McDougall Adventures

Costa Rica McDougall Adventure February, 2008

We enjoyed so much about the trip: the wonderful new friends we made; the chance to meet you both and learn more about nutrition and health; the daily adventures; the delightful and knowledgeable guides, who went out of their way to inform and accommodate all guests; the plentiful, scrumptious food; and the breathtakingly beautiful setting overlooking the Pacific Ocean. McDougall Adventures provided an awesome vacation and handled all details professionally, from greeting arriving guests at the airport to returning us there and making sure we were all in the right line for departing visitors, and everything in between.

This is without doubt the best vacation we have ever had.

Warmest regards,

- Teresa and Doug, Columbus, Ohio

How does one describe such a marvelous, well-planned and organized vacation adventure? If I sat at the resort all day and just immersed myself in nature - the wildlife, pools, breath taking scenery and food, I would have been satiated and said it was the best vacation ever! But I didn't! We jumped in with all our enthusiasm to try anything and everything that was offered. We came from all walks of life and a wide variety of states. The camaraderie at all the meals was wonderful. The large tables with seating for 8 offered an opportunity to meet and converse with a wide variety of individuals. And indeed we were a varied group. Everyone was friendly and outgoing. I was asked what was my favorite adventure and I was hard pressed to select just one. If the main event were not the most challenging I still found something else that happened during the outing that made the day spectacular. Whether it was an unusual plant, bird, animal or reptile or the natural surroundings, we found ourselves in a conversation with one of the people in our group. There was something each day to make it special. The tour guides were an exceptional group – on each adventure we were entertained and given information from a local perspective. The staff at the Resort treated us royally - we were so spoiled all the time. It was so relaxing to know that all we had to do was show up at the Resort and from that moment on until our plane left for the USA we had no concerns but to enjoy life at its fullest. Dr. John and Mary McDougall were always in the midst of the large dining area ready for conversation.

Dr. McDougall's discussions each day never disappointed - always informative and challenging.

Regards,

- Georgeann

We want to thank you very much for our vacation. It was so wonderful we don't even know where to begin. Our rooms at Ocotal were beautiful with a sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean. The staff was very friendly and very helpful. They did everything they could to make our vacation a success. Our guides were the best. From the adventures during the day to the lectures at night they shared their passion for their country and it's unique beauty. Speaking of adventures, we tried every one! Floating down the peaceful estuary, boating, snorkeling, swimming ashore to a private beach, zipping through the tree top canopies, horseback riding, mud bathes and hot springs, hiking, rafting down the river – it was all great. We saw birds, monkeys, iguanas, crocodiles, devil rays, dolphins, and even a humpback whale. Each day was both exhilarating and yet relaxing. We looked forward to your lectures before dinner each evening. They were very informative. Even though we have your books and DVDs, hearing you in person gave us another dimension to your work. We appreciated both Mary and you being there to answer our questions. You are both very gracious hosts. The food was plentiful and delicious. It was so nice to have someone else do the cooking! We really enjoyed it. And you were right – we didn't gain any weight! Kevin even lost a few pounds. And last but not least, we met so many great people. Our group kept wondering how you put us all together. We all got along so well. We met people we want to stay in touch with forever. We even talked about getting together again. Saying goodbye to everyone was hard.

It truly was one of our best vacations ever. It was an experience of a lifetime. We will never forget our time together in Costa Rica.

Again, Thank You!

- Donna & Kevin

Dr. McDougall's presentations were the primary motivation for my choosing to go on the Costa Rica Adventure trip. The idea of pursuing knowledge on the impact of diet on health for my own personal issues was the sole benefit I was seeking. The program of adventures for the physical activities are super, it is better to play and have fun than develop a regime. It is clear that physical activities are necessary for good health and positive thinking. While I always enjoyed the experiences of adventure in Costa Rica, what differentiates The McDougall experience is the people you meet there. The social scene amazed me. Not only do you meet like-minded people who agree about diet, but stimulating successful people who are enjoying life. The positive energy from the joy of sharing meaningful conversation is everywhere in McDougall trip.

It is a must do experience. I expect to repeat it.

