Charlie Soto Tour

[WebStir4]

You will not be sorry going with Charlie Soto. Remember, he will stop and pick up a driver and he will be the guide. Besides the excursion being beyond words, he is such a sweet heart. Also, remember that in the restaurant I think the prices are in peoses. $1 US dollar = $10 Pesos. So a hamburger is not really $26, but $2.60 our prices. Costa Rica is known for its coffee. Buy lots of dark roasted coffee as gifts. He will take you to a regular supermarket and stay right by your side which was a very secure feeling. The price for coffee there is so cheap. Every store he took us to was for the natives so prices were so low. We were the only tourists in the store. If I had known that, I would have brought back a lot more coffee than I did.

[KamloopsCruisers]

We will be stopping in Costa Rica April 28th while sailing on the Radiance of the Seas. I have just emailed Charlie to book our zipline adventure and tour. We booked this cruise a long time ago and it is finally getting close. I'm confident that going through the Canal and our day with Charlie will be the highlights of our cruise.

 

Can't wait!

[captainron]

Hi Rick & Sue,

I've also organized a day with Charlie for his A3 Tour on our Coral Cruise with Karen & Roy. Are you doing your zippin' with Charlie at Villas Lapas. If so here's the website for the place he's taking you:

 

http://www.villalapas.com/

 

Still trying to convince the two of them and Kathy to go ziplining with me then the day of sightseeing. Some are doing the Jungle River Tour, others are doing the Suspension Bridges throught the canopy. WEe do the animal sanctuary , Jaco Beach and the Natuonal Park as well as shopping for our...you guessed it Cafe Britt (CR coffee).

 

Karen & Roy are flying up tomorrow fore the weekend, so I imagine we'll finalize all our shore excursions and the girls' spa dates for the duration of the cruise. Roy and I will surely find a cool cerveza if they do their thing.

 

What are your ports of call on your trip? Keep in toucjh and we can compare notes the end May.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[PaulMedik]

When we first booked our cruise on Carnival Liberty, we were mainly looking forward to Cozumel and going to Paradise Beach again; the tumultuous tropical weather of 2005 eliminated our Cozumel port and we thought it eliminated our only beach port stop. (We were wrong; Costa Maya has a great beach and Costa Rica does too) We went to Costa Maya instead of Cozumel and had a great time at the resort just to the right of the pier in Cozumel by going through the hole in the fence. Check out the Costa Maya forum for more info on the resort.

 

What we didn't expect was that we would also find a nice beach in Costa Maya. We had planned to do the aerial tram tour via Carnival excursions, but it was sold out so we then planed to do the jungle wagon tour; it was also sold out. So with our options all gone, we just got off the ship with plans to hook up with a Charlie Soto tour based on all that we'd read on Cruise Critic and from others on board.

 

We got off the ship within an hour of arrival at the port and found Charlie Soto himself at the end of the pier and he put the five of us in his van while we waited for one other couple which turned out to be FireChiefCruiser (Dan-o) and his wife Kim from our Liberty Roll Call thread.

 

Charlie took us to the rain forest and proceded to point out the various animal inhabitants as well as the plant life. My boys got to hold wild monkeys and sloths. After the rain forest tour we went to a banana plantation where Charlie gave us a personally guided tour of the operation. He then took us to a river pier and placed us on a boat for a trip through the rain forest where we saw many different birds, lizards, crocodiles and rain forest sights.

 

After the boat tour, Charlie took us to Playa Bonita beach where he had our table waiting and the waitress ready to take our food orders. Playa Bonita beach is a safe beautiful beach with clear calm waters, soft sand, cool breezes, great food and jungle animals nearby too.

 

Charlie then drove us to the top of a mountain overlooking the Port Limon pier where we could see Carnival Liberty in port. After taking some pictures there he asked what type of shopping we preferred and pointed out the best locations. He then drove us right back to the edge of the pier where we posed for pictures with Charlie taken by pier security agents.

 

I must say that we found a lot more than we expected in our day in Costa Rica. We expected a high priced, tedious day on a packed excursion bus to do one thing and ended up passing all the buses and doing just about everything advertised for Costa Rica and never had any crowds to contend with and even had time on a great beach at a port stop with no beach excursions available!:) Charlie Soto's personal touch made Costa Rica our favorite port stop!

 

Click here for our Costa Rica webshots homepage.

[direfun2000]

How does one get ahold of Charlie? We will be there in October.

[flashdog_1]

Thank you for sharing your photos with us.

[KaC-Cruiser]

How does one get ahold of Charlie? We will be there in October.

After dealing with Charlie for some time, the organizer for our tour created a website with some basics from Charlie. It also has his e-mail address. Happy Touring!!!

