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Budget birding in CR???!!! (1 Viewer)

Jon Gallagher

Jon Gallagher

Well-known member
Just back from Costa Rica and while many of the sites are fine with accommodation and inexpensive access, I was totally shocked at the attitude towards visiting birders and expense of birding in some places.

La Selva. Begrudgingly allowed entrance to reception (!) to be told that to stay there would be $84 per person per night--in other words $168 for the two of us for a room (non a/c). That's the only way you're allowed to bird the trails. Otherwise you can pay $30 per person for a three hour guided walk. But that was full when we asked. So we were offered a two hour early morning bird walk for $40 per person. $80 for the two of us to bird for two hours? I don't think so!

Selva Verde. $130 for a bungalow (with a/c) per night, cheaper without a/c. But you still have to pay to walk the trails!

Bosque de Paz. Probably the worst of all. We showed up, asked to see the place before agreeing to the cost. Not even that--no entry allowed even just to check out what you would be getting for your sizeable amount of cash. You have to reserve "sight unseen." And to pay $114 per person per night without knowing what you're getting? $228 a night for a double room? Once again, I don't think so!

In the end we stayed at the very comfortable El Bambu Hotel in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui. A/c rooms from $65 with breakfast. Yes, a lot harder to find suitable habitat away from the reserves (I guess they know that and that's why they exploit the situation financially).

Any good ideas for better sites with accommodation at REASONABLE rates would be much appreciated!

Jon
 
I had a discussion with an owner of a hotel my last time in Costa Rica about cost. He is Dutch. We both came to the conclusion, that it was really not inexpensive to travel in Costa Rica anymore. You will usually pay a premium for good proximity and convenience to bird habitat.

My concern is not so much how much things cost as where does the money go. I can accept expense as long as it gets regenerated locally.

La Selva is a peculiar place in that regard. We over-pay there, and I'm not uncomfortable doing so because of the research. Selva Verde Lodge, on the other hand, is another matter. It's owned by Holbrook. I probably feel no compunction to stay there again as there are places like Tirimbina Biological Reserve - which is close by - that would better for all parties if you had a vehicle.

I can't speak for Bosque de Paz as I haven't stayed there, but places like that, I think, thrive on group tours more than walk-ins. For individuals like ourselves, I think we can find other options. Sometimes it's a matter of figuring out the elevation, the birds at that elevation, and then finding the appropriate alternative.

More and more, I am seeing smaller ecolodges and rural ranches that provide perfectly suitable accommodations. I list these on my website about accommodations - http://www.quetzalbycar.com/accommodations.htm

The only difficulty with some of them is that they are more difficult to get to. Infrastructure is iffy sometimes. There's no getting around that.

I think we'll have to settle for the fact that many of the tried and true places are getting out of our price range. But I do see plenty of competition available. The tourism industry in Costa Rica is now very sophisticated with layers interesting places at different price points. I think on this board we could come up with a good budget itinerary if we tried.
 
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Hi Jon

We stayed for 2 weeks at GHavilan Lodge, just in PVde S managed almost 100 species in the garden. Lots of Toucans, Rufous winged woodpecker, dusky face tanager, and mand many more nice birds. Green Ibis also can be found.
Nicely done was empty when we were there, not sure of rates but rooms fine and friendly staff. We went for morning hike in La Selva and it was pretty poor, probably the worst we had in CR in 6 months. Guide was next to useless, saw more in the car park lol

Rich

Rich
 
Jon brought up a good subject to explore in this forum. I don't think there is a complete collected resource for intermediate to low priced lodging, preferably with good birding on site or nearby. (With apologies to JJP, who has a number on his website and Patrick O'Donnell, who has frequently posted on such places.) This is the point where one of Bird Forum's moderators should jump in and remind us of the Opus, waiting to be utilized for just such a purpose.

Jon, we walked past El Bambu while in Sarapiqui and wondered what it was like. Can you comment further on birdlife on the site?

Steve
 
Yes, I agree this is an important subject for discussion.

Most birding lodges in CR are priced well above what I can pay.

I have birded CR on a low budget and, predictably enough, I opted to stay in budget accommodation in towns and villages that put me within striking distance of good birding sites. This does mean, however, that I often didn't arrive on site as early as I would have liked.

