Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

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Bbddl
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Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Bbddl »

We are really considering Costa Rica for an adventure type vacation in January. Does anyone have any experiences that they can share? Resorts, locations, tours, food etc... all ideas are very welcome. We will be flying from JFK (NY).
RubyTuesday
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by RubyTuesday »

Bbddl wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:11 am We are really considering Costa Rica for an adventure type vacation in January. Does anyone have any experiences that they can share? Resorts, locations, tours, food etc... all ideas are very welcome. We will be flying from JFK (NY).
From several years ago and pre-pandemic, but Ylang Ylang Beach Resort by Montezuma was wonderful.
“Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.” – Lao Tzu
JDave
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by JDave »

I wiped out at Playa Hermosa in '95, fractured my left collar bone when the wave drove me into the sand bottom, and almost drowned - but I don't think that's the kind of story you were thinking of!
One caveat: Costa Rica is very low in violent crime but VERY high in petty crime. DO NOT leave any valuables visible in your rental car and never leave it unlocked - valuables WILL be stolen. Oh - and bring some ciprofloxacin in case you get diarrhea from the water (I did - thank heavens I had the antibiotic).
Shallowpockets
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Shallowpockets »

As noted many times here, C.R. Is small but it takes time to get everywhere. So don’t try and do too much. One could go on indefinitely about specific places to go and you will soon see.
Here is your basic easy. Go to the Nicoya peninsula. You can take tours to all kinds of things. Any tourist place (and there will be many) will offer tours and you probably rarely have to book in advance.
Buy a guidebook. Anything you read here will be subject to further investigation anyway.
I have been there six times from one to four weeks each and six different areas of Costa Rica and still have not covered it all. That will be your hardest thing, to limit yourself according to your time frame.
Flyer24
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Flyer24 »

An off-topic post about Covid was removed.

See: Please read before posting on coronavirus/COVID-19
marielake
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by marielake »

I've been twice to Costa Rica. A friend of mine was looking for an adventurous trip there. Below is my partial response back to her.

"La Fortuna, Arenal, Monteverde might be what you are looking for. Monteverde would require changing hotels. Possible Osa Peninsula, but that is more of a trek.

When I go to new places, I typically start with looking at the paid tours to get lay of land and then move on to trip reports. I’ve planned many of my trips based on trip reports from the travel forums on Fodors.com . You can even sign in and ask your own questions, although the site is much less active than it use to be. On the site, you can select a continent and then a country. Here’s a couple of samples of a typical question and response for the Arenal area:

https://www.fodors.com/community/mexico ... a-1698218/

https://www.fodors.com/community/mexico ... y-1697619/

https://www.fodors.com/community/mexico ... t-1697556/
Topic Author
Bbddl
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Bbddl »

We’ve never been to Costa Rica before , it’s pretty exciting planning this. Definitely want to make this adventurous and kinda non stop. I’m done with the go lay at the beach, then go lay at the pool vacations with the constant drinking. My son and I were in the Grand Canyon area recently, while my wife layed on the beach in Punta Cana.
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Watty
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Watty »

Be very careful around the water in Costa Rica especially on the Pacific coast. There are a lot of drownings there because of the rip currents and lifeguards are rare.

You should also read the state department travel advisory.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel ... isory.html

I also found this interesting article.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cost ... index.html

I have driven in a number of countries but after researching driving in Costa Rica we decided not to rent a car there. That was a few years ago but as I recall we mainly used shuttle vans to get around or hired a driver. That took some additional planning planning but it worked OK. Do your own research to decide if you really want to rent a car there or not and do not automatically assume that it will be easy.

Be sure to also research rental car, and other, scams and how to avoid them which sound like they are common there. Even with a rental car brand you recognize they are likely just a local franchise. We did not have any problems but there were a few things that seemed suspicious so we were glad that we were being careful. A quick Google found this guide.

https://www.costaricavibes.com/common-s ... osta-rica/
JDave wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:42 am Oh - and bring some ciprofloxacin in case you get diarrhea from the water (I did - thank heavens I had the antibiotic).
I picked up some low level crud there too. It was not too bad but it did not clear up after I got home so I needed to see my doctor to get a prescription, he said that he frequently saw people with that when they returned from Costa Rica. I suspect that I picked it up when I was in a national park and I ran out of water so I refilled my water bottle at a drinking fountain at the visitor center when I ran out of bottled water.