 

http://www.nanada.com/tours/

[palmtre2]

We were on the same sailing as Paul & used Charlie Soto as well - we couldn't have asked for a better day. Our guide was Olman and the driver was Sem - great guys. We did the zip line tour Tortugrero(?) Canals tour, then we went to Bonita Beach. Olman went to college here in the US and speaks the language very well. Olman was with us every step of the way, he gave a very interesting overview of the country, made sure we were comfortable with snacks and drinks and even tried to ease some of our fears about the zip line.

The zip line was awesome - this is coming from some one afraid of heights. The only time I had a problem was on the platforms - you truly feel safe in the harness. We saw sloths in the trees around us and were told that sometimes you can see toucans as well. The children in our group loved this part of the day best.

The canals are very interesting as well the boats are covered to keep you out of the sun and the guide was amazing - he could see things that took us several minutes to see. Crocodiles, several types of lizards and birds, bats and monkeys. This wasn't a very long boat ride but we saw alot and it was very enjoyable.

At Bonita Beach we had a nice lunch - Olman made sure we had a table together and got a waitress to us immediately, the kids ran off to the water (blue and clear) and we order drinks and $3 burgers with fries!!!! There was a gentleman with a sloth there and the braver ones in our bunch had their pictures taken with it. It was the perfect ending to a terrific day.

 

I highly recommend Charlie Soto's Okeydokey tours.

[Cruising Boomer]

We have been emailing to Charlie about his B4 Tour out of Puntarenas/ Puerto Caldera on October 5 (HAL Veendam). We told him we do not want to zipline. He suggested the B4 tour described as follows:

 

Crocodile Man Boat Tour -7 hours

Crocodile Man Jungle Boat tour on the Tarcoles river to view animals such as the Coati Mundi, Macaw, Monkeys, Birds, Iguanas Crocodiles and others wildlife. (extra charge) (2 hours).

Jaco Beach & Restaurant (Lunch) beautiful beach and great food

Beautiful Scenic Viewpoint

Supermarket visit for wonderful Costa Rican Coffee, Vanilla, and much more at great prices.

 

Charlie quoted $85 for this tour.

 

Has anyone taken this tour?

 

I get a little confused with the postings and cannot always tell who is talking about the Caribbean side or the Pacific side.

 

Does anyone know where Charlie lives? Does he show up on both coasts??? :D

 

I have asked him twice how many people will be on the tour but have gotten no response. He has been very prompt and everyone seems to like him but we do not want to be packed on a bus like the ship's excursions.

 

Thanks.

 

Cruising Boomer

 

Doug

[AbbFabb]

I haven't taken the Puntarenas tour, but I can vouch for OkeyDokey Tours- Charlie Soto. I was with Palmtre2 on the Liberty sailing- April 15th. We took te zip linin tour in Costa Rica. We packed in a lot of fun in one day! Olman was our guide and Sem was our driver. They were both friendly and provided top notch service. They were timely and greeted us just as we walked off the ship. They exceeded my expectations and I would highly recommend this tour company.

[Weliketogo]

It is somewhat confusing about which tourguide covers which side of Costa Rica. Charlie Soto does cover both sides (Pacific & Caribbean) with tours customized to each area. You can check his website for more info and photos www.okeydokeytours.com if you would like. Everyone in our group of 42 truly enjoyed his tour in Limon. We will use him again, soon I hope.

[mdeane]

I would like to assure you that if you plan a tour with Charlie Soto it will be the BEST!!! WE had a wonderful day with him and covered everything we wanted. He even went out of his way so I could see more monkeys. He always answers his email promptly and represents all his tours very accurately. He was one of the best tour guides we have had on many, many cruises. You could see his love of Costa Rica. We too, shared that love after our day with Charlie. We would go back with him in a heartbeat and hope to do so again one day. Thanks for such a great time Charlie. We love you.

[Cruising Boomer]

Thanks for the info on Charlie. We booked with him back in May. He read my post on this thread and responded clearly to me on the particulars of the tour that I was not understanding. We are leaving in about 4 weeks and will be in Costa Rica in early October. We have been to Costa Rica twice for two weeks at a time so we feel like we have seen a lot of the country but this tour is not something we have done before. Really looking forward to the cruise!!

 

Again, thanks.

 

Cruising Boomer

[lazygal]

I'd like to address some issues that were raised in this thread.

 

First off, I personally arranged a tour with Charlie in August via e-mail for an Oct. outing. After researching zip-line sites, I asked Charlie for his opinions, since we were experienced at zip-lines and wanted a challenge. I had inquired about Turu-Bari. He agreed it would be more challenging and also mentioned a location (can be found on the boards) where you horseback ride to a waterfall zipline (next visit).

