Costa Rica -- a snake in the hand is worth two in the bush!

I love snakes. Snakes love me. How do I know? Well, I haven’t been bitten in all my times hiking Costa Rica’s snake-“infested” forests. Still, that’s also probably because I’m so paranoid about stepping on a perfectly-camouflaged fer-de-lance coiled unseen in my path that I tap a stick to disturb the leaf litter ahead of me when hiking.

Costa Rica has 138 species of snakes, of which only 18 species are venomous and nine of them very venomous. Wherever you are in the country, snakes are sure to be about, though most are too well camouflaged or hidden or shy to be seen. But how to know which ones are potentially deadly? Easy! Several serpentariums give you a close-up look at these fascinating and much misunderstood creatures. more >>

Natural history cruise tours in Costa Rica are the way to go

I've just completed a one-week natural history cruise as a lecturer aboard the Sea Voyager, operated by Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic Expeditions. What a trip!

I'm often asked how to get to remote areas of Costa Rica that few visitors ever see. Well, getting there by sea is one answer.

Three companies currently operate natural-history focused cruises that put you ashore at relatively off-the-beaten-track locales up and down the Pacific coast. Typically, you'll cruise at night so that each morning you're already anchored at a new location, when you'll go ashore by Zodiac to hike trails in the company of naturalist guides. I'll guarantee you'll get to see lots of monkeys, macaws, and who knows what other wildlife. We even saw pilot whales and blue-footed boobies on my recent voyage. There's usually plenty of time for snorkeling, even horseback rides, and cultural encounters too. more >>