Holbrook Travel

08/26/2026

📣 Reminder: The live virtual tour of Selva Verde Costa Rica Rainforest Lodge is scheduled for tomorrow, August 27, at 11 am ET. Hosted by our friends at Wowzitude, this informative tour will be led by naturalist Iván Castillo. Come see what interesting things he might find in the rainforest! 🦋🐦🐜🌿🦥🍄

Can’t make the live event? You can register at the link below to receive a recording after it’s over.

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Wowzitude Tour: Into the Living Rainforest: Costa Rica’s Selva Verde. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

08/22/2026

📣 Save the date, you’re invited!

Embark on a live, virtual tour of Selva Verde Lodge & Private Reserve to explore the lowland tropical rainforest of Sarapiquí, Costa Rica. Hosted by our friends at Wowzitude, this informative tour will be led by naturalist Iván Castillo. You may recognize Iván if you’ve traveled with us to Costa Rica before; Selva Verde is where Iván became a naturalist and began his guiding career!

Now, he’ll be leading us on a virtual journey to discover one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. Through his spotting scope, we’ll watch the amazing resident bird species and other interesting rainforest creatures we happen upon. We’ll also hear a bit about Selva Verde’s history and the story of the reserve’s founder, and learn about the role that private reserves play in the protection of this fragile and resilient ecosystem. We hope you can join!

WHEN: Thursday, August 27 @ 11 am ET

REGISTER: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XqWIe3aESOGIJtw8BC4H3A

Selva Verde Costa Rica Rainforest Lodge Sarapiqui Conservation Learning Center Best Adventures Travel

📸 by Andrea Holbrook, Gabriel González, & Keyla Campos

08/19/2026

Happy World Photography Day! 📸

As we celebrate the power of photography to inspire, inform, and connect people across the planet, we’re putting out a call to our past travelers: we invite you to share your favorite images from your journeys with us for the chance to be featured in our annual calendar.

We’re looking for great images that tell a story or capture a special moment. In order to be eligible, pictures should be from either a trip with Holbrook Travel, a visit to Selva Verde Lodge, or a Road Scholar program coordinated by Holbrook Travel. Send us your submissions by October 5 for the chance to be featured in 2027.

🔗 Visit https://www.holbrooktravel.com/connect/share-story -calendar for more details.

Thank you to everyone who’s already submitted!

Photo by Alyssa Bichunsky | Road Scholar

08/13/2026

The Arizona adventures continue! ☀ The Southeast Arizona Birding Festival is underway in Tucson, and we're thrilled to be joining this year's event.

Jill Hays started the morning off with a field trip, where some of the highlights included the Vermilion Flycatcher, Gambel's Quail, and Yarrow's spiny lizard pictured here. We can't wait to see what the next few days bring!

If you're in attendance, make sure you visit the Nature Expo to say hello and chat about our birding expeditions. The Expo continues today until 5:30 pm, Friday from 12 pm to 5:30 pm, and Saturday from 10 am to 5:30 pm. We hope to see you there!

08/09/2026

Earlier this year, Andrea Holbrook traveled to Mexico with a group from the Florida Museum of Natural History to experience the monarch butterfly migration. It was her first time witnessing the phenomenon, and it left a lasting impression. Check out her guest post on our blog to read more about the trip and see some favorite photos!

Guest post by Andrea HolbrookI am somewhat shy about admitting that I had never been to see the monarch butterfly overwintering phenomenon myself. Holbrook Travel has been offering this program since…

08/07/2026

Greetings from Southwest Wings Birding and Nature Festival in Sierra Vista, Arizona! 🐦🌵☀️ The festival is off to a great start so far, with some incredible field trips, speakers, and camaraderie.

If you’re in the area, be sure to visit our table at the Nature Expo in the Mall at Sierra Vista and say hi to Jill Hays. She'll be there 10 am to 5 pm today and 10 am to 4:15 pm tomorrow. We hope you can stop by!

📸: Jill Hays

07/28/2026

On a recent vacation, our CFO David Bruck and his family took part in a fun Costa Rican cooking class, one of several community rural tourism activities offered by the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center. The class was hosted by Doña Heizel at El Roble de Chilamate in Sarapiquí. Programs like these help promote sustainable development and conservation while allowing international visitors to learn about local culture!

07/22/2026

Kudos to the great teams at Costa Rican International Herpetological Symposium and Selva Verde Costa Rica Rainforest Lodge for publishing the Catalogue of Amphibians and Reptiles of Selva Verde Lodge! 🐍🐸 This comprehensive list showcases the impressive collection of h**petofauna that calls SVL home and puts into perspective just how much biodiversity is packed into this small area of the world. If you’d like to read more about the fascinating details of this scientific catalog, check out the post below and visit the links shared. 🦎🐢

Additionally, don’t forget you can still register to attend the upcoming VI Costa Rican International Herpetological Symposium and Field Exploration taking place at Selva Verde this September 3-6! 🐊🔗 Visit www.selvaverde.com for more information.

What would you think if I told you that a small biological reserve in Costa Rica holds a greater variety of amphibians and reptiles than entire European nations or massive North American states?

We have just compiled the most recent scientific catalogue for Selva Verde Lodge, and the numbers have completely blown our minds. In an area of barely 2 km² (comprising both primary and secondary forest), there coexist:

50 species of amphibians

71 species of reptiles

A total of 121 h**p species!

You can download it for free right here:

https://www.selvaverde.com/documents/Catalogue-of-Amphibians-and-Reptiles-Selva-Verde.pdf

To put this biological madness into perspective, look at how this small corner of Costa Rica compares to the rest of the world:

Selva Verde vs. Europe and the USA
More than 10 times that of the United Kingdom: The entire British Isles are home to just 13 native species. In Selva Verde, we multiply that number by ten!

Triple that of Germany: An entire country in the heart of Europe records around 40 species. In just 2 km² of our rainforest, we have three times as many!

More than Spain (Europe's most diverse country in h**ps): Spain spans 583,000 km² and hosts nearly 100 native h**p species. Selva Verde surpasses it by 21 species in a millionth of its territory!

Equals massive states like Missouri: The US state of Missouri covers 180,533 km² and possesses almost the exact same number of species as this tiny, vibrant oasis of Central American biodiversity.

Why does this happen?
The tropical rainforests of Costa Rica act as a powerhouse of life thanks to their microclimates, dense canopy, and strategic location as a biological bridge for the continent. Here, every square meter, fallen log, and bromelia leaf is an entire universe waiting to be discovered.

Remember that this September (from the 3rd to the 6th), Selva Verde will host the VI International Herpetological Symposium of Costa Rica. It is the perfect opportunity to come learn, connect, and enjoy this event while exploring the jungle in search of its fascinating creatures.

More information (how to register, preliminary program, etc.) at www.selvaverde.com

If you are a lover of nature, photography, or science, the h**petodiversity of Selva Verde is not just a number... It is an experience you have to live in person!

Which of these comparisons shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments!

07/17/2026

Congratulations to our friends at Road Scholar on achieving Travelife Partner status! 🎉 This well-deserved milestone reflects a meaningful commitment to responsible tourism.

We're proud to serve as a program provider for an organization that shares our values. As we continue on our own sustainability journey, we're grateful to work alongside partners who are helping lead the way and shaping a more sustainable future for travel. 💚

Road Scholar has been recognized as a Travelife Partner, reflecting our commitment to responsible travel, environmental stewardship and supporting communities around the world.