432bobbyh (Carlsbad, California) 08/13/2019

From the booking with Lisa ANDERSON, to arriving and getting greeted by Allan Smith and Olympia, there was some confusion but staff including Owner Cory worked it out. The guides were great too , especially Micheal, Adrian, and Anthony kept it fun.

Bert S (West Hartford, Connecticut) 08/07/2019

Our stay at Crocodile Bay was amazing. Crocodile Bay caters to two kinds of guests: fishing and Eco tourists. We didn’t fish, but we did go on Eco tours. My main goal was photography. We spent 8 nights there and went on 5 eco tours. Rooms: The rooms are large and nice – nothing fancy, but you don’t go to the jungle to be fancy! The WiFi was fantastic – better than most hotels. There are no TVs in the rooms but, we were able to stream Netflix. The shower was great – lots of hot water and water pressure. The air conditioning was fantastic – something we really appreciated, as it was hot and humid outside. The bedding as a bit above average. Staff: The staff was always ready to go the extra mile for you. If you’ve read any of the other reviews, you’ve undoubtedly read about Olimpia. She’s a real gem. She really makes you feel at home. All of the other staff was equally nice and helpful. Food: We can’t say enough about the food. If you like seafood, you’ll LOVE dinner here. As a fishing resort, and as a resort on the water, really fresh fish is abundant. Breakfasts and lunch were equally good. Some days you ordered from a menu; other days it was buffet-style. The food quality and preparation were superb. Bar: All of our food and soft-drinks were included, but alcohol isn’t. There’s a nice bar, where you can go to have a drink after a long day touring. Pool: The pool area is very nice. You can sit in the sun or find shade. While sitting by the pool, you can watch scarlet macaws and other exotic birds come and go. There’s a small swim-up bar by the pool, but it wasn’t open when we were there. Eco Tours: The staff doing the Eco tours is amazing. They found the most amazing animals and birds. They could spot wildlife that we would never have seen. As a photographer, I appreciated their understanding of light and composition. They were always thinking about the best angle to photograph. Although there is much wildlife around the property (lots of scarlet macaws, toucans, etc.), most Eco tours take place outside the property. You’re generally taken by a Land Rover-type vehicle over very bumpy roads. On one trip (the Rainforest/Monkey tour), we saw all four species of monkeys, along with 4 type of owls, scarlet macaws, sloths, and many birds. The tour provides lunch on a gorgeous secluded beach (Matapalo). It is a full-day tour and is amazing. The "jungle night walk" tour is great. It takes place on the property after dark. You go with a guide with flashlights looking for night wildlife. We saw multiple frogs, spiders, etc. It’s a great way to see wildlife that you can’t see during the day. We went to the Osa wildlife sanctuary. This tour takes you by boat to a sanctuary on the other side of the bay. On the way, you look for whales and dolphins. We saw one humpback whale and MANY spotted dolphins. The sanctuary rehabilitates injured animals while providing a home for injured animals. The animals are in cages, but it gives you an opportunity to see some animals that you wouldn’t normally see (ocelot, kinkajou, etc.). You get an opportunity to feed some of the animals, and even go into their cages. We went into the Sloth cage, and fed the 3 sloths. It was an incredible experience to get up and close with these incredible, gentle animals. Weather: We were there during the "green" season, which is cooler and rainier than the "dry" season. But almost every day was sunny up until around 3pm, when it gets cloudy, and "sometimes" rains around 4 to 5pm. It didn’t rain every day, and most days were beautiful. Out of 16 days in Costa Rica, it only rained mid-day once. Photography: Shooting in the rain forest is difficult because its so dark. Most wildlife is under the canopy, so there’s very little light. I shot with a Nikon SB-800 flash unit with a Magmod wildlife kit. This kit magnifies your flash output, so it reaches much further. I shot with flash exposure compensation of -2EV, so the use of flash wasn’t obvious. There are other brands of products that do the same thing. I highly recommend any of these. I rented a Nikon 500mm/f5.6 PF lens. This is a very light and small lens, and I shot most images with this. A focal length longer than 500mm would have been better, but this was the best alternative. I tried a 1.4x teleconverter with it, but at f8, there wasn’t enough light to focus on the dark subjects. I brought a 105mm macro lens – great for frogs – and a 300mm/f4 lens. I only used the 300mm lens for some close-up work (e.g., snakes that I didn’t want to get close to!). Crocodile Bay is a hidden gem. About 7 different photographers have workshops there, but, unless you’re looking for instruction, the Eco tours provide everything you need for an incredible photographic opportunity.

Judi N (Rockford, Illinois) 08/04/2019

Just spent a week at this beautiful resort - wonderful setting located in a tropical rain forest. The rooms are very clean and well serviced. The food is great, and the dining staff make you feel that you are part of their "family". Everything is run very professionally, but with the feeling of enjoying a new home. Wildlife tours are amazing with chances to see monkeys, tree frogs, snakes, birds, lizards, etc. up close or running around the area.Tour guides are knowledgeable and always aware of safety. If you are a photographer, you couldn't find a better location.

james t (Ottawa, Canada) 07/29/2019

My wife & I recently spent 7 days at the Crocodile Bay Resort. Visiting Costa Rica & fishing the Osa Peninsula has been on my bucket list for many, many years. Our adventure at Crocodile Bay did not disappoint & the experience at the resort was absolutely fabulous & needless to say, a dream come true. Eco tours, spa treatments for my wife, stunning flora & fauna, knowledgeable, friendly & courteous staff, quality food, quiet & comfortable accommodations & top tier fishing both inshore & offshore encompassed an experience which has created lifelong memories. Special thanks to Lisa Andresen from Lynch Creek Travel who organized the travel arrangements both smoothly & professionally. Furthermore, she calmed any concerns which I might have had in a prompt & courteous manner. In addition, Captain Humberto & first mate Charlie were a fantastic team & put us on fish repeatedly for four days. I've fished in multiple locations & they are easily the best fishing guides I've ever had the privilege of fishing with. The smallest fish we caught was 20lbs & the largest was 90lbs which included multiple Roosterfish, Sailfish, Jacks, Mahi Mahi & Bonito. We also had multiple bites from Snappers but were unable to land them this time around. The prize catch was a 70lbs Roosterfish which tested every muscle in my body. If you have the chance to fish at Crocodile Bay, ask for the team of Humberto & Charlie. You will not be disappointed. Other highlights include our visit to the Osa Sanctuary, seeing humpback whales & porpoises while fishing, the visit to the chocolate farm with our friendly guide, Michael, howling monkeys jumping on our roof in the night, the gladiator tree frog and all the wonderful flora & fauna on the premises of the resort. Thank you for the memories Crocodile Bay Resort. They will last a lifetime. James

81UTaustingrad (Georgetown, Texas) 07/09/2019

We could see the rain all around but never got wet. Really quiet time of the year, good for me. Tail end of bill fish season, we did not pull one in but another fisherman managed to hook 4. We caught 2 tuna offshore and 2 roosters inshore along with a small blacktip and jack fish. The accomodations were very clean and comfortable, large rooms. Food was prepared fresh and made to order, very nice. We fished off the dock, swam in the pool, ziplined and went to the beach. Had a great time.