Costa Rica Rainforest in 9 Days: The Trip That Almost Did Not Happen
Arjun Sharma
Apr 22, 2026 · 5288 views Visa rejections, flight cancellations, and a torn ACL — somehow we still made it to Monteverde.
Four months of planning. Nine of us. ₹16,80,000 across all members. We almost didn't go.
Three visa rejections. One flight cancellation costing ₹2.2L in rebooking. And — two weeks before — my torn ACL.
What saved the trip? The group. Three members spent a weekend re-doing visa applications with me. The host negotiated a partial refund. My torn knee meant skipping the zipline — but five members hiked the easier trails with me.
Costa Rica was incredible. But the trip wasn't the destination — it was the eight people who refused to let one ACL kill our plans.
Three visa rejections. One flight cancellation costing ₹2.2L in rebooking. And — two weeks before — my torn ACL.
What saved the trip? The group. Three members spent a weekend re-doing visa applications with me. The host negotiated a partial refund. My torn knee meant skipping the zipline — but five members hiked the easier trails with me.
Costa Rica was incredible. But the trip wasn't the destination — it was the eight people who refused to let one ACL kill our plans.