Logistics/Details for Arenal/Peace Lodge/Manuel Antonio
Feb 25th, 2012, 10:55 AM
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Logistics/Details for Arenal/Peace Lodge/Manuel Antonio
Thanks to the helpful responses from my earlier post, we have been able to narrow our trip down to: 4 nights at AOL, 2 nights Peace Lodge, 3 nights Manuel Antonio, and our last night in San Jose to catch an early flight.
Now that the lodging's set, I need to get the details right.
We are still deciding whether to rent a car or not. I am leaning towards doing so (with a GPS) but this is our first trip to CR and I want to be sure the roads in this area will be easy enough to navigate. Or, do you think that driving be too stressful and does hiring a driver add much more to the "experience"?
I'm also having trouble figuring out what activities require advance reservations and how many of the following we can do in a day (not sure how long each stop would take and how far apart these places are located).
We are two adults with a 9 year old child who loves nature, especially birds & animals. We are not adventurists -- we like to hike (can skip ziplines and white water rafting).
That being said, here's what we are considering seeing in each place. Would love to hear from the "experienced travelers" how we might best structure our time.
*In Arenal area:
Hanging Bridges (is this a hike? should we hire a guide? are the volcano and waterfalls nearby or is that a separate activity...and are they worth visiting?), Cano Negro boat tour (vs. Penas Blancas?), Hot Springs (which is best considering we have a child with us?),
which of the preserves if any (I believe all are in the area) is best to visit -- Proyecto Asis, Posada Andrea Cristina, Tierra Hermosa....and, last but not least -- is it worth the drive from Arenal to Peace Lodge to visit La Selva -- and is there anything else on the way worth doing (as part of a day trip)?
*Peace Lodge:
Is one day enough to see everything there (waterfall hike, hummingbirds, butterflies, aviary, night frog hike), am I missing anything?
*Manuel Antonio:
How big is the park (if we devote one day to hiking & beach in park is that enough or would we want to come back a second day for more animal seeking?), would you recommend the mangrove tour, wildlife refuge at Si Comono, or any other recommendations?
*San Jose:
We were just planning to arrive in the evening, have dinner, and stay over to catch our flight. Or, is San Jose worth spending some time in (in which case we would leave Manuel Antonio 1/2 day earlier to give us a few free hours in San Jose)? If you'd recommend some time in town, what would you recommend seeing there?
Separate question: how do American cell phones work in Costa Rica (do they work at all)? We will have one phone with AT&T and one with Verizon -- are hoping that having two different carriers would help us get service in most of our locations.
Big thanks for any and all advice/recommendations. Even after extensive reading, I find it hard to envision how much time to devote to each activity and how far it is from each sight to the next. Maybe it's just me, but it seems much more complex than, say, a trip to London!!
Now that the lodging's set, I need to get the details right.
We are still deciding whether to rent a car or not. I am leaning towards doing so (with a GPS) but this is our first trip to CR and I want to be sure the roads in this area will be easy enough to navigate. Or, do you think that driving be too stressful and does hiring a driver add much more to the "experience"?
I'm also having trouble figuring out what activities require advance reservations and how many of the following we can do in a day (not sure how long each stop would take and how far apart these places are located).
We are two adults with a 9 year old child who loves nature, especially birds & animals. We are not adventurists -- we like to hike (can skip ziplines and white water rafting).
That being said, here's what we are considering seeing in each place. Would love to hear from the "experienced travelers" how we might best structure our time.
*In Arenal area:
Hanging Bridges (is this a hike? should we hire a guide? are the volcano and waterfalls nearby or is that a separate activity...and are they worth visiting?), Cano Negro boat tour (vs. Penas Blancas?), Hot Springs (which is best considering we have a child with us?),
which of the preserves if any (I believe all are in the area) is best to visit -- Proyecto Asis, Posada Andrea Cristina, Tierra Hermosa....and, last but not least -- is it worth the drive from Arenal to Peace Lodge to visit La Selva -- and is there anything else on the way worth doing (as part of a day trip)?
*Peace Lodge:
Is one day enough to see everything there (waterfall hike, hummingbirds, butterflies, aviary, night frog hike), am I missing anything?
*Manuel Antonio:
How big is the park (if we devote one day to hiking & beach in park is that enough or would we want to come back a second day for more animal seeking?), would you recommend the mangrove tour, wildlife refuge at Si Comono, or any other recommendations?
