Back from a week in Costa Rica!

[Donziweasel]

What a great week, a freinds wedding, surfing, canopy zip line tours, monkeys and a $500.00 bar tab. Can life get any better? Will try and post pics in the next fe days.

[VetteLT193]

What a great week, a freinds wedding, surfing, canopy zip line tours, monkeys and a $500.00 bar tab. Can life get any better? Will try and post pics in the next fe days.

That's funny, I was just there on a cruise. Only for the day though :) I might have been at a bar with you and not even known it:cool:

[vonkamp]

What a great week, a freinds wedding, surfing, canopy zip line tours, monkeys and a $500.00 bar tab. Can life get any better? Will try and post pics in the next fe days.


CR is great, did you surf in Jaco? We went down there a while back to see some friends and got a 2 week whirlwind tour of the country. I still order my coffee from Cafe Britt. Great people down there too! Cant wait to see some pics, chances are, we were in the same places. :yes: :sombrero:

[fegettes]

Costa Rica has been on my "to do" list for way too long. It is time for me to go. Any suggestions on where to go, where to stay, best time of year to go, and maybe where to look to book the trip?

Thanks.

Steve

[MOP]

Some of you know that I have been going to CR for many years, long enough remember the old wooden air terminal at SJO looking near new. Yes it dates me but I do speak from experience unlike the casual visitor. I have family, property and other investments down there. CR has changed drastically over the last 8-10 years with the biggest rise in the last 3-5, the division of class is taking its toll and very quickly. True it is a very beautiful place but anyone that is to complacent about their surroundings may very well come home a very unhappy camper. I say my prayers that I have family and that my land is high in the mountains where there is little crime! I could go into a rant about crime pollution and several other things, but better yet book mark and read the English print news. My advice read and heed the crime fliers in the car rental agencies, Bonnie and I have experianced CR crime first hand even though we are well versed about how it really is!

http://www.amcostarica.com/

[Donziweasel]

Vette- You must have stopped in Punternares. It is the only place I have seen cruise ships.
Barry, had a cup of Brit this morning, brought back some, man, I love Costa Rican coffee. We were at Tango Mar on the Nicoya for the wedding, then went to Manuel Antonio south of Jaco for a few days being just the two of us. I couldn't surf, my hand is still messed up, but Boo Boo did for the first time and loved it. She had a few bumps, but wants to do it again.
Steve, depends on what you want to do, I have been down there a few times now and have recommendations. I live in the mountains, so I tend to spend my time on the Pacific coast when there. The Carribbean side is known to be shady, so I have never been there. The question is, what are you looking for in a vacation? Relaxation, adventure, a little of both? Let me know and I will steer you in the right direction.
MOP- The first time I was there was 6 years ago, I rented a car and wandered the entire Pacific coast. Upon returning, I have never seen developement occur so fast, especially around Jaco. The Nicoya was pretty much the same, but highrises cometh to certain parts. You can still find very secluded romantic places though.
I think the crime is overrated though. When I am there, I feel I don't have to keep a constant look over my shoulder. I have never met a Costa Rican who wasn't one of the nicest people on earth. I think people forget that Costa Rica in still a third world country, although a developed and educated one. They simply forget to take certain precautions and leave themselves open to be taken advantage of. I have traveled all over that area, Belize, Honduras, Venezuela, etc.... and would have to say Costa Rica is the safest by far. The unsuspecting tourist can be taken advatage of just as easily in New York. I simply follow a set of rules for myself and have never had an issue. Stuff like lock your car at all times, don't leave things visible in your car, keep you documents and money in the hotel safe, etc....
I still think Costa Rica is one of the best values period! You can get a perfectly grilled tuna steak for $6.00, rooms with a fan and hot shower start at $8.00 and go up, and a Pilsen (CR beer) can be .50. We went more upscale on this trip and stayed in nice hotels with a rented Nissan X-Terra.

[Donziweasel]

A few more pics, that is Boo Boo surfing and on the zip line.