I believe that the birding lodges etc that we are referring to should follow the example of some by providing maybe 3 or 4 classes of accommodation to suit a range of budgets. I don't know the 'ins and outs' of running such a place, but I would hope that it would be beneficial and increase business.

Cheers,

DL
 
Just following Hamhead's train of thought.....

There is a "Costa Rica Bird Route" being developed that has a list of lesser known lodges and reserves and are far less expensive that the usual suspects (it does contain a few high-end lodges, but for the most part it stays "budget-conscious").

http://www.costaricanbirdroute.com/sites.htm

I don't think I've been to any of them, but this website can be helpful in that regard. If you were to combine this site with those in Barrett Lawson's book, and perhaps those in which Patrick has some inside scoop, I think you'd have a decent list for starters.
 
Hamhed said:
This is the point where one of Bird Forum's moderators should jump in and remind us of the Opus, waiting to be utilized for just such a purpose.
Click to expand...

Opus can't, of course, be used as an advertising platform for individual commercial establishments, but I've linked this thread to the Costa Rica page.

D
 
JJP - I have reviewed the CR Bird Route sites and I like what is there. A step further in my mind would be to have a list of moderately priced, birder friendly places of lodging in one location for all of Costa Rica. A massive project, no doubt, but those of us who have traveled to Costa Rica and experienced such sites could all share the load by reporting our experiences to this "Affordable Lodging Collection".

Then again, "moderately priced" means different levels to different people. For instance, Liz and I are reluctant to pay, in the last couple of years anyway, more than $80 for a double, typically with breakfast. Cerro Lodge, (http://www.cerrolodge.net/) on the Pacific side, and Heliconia Island Lodge, (http://www.heliconiaisland.com) near Sarapiqui, were two that hit that ideal spot in our budget.

There are also the varying needs of individuals that affect what is acceptably affordable. There are people who want to eat Americanized foods, birders who want guides on site, those who want solitude or privacy, etc. Liz and I have been traveling by bus in recent trips and so it is a big plus for us to stay where birding is on site or within reasonable walking distance. Without private transportation, even having regular meals can require some time and effort. All of which, of course, affect the meaning of "affordability".

What, Don and JJP, is your price range for lodging and what do you need out of an accommodation?

Steve
 
I hear you Jon. Many of the popular or traditional birding hotels are the most expensive. They get the most marketing and are frequently visited on tours so people often dont know of other possibilities.

Unfortunately, many places in Costa Rica have taken on attitudes like those you have run into. I have also run into problems like your experience at La Selva and other places that overcharge in my opinion. It has become common and is very frustrating but luckily, can still be avoided.

Costa Rica can still be done on a budget but such a trip requires more research, possibly more time if one is to use public transportation, and the willingness to go to areas less frequently visited.

Selva Verde is expensive but in all honesty, they do appear to be conservation minded and have made efforts along those lines. La Selva is good but because of cost and the loss or rarity of quite a few bird species, I tend to feel that it is overrated. Bosque de Paz is certainly only for those who dont mind paying ridiculous prices.

I am happy to see that Coati mentioned El Gavilan. I have always had good experiences with this place, the owner treated our bird club very well, and the birding is pretty good (Snowy Cotinga, Spec Owl, Great Green Macaw, etc.).

One could easily stay here or the Hotel Bambu or the Cabinas Cristina or other moderately priced lodging in the Sarapiqui area and do day trips to other areas for an excellent, reasonably priced birding experience. This could include birding the La Selva entrance road (as long as its open), hotel grounds, Quebrada Gonzalez, and sites on the Costa Rica Bird Route (which encourage local conservation). I am pretty sure that you would see more species than by just staying at La Selva.

To sum things up, one really doesnt have to stay at expensive birding lodges (of which there are actually very few that can justifiably be termed as such) for good birding in CR. Knowing what I know about birding in Costa Rica, if I were to visit for a birding trip and wanted to do it in a budget fashion, I would book at cheap to moderately priced hotels at or near the sites I wanted to visit, rent a car for a shorter trip, take the bus or occasional taxis for a longer trip, and maybe hire a guide now and then.