I don't want to sound too negative because overall we had a good trip but you need to keep in mind that you will be going to a third world country. One big difference compared to going some place like Mexico is that tourists in Costa Rica often travel all over the country. In Mexico tourists often just stay in the tourist areas.
Last edited by Watty on Sun Sep 19, 2021 12:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
rrt
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by rrt »

Currently hiding out from COVID :D in the mountains of CR, been here just over two years. Lot's of good things have been said, but if you want a short term local's take on it PM me.
BogleFan510
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by BogleFan510 »

Also love mountains region, You might research the hot springs resort and activites nearby. We really enjoyed that area.
AngelFIRE
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by AngelFIRE »

DH and I spent 10 days in CR back in 2014. Dont try and do too much because getting around can be difficult- roads conditions can be poor and challenging if not used to it. The highlight of our trip was spending some time at an eco lodge in the Osa Peninsula. The best way to get there is to fly in which we did. I referred to Tripadvisor alot. We did an incredible night tour with local scientists and saw all the creepy crawlies. Fascinating. We hiked and snorkeled. Amazingly beautiful area. We stayed at Aguila de Osa lodge. Highly recommend! Other places we visited resort near Arenal volcano and Tamarindo (coast)
Lots of hikes, tours, snorkeling & ziplining available
We found that 3 places in 10 days was too much.
I would go back to that Eco lodge in a heartbeat
I also used Tripmasters for planning the whole thing. That worked splendidly
Enjoy your trip
SRenaeP
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by SRenaeP »

I recently spent a week in the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area. There were eight of us so we rented a house through VRBO. Most of the houses (villas) in that area come with 'concierge' service. This was much nicer/more convenient than finding/booking activities on our own. The concierge sent us a long list of activities to choose from in advance. We replied with which activities and the number of people and he took care of everything. This was an 'adventure' vacation for us so we were out and about all day and spent our evenings lounging in/around the pool at our house. We did one 'beach day' but otherwise didn't lay around at the beach.
McGowan
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by McGowan »

If you are renting a car from Liberia airport, Vamos Rent a Car is just off premises with a shuttle. We have had good/easy experiences with them. They probably have other locations in CR. Legit company with a high degree of professionalism. Didn't have any problems driving around CR.
dboeger1
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by dboeger1 »

As others have said, the country is small but it takes an incredible amount of time to get to many places. There are many bumpy dirt roads, dense forests, winding mountain passes, and even the major highways are frequently backed up due to having as little as 1 lane in each direction with lots of pot holes and such. Either keep the scope of your trip minimal, or make sure you take enough time off to actually fit the stuff you want in, including time to rest and relax.

"Pura vida" is a common saying in Costa Rica. It's a relatively relaxed culture. There are definitely lots of hard-working people there, but there's also a healthy respect for relaxation and reflection. You can definitely miss out on a major part of the cultural experience if you spend most of your time on the road trying to be efficient. My mother was from Costa Rica, so I visited many times when I was young, and many of my fondest memories are of stopping for coffee at little roadside cafes, waking up in a room with incredible views of nature, going out for morning walks along rivers or beaches, and chatting about soccer games with strangers. I've read travel blogs of people who were disappointed by Costa Rica, and the thing that they all had in common was planning it like a European vacation where you hit several major destinations in a tight schedule. I think that's kind of missing the point. Going to Costa Rica isn't like going to see Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin in a week. It's more like staying in Santorini for a week (admittedly, I've never been to Europe, so these analogies make sense in my head but might not be accurate, haha). Costa Rica is as much a state of mind as a destination. One of my aunts (on my American dad's side) mentioned once that one of her favorite things about Costa Rica is just how normalized light, balanced meals are. Costa Rica is rarely talked about as a culinary destination because the food tends to be pretty basic, but there's something really peaceful and enriching about being surrounded by people who generally eat light meals with basics like eggs, rice, beans, and salad. My aunt said she could easily just make the same things in the US, but it wouldn't feel the same because of her busy lifestyle and Midwest eating habits. So yes, go enjoy all the zip-lining, surfing, hiking, bird-watching, and whatever other adventuring you're planning, but remember to always enjoy it for what it is and don't treat it like checking off a list. That's probably good advice for any trip, but especially Costa Rica, as I would say there isn't necessarily a single site or attraction that you couldn't necessarily experience elsewhere. It's not like the pyramids of Egypt where you go see the thing, are amazed by it, and then leave. Many of the things in Costa Rica aren't particularly amazing in and of themselves, but combined and with a healthy mindset, you can really cultivate the feeling that you're in a special place.

