Costa Rica’s jungles occur alive following sunset with the seems of hundreds of species of animals, a lot of of which are almost unachievable to see throughout the daytime. In the course of the region, numerous parks give night time tours so that site visitors can witness the magic of seeing so several creatures in their organic habitat.
For the duration of my check out to Manuel Antonio Countrywide Park, I made the decision to e-book these a tour to see what all the hype was about. Continue to keep studying to come across out irrespective of whether or not it was really worth it:
What You’ll See and Do
Initially matter to start with: Manuel Antonio Nationwide Park is not open to the public (or tours) at night. Which is why this night tour will take spot on private property, Rainmaker Conservation Park. Even while a lot of people today are bummed to know that it doesn’t really go by Manuel Antonio, I imagined it was fully good. Rainmaker is about an hour absent and does not have the identical assortment of animals, but there was still a lot to see. Let’s get into what you can anticipate:
Generally smaller critters
Rainmaker Conservation Park specializes in preserving the pure habitat of a variety of frogs, snakes, insects, and arachnids. Whilst the night time tour occasionally witnesses a mammal or two, these sightings are rare. What you can be expecting is to see a total host of tree frog species, additionally some toads, snakes, spiders, and other bugs. The manual is a certified naturalist, with a unique eye for spotting them. It was awesome how effortlessly he could find these tiny creatures, most of which I almost certainly wouldn’t have been equipped to come across on my have.
The tour has two sections: to start with, we walked by way of the dense jungle, then we did a lap all-around the edge of a lagoon, which was interesting because of the abundance of toads each in the water and hopping around in the grass. Some of them ended up more substantial than my foot, so I appreciated them from afar.
Sights & appears of a nocturnal jungle
Even although I hadn’t viewed Rainmaker all through the daytime, I could picture how distinct the jungle would be from night time to day. Considering that it is absolutely darkish, it feels like the seems of the trickling river, boisterous waterfalls, and numerous animals and insects are a hundred instances louder and a lot more vivid. The knowledge was contrary to any other I’d experienced ahead of and was a treat for my senses from start to end.
The wander by the jungle usually takes about 2-2.5 hrs, but the time went by in a flash mainly because of how energetic it was. It appeared like there was a thing to look at close to every corner, and the guide did a wonderful career of pointing out crops and animals to the group.
Traditional Costa Rican cuisine soon after the hike
I was pleasantly astonished at how scrumptious and filling the dinner was following the hike. I did not know what to anticipate, but just after we wrapped up our trek, there ended up comprehensive plates of rice, beans, and a protein ready for us. It was an ample show of Costa Rican hospitality and manufactured for a sweet end to the practical experience, as we could even now listen to the appears of the jungle all around us as we ate.
Variants of Manuel Antonio Night Tours
I did this tour by way of Jade Excursions Costa Rica, which is $59 and contains transportation, a naturalist information, the park entrance fee, and supper. Thinking of what it involves, I considered it was completely really worth it.
There’s one more night time tour, which goes to a distinct park, called Biophilia. It’s the identical selling price as the one particular I did but doesn’t contain evening meal. This just one appears to be like like it has the exact wildlife, but the hike is shorter, as the entire tour is two several hours.
One more company, Manuel Antonio Night Tours, has 3 selections: a Manuel Antonio Evening Tour (just exterior the national park), a Mangrove Evening Tour, and a Rainmaker Evening Tour (which appears to be like identical to the just one I did). The mangrove tour is by boat and seems like the most intriguing of the 3.
How to Put together
If you get simply frightened by creepy crawlies, the Manuel Antonio night time jungle tour could possibly not be a fantastic selection for you. I really do not get quickly freaked out by insects, snakes, or spiders, so it was a blast for me. Having said that, I can envision that it could be a scary working experience for these who really do not specially love the plan of staying up near and personal with them.
To put together, I suggest carrying long pants or leggings. The tour company will also explain to you to don shut-toed shoes and to provide bug spray. Carry water with you as well, together with a mild rain jacket, just in circumstance it gets chilly or rains, which can take place any time of year in Costa Rica.
Ideal Time to Go
I went to Manuel Antonio through the rainy season in July and experienced a wonderful time on this tour. It rained a little little bit, but with a jacket, I was ready and didn’t intellect. The best time to go is in the course of the dry time, though, from December to April, as there’s a greater likelihood you’ll see some nocturnal mammals and birds.
Whilst most sites that I went to in Costa Rica all through the wet period weren’t as buggy as I assumed they’d be, Rainmaker was an exception. There have been fairly a great deal of mosquitos, so retain that in mind if you are going to be performing the tour in between May and November.
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So, was the Manuel Antonio night time jungle tour worth it? Totally. This tour was one of the most effective that I went on in Costa Rica. It felt adventurous, even though also staying totally harmless, which is ideal if you want to see what the jungle is like at night. (In scenario you missed it, here’s the link to book.)
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