|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
|
| | | | | | | Program Itinerary | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | OVERVIEW | | |
| | Day | | 1 | |
Sun, | |
Feb 27, 2011 | | Arrival in San José, Costa Rica |
| | Day | | 2 | |
Mon, | |
Feb 28 | | Costa Rica Star Lodge |
| | Day | | 3 | |
Tue, | |
Mar 1 | |
Evening Southern-Sky & Optional Daytime Activities |
| | Day | | 4 | |
Wed, | |
Mar 2 | |
Evening Southern-Sky & Optional Daytime Activities |
| | Day | | 5 | |
Thu, | |
Mar 3 | |
Evening Southern-Sky & Optional Daytime Activities |
| | Day | | 6 | |
Fri, | |
Mar 4 | |
Evening Southern-Sky & Optional Daytime Activities |
| | Day | | 7 | |
Sat, | |
Mar 5 | | Craft Village of Sarchí / San José |
| | Day | | 8 | | Sun, | |
Mar 6 | | San José - Onward |
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
|
|
| | | |
|
| | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Day 1 Sunday,
February 27, 2011
Dinner
Arrival in San José, Costa Rica | | | | | Upon arrival at San José Juan Santamaría International Airport (airport code - SJO) you will clear Customs and be transferred to our hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott, San Jose. Depending on your arrival time, join us this evening at the hotel for an optional get-acquainted dinner. | | | | Overnight: Courtyard by Marriott, San Josè | | |
| |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Optional pre-tour hotel package – February 26 | | | | | | | |
For those wishing to arrive a day early,
TravelQuest is pleased to offer a one-night San José pre-tour package,
February 26. The package includes an airport arrival transfer on
February 26 and overnight at the Courtyard Marriott hotel, including
breakfast. | | | | | | | | Cost: $120 per person, based on double occupancy, and $230 for single occupancy. | | | | | |
|
| | | | | | | | Days 2
Mon, Feb 28 B/L/D
San José - Star Lodge | | | | After breakfast we’ll meet our Costa Rican guide and Astronomer/Study Leader, Gary Seronik in the lobby of the hotel, where we will board our private motorcoach for a brief supermarket stop for last minute items and then journey west to our
Star Lodge, reserved exclusively for our stargazing pleasure. Located on the Gulf of Nicoya, our dark-sky lodge is in a prime birding and wildlife habitat.
Lodge
rooms feature two beds, private bath, ceiling fan, and screened
windows on three walls, enabling the evening breeze to keep us
comfortable. Rooms will be outfitted with red lights to allow
stargazers to preserve dark adaptation and enjoy the truly dark
viewing conditions. Away from observing areas, non-stargazers will
find a lighted area for reading, card games and socializing. The
lodge’s manicured lawn faces an open southern-sky, which is the
perfect site for setting up telescopes and other equipment.
The open-air restaurant and lounge area overlooks the hotel’s
beautiful swimming pool and the bay beyond, and is a comfortable
meeting-place both day and night. Meals at the lodge are served
buffet-style and feature fresh ingredients, including locally grown
vegetables, chicken, beef, fish, and tropical fruits. Throughout the
night, stargazers will be served famous Costa Rican coffee, as well
as tea and cookies. This afternoon, stargazers can set up their
telescopes for the first of five nights under the glorious
southern-skies. | | | | Overnight:
Star Lodge (5 nights) | | | | | | | |
 | | | | | | | | Day 3-6
Tue - Fri, March 1-4
B/L/D daily
Evening Southern-Sky
and Optional Daytime Activities | | | |
Over the next four nights we’ll continue
to enjoy the richness of the southern Milky Way and the many
deep-sky wonders visible throughout the night. You are invited to
join Gary Seronik for a series of after-dinner workshops in which he
discusses binocular astronomy, using star maps to locate deep-sky
treasures, and how to photograph the night sky. Gary also conducts
guided tours of the southern sky to show you where to find the best
sights with binoculars and small telescopes.
