Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The investment they chose was the Golfito Marina project, and when it collapsed they
lost everything. Back to square one, Don developed ten new business plans and presented
them to Sabrina. She looked them over and chose one to start with — the business that
would become known as Vacation Buggy.
“We created our buggy business initially to offer welcoming tours to introduce people
to Manuel Antonio and Quepos,” Don explains. The customized ATVs were designed to
carry up to nine guests in relative comfort and to let them experience the real Manuel An-
tonio. These original 1 hour and 20 minute welcome tours take visitors around the local
area, showing them points of interest like the three beaches as well as where to find ATMs,
grocery stores and other services they might need. However, it was not long before the idea
began to expand.
“The second week we had a guest who took the welcoming tour and he wanted to go
into the rainforest,” Don explains. “This family asked if I knew of anyone who ventured in-
to the rainforest and nobody did, so I said 'I can take you, and we can go tomorrow.'” They
were staying in a local hotel and when they got back from the tour they told other guests.
Don got a call that night, booking the same tour again for the following day. “Early on we
were doing 90% welcoming tours and 10% jungle tours,” he says. “Now it's reversed.”