My mother's family runs several lodging and tourist options in a small, protected place deep in the mountains. While I'd love to recommend it, I don't want to come across as soliciting business for them on here. It's also quite far out of the way and doesn't sound like it'd fit your travel plans. Still, if you're interested, PM me and I can tell you where it is so you can see if it's worth considering.
andypanda
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by andypanda »

"I recently spent a week in the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area."

I spent 10 days there years ago with some buddies who went for the fishing. I loved it. Great place and great people. You know you're getting away from it all when you pack 6 guys in a small charter plane in San Jose and fly over the mountains to find the Quepos airport is a single strip in a field with a small thatched building for a waiting room. The flight back was in a smaller plane in a thunderstorm. The fishing was excellent.

The bus ride from San Jose back then was around $10 and took 5 hours if the road was clear, etc. The flight was less than an hour.

The mountains are beautiful with many near 10,000 feet and the tallest at 12,500.

Image
andypanda
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by andypanda »

https://manuelantoniopark.com/

Manuel Antonio is a national park on the Pacific.

"With the establishment of Manuel Antonio National Park in 1972, the people of Costa Rica decided to preserve, for future generations, one of the most beautiful and bio-diverse areas in the world. Although it is the country’s smallest national park, the stunning beauty and diversity of wildlife in its 683 hectares is unequaled.

Manuel Antonio contains a charming combination of the rain forest, beaches, and coral reefs. These beaches are the most beautiful in the country, lined with lush forest, and the snorkeling is excellent, too. The forest is home for sloths, iguanas, the rare and adorable squirrel monkeys, white-faced monkeys and millions of colorful little crabs. The trail that winds around Punta Catedral features some spectacular views. The park is easy to reach, south of the town of Quepos, and is near a good selection of hotels and restaurants."
ems2013
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by ems2013 »

I was there in Jan 2016 for a wedding in San Jose. Before the wedding we went to Monteverde Reserve and I would highly recommend a guided tour. We spent time in/around Cocles on the Caribbean side after the wedding. It was very laid back and we were able to ride bikes everywhere, which was relaxing for us and just what we were looking for. The water and beaches were beautiful. Another highlight was whitewater rafting on the Pacuare River with Rios Tropicales. Hope you have a great trip!
Grasshopper
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Grasshopper »

We have been to Costa Rica twice, both times to the Pacific side. Bird and nature lovers some of our favorites.
Corcovado National Park
Curú National Wildlife Refuge
Manuel Antonio National Park
Love the people and the vibe, and simple veggie Tico food.
Yellowjacket1
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Yellowjacket1 »

If you want a stay at an authentic but rustic place to stay, check out the Arenal Observatory Lodge. Waking up in middle of the night to seeing a live volcano erupt right before you is something you will never forget. Also be sure to check out the nearby hot springs.
Faith20879
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Faith20879 »

Bbddl wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:11 am We are really considering Costa Rica for an adventure type vacation...
Not sure what your definition of "adventure" is. For us any trip away from the US is an adventure. :D Anyway, if you are interested, we took the Costa Rica tour with a company called Caravan, first class experience. We also took other trips with them later. All pre-covid. We have no relation to the company just a happy customer.

https://www.caravan.com/
Starfish
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Starfish »

Manuel Antonio is very beautiful, but commercial and only one day thing.
When we went to Costa Rica last time we spent couple of days in Monte Verde (beautiful but also commercial), one in San Jose and several more in Dominical from where we went to Manuel Antonio in a day trip. We did not look for adventure because I had a 3 year old with us, so we stayed on mostly Pacific coast. We traveled by a rental car, stayed in airbnbs, ate on the side of the road at sodas but also couple of fancier restaurants and also cooked some food.
We will go again this November. but we plan to go to the Caribbean Coast. The kid is older. I am thinking to do some white water rafting, some hiking and maybe rent kayaks in Tortuguerro.
From what I remember it takes about 6h from Monte Verde to Domincal, 6h from SJ to MV and abut 8h from Dominical to SJ.
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Watty
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Watty »