 

Charlie arranged an entire day's tour for us at $35pp plus the park charges.

 

There were eight in my group and we recruited another couple from the ship-10 total.

 

In our excitment, we passed Charlie on the pier and once we passed the gates we were literally swamped with other tour guides wanting our business. I kept telling them we were waiting for Charlie, and they kept insisting Charlie had come and gone. One guide was bold enough to lead us to his bus, saying he was taking us to Charlie. Finally, a guide told us Charlie was waiting for us back on the pier and he called him. Okay, the lesson of that was to WAIT FOR CHARLIE ON THE PIER - he will be there.

 

He runs a very professional, reasonably priced, tailor made tour. Once at TuruBari (a nice hour's drive) we determined we wanted to do the longer (25 platform) zipline for an additional $15. The park's prices are confusing, as everything seems to be a la carte. We only wanted to zipline, but they require you to choose two activities for $69 - then it was extra for the longer zip-line. Charlie helped us negotiate a slightly better price. All total, the price cannot be beat, because the zip-line at TuruBari is probably the best in the country, boasting the longest zip-line perhaps in the world at 2260 ft above the valleys.

 

Because we took the longer tour (well worth it) it did cut into our touring time with Charlie. After taking in the butterfly garden at the park and the included lunch and some additional hiking, we asked to cut our park tour short to rejoin Charlie who was waiting at the entrance restaurant.

 

We passed some local school children who were collecting money for their school and we asked Charlie to pass their jar through the van. The smiles on their faces were a highlight - so grateful and happy.

 

Once reunited, Charlie proceeded with his planned tour, taking us to see the crocodiles, which also provided an amazing ride through the countryside and views of the rainforest.

 

From there it was off to see the monkey's. This is a spot that is behind a woman's home. I have to say no one knew quite what to expect, but once Charlie spotted the monkeys we were out of the van and surrounded by families of tree monkeys. The property owner and her small son came up with fruit and breas to feed the monkeys and it was a delightful experience.

 

Our next stop was back in Puntarenas at the local store for coffee purchases. Even with a conversion chart, Charlie was still needed to help the cashiers with the money exchange. I also love soaking in local culture - where nbetter than a grocery store, deep in town, away from the pier.

 

Charlie had clearance to drive us right up to the ship, but we still had time to do some local strolling at the flea market by the ship. We said our goodbyes, wished each other well and Charlie collected his fees.

 

He has built a good business by treating his customers well and providing the best service.

 

Now to address the negatives previously noted: From organizing a tour, I know first hand it is hard to please everyone. Someone in my group wanted to cut the tour short after the zipline, but this was an all day tour that I had planned for months. I guess the person went to Charlie, and Charlie came to me for instruction on what to do. Charlie will do everything he can to please everyone - but all day tour means all day tour, and Charlie is going to take his instructions from the person who organized the tour.

 

I'm sorry this was so long, but I would not hesitate to take a tour with Charlie for a reliable and courteous experience.

[PaulMedik]

..............

 

but I would not hesitate to take a tour with Charlie for a reliable and courteous experience.

 

 

Lazygal,

 

Amen to that. I would add that a tour with Charlie is also a personal experience that you can't find on every port stop.

 

I don't see Costa Rica on any of our next few cruises, but Charlie will be our guide if we go there again. :)

[Cruising Boomer]

We had a great tour with Charlie in early October. We saw a tree full of scarlett macaws, the same monkeys behind the woman's house, and the crocodile "cruise." The only problem was leaving - things were a little disorganized but that was partly due to the other ship in port. They were going by ship time (1 hour later) rather than local while we were on local time - confusing. There was some waiting while different groups were separated for different tours BUT this is what happens when traveling. You have to role with the circumstances. We had a great day and would use Charlie again!

 

Cruising Boomer

[Whitetail]

