Manuel Antonio Night Jungle Tour: Is It Worth It?

Costa Rica’s jungles appear alive immediately after sunset with the seems of hundreds of species of animals, a lot of of which are just about unachievable to see in the course of the daytime. All over the region, quite a few parks offer you night time tours so that website visitors can witness the magic of seeing so a lot of creatures in their purely natural habitat.

In the course of my take a look at to Manuel Antonio Nationwide Park, I resolved to ebook such a tour to see what all the hype was about. Maintain reading to locate out whether or not it was worthy of it:

What You’ll See and Do

Initial point initial: Manuel Antonio Countrywide Park is not open to the community (or excursions) at night time. That’s why this night tour requires location on private home, Rainmaker Conservation Park. Even nevertheless several people are bummed to know that it doesn’t basically go by Manuel Antonio, I believed it was completely fine. Rainmaker is about an hour absent and does not have the exact selection of animals, but there was nonetheless a great deal to see. Let’s get into what you can anticipate:

Mainly small critters

Rainmaker Conservation Park specializes in preserving the pure habitat of a range of frogs, snakes, bugs, and arachnids. Whilst the night time tour often witnesses a mammal or two, these sightings are rare. What you can be expecting is to see a full host of tree frog species, in addition some toads, snakes, spiders, and other bugs. The guideline is a certified naturalist, with a exclusive eye for recognizing them. It was awesome how conveniently he could uncover these kinds of modest creatures, most of which I likely would not have been equipped to uncover on my very own.

The tour has two parts: initially, we walked as a result of the dense jungle, then we did a lap around the edge of a lagoon, which was intriguing simply because of the abundance of toads both of those in the water and hopping all-around in the grass. Some of them ended up bigger than my foot, so I appreciated them from afar.

Sights & seems of a nocturnal jungle

Even nevertheless I hadn’t witnessed Rainmaker in the course of the daytime, I could envision how distinctive the jungle would be from night to day. Since it is absolutely darkish, it feels like the seems of the trickling river, boisterous waterfalls, and various animals and insects are a hundred instances louder and a lot more vivid. The working experience was unlike any other I’d experienced prior to and was a address for my senses from commence to complete.

The walk as a result of the jungle requires about 2-2.5 hours, but the time went by in a flash because of how energetic it was. It appeared like there was one thing to seem at all-around each individual corner, and the information did a great task of pointing out crops and animals to the group.

Classic Costa Rican delicacies following the hike

I was pleasantly astonished at how tasty and filling the dinner was right after the hike. I did not know what to assume, but following we wrapped up our trek, there ended up full plates of rice, beans, and a protein all set for us. It was an ample display of Costa Rican hospitality and designed for a sweet finish to the encounter, as we could however hear the appears of the jungle all close to us as we ate.

Versions of Manuel Antonio Night Tours

I did this tour by way of Jade Excursions Costa Rica, which is $59 and includes transportation, a naturalist guideline, the park entrance payment, and dinner. Thinking of what it features, I assumed it was fully well worth it.

There’s an additional night time tour, which goes to a distinctive park, referred to as Biophilia. It is the identical value as the 1 I did but does not include dinner. This 1 appears to be like it has the very same wildlife, but the hike is shorter, as the full tour is two hrs.

Another firm, Manuel Antonio Night Tours, has three alternatives: a Manuel Antonio Night time Tour (just outdoors the nationwide park), a Mangrove Night time Tour, and a Rainmaker Night time Tour (which seems to be similar to the one I did). The mangrove tour is by boat and appears to be like the most fascinating of the a few.

How to Get ready

If you get easily frightened by creepy crawlies, the Manuel Antonio evening jungle tour may possibly not be a fantastic selection for you. I do not get conveniently freaked out by insects, snakes, or spiders, so it was a blast for me. However, I can think about that it could be a frightening practical experience for all those who really do not particularly enjoy the plan of staying up near and own with them.

To put together, I endorse carrying lengthy pants or leggings. The tour organization will also explain to you to have on near-toed sneakers and to bring bug spray. Provide water with you as effectively, alongside with a gentle rain jacket, just in circumstance it will get chilly or rains, which can materialize any time of 12 months in Costa Rica.

Greatest Time to Go

I went to Manuel Antonio in the course of the rainy time in July and experienced a terrific time on this tour. It rained a minor bit, but with a jacket, I was prepared and didn’t brain. The very best time to go is all through the dry period, however, from December to April, as there’s a larger likelihood you will see some nocturnal mammals and birds.

Though most places that I went to in Costa Rica for the duration of the wet period weren’t as buggy as I assumed they’d be, Rainmaker was an exception. There have been quite a great deal of mosquitos, so retain that in brain if you are going to be performing the tour concerning May and November.

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So, was the Manuel Antonio evening jungle tour truly worth it? Completely. This tour was one of the finest that I went on in Costa Rica. It felt adventurous, although also currently being fully protected, which is ideal if you want to see what the jungle is like at night time. (In case you missed it, here’s the url to ebook.)