Cyrano wrote:
We made the full falls path, from the humming birds to the bus stop at the end. With lunch, the mariposa and hummingbirds, were there about 2+ hours. Like I said, the river tour was the bust. If you go, bring binoculars and a VERY long lens for your camera.
And yes, it was a full 12-13 hours. If your friend had a shorter time, they might have cut the falls.
Our tour guide, Eduardo as I recall, did an excellent job. The tour guide is a big factor in enjoying things, because he also sets the pace. My wingman, Tom, is a serious hiker, and we had some 60+yo on the tour. Eduardo did a great job. Yes, it included the souveneir stops and such, but it was still a good tour.
Got to remember to check all the forums on this board...
I'm the "Tom" Cyrano has mentioned. Yes, the 4-in-1 makes for a real long day, but you do see a lot, and it includes breakfast (Tico-style) and the buffet lunch at La Paz. I've done it twice, the first was solo last December, the second with Cyrano in May. At La Paz, you do see all the falls, but don't walk all the trails, just the one that goes to the falls. Might look into hiring a driver so I could spend more time there, probably combine it with Poas.
The Sarapiqui river trip is obviously hit-or-miss. It's also short. Had some good luck on the Dec. trip, saw a crocodile, a caiman, and lots of howler monkeys low in the trees so got a good look at them (as well as hearing them). The May trip was generally a bust, no crocs, a few howlers high up in the trees, though there were some toucans.
I have also done the half-day trips to Irazu-Lankester Gardens and Poas-Doka Estate. Both are good options if you want a shorter trip.