The Desafio MAMBO COMBO Canyoning & Rafting adventure is one of the most-popular full-day tours in Costa Rica. There are very few places in the world where you can rappel down incredible waterfalls and raft down an exciting jungle river. Start by doing TripAdvisor's top experience Lost Canyon Adventures canyoning and then head out to raft the fun Class 2 and 3 Balsa River. And to top it all off, you get an all-you-can-eat all-natural, tropical buffet lunch at Desafio's Hunters and Gatherers restaurant right next to the famous El Salto swimming hole of the Río Fortuna.
Posted By : Gosmith49
Manuel was awesome. He was our white water rafting guide. Very informative and patient. He explained things well and all in the boat had an amazing time. Highly recommend him and company. The rappelling portion was also extremely fun. We had several guides who took really good care of us. We came to Costa Rica as a family group. 6 siblings and spouses. So fun. Would do it again.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-07 18:46:49 
Posted By : Jennifer_Z
Best tour we did on our trip. Desafio was great. Very accommodating and safety conscious, clear with instructions, wonderful transportation, personable and funny. They food was great too. Would recommend hands down. I do think they should mention to people before the trip that only cash is accepted for buying photos at the end. We did not have enough so couldn't buy.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-01 09:55:47 
Posted By : columjo
The Mambo combo tour was an excellent choice for our family. Everything was very well organized and the tour operators made sure all the equipment is on safe.
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-12-26 16:22:19
Posted By : PNW_adventurer3
My 10 year old son and I had a full day of adventure with Desafio doing the canyoneering trip in the morning followed by rafting on the Balsa River in the afternoon. Both excursions were excellent. The staff and guides are top notch and we always felt extremely safe and comfortable. The Lost Canyon was beautiful and included a variety of experiences-- walking in canyons, rappelling and zip-lining down waterfalls. The Balsa River rafting was exciting (Class 3) and we were also able to see an iguana, a sloth and many birds along the way. Our guide, Carlos, was excellent and great with my son. Really appreciated the small touches like a breakfast burrito between activities, fresh fruit break while rafting and towels after we finished rafting. Highly recommend this tour!
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-12-01 17:18:04
Posted By : Roadyawns
We did the Mambo Combo Canyoning and Rafting trip with Desafio Costa Rica. They Picked us up a little earlier than stated in their correspondence with us, but it was fine. Waterfall rappelling in Lost Canyon was first on the agenda. They gave us some of our instructions on the van and the rest at their base camp. They did a demo of repelling. We were strapped into our gear and drove to the entry point. We felt very safe the entire time. I loved that while I controlled the speed and manner which I went down, they had a safety line controlling us just in case something went wrong. To rappel and zip line down the faces of such beautiful waterfalls is just breathtaking. It's Thrilling and stunning all in one...you will get wet, but that's part of the amazingness, you are IN a waterfall... And it was gorgeous. You have to keep moving, but you just want to stand there and take it all in. The hike back up is tough, but they were very patient and encouraging. It's not too long of a hike. I would do it again and again!! The staff demonstrated how experienced they are and were friendly and encouraging the entire trip.
After rappelling, we loaded up on the van to head toward white water rafting. We were served a big delicious grilled burrito with amazing fresh made plantain chips. They used the travel time to the Balsa River for a rafting safety talk. We felt the raft was not balanced quite right, but we all stayed in the boat and saw some amazing scenery and animals. At one point we saw a sloth hanging from the tree and almost seemed to be waving at us as we went by. The guide was very good and gave great instructions and info about the river, animals and area. The trip stops about two-thirds of the way for a break of fresh fruit and water. Afterwards at their base camp, they fed us a really delicious, fresh cooked full meal of beans and rice, chicken, beef/potatoes, plantains and salad. It was filling and very good.
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-11-16 15:31:42
Posted By : G4561WQjeremyf
This was a well-organized trip with guides who make sure you have fun. I can’t pick one favorite thing because it was all great—-the adventure, the scenery, the pictures, the food. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-10-15 16:10:32
Posted By : 944suzyi
We had so much fun with our “fluffy bunny” crew. Me really enjoyed the rappelling, especially the “shower”! The river rafting was amazing and it was one of the best rafting trips I have ever taken. We got a delicious burrito to eat after the canyoning and then after river rafting we enjoyed an authentic Costa Rican meal. Highlight of our trip! If you want to purchase photos you need cash.
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-10-04 23:08:46
Posted By : Adventurer450321
We had a fantastic time doing the mambo combo with this team, from the rappelling/ziplining to the white water rafting, the entire day was amazing! To the entire crew, you’re the best! As much as I love rappelling/zipping, my favorite thing from the day was rafting with our ‘bad bunny’ crew, Fluffy is a fantastic guide and made the experience so memorable. Definitely recommend getting the photos, absolutely worth it. The ‘paparazzi’ is great and captures the best moments.
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-07-28 00:44:48
Posted By : drshanta
My family of 7 (ages 18 up to 53), all first time rappelling and a couple of us first time white water rafting had an awesome time on the Mambo Combo tour!
While we were nervous for the waterfall repelling, we quickly were made to feel at ease with the thorough instructions by our guides and were able to completely enjoy the thrilling experience.
The guides kept us moving through the canyon efficiently and made the day fun with their lighthearted yet professional instructions.
After that, the delicious breakfast burrito and plantain chips served in the van as we traveled to the rafting input truly hit the spot!
The rafting was fun as well! We saw several sloths along the way during the calmer river stretches. The pineapple served (and other fruit) during the snack break on the riverbank halfway down the course was the absolute best I’ve ever had! I couldn’t stop eating that pineapple. Lol
Afterwards, we rode back into town for a delicious lunch to end the day.
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-07-04 07:32:47
Posted By : MCLC146
Me (58) and my daughter (19) had a brilliant day and couldn’t have chosen a better package and company.
The staff were very knowledgeable and experienced. We felt safe at all times.
Rafting was very good fun.
Our guide Ema (El Pelusa) was fantastic and we had a very good laugh with him.
The food was very good too.
Muchas gracias chicos por hacer nuestro viaje inolvidable.
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-05-01 18:19:33
