It was the best time ever. We had all ages from 14 months all the way to 57 years old. It was educational and just plan fun. Ted was a wonderful guide not to mention the wonderful staff that he works with. They are very knowledgeable about their environment that we traveled in. Ted was such a delight to ask questions to. The vehicles were well maintained actually comfortable to ride in. I would suggest this Off Road adventure to anyone of any age.
Thank you Ted and Rose!!!

As I sit here peeling at my Tamarindo sunburn and recalling the highlights of my recent trip, I felt compelled to write a review of my experience with Off Road Costa Rica.
For those interested in seeing the "real" Costa Rica, there is no other way to do it than from the driver's seat of your own vintage Toyota Land Cruiser! With a hunger for adventure and a bit of research, my best friend and I decided to buzz down to Tamarindo and see what these off-road safari tours were all about.
Last Saturday, June 23rd, we were greeted at the entrance of our hotel by Ted Horwitz, owner of Off Road Costa Rica and our guide for the day. That's right, the owner of the company was our guide! Ted is so passionate about what he does and puts forth much effort to ensure his guests have a good time. We were given a complete orientation of the vehicles and rundown of the day's activities. The best part was this was not a "follow the leader" activity. Ted made sure that we all had some input as to what we wanted to see to make sure our safari was complete (still never found those spiders the size of my head, Ted).
Our day begun climbing and decending the hills around Tamarindo. We would stop ever so often and Ted would tell us how the town was growing, teach us a little about the history of the area, and show us what was is store for the future of the Guanacaste Beach towns. We then proceeded into a heavily wooded area, blazing though deep mud, crossing rivers with water up to the top of the hood, and enjoying steep climbs and decents. The diesel Land Cruisers are reliable, very capable, and a blast to drive.
We would stop to observe monkeys and birds, eat termites, and learn about Costa Rica's flora and fauna.
About a third of the way through the day, we took a break for a zip line canopy tour, then it was back to the trails.
Midday, we popped out of the jungle and went to the beach for a phenomenal meal and conversation with our group. Both my friend and I agree that Ted has to be one of the most interesting and entertaining individuals we have met in quite some time. His personality really is the heart of these tours.
After lunch it was time to blaze a new trail. If you are still reading this, you are probably wondering if anyone got stuck in the mud. Well, of course they did. It is a team effort to get our trail-mate unstuck and back on safari. Again, this is the most "hands-on" tour of Costa Rica you could find.
At the end of our off road adventure, we found ourselves driving on the beach again to a remote and very scenic beach location, where we unloaded the vehicles with beach chairs and tables, and played on the beach for an hour or so. It was great to sit around with our group and discuss the happenings of the day.
We left the beach and the day finished in a small Costa Rican town . Ted took us out to the middle of their soccer field and taught us a little about Tico culture and lifestyle. We returned to our hotel just after dark.
In summary, if you are of an adventurous spirit and want to see the real Costa Rica, this is your choice. My friend and I had a great time and are looking forward to our next off road safari with Ted.

We stayed in playa grande, which was already amazing. But this was definately the highlight of our trip. Not one dull moment. We saw monkeys, got muddy, ate termites, went ziplining, and got to play with machetes! Most of these are things I would never want to do. OUr tour guide, Rose, was awesome. She was professional, but at the same time a lot of fun. We were 9 in the group and we would all do this again! So much fun..

My wife and I are professional photographers and were looking for a unique tour to get some shots for our portfolio. We decided to go beyond "off the beaten path" and find a way to beat the path into submission. Ted at ORCR more than delivered. First he managed to accommodate us with a private tour when his tour schedule was extremely tight. Then we casually mentioned that we were photographers, and would appreciate any consideration for good shots - and he had our guide customize the tour for us.

The tour itself was a thrill-ride. My wife and I are Toyota off roading enthusiasts from Colorado, so we were really excited to drive the BJ-40s - that would have been enough. Driving the trail they laid out for us, during the rainy season, was amazing. We should have asked for two Cruisers so we didn't have to argue about who would drive. Our 4Runners have never had a work out like that!

Rose from Off-Road Costa Rica was an outstanding guide. We were thrilled with the photo opportunities she found us. She is wonderfully knowledgeable and a great companion to the mud and four wheeling!

We will be doing another tour with Ted on our next trip. If you're going to Tamarindo anytime soon, make sure you book an afternoon or whole day with Ted, you won't regret it.