- Kenneth, President / Principal Architect

Whether it's the cruises we used to take with you, or our recent vacation at Ocotal Resort, we can be assured that we will have an experience of a lifetime. Each day is so well planned, there are opportunities to do things we never dreamed of doing before, and we are so pampered. Where else could we be able to eat the way you taught us to back in 1989 without having to do the planning, shopping, cooking and cleanup. And what an opportunity to talk to so many people and find out how this life style and diet have improved their health. Everyone was supportive and we all shared that bond. We looked forward to your presentations each night to reinforce our continued belief in your program. Now that we are home we have so many pictures and memories to look back on as we have from our other adventure trips with you. One event stands out particularly. At our bungalow on the beach we were awakened the first morning to the excited racket of howler monkeys passing through the trees next to us. Several days later while relaxing on our deck, the howlers appeared again, but this time silently, led by what looked like two or three large males. Two females carried their newborns. One male stopped for several minutes 20 feet above, seemingly unaware of our presence. Through binoculars we saw the rising sun light up his huge brown eyes. His gentle, human-like facial expressions surveyed the clan. Then he slowly moved on and the others followed on their daily migration through the trees. Wow!

Thank you so much John and Mary for a wonderful time.

- Sharon and Errol, Santa Rosa, CA

I don't even know where to begin.... Both Nikhil and I had such a wonderful time that we can't wait to do it again. The best part of it for us was that we learnt to eat the right way and in just a few days we have noticed that we re feeling far more energetic, not gaining weight, sleeping better and overall just feeling better. We loved all the people we met and have made friends that we'll always be in touch with the rest of our lives. We loved our guides who were very knowledgeable and made all the trips fun with their sense of humor and at the same time great learning experiences about the history of Costa Rica and the flora and fauna.

I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to become healthy and yet have a lot of fun.

- Ela

Grace and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you two for structuring a week that has turned out to be one of the finest holiday weeks we've experienced. As two retired medical professionals we enjoyed the high level of information imparted at your daily lectures and during interaction amongst many of the weeks participants. Your staff was outstanding in providing both healthy sustenance and supporting challenging activities.

Keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

- Max and Grace

Larry and I thoroughly enjoyed our Costa Rica trip. Everything was so organized and well planned. The friends that we had made, we will remember for a long time. The tours were fantastic with very nice buses and well informed tour guides. My favorite was swinging through the trees on the wire cables. Even though we are not vegans, we did not have a problem with the well-prepared food and variety of food which contained no meat or dairy products.

We would not think twice about going again to Costa Rica on this vacation.

-Larry & Caroline

The McDougall Adventure was one of the best organized vacations I've ever been on. For me though, having three meals a day that I didn't have to worry about was the tops for me. The people were excellent. A group of four of us stayed up late one night, after the evenings wonderful entertainment, and talked and talked and talked about physical, mental, and spiritual wellness. I'm grateful for you, Mary, and Tiffany. Excellent job. I hope to see you this July with my children, Bruce, et al. We may take a cultural tour in Panama and San Jose before arriving at the wonderful Ocotal resort.

Forever thankful. Sincerely,

- M.S. Bob

Dear John and Mary,

We had a wonderful time in Costa Rica.

REFLECTIONS ON MY IGUANA OHANA
If, like me, you're compelled
to be frugal,
You'll still feel like the founder
of Google.
Body, spirit and mind -
There's no place you can find
That's as great as a week with McDougall.

It was one of the most wonderful vacations we've ever had. Thanks for everything.

Aloha,

- Jeanne Hailer and Gary

I have looked through the Adventure trip comments made by the folks on the past two trips and there is absolutely nothing else I can say that would be different. They have said it all! The one thing I can say is that I only wish I had the money to take my mom, three brothers and my sister on the trip. There is truly something for everyone and at a fitness level for nearly everyone and even though I have heard Dr. McDougall's lectures before, I learned something knew with each one I attended. I was totally amazed at the ladies who were admittedly afraid of heights that went swinging through the trees on the canopy tour!!!! How awesome! I actually skipped one of my events and went on the canopy tour two times. Even if you did not want to actually participate in any of the events, just traveling on to the bus to get to them would be a treat because of the wealth of knowledge of the tour guides. They were incredible!!!! Words cannot describe these guys. The food was great. I really believed I would have gained 3 or 4 lbs because I ate about 2 tablespoons of guacamole every day for both lunch and supper! I didn't gain one pound! I went with a friend who is not a vegetarian or a McDougaller and she was pleased with the food, most of the time. I will go on this trip again. After having a career in the military traveling all over the world and going on many tours, I can honesty say this was the best trip ever!!! It is simply stress free! You don't have to plan anything except for what time to get up and which set of cloths you want to wear each day!

Many thanks to all for planning this trip. Pura Vida!!!!