Yellowjacket1 wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 6:15 pm If you want a stay at an authentic but rustic place to stay, check out the Arenal Observatory Lodge. Waking up in middle of the night to seeing a live volcano erupt right before you is something you will never forget. Also be sure to check out the nearby hot springs.
The volcano has been dormant since 2010.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arenal_Volcano
toomanysidehustles
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by toomanysidehustles »

Bbddl wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:11 am We are really considering Costa Rica for an adventure type vacation in January. Does anyone have any experiences that they can share? Resorts, locations, tours, food etc... all ideas are very welcome. We will be flying from JFK (NY).
We've been to CR several times (all pre-covid) and our favorite I would say is www.rafikisafari.com (jungle) and www.rafikibeach.com (beach) with the beach section you can do lots of day trips. I would say this is our favorite because we've been every time we go for a few days in each location, and our kids (14 and 17 now) really connected with the family who are the owners (S. African born, S. Dakota raised in primary school, their parents bought the properties in the late 80's as I recall, it is run by the dad now in his 80's, his two sons and their families. Plus our kids really liked the high end "tents" but more like glamping. More "active" legs of our vacations in CR for sure I would say.

Rio Celeste area was also nice. We stayed at a SUPER small cabin, the name escapes me. Here is the area. https://expertvagabond.com/rio-celeste-waterfall/ Hiling the falls and tuning the river were highlights. Nothing like going through the jungle in a 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser all modded out and with 600K on the odometer! :sharebeer

Arenal Springs is a nice "passive" section of one of the trips we did. The hike on the volcano is nice. The town is a bit of a tourist trap, but good for a couple of days https://hotelarenalspring.com/?msclkid= ... lsrc=3p.ds

Costa Verde is another nice area, a bit busy but so close to Manuel Antonio National Park. We stayed https://costaverde.com

Hope this helps.
tm3
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by tm3 »

JDave wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:42 am Costa Rica is very low in violent crime but VERY high in petty crime. DO NOT leave any valuables visible in your rental car and never leave it unlocked - valuables WILL be stolen.
It is a pretty place and I especially enjoyed the mountains and a visit to a coffee plantation.

My friends who live there often say that "there is no crime because no guns are allowed," but I have never seen so many homes with locking perimeter fences, bars on the windows, etc. I guess all those metal bars are to enhance the ocean breezes since there is no crime.
dsmil
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by dsmil »

We stayed here (https://www.recreocostarica.com/) for our honeymoon in 2010. We had a little villa and pool to ourselves, as well as a private chef who prepares most of the meals. They provided us with a golf cart to get around the resort, and there's a nice private beach with kayaks and such just down the hill. We arranged day trips with the resort and they'd have a driver take us to the activities, which were usually over an hour away. We did zip-lining in the rainforest, tubing in the rapids, horseback riding, hot springs, visited a Volcano, and visited Nicaragua.
manuvns
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by manuvns »

west coast / guanacaste province is nice ! , i would stick around there and enjoy .
Thanks!
andypanda
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by andypanda »

"My friends who live there often say that "there is no crime because no guns are allowed,""

Except by citizens, permanent residents, etc. There are rules and regs and forms to fill out.

And don't carry a pistol without a carry permit. The fine is steep.
tm3
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by tm3 »

andypanda wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:46 am "My friends who live there often say that "there is no crime because no guns are allowed,""

Except by citizens, permanent residents, etc. There are rules and regs and forms to fill out.

And don't carry a pistol without a carry permit. The fine is steep.
They are under the impression that no citizens are allowed to own guns (legally) under any circumstances in CR.

