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| Mike, one of the Banana Adventure
tour guides, has earned the nickname "Crocodile
Mike" for his fearless appreciation of
and love for the animals encountered on his
tours. |
| Courtesy Banana Adventure
Tours |
Banana Adventures Tours has adopted
the slogan, “Costa Rica Step by Step,”
meaning that a single step is, first of all, a small
adventure unto itself, and that all steps taken
are done so in dozens of different ways. One is
by sliding above the canopy of the rainforest; another
is by boat crossing the rapids, or by mountain bike.
But the point at which a journey truly becomes interesting
is when one begins to hike on foot.
Steve Austin, owner of Banana Adventures Tours,
came to Costa Rica and immediately fell in love
with it. The desire to share the treasures of Costa
Rica lead him to establish a company that now offers
everything from one-day to ten-day trips. Banana
Adventure Tours is affiliated with the International
Mountain Bicycling Association, and it specializes
in professional, high-quality adventure, sightseeing
and multi-sports packages. According to Austin,
“Most of the clients are young professional
Americans, in their late 20s and 30s.” The
company has an office in San José and soon
will open a support office in Austin, Texas.
What truly makes Banana Adventures Tours different
from other tour operators is the love and passion
shown for the Peninsula de Osa, the region where
Corcovado National Park is located. According to
Austin, “It was not the desire for money or
business success that drove me to discover Peninsula
de Osa, it was the fact that the National Geographic
declared this area as the most biologically intense
in the world.” Austin also credits his friend
Mike, a tropical biologist, who had spent years
living here.
So, if you decide to buy a ten-day package taking
you down to Peninsula de Osa, you will explore all
the hidden secrets of the rainforest. Mike will
guide you across the river as dozens of hungry crocodiles
hide beneath its murky waters. He will lead you
on an eight-mile nighttime hike, which will reveal
senses that you did not even know existed. He will
help you to wade across a swamp as caymans closely
follow you. If this is not enough, he will teach
you all you ever wanted to know about such things
as snakes or bats.
No wonder he is the only guide who has the courage
to hike in the park at night, and has acquired the
nickname of “Crocodile Mike.”
You will be flown down to Peninsula de Osa and,
shortly after arrival, assigned your own personal
kayak. After an endlessly long hike, get ready to
climb aboard the mountain bikes that have been set-aside
for you in the middle of the forest.
Austin truly believes that Peninsula de Osa and
Corcovado National Park are the most unique places
he has ever been in his life. “The Osa Peninsula
is Costa Rica’s best kept secret, and Corcovado,
which protects one third of the Peninsula, is the
crown jewel of Costa Rica’s extensive national
park system. UNESCO is examining the possibility
of making Corcovado a world heritage site in recognition
of its biological importance. Because of its remote
location, the ugly, intrusive side of tourism has
not, as of yet, despoiled Osa’s pristine beauty.
There are no condominiums, resort hotels or golf
courses, just small, beautifully appointed eco-lodges.
And that is how the local population, so proud of
their peninsula, wants it to remain. Let us hope
their wishes prevail!”
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