thank you for a fantastic, memorable and complete experience. I am looking forward to future adventures with Overseas Adventure Travel. Please contact or otherwise advise me for any additional information that may be helpful to you. Please also advise me in the event there is any function that I could perform for you or your company in the future. Fairly complete subtitled photo documentation of all 13 days can be found on my travel site www.GaryGS1.com .Click on Whats New and find Costa Rica Albums. Or, type this URL into your browser: http://public.fotki.com/GaryGS1 (Untitled pictures in chronological order are provided on the enclosed Photo CD for easy viewing and browsing.)
Sincerely, Gary G. Schempp