I think I'll keep your info to myself so they can still "feel safe" !
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gatorking
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by gatorking »

I found this to be very useful in planning my Costa Rica trip: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00 ... k_ro_title
And their website: https://www.twoweeksincostarica.com/about-us/
Boulder92
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Boulder92 »

dboeger1 wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:19 pm As others have said, the country is small but it takes an incredible amount of time to get to many places. There are many bumpy dirt roads, dense forests, winding mountain passes, and even the major highways are frequently backed up due to having as little as 1 lane in each direction with lots of pot holes and such. Either keep the scope of your trip minimal, or make sure you take enough time off to actually fit the stuff you want in, including time to rest and relax.

"Pura vida" is a common saying in Costa Rica. It's a relatively relaxed culture. There are definitely lots of hard-working people there, but there's also a healthy respect for relaxation and reflection. You can definitely miss out on a major part of the cultural experience if you spend most of your time on the road trying to be efficient. My mother was from Costa Rica, so I visited many times when I was young, and many of my fondest memories are of stopping for coffee at little roadside cafes, waking up in a room with incredible views of nature, going out for morning walks along rivers or beaches, and chatting about soccer games with strangers. I've read travel blogs of people who were disappointed by Costa Rica, and the thing that they all had in common was planning it like a European vacation where you hit several major destinations in a tight schedule. I think that's kind of missing the point. Going to Costa Rica isn't like going to see Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin in a week. It's more like staying in Santorini for a week (admittedly, I've never been to Europe, so these analogies make sense in my head but might not be accurate, haha). Costa Rica is as much a state of mind as a destination. One of my aunts (on my American dad's side) mentioned once that one of her favorite things about Costa Rica is just how normalized light, balanced meals are. Costa Rica is rarely talked about as a culinary destination because the food tends to be pretty basic, but there's something really peaceful and enriching about being surrounded by people who generally eat light meals with basics like eggs, rice, beans, and salad. My aunt said she could easily just make the same things in the US, but it wouldn't feel the same because of her busy lifestyle and Midwest eating habits. So yes, go enjoy all the zip-lining, surfing, hiking, bird-watching, and whatever other adventuring you're planning, but remember to always enjoy it for what it is and don't treat it like checking off a list. That's probably good advice for any trip, but especially Costa Rica, as I would say there isn't necessarily a single site or attraction that you couldn't necessarily experience elsewhere. It's not like the pyramids of Egypt where you go see the thing, are amazed by it, and then leave. Many of the things in Costa Rica aren't particularly amazing in and of themselves, but combined and with a healthy mindset, you can really cultivate the feeling that you're in a special place.

My mother's family runs several lodging and tourist options in a small, protected place deep in the mountains. While I'd love to recommend it, I don't want to come across as soliciting business for them on here. It's also quite far out of the way and doesn't sound like it'd fit your travel plans. Still, if you're interested, PM me and I can tell you where it is so you can see if it's worth considering.
This is a great post, a summary of how I view CR after living there for 2018. I met too many tourists that were driving all over, exhausting themselves, and not taking in the scenery and beautiful people around them.
CrossOverGuy
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by CrossOverGuy »

I went to Costa Rica twice -- loved it. First time, I went on the Caravan tour mentioned above. They used to go to Tortuguerro jungle, where the turtles lay their eggs in season, but I believe the tour group no longer goes there -- it was quite an experience going by boat down what seemed like a mini-Amazon to the secluded jungle. But anyway, Caravan's tours are excellent, all-inclusive (besides air fare and tips and incidentals, pretty much everything is included) and cover a lot of ground with drivers who know how to maneuver the roads. Hopefully they'll resume tours in the near future, as I've been on about 4 or 5 different ones with them to different places, and they are really good company. Even if you don't take the tour, look them and other tour companies that go to Costa Rica up on-line and read their itineraries for suggestions about places to see and possible places to stay. I loved Manuel Antonio (be aware that the park itself shuts down to visitors one day a week (Monday?) to destress the animals inside, so check to make sure it's not the only day you're there). San Jose's not a pretty city by any means, though their National Theater is quite beautiful to tour inside, based on an European opera house; the National Museum is quite interesting, and there's a Gold Museum which is supposed to be quite good. Don't go to the regular zoo, which I found depressing when I was there years ago. However, if you like animals and lots of beautiful birds in particular, go to Zoo Ave, which takes care of and rehabilitates animals, which is in the nearby town of Alajuela, I believe, a short cab ride from San Jose.
Topic Author
Bbddl
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Bbddl »

We are booked!

