My wife, Fyllis, and I had long dreamed of visiting Costa Rica. We knew about its reputation for magnificent landscapes, abundant animal and bird life, and preservation of the magnificent environment.
We could have spent hours searching the Internet for flights and hotels, reserving a rental car, and taking care of the many other required details. But we didn’t. Instead, we made a single phone call that took care of all of the necessary planning. In addition, we knew that we would be following an itinerary that combined the must-see attractions with a number of hidden gems that we otherwise might have missed. We also had the comfort of knowing we would get good value for our hard-earned dollars.
Of course there’s something to be said for the enjoyment of planning a trip. For some people, a vacation begins when they start to make phone calls, search on their computers and take the countless other steps required to deal with every aspect of a trip—and then hope that nothing has been overlooked.
Others follow a different route. They turn to tour companies that travel to the destination—or destinations—they wish to visit and let their experts handle the details.
Fyllis and I went to Costa Rica with a tour operator we had traveled with before. Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) is the self-styled “leader in personalized small-group adventures on the road less traveled.” The itinerary allowed us to squeeze as many experiences as possible into every hour of every day.
