Tortuguero Canal, with Lester & Oregon Tours

[Angel]

My husband and I just book the canal tour, city highlight and banana plantation tour with Lester Milner of Oregon Tours. We heard such good reviews that we thought we would go with lester. He answered our emails very quickly with information that we need, cost of tours and where we will meet at the pier. We will be in Puerto Limon, on the galaxy, on May 1st. Will post a review when we get back to let others know about our tour. The oregon tour email is oregontouroper@racsa.cr for lester.

[a68vet]

It's A68vet,

 

Do you have any idea if we could link up with your tour? We will be 4 adults. I was considering doing this with the ship but have heard nothing but good about Lester's tours. Are there others with you on this tour?

 

don

[Angel]

Wow, this is great, so far I think it is just Ron and I, I set it up with lester about 2 weeks ago, email Lester and set it up with going with us. I think he just takes so much in van so it is not crowded and uncomfortable for the people. That is what he told us. He really is on the ball about getting back to you when you email him. He has it set up to meet ron and I at the pier at 8:30 am with a sign that says Oregon tours. I hope it works for you. Oh, the tour goes to the canals and costal highlights, caribbean culture highlights too.

Good luck.... let me know. Oh his email I gave yesterday on our roll call.

Bev and Ron

[a68vet]

Wow, this is great, so far I think it is just Ron and I,

 

Got email back from "Loril" and there was room in the 15 pax van so we are on the list I think.

 

Sea yall soon!

[Angel]

Hi Don,

Just wanted to say I hope you are in with us, Never gotten emails from loril, worked direct with Lester. So I hope it is the same tour. Let me know for sure.

Bev

[a68vet]

Sent email to Lester. Just assuming Loril is someone in his family. We will see..... :confused: I asked some questions and haven't heard back yet.

[Angel]

Hi Don.

Hopefully it is someone in his family, It took a day or so when he got back to us. You should be hearing from him soon. I'm pretty sure we were the only ones on that morning tour with lester at 8:30 since I asked for that time and he said great. Here is his email again, oregontouroper@racsa.co.cr. I think I gave a wrong one on my first message on this post. Hope this helps.

Bev

[cruisinlivin]

Don & Bev,

 

Loril is related to Lester, she works with the web site and emails. You will hear back from either of them on occassion.

 

We went on their tour in Jan. You may have read one of our posts of our trip. It was wonderful.

[Angel]

Thanks Crusilivin,

I really enjoyed ready your review, that what help me decide to go with lester, plus all the other good reviews about oregon tours. We have 6 of us on our tour which should be great.Can you give me an idea of what the canal trip will be like and what things you saw. Getting excited about that port.

Thanks again.

[a68vet]

Don & Bev,

 

Loril is related to Lester, she works with the web site and emails. You will hear back from either of them on occassion.

 

We went on their tour in Jan. You may have read one of our posts of our trip. It was wonderful.

 

Just got confirmation, Loril is Lester's sister....

[Angel]

Great News Don, you are confirmed to join Ron and I at 8:30 at pier. Hooray. We have a group now from our CC cruisers on this tour. We are all set and ready to go only now we have to wait for 26 days till we head out to sea.Oh well, it will get here sooner than we think

Bev

[cruisinlivin]

Bev,

 

The day we went it was raining, tropical rain and unpredictable. We travel with ponchos and they provide them too. Within an hour or so of getting off the boat you are dry though because of the climate.

 

On the river we saw slothes, iquanas(two different because of the environment they were in, green and brown), lots of birds, just the stories and environment make it very interesting. I will try to find some of my pictures and attach them later.

 

The banana plantation is interesting. We are so used to closed in warehouses with lots of security, protection etc. This is a wide open fresh air environment.

 

On the drive through the country back roads we got up close to a sloth and spider monkey. Our daughter was thrilled with the experience.

 

If you stop in Panama, try to get a local taxi driver who knows the old forces base and the private "Zoo" a family has there. It was the best experience. This young man finds endangered animals in the woods and brings them back to his small "Zoo" beside his house. He treats and cares for them, feeding them lots of fruits and Veggies. It was great to be up close to the monkies, ocelot, toucans and others animals we saw. The driver also took us to the canal. This trip was far more reasonable than the commercial tours. The car was not air conditioned but we heard the local story not the commercial story of the area which we enjoyed. We went to the canal

 

Cayman we rented a car. It is easy to drive the island. You can see everything, including the destructioon the hurracaines have done. The turtle farm was the best, next to nothing fee doing it on your own. The rum cake store is right beside it and Hell a 3 minute drive. We stopped at 7 mile beach near the Courtyard and snorkelled for a while, no fee and no parking fee.

 

Cozumel we rented a car too. Get to the Coconuts restaurant if possible, great food, wild environment. We didn't have enough time to do the South Point environmental tour, $6 bus tour, cheaper than commercial excursions. Easy to drive Cozumel, one big circle.

 

We drove Roatan too, beautiful island. We ended up in the private beach the cruise ship takes cruisers to for $35 pp for nothing, by accident. It was mid-late day and they were all leaving. We found out that if you taxi(or drive) to West End that you can get a water taxi to drop you at that private beach without a beach fee. Apparently 20 feet or so of each beach is public domain and they can't charge you if you arrive by water.

 

If you are going to one of the cruise private islands take lots of sun screen. They are very pretty, kind of like being in a 'Disney Village' environment. Walking the beach you will get lots of sun.

 

The ports are wonderful and the people the best!

 

Have a great cruise!

Gail

 

PS: car rentals were $45-$55 a day. Some I did through the internet others we did at port.

[Angel]

Thankyou Gail,for all your info, it was so informative. We will make sure we keep your advice with us. I am interest in the turtle farm and maybe the butterfly garden also. snokeling I think I will do in costa maya and get that right off the ship.

We are looking forward to our tour with lester. We have 2 more couples coming along with us from our cruise critic group. So that should be fun to share.

Thanks again Gail.

Bev