*San Jose:
We were just planning to arrive in the evening, have dinner, and stay over to catch our flight. Or, is San Jose worth spending some time in (in which case we would leave Manuel Antonio 1/2 day earlier to give us a few free hours in San Jose)? If you'd recommend some time in town, what would you recommend seeing there?
Separate question: how do American cell phones work in Costa Rica (do they work at all)? We will have one phone with AT&T and one with Verizon -- are hoping that having two different carriers would help us get service in most of our locations.
Big thanks for any and all advice/recommendations. Even after extensive reading, I find it hard to envision how much time to devote to each activity and how far it is from each sight to the next. Maybe it's just me, but it seems much more complex than, say, a trip to London!!
Feb 26th, 2012, 02:21 PM
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We did a very similar trip when my kids were about that age. They love Costa Rica and would go back in a second! My best recommendation is to not try to over plan because between the weather and kids, things often don't work the way you think. Keep a list of activities in each place you'd like to do, and once you're actually there, decide what you want to do and plan from there.
In Arenal, the Hanging Bridges is a hike and you definitely should get a guide. You'll see so much more and they'll find things for your 9 year old that you would never see. From insects to tree frogs and maybe some snakes. The bridges are cool, the the wildlife is also pretty great - if you can spot it! I would personally skip Cano Negro with a 9 year old. There are a lot of other activities to do in the Arenal area and spending a FULL day to go float on a river is just too much in my opinion. It's not an exciting boat trip. It's a float and you spot wildlife. It's mostly time spent in the van. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, but I'm an adult and I don't mind the drive being part of the trip. I think it's too long for a child. Especially when they could do something close by. You could horseback ride etc. We didn't get a chance to take our kids to any of the Hot Springs, although they went to the ones on Los Lagos property (we stayed there for one of our trips) and they liked that. We tried to get to the Springs resort, they were having a great special on the springs there but it poured each night we tried to go so we missed out. Tabacon has a water slide that kids like and it's beautiful there. I haven't been to the other springs in the area.
We've done a combination of renting a car and hiring drivers. I like the flexibility of having our own car in the Arenal area. You can't walk from place to place and we like being able to go where we want to eat and not rely on cabs or tours. But the past two trips we had a drive drive us from Arenal to our next destination for various reasons. Last time, it was simply because we had 6 people and with 6 of us and luggage, a rental was more expensive than the driver for the size of the vehicle. Also, after the earthquake a couple of years ago the road from Arenal to the Peace Lodge was really wiped out once you got close. I have no idea if it's been totally fixed, but the drive either became much longer or if you took the shorter route, it's really quite bad. Our driver went the recently opened road (this was about 15 months ago) and it was really awful.
Peace lodge - with 2 nights, you really only get one full day. I think 2 nights is perfect. It takes about a full day to see everything if you don't rush through it. Including the hike to the waterfalls.
Manuel Antonio - we stayed at Tulemar Bungelows which has their own private beach and tons of wildlife so we never made it to the park. So I can't really help you there. You don't really need a car there though. We have also had a driver take us from Peace Lodge to Manuel Antonio. It's nice to have a driver tell you about the country and sit back and relax during the ride. I will tell you though, that we never felt unsafe or had issues while driving and we never had to use the GPS, we just had directions and maps.
We did the mangrove tour in Manueal Antonio and it was nice. By the point in the trip that we did it, my kids were "boated out" - we had also gone to Tortuguero during this trip and that's all about the boat rides - but they did enjoy it - quite the monkey experience on that ride.
I wouldn't cut your time in MA for San Jose. There's not much to do there. There are some nicer hotels out of the town that are worth spending time at, but not really in town.
My cell has worked in most parts of Costa Rica (t-mobile). Make sure you get your international calling plan set up if you need to. It's fairly expensive though!
It seems complex at first, but it's a very comfortable country to travel to. I think really the travel time is what will throw you. Short distances take a long time to travel because the roads are winding and often through mountains. What looks like 45 minutes on a map may be 4 hours!
Your trip sounds wonderful!