Dinner will be served nightly around 5:00 p.m., to allow
plenty of time to prepare for a great night under the stars.
February and March nights at this location are 10 hours long — the
Sun sets around 6:00 p.m. local time with astronomical twilight
ending less than an hour later.
During the day, you can sleep in late, relax at the lodge,
take a dip in the refreshing swimming pool, or enjoy optional
activities that include horseback riding, as well as guided nature
walks to look for exotic birds and wildlife.
Included in the price of this tour are some daytime
activities - a half-day boat excursion from the lodge’s private pier
into the Gulf of Nicoya to visit a nearby mangrove habitat, home to
many exotic water birds, and a sunset excursion to a beautiful
lookout point. | | |
|
| | | | Day 7
Sat, Mar 5 B/L/D
Craft Village of Sarchí | | | | After breakfast we’ll pack our belongings to return to San José, stopping en route for lunch and shopping in Sarchí. This colorful village is best known for its traditional crafts and is the perfect place to buy gifts, coffee and souvenirs. Join us this evening for our farewell dinner. | | | | Overnight: Courtyard by Marriott, San Josè | | |
|
| | | | Day 8 Sun,
Mar 6 B
Costa Rica - Home | | | | After breakfast you’ll be transferred to the airport according to your flight schedule. You may wish to extend your stay in Costa Rica to explore nature preserves, volcanoes, and more! Contact TravelQuest for details. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Our Star Lodge | | | | | | | |
Our Star Lodge is located on the Gulf of
Nicoya. Cabins include 2 beds, ceiling fan, a shower-equipped bathroom,
and a porch with an inviting hammock. Meals and socializing takes place
under a thatched roof open-air restaurant and lounge, located just steps
from your cabin. There are no telephones, TVs, or Internet connections,
but plenty of electricity. Meals are prepared fresh daily, featuring
typical Costa Rican ingredients - chicken, fish, beef, and fresh local
fruit. By day, do as much or little as you wish — relax at the lodge's
beautiful fresh water pool; join the included group activities; or enjoy
optional horseback riding and bird watching - more than 100 species,
including white ibis, tri-colored heron, purple gallinule,
double-striped thick-knee, parrots, parakeets, bellbirds, trogons and
kingfishers. Maybe you'll see crocodiles, coyotes, howler and
white-faced monkeys, sloths, agoutis, and iguanas. A lagoon adjoins the
property's mangrove, river, and forest habitats. | | | | | | | | A typical day at the Star Lodge | | | | | | | |
Our days begin with an optional
early-riser’s walk to view birds, reptiles and mammals in the morning
light. Breakfast is served from 8 to10:00 a.m. The morning hours are for
sleeping or for enjoying an optional activity. Lunch is served at noon.
The afternoon hours are spent relaxing poolside, resting in your room,
or visiting with fellow travelers under the lodge’s outdoor palapa.
There will be opportunities for two included activities – a boat
excursion and a tractor ride. Near the end of each day, you can walk to
a nearby pond to see crocodiles, monkeys, and exotic birds. Dinner is
served at 5:00 p.m. Stargazing begins shortly before 7 p.m. as evening
twilight fades and lasts until nearly 5 a.m. when the sky starts to
brighten. Snacks and beverages are served through the night. | | | | | | | |
February and March are typically dry in
western Costa Rica. Temperatures hover in the 90s by day, with evenings
in the 70s — perfect weather for winter stargazing and astrophotography!
Dress is 100% casual — leave your coat and tie at home! | | |
|
|
| | |
To view photographs taken
by our travelers at the Costa Rica Sky-Party 2010, click the button
below. | | |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| | |
| |
| | |
| | | | | | | | 
| | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Back to Top | |
| | | | | | | | |
Copyright 2011 TravelQuest International. All rights reserved.
Revised:
January 31, 2011.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or trademark holders. | | | | | |
|
|
