Eco Tours
2–3 hours
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$50
per adult
The Night Tour with Tracie The Bug Lady
The Night Tour with Tracie The Bug Lady
The Night Tour with Tracie The Bug Lady
5
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About
Drake Bay, Costa Rica
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
764 reviews
Excellent
737
Very good
17
Average
8
Poor
3
Terrible
0
Jason
Dallas, TX24 contributions
Jul 2021 • Solo
Tracy was so passionate about nature and it showed in her presentation. She was knowledgeable about different animals and insects and took her time explaining different plants and animals. She even went over the time alloted for the tour that make sure that we were having a good time. I would highly recommend Tracy. She's a walking encyclopedia!
Written July 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane O
South Orange, NJ29 contributions
Feb 2020
Tracie and Gian led us through a special evening in Drake Bay. Their ability to spot creatures that they clearly love is amazing. Once spotted, they tell spellbinding stories about the habits, habitats and enemies of each creature. Their knowledge and care for the creatures was thrilling and infectious. They brought equipment that made it much easier for us to see each creature despite the darkness. I will never forget the trap-door spider! We went down to Drake Bay to enjoy the bio-diversity, and we clearly would have missed so much if we had not gone on this tour.
Written February 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jssquared
Boston, MA33 contributions
Dec 2019
We just returned from a stay at La Paloma Lodge and had an amazing night hike with Tracie, the Bug Lady and her husband. My wife and I, along with our three girls (yes three girls) loved spotting all manner of spider, scorpion, frog, bat, and insect along the path adjacent to the lodge. We have never met anyone as passionate about bugs and insects as Tracie and her enthusiasm was infectious. Her knowledge is unmatched.
At night, the jungle is a completely different and wild place. Absolutely take the night hike. It is safe. Easy, a short walk on paved road, and fascinating.
They have a great set up with spotting scope, light, and iPad so that everyone can clearly see all of the animals they are able to spot.
At night, the jungle is a completely different and wild place. Absolutely take the night hike. It is safe. Easy, a short walk on paved road, and fascinating.
They have a great set up with spotting scope, light, and iPad so that everyone can clearly see all of the animals they are able to spot.
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gibbsncis
Toronto, Canada6 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
Loved this part of my trip...extremely informative from two people who not only tell you what’s what but makes it fun at the same time. Worth the time effort and certainly the money...just love to have a copy of what we saw....I bought a cheap infra red light as a result for my next trip somewhere
Written February 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Barbara J
Chugiak, AK9 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
We truly enjoyed our evening with Tracie and Gianfranco. We saw so many things that you normally do not see, even if you walk with a headlight around through the forest. They are both sooo knowledgeable about every critter they showed us and they have a great way of sharing what they see with a powerful scope and light. They have a screen so we could all see things that were further away. We appreciated that one would present while the other looked for things to share so we were always looking and learning. We couldn’t have had better guides! We also appreciated a link they sent afterwards to share a list of creatures seen And additional information about the biodiversity and amazing creatures of Corcovado. Don’t miss this opportunity, but book early to get to go!
Written January 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RBro2014
Boston, MA134 contributions
Jun 2022
This was a phenomenal tour. I learned so much from Tracie and Gian. It was very well organized, and so much fun! We saw multiple frogs, bats, spiders and various other insects. With each one they gave us in depth information and after the tour followed it up with a list of what we had seen and further resources for more research. An incredible experience. Thank you Tracie and Gian!
Written June 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mursedan
Cincinnati, OH9 contributions
Feb 2011
This tour is amazing. Tracy and her husband are great at finding the spiders, insects, and frogs. They are extremely knowledgeable about what they find too. It is at night in the rainforest, so it can be a bit difficult getting around, but it is a not-to-miss tour. You should probably arrange for it when you first get there as they book up fast. Also, it is awesome to see where most of the biodiversity is in the rainforest, as most of it is the insects, spiders and frogs.
It's also cool because Tracy says they usually see something they have never seen every 7-10 days. So you might see something never discovered before.
It's also cool because Tracy says they usually see something they have never seen every 7-10 days. So you might see something never discovered before.
Written April 13, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NZ18
Dublin, Ireland18 contributions
Feb 2015 • Solo
I have been travelling in South and Central America for over six months now, and I have to say that this tour was by far one of my favourite things that I have done. It really opened my eyes to the finer and more discreet aspects of nature that I have otherwise overlooked and I left feeling completely enchanted by the whole experience. Tracie and Gian could not be more enthusiastic or informative, making them the perfect tour guides. I would go as far as to say that you should make your way to Drake´s Bay for this tour alone!
Written March 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Respilosa
Philadelphia108 contributions
Dec 2014 • Friends
The rain forest comes alive when the sun goes down and you'll miss out on most of that life if you don't take this tour. Tracie The Bug Lady and her husband Gian The Frog Whisperer are experts at revealing the hidden secrets of the forest. Gian seems to have a supernatural ability to spot creatures of all kinds and, yes, communicate with frogs. He mimics their calls accurately enough that they reply to him, thus allowing him to pinpoint their locations. While he's searching for reptiles, amphibians, insects, spiders, mammals and birds, Tracie beguiles you with fascinating information about the last thing he found. This ensures that you're never left staring, bored, into the nighttime forest, wondering whether you'll get to see something cool -- which, by the way, would definitely be the case if you tried this on your own!