In Arenal, the Hanging Bridges is a hike and you definitely should get a guide. You'll see so much more and they'll find things for your 9 year old that you would never see. From insects to tree frogs and maybe some snakes. The bridges are cool, the the wildlife is also pretty great - if you can spot it! I would personally skip Cano Negro with a 9 year old. There are a lot of other activities to do in the Arenal area and spending a FULL day to go float on a river is just too much in my opinion. It's not an exciting boat trip. It's a float and you spot wildlife. It's mostly time spent in the van. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, but I'm an adult and I don't mind the drive being part of the trip. I think it's too long for a child. Especially when they could do something close by. You could horseback ride etc. We didn't get a chance to take our kids to any of the Hot Springs, although they went to the ones on Los Lagos property (we stayed there for one of our trips) and they liked that. We tried to get to the Springs resort, they were having a great special on the springs there but it poured each night we tried to go so we missed out. Tabacon has a water slide that kids like and it's beautiful there. I haven't been to the other springs in the area.
We've done a combination of renting a car and hiring drivers. I like the flexibility of having our own car in the Arenal area. You can't walk from place to place and we like being able to go where we want to eat and not rely on cabs or tours. But the past two trips we had a drive drive us from Arenal to our next destination for various reasons. Last time, it was simply because we had 6 people and with 6 of us and luggage, a rental was more expensive than the driver for the size of the vehicle. Also, after the earthquake a couple of years ago the road from Arenal to the Peace Lodge was really wiped out once you got close. I have no idea if it's been totally fixed, but the drive either became much longer or if you took the shorter route, it's really quite bad. Our driver went the recently opened road (this was about 15 months ago) and it was really awful.
Peace lodge - with 2 nights, you really only get one full day. I think 2 nights is perfect. It takes about a full day to see everything if you don't rush through it. Including the hike to the waterfalls.
Manuel Antonio - we stayed at Tulemar Bungelows which has their own private beach and tons of wildlife so we never made it to the park. So I can't really help you there. You don't really need a car there though. We have also had a driver take us from Peace Lodge to Manuel Antonio. It's nice to have a driver tell you about the country and sit back and relax during the ride. I will tell you though, that we never felt unsafe or had issues while driving and we never had to use the GPS, we just had directions and maps.
We did the mangrove tour in Manueal Antonio and it was nice. By the point in the trip that we did it, my kids were "boated out" - we had also gone to Tortuguero during this trip and that's all about the boat rides - but they did enjoy it - quite the monkey experience on that ride.
I wouldn't cut your time in MA for San Jose. There's not much to do there. There are some nicer hotels out of the town that are worth spending time at, but not really in town.
My cell has worked in most parts of Costa Rica (t-mobile). Make sure you get your international calling plan set up if you need to. It's fairly expensive though!
It seems complex at first, but it's a very comfortable country to travel to. I think really the travel time is what will throw you. Short distances take a long time to travel because the roads are winding and often through mountains. What looks like 45 minutes on a map may be 4 hours!
Your trip sounds wonderful!
Feb 26th, 2012, 02:59 PM
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Thank you so much, ShellD. I'm usually a pretty good trip planner, but am finding this trip harder to envision. Your suggestions are much appreciated and I am sure will be extremely helpful for us. Thanks for your time.
Feb 26th, 2012, 04:03 PM
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The AOL will offer you the best volcano views anywhere-no need to leave the lodge for that. Fantastic wildlife too. Hanging Bridges offer great hiking and dramatic views.
La Selva is a healthy drive away, but worth a guided tour in my opinion. Andrea Cristina is a small B&B near La Selva.
One day is enough for Manuel Antonio park--best to do morning at beach and afternoon looking for wildlife (runs counter to what the normal rule is, but early morning is primarily for birds which are far and few between at MA).
Mangrove tour would be boring for a 9 year old. Tarcoles river tour with GIANT crocs would be better.
La Selva is a healthy drive away, but worth a guided tour in my opinion. Andrea Cristina is a small B&B near La Selva.
One day is enough for Manuel Antonio park--best to do morning at beach and afternoon looking for wildlife (runs counter to what the normal rule is, but early morning is primarily for birds which are far and few between at MA).
Mangrove tour would be boring for a 9 year old. Tarcoles river tour with GIANT crocs would be better.
Feb 27th, 2012, 11:43 AM
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I strongly suggest you consider doing a private guided tour with Geovani Bogarin while in the Arenal area. He will take you to a private reserve where he is the caretaker. He's been written up twice in the NYTimes and in this blog http://fortunaguide.blogspot.com/. If you contact him directly the fee is $15 per person (his phone is 506- 8626-9348), a child may be free (but I can't say for sure). The reserve is in La Fortuna, very close to the town center. Our driver, Wilson, strongly recommended him, and arranged our tour.
