Kids loving Santa Cruz IslandAnother early morning (5:30 today!) began with a paddle and a hike out to Sacha Lodges Kapok tower which stands at 130 feet and is a rickety hike up about 20 flights of wooden stairs wrapping around a giant Ceibar tree. At the top of this beautiful tree you get the most impressive view of the canopy as well as many bird species. It was difficult containing the kids here as there were some serious birdwatchers and the boys got antsy fairly quickly. We then went on another hike although Nick slipped off a log bridge into a swampy creek (he was trying to avoid a trail of leaf-cutter ants which he was scared of after being bitten on our first day). He was fine although shaken up and wet ! After returning to the lodge, the boys went swimming with their clothes on which saved me from washing them! After lunch, we had a little extra free time as our afternoon hike did not start until 4:00 pm. When an afternoon rainshower started, we returned to the cabin for some downtime however, the peace was suddenly broken by the chatter of a group of adorable spider monkeys raiding a small banana palm just 20 feet from our back porch. The show went on for about 15 minutes before these amazing little animals retreated back into the jungle. Later in the aft we headed out for a hike which took us to an incredible 45 metre tower marking the start of a canopy-suspension bridge from which we could observe the jungle above. Stunning views !!! After dinner our guides took us by canoe onto the lake on which no artificial light is visible for a truly unbelievable experience as we floated silently below the star-lit sky and listened to a symphony of nocturnal jungle noises as lightening flashed on a distant horizon. While we never saw any caiman (crocs) that night, their glowing eyes could be seen as our guide shone his light along the shore line. As further evidence of the tranquility of the moment, both Jake & Nick fell asleep on our laps and had to be piggy-backed back to our cabin where we all retired after another amazing day!
First of all we were told that we could tailor our trip to our interests which is fantastic. We needed several iterations to get our trip itinerary nailed down. Our contact at Adventure Life responded quickly and we settled on a trip in a matter of weeks.
John Hagan
1 day ago
The trip was planned well. They worked through local travel planners in the two countries we visited. The trip planner was fairly knowledgable, but she could have been better. The hotels selected were good. There were a few things I think they could have planned better related tot he transportation between the carious locations we visited, but it was a great trip overall.
MR
1 day ago
Excellent experience within the limits of what they can do. I often find myself as the square peg in a round hole being largely an independent traveler who appreciates qualify assistance when I can get it. Having used Adventure Life in places they can do about everything I know they're quality and look to them when and where I can. Kassandra specifically is knowledgeable, personable and respinsive.
Greg
5 days ago
Answered our questions
Michael Schneck
6 days ago
Adventure Life seems to be an honest company and has been quite helpful in the planning process. Good about answering questions.