Our birding club here always do trips on the cheap. For example, just yesterday, we did a day trip to foothill rainforests near San Ramon. We birded for free along a road through great habitat (Purplish-backed Quail Dove, Brown-billed Scythebill, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, White Hawk, many tanagers including Blue and Gold, heard several bellbirds), then ate lunch for about $10 per person at a good, local restaurant (and could have done it cheaper at another spot), and then visited a nice, locally owned butterfly and hummingbird garden for $5 per person. There were 7-8 species hummingbirds present and they had trails through interesting middle elevation forest. I hope to blog about that trip soon.

Such places arent easy to find, but they are out there. I doubt that I will get time to post information about all the budget birding sites in CR but can at least help answer questions anyone might have.
 
Hamhed said:
JJP - I have reviewed the CR Bird Route sites and I like what is there. A step further in my mind would be to have a list of moderately priced, birder friendly places of lodging in one location for all of Costa Rica. A massive project, no doubt, but those of us who have traveled to Costa Rica and experienced such sites could all share the load by reporting our experiences to this "Affordable Lodging Collection".

Then again, "moderately priced" means different levels to different people. For instance, Liz and I are reluctant to pay, in the last couple of years anyway, more than $80 for a double, typically with breakfast. Cerro Lodge, (http://www.cerrolodge.net/) on the Pacific side, and Heliconia Island Lodge, (http://www.heliconiaisland.com) near Sarapiqui, were two that hit that ideal spot in our budget.

There are also the varying needs of individuals that affect what is acceptably affordable. There are people who want to eat Americanized foods, birders who want guides on site, those who want solitude or privacy, etc. Liz and I have been traveling by bus in recent trips and so it is a big plus for us to stay where birding is on site or within reasonable walking distance. Without private transportation, even having regular meals can require some time and effort. All of which, of course, affect the meaning of "affordability".

What, Don and JJP, is your price range for lodging and what do you need out of an accommodation?

Steve
Click to expand...

Making a list of affordably priced lodging in Costa Rica good for birding because of habitat on the grounds, feeders, proximity to birding sites, or eco-friendly owners is a great idea Steve.

I am going to start the thread now!
 
Hamhed said:
What, Don and JJP, is your price range for lodging and what do you need out of an accommodation?

Steve
Click to expand...

Just for the record, the answer to this is determined by who I'm with and what their needs are. If my wife is looking for a birding vacation with pool time and a little luxury, then it's a new ballgame. We'll get a place that's more upscale with good proximity to a park.

If I'm birding with a friend and targeting birds, I'm basically looking only for a comfortable bed and easy access to a birding site. I like the ability for an early breakfast... but I'm not a stickler for superb service.

I do both types of things... so I have no restrictions.
 
What, Don and JJP, is your price range for lodging and what do you need out of an accommodation?
Click to expand...

I think I fall into the 'on a shoestring' category. When I was last in CR in the first half of 2009 I was paying $12-25 per night for a single room (not including breakfast). As a special treat, for 2 or 3 nights at a birding lodge, I would consider spending $50-60/night for a single room with breakfast, or perhaps up to $70/night half board if it looked like it was worth it. I would have to take into account the cost of a guided bird tour when judging what to pay for the accommodation.

A good bed, hot water, and sometimes a/c in a secure room are my usual requirements, although I don't mind going rustic. I also factor-in the opportunity the mindlessly stare at CNN from time to time!!! :brains:

DL

Edit: I have just claimed to travel on a shoestring budget, but I should point out that I try to avoid staying in dormitories as I find them impractical and they usually leave me sleep-deprived.
 
Last edited:
Hamhed said:
Jon brought up a good subject to explore in this forum. I don't think there is a complete collected resource for intermediate to low priced lodging, preferably with good birding on site or nearby. (With apologies to JJP, who has a number on his website and Patrick O'Donnell, who has frequently posted on such places.) This is the point where one of Bird Forum's moderators should jump in and remind us of the Opus, waiting to be utilized for just such a purpose.

Jon, we walked past El Bambu while in Sarapiqui and wondered what it was like. Can you comment further on birdlife on the site?