There are guides available at both the La Fortuna Falls and Hanging Bridges, but none compare to Geovani. The falls and hanging bridges are both in the Arenal/La Fortuna area, but about 20 minutes or so apart by car.
IMHO, I could have lived without Eco Tamales springs, and put the money towards a nice dinner in town. I would have been just as happy hanging out by the pool at our hotel (Lost Iguana). Also, I thought the dinner there was terrible, I had the chicken (which was saturated with some creamy sauce) and my husband had the fish (which didn't taste fresh). The meal is optional in any case.
There are guides available at both the La Fortuna Falls and Hanging Bridges, but none compare to Geovani. The falls and hanging bridges are both in the Arenal/La Fortuna area, but about 20 minutes or so apart by car.
IMHO, I could have lived without Eco Tamales springs, and put the money towards a nice dinner in town. I would have been just as happy hanging out by the pool at our hotel (Lost Iguana). Also, I thought the dinner there was terrible, I had the chicken (which was saturated with some creamy sauce) and my husband had the fish (which didn't taste fresh). The meal is optional in any case.
Feb 27th, 2012, 11:47 AM
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Our trip was similar, 4 nights Arenal, 4 night MA, and the last night near the airport. Near the airport, we stayed at Casa Bella Rita in Santa Ana. It's a great little b&b to spend the last night. At a very reasonable fee, they (Rita and Steve) will prepare a delightful home cooked dinner for you (breakfast is included). And if Steve isn't busy, he'll even drive you to the airport (at no fee).
Feb 27th, 2012, 12:10 PM
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Yep, the Hanging Bridges is a hike. It's pretty easy to do on your own, but hiring a guide really ups your chances of seeing wildlife. We didn't hire one, and I wish we had. The only wildlife we saw were leaf cutter ants. The volcano and waterfalls aren't close enough to walk to, but you can drive to these areas pretty easily. I probably wouldn't bother with a volcano hike unless you have a strong desire to do it since the lava isn't currently flowing. The waterfall is amazing and totally worth doing. You can swim in the little river at the base. There's a set of steps off to the left that lead down there, and the water is crystal clear. We saw a lot of families there when we went.
We love both Cano Negro and Penas Blancas. We saw a lot more wildlife at Cano Negro, but it's pretty much an all day tour, so if your kids aren't up for it, Penas Blancas is a fine substitute. I'd also recommend that you check out Proyecto Asis animal rescue center if you have time. Your kids can get very close to the wildlife and even help feed the monkeys, sloth, macaws, and other wildlife. For hot springs, we like Tabaco and Eco Termales. I'd lean towards Tabacon if you want big and elaborate with a water slide, and towards Eco Termales if you want smaller, charming, and locally owned with a nice chicken dinner. I agree with staying two nights at the Peace Lodge so you can enjoy all the exhibits, hike the waterfalls, hand feed the hummingbirds, and do the nocturnal frog tour. I wouldn't spend much time in San Jose; to me the best parts of CR are the nature areas and wildlife.
We love both Cano Negro and Penas Blancas. We saw a lot more wildlife at Cano Negro, but it's pretty much an all day tour, so if your kids aren't up for it, Penas Blancas is a fine substitute. I'd also recommend that you check out Proyecto Asis animal rescue center if you have time. Your kids can get very close to the wildlife and even help feed the monkeys, sloth, macaws, and other wildlife. For hot springs, we like Tabaco and Eco Termales. I'd lean towards Tabacon if you want big and elaborate with a water slide, and towards Eco Termales if you want smaller, charming, and locally owned with a nice chicken dinner. I agree with staying two nights at the Peace Lodge so you can enjoy all the exhibits, hike the waterfalls, hand feed the hummingbirds, and do the nocturnal frog tour. I wouldn't spend much time in San Jose; to me the best parts of CR are the nature areas and wildlife.
Feb 27th, 2012, 05:16 PM
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Thanks everyone, for the very helpful responses. Wondering if any of you has been to La Selva and -- if so -- does it offer more/different wildlife than we will likely see in Arenal and Manuel Antionio (i.e. is it worth a special trip)? It comes highly recommended from a friend who used to take high school kids on science trips to CR......but I don't think she spent much time in the other places we're planning to visit.
