Costa Rica | Tropical Rainforest Photography

Upon arrival into San José, please proceed to clear Immigration & Customs and exit the airport secure area, where you will meet with your Holbrook representative for your transfer to the hotel. This afternoon enjoy time on your own to photograph the famous gardens at Hotel Bougainvillea. Check-in starts at 3:00 pm. Tonight there will be an orientation to the program followed by dinner at the hotel.

After optional early morning photography around the gardens, check out of the hotel and start your journey to Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve. En route, stop at La Paz Waterfall Gardens to photograph waterfalls from different vantage points. Enjoy lunch at the gardens before continuing on to a café in Cinchona known for its many hummingbird feeders. Selva Verde Lodge is situated in the Caribbean lowlands, at elevations ranging from 180 to 220 feet. Established by the Holbrook family in 1985, the lodge is renowned for its commitment to ecological preservation and sustainability. This afternoon, enjoy free time for photography around the grounds, in search of some of the 300 bird species found here, including a variety of colorful hummingbirds, trogons and toucans. After dinner, venture out on a night walk to spot a variety of nocturnal life including the colorful red-eyed tree frog, a must in every photographer's collection.

Depart at dawn for the world-famous Organization for Tropical Studies La Selva Biological Station for early morning birding in the tropical wet forest. La Selva consists of approximately 2,500 acres of land, more than half of which is primary forest. The area averages over 13 feet of rainfall each year, making it a prime spot to photograph water birds. Over half of Costa Rica's recorded bird species have been spotted at La Selva, including the Bare-necked Umbrellabird, Red-capped Manakin, Great Antshrike, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Striped Cuckoo, Slaty Spinetail, Yellow-tailed Oriole, and Rufous-tailed Jacamar. This afternoon, get some great photographs and learn about native amphibians at Frog's Heaven. Later return to the lodge for lunch and time at leisure.

Begin the day with optional birding around the Selva Verde grounds. Then visit Copearte - the home and gardens of the artist, photographer, birder, and nature-lover known as Cope - to photograph bats, owls, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. Return to the lodge for lunch, then travel to Puerto Viejo to board our boat and take a ride on the Puerto Viejo (if water levels allow) and Sarapiquí Rivers. Look for aquatic animals, birds, and reptiles in their natural habitat.

This morning, depart for Dave and Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park for a two-hour tour to photograph hummingbirds and other wildlife along the river trail. Return to the lodge for lunch and this afternoon visit the Macaw Farm, a private initiative started by Don Alvaro Otoya that has turned into a successful breeding center for two species of Costa Rican macaws: Scarlet and Great Green. Habitat loss and poaching have threatened these amazing birds, nearly bringing them to the point of extinction in some places. As a result, the need for reintroduction into the wild is high, in particular for Great Green Macaws. Projects like Don Alvaro's have allowed local authorities to bring the populations back in some areas, and now macaws can be seen flying high where they were absent for decades. The macaws at Don Alvaro's are not caged, and fly free through the surrounding rainforest. Take advantage of the opportunities to capture amazing images of macaws in flight, with more controlled light than in the forest, while contributing to the effort of protecting and reintroducing the macaws back to their habitat.

Your day is free to participate in optional activities such as whitewater rafting, horseback riding, a chocolate tour, or a guided hike in the rainforest reserve across the river (arranged at reception upon arrival and paid on-site). You can also spend time by the pool, look for avian visitors and butterflies in Selva Verde's botanical garden area, or take in the river views from the patio overlooking the Sarapiquí River.

Spend one last morning photographing the grounds and feeders at Selva Verde, before departing for San Jose. En route, stop for birding and photography at Nectar y Polen. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner at the hotel.

Transfer from the hotel to the airport. Check out is at 12:00 pm.