When: Anytime

Length of visit: 4 days & 3 nights is a usual visit but other arrangements can be made

Number of guests: 4 to 8

Fee: US$210 per person, including meals, lodging and guides

SETTING:
Located on the lush Caribbean slopes of the Central Volcanic Mountain Range, LA DANTA SALVAJE was founded in 1988 as a non-profit private forest reserve in an effort to protect the Costa Rican rainforest. Consisting of over 1,000 acres of primary growth bordering Braulio Carrillo National Park, the reserve forms part of the invaluable buffer zone necessary in preserving the integrity of the park and its surrounding area.

So far we have financed the project privately, but unfortunately just purchasing rainforest is not enough to protect it. It must be maintained as well, which means stopping animal and plant poachers, hunters and logging interests. In order to support and maintain the reserve, we began organizing these excursions.

ITINERARY

DAY 1:
The day's objective is to safely arrive to the lodge.   I live in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca on the Southern Caribbean Coast and often my guests depart with me in the jeep at 6 am and we drive to Guapiles which is the closest "big" town to the reserve and where we buy supplies.  If guests are arriving from San Jose or other parts of Costa Rica, that is where we meet for the 4-wheel drive to the trailhead which takes about 45 minutes.  Where we leave the jeep(s)(at the end of the track) is where my workers' family lives and we can safely leave any unnecessary luggage.  From there it is a 3 to 3 1/2 hour hike in to the lodge, mostly through primary forest. It is a fairly rigorous hike and can be muddy in spots (I provide rubber boots) with more uphills than downhills.  We cross three rivers, one of which we use a cable "ride", especially if the river is swollen.

We usually arrive to the lodge around 3-3:30 and I provide snacks during the hike.  After we get settled in we have a light meal and hang out and enjoy the solitude of the area.  I have a hot-water shower (and a flushing toilet) which is nice, as it can get chilly at that altitude (800 meters).  In the evening we have a nice, big hot meal and hot rum toddies for desert!  Everyone raves about how delicious the food is at La Danta, which I and my workers and volunteers from the group prepare.  I have lots of board games, cards, backgammon and chess to play at night around the fire place in the common room of the lodge.  There is no electricity; we use lanterns and candles.  Usually we hit the sack around 10 pm.

DAY 2:
All day hikes are optional.  If someone prefers to hang out at the lodge and hike to a swimming hole with a waterfall just 25 minutes away (well marked trail--this is the only trail I allow guests to do on their own), it's up to them.   Breakfast at 7:30 and we leave for the "waterfall" hike. We take lunch with us on this 6-hour hike (including rest breaks, lunch and swimming)and visit three beautiful waterfalls, watching for birds and animals and talking about the flora of the forest.  We return to the lodge around 3 pm, hang out, bird watch, shower, etc. and then prepare a great supper.

DAY 3:
We go on another hike, this time down the "Monkey" trail to the Rio Corinto which borders on the national park, a vertical descent to 350 meters and encompasses three eco-zones.  We have lunch a a great swimming hole on the river and again get back to the lodge around 3 pm.

DAY 4:
We start hiking out around 9 am and arrive to the jeep(s) around noon.  We drive down to the "pista" and go to a local restaurant on the Rio Costa Rica for lunch (not included) and cold beers and a nice swim.  Around 2:30 everyone goes their own way.   Some ride back with e to Puerto Viejo or San Jose (if I'm going that way) or I take them in to Guapiles to the bus station.