About packing:
For packing purposes, we really would like you to pack light, one suitcase per person plus your photo gear. You should bring the following:
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- Regular clothes: Long sleeve shirts to cover your arms from sun and bugs are recommended. Long pants or jeans so you can crawl on the ground for that fantastic photo might be good too. Remember you will be venturing in some truly wild environments. You should have enough clothes for 7 days, as laundry will be available. A rain poncho and bag to cover your photo gear in case of rain is recommended.
- Every hotel offers laundry service, their prices may be above average. We will stop to do laundry in the city of Fortuna on the fifth day at a very affordable place.
- Swimwear: there are pools in some of the hotels and you will want to get in after a day of the tropical heat and humidity. We will also visit the beach in one of the National Parks.
- Hiking boots or hiking tennis shoes
- A sweater or light jacket (It gets cold at 10,000 feet).
- A hat, sunglasses and little towel to keep the humidity and sweat away from your face. Humidity is high at lower elevations with relative humidity in mid 80's. You can expect sweat to evaporate slowly, therefore your skin may feel wet.
- During our trip. we will stop at local stores where you can purchase snacks and drinks. Pharmacies are available at every town in case we need any over-the-counter medications. You should take any prescription medications with you.
- Bring a headlamp. This is highly recommended when shooting frogs at night. They will free your hands, so you can concentrate on your camera.
- Batteries for your electronic toys and chargers are very important. Make sure they are store in your luggage or camera bag following FAA approved storage.
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The loading master will make sure everything fits in the two vans. He usually takes a picture of the first successful loading to make sure he can do it again and again.
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About food:
We will stop only at local places, so the food will be what the locals eat. You will get to try various traditional dishes, from authentic Costa Rican to Chinese Costa Rican. Rice and beans tend to be present in most meals, but many times you will be able to choose from pasta, mashed potatoes and others. Keep in mind that you can’t expect American food to be cooked the way you do. It’s not their food. Drinking water in Costa Rica is fine but if you need bottled water, you will be able to buy it.
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About souvenirs:
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We don’t stop usually for souvenir shopping, but many hotels have shops and we will stop on the last day at a local place that always give us the best deals. That way you also don’t need to be carrying things for the length of the trip.
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Rooming List
Nanette & Rick O'Hara
Heidi & Jeffrey Rich
Debra & Michael Berry
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Ashley Berry & Ariel Horner
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Nancy Fogel & Diane Abell
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Jeanne Jones & Lee Hoemann
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For the photographers
- Very important to bring all the chargers you may need for your camera batteries.
- Better Beamer for your flash.
- Any wrench needed to adjust your tripod's legs or mounting plate.
- Plenty of rechargeable batteries for flash and headlamp.
- Macro lens or extension tubes.
- Plenty of memory cards or backup drive to store your images or laptop.
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Tipping
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While tipping is not expected as Costa Rica has a sales tax and service tax, it's always a good idea to leave a small tip for room service. Since we stay two days in each hotel, a $5 per stay is recommended. Wildstock Photography will take care of all restaurant tips. Tour operators and guides can be tipped based on their performance, but on average we tip our river tour captain $5 per person.
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How much cash to bring?
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While your tour cost covers all your meals, transportation, lodging and activities, you may incur in some additional expenses such as alcoholic drinks, souvenirs and tips. We recommend you bring at least $200 in cash in small denominations as they won't accept anything higher than a $20 dollar bill. The US dollar is used everywhere. It's not necessary to exchange money, unless you want some Costa Rican money as souvenir.
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