Costa Rica: Laguna del lagarto (1 Viewer)

My wife and I will be travelling in Costa Rica next February. One of the lodges we are spending a few days is Laguna del Lagarto. It is said to have good photo opportunities. I have een told, though, that the use of the photography platform will be $35 pp. That would mean $70 is we both want to use it. Is that the only good photography option or do you also have good views of the feeders from places like the restaurant?

This must be a new thing?

It wasn't in operation when we were there and this 'platform', all photography is done from the dining area which is raised above the lawns, I saw nowhere else?

Nothing here on their own site but not updated.

http://www.lagarto-lodge-costa-rica.com/rainforest_lodge/lagarto_rainforest_lodge_rates.htm

Who gave you this info?

Perhaps it is new, indeed. I mailed the lodge and that's the info I got back in their reply. They did not mention any other possibilities, so I wondered if someone who had actually been there could give me an independent view on those.I don't mind paying for a good photography option, but that is a rather steep rate, especially since we will be staying at the lodge. I can't see myself using that more than perhaps once in any case. But I hope there are more options there.

PeterBird said:

Perhaps it is new, indeed. I mailed the lodge and that's the info I got back in their reply. They did not mention any other possibilities, so I wondered if someone who had actually been there could give me an independent view on those.I don't mind paying for a good photography option, but that is a rather steep rate, especially since we will be staying at the lodge. I can't see myself using that more than perhaps once in any case. But I hope there are more options there.

Click to expand...

There was a group of Chinese photographers there when we were and they we all just set up in the same area that's used for dining.

My wife is a photographer but we were not asked for money. We certainly would not have paid anything like $35 for what we could see on offer which was a couple of feeders and a range of common birds, both feeders were viewable from tables in the dining area.

I think you should send some feedback and tell them

a) that's far too expensive
b) you probably won't visit now as a result.

On a positive note, the food was pretty good here.

Many thanks for your thoughts on this, Andy!

Costa Rica: Laguna de Lagarto

Hi Peter,
I have been there this year in march and they charge only, if you want to use their Hide in the forest for bat-photography. There they have to prepare the feeders to attract the bats, so this is maybe the reason for the charge.
From the veranda/dining area, the photography is free.
Good place with Great Green Macaw, Central American Pygmy-Owl and Black-and-White Owl plus many common birds in the garden, but quite expensive. I did not realize before that the meals are charged extra and are not included in the price of the lodge (like they are in most other places in CR).
The forest around the lodge is disappointing unfortunately. They are allowed to take tree felled by storms out of the forest to sell them, but there they overdo this a bit. The forest is crisscrossed with muddy logging roads and pretty thrashed. So don't exspect to much there.
best regards,

Matthias

Thank you very much, Matthias, that is really useful to know! It is a shame about the forest, but I hope the photographic opportunities will make up for that. Yes, I did realize that except for breakfast, no meals were included, so we'll see about that.

mfehlow said:

Hi Peter,
I have been there this year in march and they charge only, if you want to use their Hide in the forest for bat-photography. There they have to prepare the feeders to attract the bats, so this is maybe the reason for the charge.
From the veranda/dining area, the photography is free.
Good place with Great Green Macaw, Central American Pygmy-Owl and Black-and-White Owl plus many common birds in the garden, but quite expensive. I did not realize before that the meals are charged extra and are not included in the price of the lodge (like they are in most other places in CR).
The forest around the lodge is disappointing unfortunately. They are allowed to take tree felled by storms out of the forest to sell them, but there they overdo this a bit. The forest is crisscrossed with muddy logging roads and pretty thrashed. So don't exspect to much there.
best regards,

Matthias

Click to expand...

On the first point, it's not really a hide, just a small, wooden shelter at the start of the trail with a few bird feeders that are used at night for bats. I don't know if they provide anything else like additional lighting to try and justify the fee?

The second point, the forest is badly trashed and ugly in places but we were told that it was due to Hurricane Otto. There was evidence of tree cutting when we were there but only to clear footpaths from trees that had fallen in the hurricane, I saw no evidence of any major removal of trees.