I took their tour three times during my week in Drake Bay. It is a serious enterprise, perfected over many years. The gentle Tracie and Gian are focused individuals who love and understand the forest and its inhabitants very well. They work hard to share their love and knowledge with others and are excellent at doing so. They observe safety precautions, provide good-quality headlamps for your use, pick you up on time, and make sure you have a good experience. After your tour, if you request it, they will email you an inventory of everything you saw together. It's easy to lose track of how many things you saw as well as the names, so this is a valuable service.
This very popular tour sells out on a regular basis, so it's best if you reserve your spot early. I made my reservations months in advance and still encountered a night that wasn't available. The tour is not suitable for toddlers or very young children, but great for school-aged kids and older.
By the way, even at night and with lights to attract them, there weren't any human-biting mosquitoes in Drake Bay.
I took their tour three times during my week in Drake Bay. It is a serious enterprise, perfected over many years. The gentle Tracie and Gian are focused individuals who love and understand the forest and its inhabitants very well. They work hard to share their love and knowledge with others and are excellent at doing so. They observe safety precautions, provide good-quality headlamps for your use, pick you up on time, and make sure you have a good experience. After your tour, if you request it, they will email you an inventory of everything you saw together. It's easy to lose track of how many things you saw as well as the names, so this is a valuable service.
This very popular tour sells out on a regular basis, so it's best if you reserve your spot early. I made my reservations months in advance and still encountered a night that wasn't available. The tour is not suitable for toddlers or very young children, but great for school-aged kids and older.
By the way, even at night and with lights to attract them, there weren't any human-biting mosquitoes in Drake Bay.
Written December 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
caribou98
Roseburg, OR25 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
All our vacations in recent years have been nature-focused, a safari in Central Africa, an excursion with Philip Smith to photo kiwi at night in New Zealand, visiting African penguins near Cape Town, Africa among others. This tour is so good that, even though we did it four years ago, we were driven to do it one more time during our recent trip to Drake Bay. There are other nature tours, some at night, but Tracie Stice and Gianfranco Gomez both have strong skills as scientists and as educators. Their presentations are a valuable experience for both those who just want to be entertained and the ones who enjoy learning about the many creature-treasures of our planet. They do important work and we highly recommend this stimulating experience.
Written August 10, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How do you book the Night Tour with Tracie the Bug Lady?
Written April 16, 2018
Hi, you can just go to the website for the night tour. Trip advisor won't let me post the website, but if you google the night tour, you can find it easily.
Written April 17, 2018
We will be in Jimenze on the 12th of November. Is this tour close by and do you have an opening for my husband? Please let me know how I book this tour and the cost. thanks
Written October 27, 2016
Hello, unfortunately we do not offer the Night Tour from Puerto Jiménez. Because of logistics we can only offer the tour to guests lodging in Drake Bay near the town of Agujitas. Thanks again for your inquiry
Written October 27, 2016
Hello... and thank you for the great review on Tracie...I think my 16 year old and I are planning a trip to Drake Bay around that one tour! He LOVES reptiles and amphibians...has places at home to care for them. Can you give me any suggestions on tours/places to stay/places to go where we would see and INTERACT with the most of these critters? He is really not much into birds or whales, although I would like to snorkel while there. He already thinks of himself as his own personal tour guide, and indeed he comes home with snakes, turtles, even anda litle alligator! He finds creatures when no one else does, and I think he would love this place. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Peggy
Written July 7, 2016
Hi Peggy, I would get in touch directly with Tracie and ask her advice as I am sure she can organise other tours than just the night tour as well as give you hotel recommendations and other specific tour guides. Tracie and her husband are passionate people and it is really refreshing in today's world to see this. My 16 year old daughter enjoyed this tour very much and it was one of the highlights of our stay in Costa Rica. Tracie and her husband were also lately involved in a documentary for BBC. Details to be found on thenighttour.
We saw several alligators in Drake Bay and as for the snorkeling there is plenty of opportunities. Enjoy CR and pura vida!
Written July 10, 2016
Thanks- that must have been som experience. With limited time and eye on one's budget, can you give some indication of the costs involved and the time it takes to do this tour ?
We are planning a visit to Drake a Bay in early December and would really appreciate a feedback!
Best
Written October 15, 2015
My earlier review: Incredibly which animals, insects and other critters are hiding just under your eyes, barely a few meters from your lodge. Tracie is the Bug Lady. She just lacks two extra legs to make the picture complete ;-)
The price is $40 pp. and the tour is highly recommendable.
You can google "bug lady costa rica" and you will find a link to thenighttour.
Written October 17, 2015
Our family will be in Drake Bay March 19-21. We have 3 children 7,8, and 10. This tour sounds amazing!
How can I get more information, cost, and book?
Thank you!
Written February 4, 2015
just google :
The Night Tour with Tracie
"The Bug Lady"
Drake Bay, Costa Rica
Written February 4, 2015
Hello Ross,
Greetings from Drake Bay. Thanks for your inquiry. The Night Tour is $35 per person. We would be delighted to show you some of our amazing night life in Drake Bay. If you have any questions or would like to reserve the tour, we would be happy to help.
Thank You!
Tracie
Written January 6, 2015
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.