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Giotours or Thumbs Up for Puntarenas?


AryMay
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Trying to compare Giotours (8 in 1 Tour) and Thumbs Up (10 in 1 Tour) for an excursion in Puntarenas, Costa Rica in April. They seem very similar so just looking for personal recommendations or advice from anyone who has done one or both of these tours.

Edited by AryMay
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  • 2 weeks later...

I did the Gio 8 in 1 tour just this last October. They were great. Excellent vehicle, outstanding guides, love those crocodiles, good lunch. Cruising again in January, and I've already booked a different Gio Tour. I have no experience with Thumbs Up.

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  • 2 weeks later...

We did the Thumbs Up 10 in 1 tour off the Coral Princess in Punta Arenas two weeks ago and they were excellent. I posted this on another travel bulletin board:

 

Excellent Cruise Ship Excursion

We were on their 10 in 1 tour for our Punta Arenas port stop on the Coral Princess. It actually exceeded our expectations and was everything that they advertised. The price and amenities were buch better than the ship's similiar excursions. It was a very good overview of the area. The included lunch was great and we saw numerous animals. It was $70 per person, we had people in a real nice 20 passenger Mercedes van. Our guide was Canadian who needless to say spoke perfect English.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just back from a tour with Gio Tours and I cant recommend them highly enough. The tour was the highlight of our cruise. OMG fantastic!!! We toured with them from 8 am to 4 pm. They took us site seeing, then we went on a long hour and a half boat ride to see sloths, birds, and many many huge caymans, then we went to a fruit stand to taste fresh fruits, and a sugar cane factory, and a store with free wi fi, and a local grocery store to buy coffee, huge bags for $4.00. They took us to a place for a huge buffet for lunch, included in the price. $69 pp. A great day, beautiful country, so many animals. Slouths would go on your shoulders for a picture is you wanted.

info@smallgroupstravel.com

they even gave us a gift bag of coffee at the end of the tour! and they take credit cards as payment

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  • 2 weeks later...

Not to add MORE confusion or Choices, but we just got back from a Coral Princess Panama cruise and booked a private day tour with Mauricio of Jacamar naturalist Tours. Had a fabulous day walking the national park and finding some beautiful birds. Also went to a coffee co-op and did some shopping that we had requested. It was our second visit to Costa Rica and we wanted a company that catered to what we wanted. Jacamar Naturalist tours and specifically Mauricio did just that!

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  • 6 months later...
Just back from a tour with Gio Tours and I cant recommend them highly enough. The tour was the highlight of our cruise. OMG fantastic!!! We toured with them from 8 am to 4 pm. They took us site seeing, then we went on a long hour and a half boat ride to see sloths, birds, and many many huge caymans, then we went to a fruit stand to taste fresh fruits, and a sugar cane factory, and a store with free wi fi, and a local grocery store to buy coffee, huge bags for $4.00. They took us to a place for a huge buffet for lunch, included in the price. $69 pp. A great day, beautiful country, so many animals. Slouths would go on your shoulders for a picture is you wanted.

info@smallgroupstravel.com

they even gave us a gift bag of coffee at the end of the tour! and they take credit cards as payment

 

Do they require payment in advance or on the day of the tour?

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  • 1 month later...
Just back from a tour with Gio Tours and I cant recommend them highly enough. The tour was the highlight of our cruise. OMG fantastic!!! We toured with them from 8 am to 4 pm. They took us site seeing, then we went on a long hour and a half boat ride to see sloths, birds, and many many huge caymans, then we went to a fruit stand to taste fresh fruits, and a sugar cane factory, and a store with free wi fi, and a local grocery store to buy coffee, huge bags for $4.00. They took us to a place for a huge buffet for lunch, included in the price. $69 pp. A great day, beautiful country, so many animals. Slouths would go on your shoulders for a picture is you wanted.

info@smallgroupstravel.com

they even gave us a gift bag of coffee at the end of the tour! and they take credit cards as payment

 

What was the name of the tour you took with them if I might ask? We will be in port from 7:00 AM until 5:00 PM. The slouth comment is what sold me. I have that on my bucket list to see a sloth up close and personal. I like that I could get a picture with one. Anything else you can recommend I would love to hear. Thank you in advance.:)

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What was the name of the tour you took with them if I might ask? We will be in port from 7:00 AM until 5:00 PM. The slouth comment is what sold me. I have that on my bucket list to see a sloth up close and personal. I like that I could get a picture with one. Anything else you can recommend I would love to hear. Thank you in advance.:)

Which other islands are you visiting?

 

Gio Tours is the 8 in 1 tour.

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Which other islands are you visiting?

 

Gio Tours is the 8 in 1 tour.

 

Thank you. I've contacted them.

 

We start in Ft Lauderdale, Puerto Caldera (Puntarenas), Costa Rica, Cartagena, Colombia, Enter Panama Canal Cristobal, Corinto, Nicaragua, Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, Huatulco, Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, and we end in San Diego, California.

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Thank you. I've contacted them.

 

We start in Ft Lauderdale, Puerto Caldera (Puntarenas), Costa Rica, Cartagena, Colombia, Enter Panama Canal Cristobal, Corinto, Nicaragua, Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, Huatulco, Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, and we end in San Diego, California.

 

I have four for you. The other islands we just went with the flow.

 

Costa Rica - Gio Tours 8 in 1 $69 pp. included lunch.

Cartagena - with Dora - dora@cartagenatour.com $65 pp

Nicaragua - Julio Tours - $60 pp included lunch

Guatemala we did a ship tour, as the roads are very narrow, and traffic is terrible, and we didn't want to chance missing the ship, if traffic was horrible getting back to the ship.

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I have four for you. The other islands we just went with the flow.

 

Costa Rica - Gio Tours 8 in 1 $69 pp. included lunch.

Cartagena - with Dora - dora@cartagenatour.com $65 pp

Nicaragua - Julio Tours - $60 pp included lunch

Guatemala we did a ship tour, as the roads are very narrow, and traffic is terrible, and we didn't want to chance missing the ship, if traffic was horrible getting back to the ship.

 

 

Thank you Nancy. I appreciate it. I will look into these to see if they are something we are interested in doing. I appreciate all of the information.

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  • 7 months later...

Did a "Thumbs Up" excursion from Caldera with a private group while on a Celebrity Eclipse cruise.I think the date was April 1,2019. This was a super tour, and we had an excellent guide (Paul) and a wonderful driver.

Based on this one-day trip, I  highly rcommend this company, and thank the gude and driver for an excellent day.

 

Frankie in Victoria B.C.

 

 

 

 

 

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