I just returned from a cruise aboard the Legend at 3 am this morning, after reading the message board for months I chose to do the shore excursion with Charlie( Okeydokeytours.com ) Charlie answered all emails promptly, and was waiting at the peir as promised. We had a small group of 6, our own little well maintained tour bus with a/c. We toured a fruit farm where we tried all kinds of exotic fruit and walked through rainforest, there were well maintained restrooms and the trails were not muddy at all. Charlie was our tour guide and our safety driver, Markus. We felt very safe with these charming gentleman, and they were determined to give us a great tour. Our tour also included, banana plantaintion, monkey spotting, photographing the ship from a view, canal tour by boat, lunch at the beach and shopping at the local grocery for vanilla & coffee(very very cheap). Boat ride was great, my 13 yr old son seen reptiles that he had always wanted to see, alligator, fruit bats, turtles, birds, sloths, etc..the highlight was when a helper at the fruit farm brought us a Mommy sloth with a baby, we will probably not ever get that up and close personal with a sloth again! As everyone before me said, "Charlie is a sweetheart" we too felt like we were leaving Family. And to my surprise, Charlie sent me a thank you this morning within hours of arriving home! The only down side was that we did not have time to shop at port, this was not Charlies fault, he took us to a local restaurant for local food (we would of chose this for our group anyway) the restaurant was very crowded as it was a Saturday and it took a long time to get the food (food was delicious when it arrived!) Also, the ship had cut 2 hours off of our port time, so my only suggestion would be if shopping at port is high on your priority list than just tell Charlie that ahead of time, we would of chose lunch at the beach over shopping but others might feel like they missed out. Sorry for the long post but Charlie deserves this recognition.

[Hobie1976]

We also took a tour with Charlie in early October. Charlie was very quick to reply to all emails and answer every question in detail. I do not recall how many of us were on the tour, but we were all seated comfortably on his van with plenty of air conditioning. Charlie met us on the pier. We dropped off the zip liners, including our son.....and then went to the jungle river cruise for those of us that had chosen that option. There was a slight wait for the boat, but it was well worth the wait. The crocodiles were great. Upon our return from the river cruise, we picked up the zipliners and were off. We went to the authentic Costarican restaurant, visited Jaco Beach. We saw some beautiful macaws and had many great photo opportunities. We visited the family of monkeys by the women's house, which have been previously mentioned. We also stopped at a local supermarket for the coffee,vanilla, sauces, etc. It was a very long tour..but absolutely fantastic. Charlie does exactly what you chose to do. He is very proud of his home in Costa Rica.

I highly recommend Charlie Soto and his fantastic tours. You will not regret it.

[Weliketogo]

I know that Charlie Soto not only runs tours out of Puerto Limon but also tours from the west coast out of Puntarenas. I am curious if someone has taken the tour to Turu Ba Ri. How long does it take at Turu Ba Ri? It looks like a very interesting place from the pictures on his website. Looks like you could spend the entire day there. Info please.

[Nanner]

Cliff, we haven't done TuruBaRi with Charlie, but are just back from touring with him out of Puntarenas. He talked about TBR and had a flyer, said it was a whole day at one place and he would recommend it for a second visit since it is a whole day thing. It's a bit more of a drive according to what I understood, but has ziplines, skywalks, horseback riding and is like an all-includsive soft adventure thing. Of course, that makes it more expensive than either Villa Lapas or the Crocodile Man tour, but it did sound like fun.

[Weliketogo]

Thanks for the information Nancy, We hope to get to the Punarenas side of Costa Rica and tour with Charlie in the hopefully near future. Turu Ba Ri will be on our list to visit. We really enjoyed touring with him in Puerto Limon on our last cruise.. Thanks again.

[deb18]

Hi. We were on the excursion in Puntarena with Charlie (hi Charlie if you are reading this) with Nancy (hi Nancy) and about 10-12 other people. We thought it was great. We dropped two people off for Zip lining and did the suspension bridges with the rest of the group. Although the walk was downhill it was about 2-3 hour walk and it was not the easiest walk, so just be forwarned. The only one who fell was the guide when we crossed a stream. It was great to do. Do take the walking stick that was offered, it was very helpful at times (IMO). We were tired at the end of the walk and some people fell asleep on the ride to the crocs. Charlie did not go with us on either the zip line or the walk. It was a terrific, memorible experience all in all. deb

[gwydiana]

Charlie's tour was the highlight of my cruise. We ziplined through the Costa Rica Rainforest and marvelled at the lush green Port Limon landscape.

 

Choosing okeydokey tours was the best decision I could have made!

[halos]

Charlie Soto is everything good, fabulous and wonderful that is written about him on these boards. We just had an excursion in Puntarenas with him and about 10 others from the Celebrity Infinity on 11/12. (Hi Deb & Nancy!!) You feel like he is a member of your family after knowing him for just 2 minutes. He loves his country (as he should, it is beautiful) and enjoys showing you anything you want to see while you are there. If I ever get back to CR, I will surely look him up again. I can't say enough about him. If you're going to port in CR for any cruise, you'd miss a lot if you don't give him a try.

 

I know you check these boards Charlie!! Hola!! I hope you're doing well!! :D

 

Angel

[gracecarmo]

Does Charlie give tours that are in the 3 to 4 hour time range? We do not want to go zip lining, just want to see the sights around the city and hear about Costa Rica in general.

Also, can we pick up his tour from the dock, or do you always have to make a reservation?

We will be on the Summit in Feb.