Costa Rica’s jungles come alive after sundown with the sounds of a whole lot of species of animals, lots of that are practically inconceivable to see through the daytime. Throughout the nation, many parks provide evening excursions in order that guests can witness the magic of seeing so many creatures of their pure habitat.
During my go to to Manuel Antonio National Park, I made a decision to e book such a tour to see what all of the hype was about. Keep studying to search out out whether or not or not it was price it:
What You’ll See and Do
First factor first: Manuel Antonio National Park shouldn’t be open to the general public (or excursions) at evening. That’s why this evening tour takes place on personal property, Rainmaker Conservation Park. Even although many individuals are bummed to know that it doesn’t truly undergo Manuel Antonio, I assumed it was fully nice. Rainmaker is about an hour away and doesn’t have the identical number of animals, however there was nonetheless a lot to see. Let’s get into what you’ll be able to anticipate:
Mostly small critters
Rainmaker Conservation Park makes a speciality of preserving the pure habitat of a wide range of frogs, snakes, bugs, and arachnids. While the evening tour often witnesses a mammal or two, these sightings are uncommon. What you’ll be able to anticipate is to see an entire host of tree frog species, plus some toads, snakes, spiders, and different bugs. The information is a licensed naturalist, with a particular eye for recognizing them. It was superb how simply he might discover such small creatures, most of which I in all probability wouldn’t have been capable of finding alone.
The tour has two elements: first, we walked by the dense jungle, then we did a lap across the fringe of a lagoon, which was attention-grabbing due to the abundance of toads each within the water and hopping round within the grass. Some of them have been greater than my foot, so I appreciated them from afar.
Sights & sounds of a nocturnal jungle
Even although I hadn’t seen Rainmaker through the daytime, I might think about how distinct the jungle can be from evening to day. Since it’s fully darkish, it feels just like the sounds of the trickling river, boisterous waterfalls, and numerous animals and bugs are 100 occasions louder and extra vivid. The expertise was in contrast to every other I’d had earlier than and was a deal with for my senses from begin to end.
The stroll by the jungle takes about 2-2.5 hours, however the time glided by in a flash due to how full of life it was. It appeared like there was one thing to take a look at round each nook, and the information did a incredible job of mentioning vegetation and animals to the group.
Traditional Costa Rican delicacies after the hike
I used to be pleasantly shocked at how scrumptious and filling the dinner was after the hike. I didn’t know what to anticipate, however after we wrapped up our trek, there have been full plates of rice, beans, and a protein prepared for us. It was an ample show of Costa Rican hospitality and made for a candy finish to the expertise, as we might nonetheless hear the sounds of the jungle throughout us as we ate.
Variations of Manuel Antonio Night Tours
I did this tour by Jade Tours Costa Rica, which is $59 and consists of transportation, a naturalist information, the park entrance price, and dinner. Considering what it consists of, I assumed it was fully price it.
There’s one other evening tour, which fits to a special park, known as Biophilia. It’s the identical worth because the one I did however doesn’t embody dinner. This one appears prefer it has the identical wildlife, however the hike is shorter, as the entire tour is 2 hours.
Another firm, Manuel Antonio Night Tours, has three choices: a Manuel Antonio Night Tour (simply exterior the nationwide park), a Mangrove Night Tour, and a Rainmaker Night Tour (which appears similar to the one I did). The mangrove tour is by boat and appears like essentially the most attention-grabbing of the three.
How to Prepare
If you get simply frightened by creepy crawlies, the Manuel Antonio evening jungle tour won’t be a fantastic choice for you. I don’t get simply freaked out by bugs, snakes, or spiders, so it was a blast for me. However, I can think about that it may very well be a scary expertise for many who don’t significantly love the concept of being up shut and private with them.
To put together, I like to recommend sporting lengthy pants or leggings. The tour firm may even let you know to put on close-toed sneakers and to convey bug spray. Bring water with you as properly, together with a light-weight rain jacket, simply in case it will get chilly or rains, which may occur any time of yr in Costa Rica.
Best Time to Go
I went to Manuel Antonio through the wet season in July and had a good time on this tour. It rained somewhat bit, however with a jacket, I used to be ready and didn’t thoughts. The greatest time to go is through the dry season, although, from December to April, as there’s a larger likelihood you’ll see some nocturnal mammals and birds.
While most locations that I went to in Costa Rica through the wet season weren’t as buggy as I assumed they’d be, Rainmaker was an exception. There have been various mosquitos, so maintain that in thoughts in the event you’ll be doing the tour between May and November.
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So, was the Manuel Antonio evening jungle tour price it? Completely. This tour was the most effective that I went on in Costa Rica. It felt adventurous, whereas additionally being completely protected, which is good if you wish to see what the jungle is like at evening. (In case you missed it, right here’s the hyperlink to e book.)
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