And again as if it was magic, we woke up not only at a new location but also in a different country. Early morning and before breakfast we had the opportunity to visit a botanical garden named Casa Orquideas, deep inside the peaceful waters of the Dulce Bay in southwest Costa Rica. Only accessible by water, surrounded by primary forest, Casa Orquideas is indeed an incredible place to visit. It’s truly a showcase of the luxuriance of the tropics. The owners Ron and Trudy McAllister, two American expatriates, have tenderly gathered an incredible collection of trees, palms, flowers and spices over the last 35 years living at this remote location. On top of this, the property is regularly visited by many of the creatures that reside in the adjacent forest to take advantage of the many tropical fruits that the McAllisters grow here for display. Orquideas is an array of shapes, patterns, colors, sounds, smells and tastes that are a feast for your senses. And in order to make the most of it, all was meticulously prearranged. Our crew and staff worked hard, by sailing all night long, and making the mandatory immigration paperwork stop at Golfito Port, Costa Rica, while the rest of us were sleeping.
Thanks to this, our photographers were able to reach this incredible location at the ideal time of the day when the activity of the wildlife is at its highest and the light is the best, the so-called “golden hour.” After the pre-breakfast visit to Casa Orquideas was enjoyed by everyone – but particularly by our photographers escorted by our naturalists and photo-instructors – we returned to National Geographic Sea Lion for a well-earned and delicious breakfast. Later we could return again for more organized guided walks through the easily walkable property.
Casa Orquideas never lets us down and we had a great experience today here. Aside from the many beautiful flowers, butterflies and trees we saw today it is worth mentioning great views of the unmistakable toucans and the spectacularly colorful scarlet macaws. We looked on as they actively searched for their own breakfast, almost posed, and delighted our photographers.