Flying into San Jose and then visiting La Fortuna, Monteverde and Manual Antonio.

9 days and 3 locations. 2 days of rest at out resorts. Excursions on the other days. Private bilingual driver.

Staying busy and keeping realistic expectations. We realize we cannot get everywhere.

December 31-Jan 8.

Thanks for the suggestions and thoughts.

Cant wait.
JDave
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by JDave »

1. bring some Cipro in case you get diarrhea from the water. 500mg twice a day for three days.
2. violent crime is rare but petty crime is very common. Do not leave anything unlocked. Do not leave any valuables where they can be stolen. Do not leave any valuables visible in your rental car.
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khangaroo
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by khangaroo »

You have to try their Trits ice cream sandwich!!! One of the greatest things I’ve ever eaten and my wife and I were always looking for little mercados that had them. I’ve been trying to find them here in the states but no bueno.

Check out Nosara for a nice surf town but it’s also a tourist destination. Great playas nearby for surfing. We found Marbella our last time there and it quickly became my favorite beach/surf spot. It’s a little ways from Nosara but it’s a hidden gem for now so there are no crowds. Also there is a really nice restaurant right next to the beach where there is a pastry truck that comes every morning. It has become my definition of perfection at the beach.
andypanda
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by andypanda »

"We are booked!"

Congratulations !! Now the wait begins. :)
Topic Author
Bbddl
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Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Bbddl »

OP here, because of the current Covid climate....we have cancelled (delayed) our travel plans. We should be leaving tomorrow, Dec 31 for San Jose.

The pros and the cons.... lots of cons this time.

Here's our reasoning;

I'm currently Covid positive from a bit over a week ago, ZERO symtoms the entire time. I'm fully vac with the booster. My quarantine ends today, I could fly tomorrow.
Son had it already in early fall
Wife who is immune compromised has not had it.
Daughter has not had it, but needs to return to grad school the week after we return.

Entire family is full vac.

Although we can somewhat easily enter CR, the return to the US is a big concern. We do not want to quarantined in a foreign country if wife or daughter test positive one day before returning to US. What if wife was to actually becomes ill? Medical treatment in a foreign country could be questionable.The prospect of having to pay for a additional lodging for a quarantine period of ten days (maybe 5), stuck in a room is not attractive.

The airlines are a mess currently.

We did not take out travel insurance. We never have, we vacation 4-5 times a year. The implications of covid got us this time.

In our case the vacation financial picture is;

Jet Blue has cancelled our flight at our request and issued us a credit in our account. Thank you Jet Blue.

One of the three resorts we would be staying at fully cancelled our reservation without any cost or penalty. Thank you Hotel Makanda.

One resort, The Royal Corin has cancelled our reservation, we are paid in full ($2,600) and issued us a credit to be used anytime during 2022. Thank you.

The last resort, MonteVerde Lodge and gardens has cancelled our reservation. We are paid in full ($1,900) they issued us a credit that can only be used during their low and rainy season. Not liking this much.

We will make this trip happen and use our existing credits. We understand the hotels positions regarding late cancellations. Hoping that with additional emails, the Monterverde lodge will allow us to use our credit a bit more liberally.

Thanks for taking the time to read my update.
EdNorton
Posts: 676
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2019 10:11 am

Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by EdNorton »

I always tell the natives "mucho". That means a lot to them.
Outside a dog, a book is man's best friend, inside a dog, it's too dark to read - Groucho
Flyer24
Posts: 5233
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:21 pm

Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Flyer24 »

As a reminder, medical advice is off-topic. A post was deleted.
Topic Author
Bbddl
Posts: 114
Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2017 1:28 pm

Re: Costa Rica vacation in mid January, suggestions welcome!!

Post by Bbddl »

UPDATE...We are now rebooked for Costa Rica in May of this year. Things have worked out. As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of the three resorts was somewhat difficult to work with.

The more difficult resort kept our money that we paid in full for a PEAK season, but only offered us a credit of our pre paid funds if we booked in an off peak timeframe.

I understand their position, but strongly disagree about the off peak option only, we were definitely going to rebook for the same time frame ...I booked an extra day there so we can use up the full amount of pre paid monies.

PURE VIDA
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