I booked this trip via an agent from Drake Bay. I did not know what Corcovado was going to be like. I have been just days before, to Manuel Antonio National Park and I was there in sandals, and it was perfectly fine. I have not been told about the fact that hey don’t allow people wit sandals in Corcovado, or that sandals are not ideal. Also, I was told I can pay online. But all of this was done via two separate contacts so I thought I would wait, to pay on the day, just to be sure, because it was all done via WhatsApp and I needed security. On the boat to Corcovado the guide (Friman, or Freiman) something like that, said I couldn’t do it online and that all he knows is I had to pay 100 dollars. In the end he said he was going to ask there. We got off the boat and he briefly said what we had to do, there was a whole sequence, line up, get your bag searched, go to the side, sign in a book, go further to the side, prepare for the tour, mosquito repellant etc, lots of things, there was a bit more. Anyway, it turned out they called my name first. I went and had my bag searched. When that was done, I looked at Freiman, who was next to me and I ask him “Do I go and sign the book?” He replied “As I already said, you go and sign the book”, with a somewhat hostile tone. He looks at my sandals and says “Go and put on your trainers.” I said “I don’t have trainers, but I should be fine” He continued “I am not taking you without trainers. You stay here, you can’t come!” Just seconds later he continues “If you go, you go at your own risk,” all of this was said to me with a very stern tone,!I felt he was really hostile towards me, for some reason. I told him that I wasn’t told I couldn’t come in sandals by the organizers but it was ok, I was willing to do it in sandals and it wasn’t an issue. One minute later, we were all in circle, with about 9 people, all strangers to me. He says a few words about the tour and then he turns at me and in front of everyone he says “He came in sandals! I told him that if he comes he comes at his own risk, because everyone should have trainers!” I couldn’t believe that he just made an example of me in front of 9 other strangers. I was feeling very upset by this moment. I was not enjoying it. I was not happy to be there. But I owed it to myself to make the most of this. I paid 110 dollars (online) for this. I paid a large sum of money to be treated like I was a child who had done something terrible, in front of strangers. For the rest of the tour I just walked quietly. I felt quite horrible to be there. But my target was to see animals, so I detached myself from the situation with the guide, and I focused on my goal. Yes, it was muddy, and there were puddles, but I was always first in line. They never had to wait for me, I never slipped, I never fell. Others were lagging way behind. There was no reason for this public finger pointing at me, and hostility. At the end he tried to make it right. I could see that he was sometimes saying something to me, and once he took my phone to make a video. I knew he realised that I was upset, and maybe he was aware that his behaviour has been quite inappropriate. To be quite honest. That was not a good day, not a good memory. I did ask some questions, in the end, about the forests and all. But I kept quiet for the most part. And I never made a scene, although I should have told him “There is no need to make a public example out of me”. It was highly inappropriate.

It's a very interesting and complète tour in Corcovado (boat, forest tour, lunch). The guide was really good and share a lot of informations. We saw a lot of animals even from the boat ! Thanks.