- Yvetta Huntsville, Alabama

We thought your whole staff: guides, bus drivers, kitchen staff and servers, housekeeping, and athletic event guides, programming, administration, as well, as the accommodations, pools, views, weather, food and gardening, sociability and accomplishment of the participants were the best we have experienced. The sports events and music were wonderfully enjoyable as were the historical and political talks the guides gave us. That some of the participants privately shared almost unbelievable help received from the program in the past was particularly valuable. In short, everything was wonderful. The lectures were great and short private talks with John most helpful. We really want to come back asap.

Thanks for it all.

- Beth and Hugo

Thank you so much for the opportunity to experience the best of Costa Rica. All of the events were so well planned and executed that I was able to enjoy every minute. The guides were so forthcoming and knowledgeable that even the rides to the excursions were a delight! I can't imagine how much must have went into organizing all the events with all of the people involve. I was asked my favorite thing that I did (which was all of it) and I truly can't say any one thing. Each thing brought me so much joy and to a new level of self awareness. The one thing that stands out in each event were the people; whether they were with the resort, the adventure group, or the MacDougall team. For one week I was special and was treated as such. I had not been on a vegan diet before the trip. I was on a low-fat diet that included fish and dairy. After your lectures my insight to the harm I had been doing by consuming these products have encouraged me to exclude these. All these years of drinking milk I only thought I had been helping my osteoporosis.

Thank you for the opportunity of a life time.

- Shirley Stanley

P.S. Thanks for helping me lead the line dance the last night.

Costa Rica was a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable trip that exceeded our expectations. The adventure day trips were well planned and executed. The bus travel was excellent...new, comfortable with all the modern conveniences. The resort itself is beautiful with spacious, comfortable rooms. And the food buffets were yummy and served in a delightful open air and patio venue. We enjoyed it so much that we plan to tell friends and hope to do it again in the near future.

- John and Sharon

PS- Thanks for sharing this Adventure with us. We are so happy that we joined you Dr. McDougall, Mary, Tiffany and the group. I personally enjoyed meeting the variety of interesting people that attended and also it was a plus to know that they enjoyed healthy eating.

You two, plus Tiffany, certainly showed us a wonderful time in Costa Rica. The ambiance of the resort was unbelievable. The vistas, the wildlife, the plants and the amenities were right outside our hotel room! We must mention the incredible guides. They were always there to answer all of our questions whether it be about the environment or the politics of Costa Rica. They were not only very knowledgeable, but courteous and fun. It was nice not to have to be concerned about the food. Every meal was delicious and the presentation was outstanding.

It was one of the best weeklong vacations we've ever had.

Thank you!

- Ted & Joan

What an amazing week of delicious healthy food, new friends, and a variety of adventures amid beautiful flora and fauna! Costa Rica is indeed a warm and welcoming country, and you and your staff assembled a terrific group of people to guide us through each day and meet our every need and want. I'm afraid we're spoiled for future vacations.

We're still on overload processing the content of the lectures. You gave us solid information to discuss and apply to a healthier lifestyle. Another fun aspect of the trip was trading cooking tips and helpful hints with people who have been McDougllers for years.

Thank you for the time and attention you put into making this trip a memorable one for us.

We're still smiling.......

- Art and Leanne

What a wonderful experience to share with my daughter and granddaughter—a real three generation trip. Even at 77 I went on the tree-top canopy cable. To top it all was the food...a Costa Rican flavor to the McDougall program. Not the least of the trip was the number of people we met who were both interesting and health conscious. My granddaughter, at 11, came with a mild acne on her forehead. By the end of the week, her acne had cleared up. Her appearance at her age is important and may well keep her on track. My daughter lost five pounds, and I am still traveling in Florida, but eating correctly.

Our experience was delightful and we thank you, Mary and your devoted staff for arranging it all.

- Jeannette

Our week in Costa Rica with the McDougalls was simply outstanding. Robust, stimulating, professionally-guided activity each day. Splendid resort setting with attentive, and courteous staff. Travel magazine scenery. Both of the McDougalls have quick, warm smiles and Dr. McD's daily lectures were near-spellbinding what with his encyclopedic knowledge of the topic along with a quick wit and good humor. Food was more than abundant and, of course, faithful to the McDougall program.

A wonderful way to spend a vacation week.

- Don and Royanna, Dallas, Texas

Even though the trips were beautiful and the food was great, the most memorable parts of the trip were: 1) meeting long term McDougallers, and being amazed as to how slim most were and 2) learning how really simple it is to follow the McDougall plan.

Truly,

- Anthony