Steve
Click to expand...

Thanks for the responses which are really helpful--especially for those contemplating a CR trip that isn't going to cost an arm and a leg...

Steve, I definitely rate El Bambu. OK it's in town, but it has a long covered walkway to rooms a long way back. Standard at $65 and superior at $85, all having a/c and including breakfast which was more than adequate. They also gave us a discount... so you can always ask...

The other plus that if you walk right to the back along the covered walkway, where everything is on a raised level, you get an good 90degree view out over some rank grasses, nearer bushes, and more distant forest. The best birds from this "view point" were a distant Snowy Cotinga (take a scope) and a small group of Great Green Macaws (flyby only). There were also some of the commoner species in the secondary growth the hotel is built into.

It also has a good pool (!) and the rooms away from the road were very quiet.
 
Coati said:
Hi Jon

We stayed for 2 weeks at GHavilan Lodge, just in PVde S managed almost 100 species in the garden. Lots of Toucans, Rufous winged woodpecker, dusky face tanager, and mand many more nice birds. Green Ibis also can be found.
Nicely done was empty when we were there, not sure of rates but rooms fine and friendly staff. We went for morning hike in La Selva and it was pretty poor, probably the worst we had in CR in 6 months. Guide was next to useless, saw more in the car park lol

Rich

Rich
Click to expand...

Hi Rich,

Yes we discovered the Gavilan on the way out of town, having come in from the other direction. The grounds looked good as you indicated, and the rates on their website look reasonable (standard double $60, superior $75). Don't think they have rooms with a/c though, if you've gone soft like me!

Seems like we were lucky to have missed the guided walked at La Selva then. Certainly we saw a lot from walking the entrance road, which may have better visibility than the trails. What bugged me were the weird rules that allow only those staying overnight to walk the trails free and without a guide. If you day visit, you can only do the guided walks at either $30 or $40 per person--the early morning one for two hours would have cost us in total $80 which is ridiculous... I really don't see why they can't charge a reasonable entrance fee and allow you in.
 
Birdingcraft said:
I hear you Jon. Many of the popular or traditional birding hotels are the most expensive. They get the most marketing and are frequently visited on tours so people often dont know of other possibilities.

Unfortunately, many places in Costa Rica have taken on attitudes like those you have run into. I have also run into problems like your experience at La Selva and other places that overcharge in my opinion. It has become common and is very frustrating but luckily, can still be avoided.

Costa Rica can still be done on a budget but such a trip requires more research, possibly more time if one is to use public transportation, and the willingness to go to areas less frequently visited.

Selva Verde is expensive but in all honesty, they do appear to be conservation minded and have made efforts along those lines. La Selva is good but because of cost and the loss or rarity of quite a few bird species, I tend to feel that it is overrated. Bosque de Paz is certainly only for those who dont mind paying ridiculous prices.

I am happy to see that Coati mentioned El Gavilan. I have always had good experiences with this place, the owner treated our bird club very well, and the birding is pretty good (Snowy Cotinga, Spec Owl, Great Green Macaw, etc.).

One could easily stay here or the Hotel Bambu or the Cabinas Cristina or other moderately priced lodging in the Sarapiqui area and do day trips to other areas for an excellent, reasonably priced birding experience. This could include birding the La Selva entrance road (as long as its open), hotel grounds, Quebrada Gonzalez, and sites on the Costa Rica Bird Route (which encourage local conservation). I am pretty sure that you would see more species than by just staying at La Selva.

To sum things up, one really doesnt have to stay at expensive birding lodges (of which there are actually very few that can justifiably be termed as such) for good birding in CR. Knowing what I know about birding in Costa Rica, if I were to visit for a birding trip and wanted to do it in a budget fashion, I would book at cheap to moderately priced hotels at or near the sites I wanted to visit, rent a car for a shorter trip, take the bus or occasional taxis for a longer trip, and maybe hire a guide now and then.