[fegettes]

Steve, depends on what you want to do, I have been down there a few times now and have recommendations. I live in the mountains, so I tend to spend my time on the Pacific coast when there. The Carribbean side is known to be shady, so I have never been there. The question is, what are you looking for in a vacation? Relaxation, adventure, a little of both? Let me know and I will steer you in the right direction.


My thoughts were to see and experience as much as possible without having to take multiple trips, if that is possible. Maybe see some of the coast, the mountains, and rain forests. Maybe a good location, hotel on the coast, and then take a day trip up to the rain forests. I am really open to suggestions. I prefer a warm climate so staying in the mountains the whole time may not be what I am looking for, but, I would certainly like to see them. From the discussions of this posting, I certainy want a safe adventure.

Steve

[vonkamp]

Nice pic's John. Is that you chillin at the Costa verde? I experienced my first earthquake while we were staying there. We did the zip lines as well and I must say I'm not very fond of heights but I got thru it. We also did the cloud forest, visited Arenal volcano and stayed at the Smithsonian observatory. Really enjoyed the Pacific coast though.
We were told to stay away from Limon so we did. Petty crime seems to be an issue there but we had no problems allthough we heard quite a few stories of pickpocketing and vehicle break-ins. Mostly around San Jose but with awareness and common sense you should not have problems.

http://www.costaverde.com/

[Donziweasel]

Barry, I can't believe you knew that was Costa Verde where "there are still more monkeys than people". Great place to stay.

Steve, I would pick 2 or 3 places and rent a car. I would choose two on the coast and one inland. My picks for the coast would be Tambor (a nice place to stay is Tango Mar) on the Nicoya and Manuel Antonio (Costa Verde was pretty sweet) on the mainland near Quepos. Both have nice beaches and all the rain forest activities, such as horseback riding, atv tours, canopy zip line tours, etc...but have different feels. Tambor is really laid back and near some bohemian communities such as Montezuma and Mal Pias. Surfing is better at Manuel Antonio and you are only 30 miles from Dominical, a popular surfing area. Manuel Antonio has a great nature preserve next to it, but be ware, if you swim in the waterfall, watch your stuff as the monkeys will rob you!

For inland, the area around Arenal is hard to beat. Arenal is a volcano that erupts a good bit. The hard part is seeing it as it is obscured by clouds a lot. There are all kinds of nature lodges and spa's that have springs heated by the volcano, as well as more rain forest. The rain forest in Costa Rica can be found from the mountians to the coast, with the mountainous areas a little more temperet (some mountains are over 10,000 ft there).

Sept through mid-December is the wet season. That simply means it might rain. Never rained on us, but it rained for a week straight prior to our arrival. Rates are cheaper during this time. The temp is pretty constant year round, highs in the mid to upper 80's by the coast, a little cooler in the mountains. April-June is a nice time. The sun rises and sets everyday at 6:00.

As far as car rental, choose and good company and get a SUV with four wheel drive. Some of the roads are great, some are not. My rules for a rental are as follows-

1. Try and get one with multiple offices in Costa Rica.
2. Get a manual, they have a bike lock device that clips around the gear shift keeping it locked in reverse. One look by a thief and they know they can not steal this car.
3. Also get on with a red light that blinks on the dash when the key is pulled. This is simply a passive security system. Anyone breaks in without the key, the alarm goes off. Another visible deterent before a thief tries. '

The small SUV's like Montero's and Pathfinders all come with very reliable and economical turbo diesels. Not sure why the hell they don't sell them in the US, but they are great vehicles. I would give anything for a nice small turbo diesel for an Expedition. Fire away if you have anymore questions. MOP has a place inland and might be able to give more info about the inland areas.

[Forrest]

That's funny, I was just there on a cruise. Only for the day though :) I might have been at a bar with you and not even known it:cool:
Vette,
Here is a picture of Angelo's (of Angelo's restaurant) vacation house in Costa Rica (Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste). I took the pic from across the street at the house where we stay when we're down there. That's a very fun neighborhood when all those folks are in town.

http://www.donzi.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=9699&d=1109623691
Looks rough! :wink: