Erin44

Our family (2 boys, 12 & 17) leaves next Friday for our first trip to Costa Rica. We have most of the details worked out thanks to many of you.

We'll be at the Marriott Los Suenos for 5 nights and plan to hire a guide in Manuel Antonio, visit the Rainmaker Reserve and do the Original Canopy Tour in San Mateo. I have read about some people really enjoying the Las Damas mangrove swamp tour where the monkeys are in abundance and actually climb in their boat. Please let me know if you've done one of these tours and what your thoughts are. I'd like to know which tour groups are the best, if there's a best time of the day to go, whether to go in kayak's or larger boats, etc.

From there we go to Tabacon for one night. (We would've liked to stay 2 nights, but could only get the room for one night.) We hope to do a night hike around Arenal, visit La Fortuna waterfalls, and spend some time in the hot springs.

We then spend 3 nights at the Costa Rica Marriott before our departure home. While there we're planning on visiting Poas volcano, La Paz waterfall and maybe Sarchi one day; and then doing a 1-day Pacuare rafting trip on our last full day.

I'd love to hear any suggestions you may have to this itinerary, recommendations on restaurants, or other must-see locations. We'll have a rental car the entire time.

One last question - Do most of you use cash or credit cards for your meals and small purchases? We hate to carry a lot of cash with us, but have read that many places charge extra to process credit cards.

Thanks for all of your help!

shillmac

You will love Poas and Sarchi. The boys are sure to enjoy the rafting trip. If you can work it out, the overnight Pacuare trip with accomodations at the Pacuare Lodge would be quite an experience for all of you. Also, about the cash and cards. . .we've always used our cards more than cash. Usually it is not a problem, and VISA is generally more widely accepted. Lately, we have depended on ATMs more and credit cards less. There are ATMs (creditos automaticos)in most cities in the central valley. Although they don't work 100% of the time, we have always managed to get what we needed. Sometimes you can choose dollars or colones. So, because we don't like to carry that much cash, we just use our bank card when we need to at an ATM. We get $200-$300 at a time and return as needed. At least if something happens, you don't lose $1000 all at once! Of course, when you are away from the central valley, many of the towns are smaller. ATMs may not be as easy to find. We don't care to use the banks because it always takes at least 45 minutes of waiting. Very slow. But we HAVE done that a couple of times--out of necessity. Traveler's cheques come in handy sometimes. We determine how much the hotels are going to cost us and take along enough travelers' cheques to cover just that one cost. They are a bit of a nuisance otherwise. You are going to have a wonderful trip! Enjoy every minute and let us all hear about it when you return!

Lovincostarica

the mangrove tour is beautiful and fun, its just outside of Quepos. On the way from Jaco to Quepos, you will see a very small sign that says Isla Damas, you will turn right there. Unfortunately the time is different every day as tehy must go during high tide, and that varies daily here. I live here, and I still enjoy going whenever we have company. I have a card for the guide I like to use, but you may want reception at Los Sueneos to call for you as he only speaks spanish, then he can tell you what time to meet him for the tour. His name is Eladio Avila Arguedas, he has 2 phone numbers 777-3165, and a cell phone 358-0975. Plan on a little 2 hours travel time from Los Suenos,its proably too much time, but just to be safe, and you should be fine. Once you take the right hand turn, you will go all the way to the end of that road, and you will see a resteraunt that is a boat, thats where you want to go. Depending on how well you negotiate, you will recieve dinner at taht resteraunt at the end of the tour, and you will only need to pay for your beverages. But yes, I always recommend this trip. You might also consider the crocodile safari just north of Jaco, that is incredible as well. They will actually get in the water adn lead a croc back to the boat, and then on shore and feed him by hand. the company we use is called Crocodile Man tour, and thier numbers are 637-0426 and cell 822-9042. Since I am plugging everyone elses business, check out our condo project in Manuel Antonio....www.valle-escondido.com (the dash is very important or you end up on the site of a hotel in Limon).
Once you see

Erin44

Shillmac and Lovincostarica, thanks so much for the helpful info! In regards to the mangrove tour guide you recommended, Lovincostarica, he sounds wonderful, but we are concerned about taking a tour with him if he only speaks Spanish. Does he have others that work for him that are bilingual? Thanks again!

Erin44

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Lovincostarica

Hey sorry so long to reply, we have company again and have been being tour guides. Yes, the guides are a lot of fun, sometimes they will have to take a game warden along as well, and they have always been very knowledgeable as well. The croc feeding is the highlight of the tour, but the whole thing is wonderful. You will see many species of birds, many smaller crocs sunbathing. Oh, the reason they sometimes take the game warden, they can only feed a croc 2x in a month, so they are not tame, and they won't become dependent or see people as a food source. So game wardens check the records, and often ride along to be sure the schedule is being followed. Last time they fed a big 16 footer named one eye, self explanatory, but he was huge. We saw a bigger one on the sandbar between the ocean and the estuary durning the rest of the tour. Its just worth doing. Hope that helps, have a great time, but I hope you do use this guy, he is the original, he always worked for other tour companies, but after he was on tv, he was always requested, and now he started his own company. He is still the bravest one, and he has teh scars to prove it.