Our birding club here always do trips on the cheap. For example, just yesterday, we did a day trip to foothill rainforests near San Ramon. We birded for free along a road through great habitat (Purplish-backed Quail Dove, Brown-billed Scythebill, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, White Hawk, many tanagers including Blue and Gold, heard several bellbirds), then ate lunch for about $10 per person at a good, local restaurant (and could have done it cheaper at another spot), and then visited a nice, locally owned butterfly and hummingbird garden for $5 per person. There were 7-8 species hummingbirds present and they had trails through interesting middle elevation forest. I hope to blog about that trip soon.

Such places arent easy to find, but they are out there. I doubt that I will get time to post information about all the budget birding sites in CR but can at least help answer questions anyone might have.
Click to expand...

Thanks Patrick for your informed and practical response. I think the real issue is that people don't know the alternatives as you say, not just for accommodation, but for alternative sites as well. This is where Lawson's guide falls down in not providing info. He goes into detail on La Selva, mentions Selva Verde, but says nothing on other sites of more open access in the area. (He does mention Hotel Gavilan as the budget option).

Had no problem in Monteverde (wide range of accommodation available, easy access of sites), or the northwest (similar situation), or the Arenal area. It was the Caribbean lowlands around Sarapiqui that were problematic for us.

And then Bosque de Paz--not even allowing you in to take a look--absurd! If it had been as great as the book says, we may have been tempted, but not without seeing the place.

And don't get me started on Rancho Naturalista!!! What is it now? $290 for a double room, high season--and if you just want a single, they'll charge you $195... Absurd.
 
Don Listerino said:
I think I fall into the 'on a shoestring' category. When I was last in CR in the first half of 2009 I was paying $12-25 per night for a single room (not including breakfast). As a special treat, for 2 or 3 nights at a birding lodge, I would consider spending $50-60/night for a single room with breakfast, or perhaps up to $70/night half board if it looked like it was worth it. I would have to take into account the cost of a guided bird tour when judging what to pay for the accommodation.

A good bed, hot water, and sometimes a/c in a secure room are my usual requirements, although I don't mind going rustic. I also factor-in the opportunity the mindlessly stare at CNN from time to time!!! :brains:

DL

Edit: I have just claimed to travel on a shoestring budget, but I should point out that I try to avoid staying in dormitories as I find them impractical and they usually leave me sleep-deprived.
Click to expand...

Sounds absolutely right to me... I think some of these places are pricing out serious birders. Of course, the fact they stay in business means they're getting some people to pay their outrageous prices.
 
La Selva. Begrudgingly allowed entrance to reception (!) to be told that to stay there would be $84 per person per night--in other words $168 for the two of us for a room (non a/c). That's the only way you're allowed to bird the trails. Otherwise you can pay $30 per person for a three hour guided walk. But that was full when we asked. So we were offered a two hour early morning bird walk for $40 per person.
Click to expand...

Ah, the memories are flooding back.

When I turned up at La Selva and was faced with the price for the guided walk I asked nicely if I could have a discount because at the time I was working as a volunteer for the CR Bird Route (which La Selva is part of). They were unimpressed and I had to pay the full price. So much for solidarity!

I stayed at Mi Lindo Sarapiqui. I hope it's still going strong. The rooms were nice and clean, but the matresses were thin. The service was variable. The attached restaurant is good; I tolerated the poor table service because I liked the food and the portions were substantial.

DL
 
We also stayed at Mi Lindo Sarapiqui, Don. Not what you'd call a birding or eco-lodge by any means but we got off the Los Carib bus from San Jose and there it was and, for its convenience and price, we were happy with the deal.

We very recently joined the modern world by replacing our 12 year old computer and I'll pass along these two websites that recently came to our attention:

http://www.rancholeona.com/htm/lodging.htm

$12 a night!? Looks good on the surface. Anyone heard of this place near La Virgen?


http://www.catarata-del-toro.com/pags/how.htm

This is near Juan Castro Blanco NP, NW of San Jose. A B&B in the $50-60 range.

Steve
 
Edit: I have just claimed to travel on a shoestring budget, but I should point out that I try to avoid staying in dormitories as I find them impractical and they usually leave me sleep-deprived.[/QUOTE]

That's not our level either, Don. We don't have much experience with hostels or dorms but they're for a different crowd than people like us who get up before dawn. They are temptingly cheap, however.

Steve
 
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