Attn Lisa!!!! Another question for you!
 

What kinds of foods did they serve at the Arenal Lodge when you stayed there? Is is ala cart? Can we take a shuttle to any surrounding towns where we can buy gifts? Thanks!!!<BR><BR>Tia

When we were there lunches and dinners were a la carte. They didn't have that much traditional Costa Rican food on the menu; it was more international. I remember french onion soup, sea bass meuniere, steaks, and that sort of thing at dinner. We thought the food was pretty good but it sounds like it may have gone downhill since then and maybe it has changed a lot too. Breakfasts were buffet style and had lots of choices including pancakes.<BR><BR>I don't remember them having a shuttle. Won't you have a car? You will really want to have one in that area. The closest town is La Fortuna but even that is a drive. There was a gift shop at Arenal Lodge and I remember we also stopped at the gift shop at Montana del Fuego.

Arenal Lodge runs a shuttle to La Fortuna and the Tabacon Hot Springs. The shuttles leave about four or five times a day for both destinations. As for that awful food, they have sandwiches, hamburgers, pasta, steak, salads. Typical American fare. The breakfast is the only good meal and that is buffet style with quite a few choices.

Dawn:<BR><BR>How much is the shuttle??

Lisa:<BR><BR>Another question for you (or anyone else who would like to give me their opinion). Did you carry your passport, credit card, etc. with you all the time? From what I've read, Arenal Lodge does not have safes in each room. I'm wondering if I should buy one of those mini fanny pack things that you wear around your waist or neck under your clothes? I've traveled quite a bit, but we've always had a safe in our room to leave our valuables in. I'm a little nervous about this seeing as though I've read some posts where people have had their valuables stolen. What are your thoughts?

I'm pretty sure that we did not have a safe in our room at Arenal Lodge. I think I just carried my passport, credit cards, plane ticket, camera and other valuables in my daybag/backpack along with my guidebook and water bottle.

The shuttle is free. There are no safes in the room. However, after staying in the Osa Peninsula where there were no locks on the doors and they looked confused when I asked for a key, I decided to trust the Ticos. I left some valuable stuff in the room and nothing happened to it. I could have just been lucky.

Ask Lisa2 she knows everything about Costa Rica<BR>Lisa = god