We are planning to come to Costa Rica before April 15/03.<BR>I really do not want to rent a car and start travelling around.<BR>Could one use San Jose or a place near the airport as your home base and then just take tours.<BR>We would like to see Arenal Volcano,Monteverde Cloud Forest ,Aerial Tram, LaPaz Waterfalls.<BR>We will leave the Pacfic Coast for another time. Is it possible to do this.<BR>Thanks<BR>percy

You could use the Central Valley as a home base and do all of the tours you list, except one -- Monteverde. It's just not possible in a day trip. I would highly recommend that you NOT stay in San Jose, but in one of the nicer B&amp;Bs or inns closer to the airport, such as Vista del Valle or Xandari (both excellent). You do not list whitewater rafting, but if you're interested, there are some spectacular rivers that can be done as a day trip from the Central Valley.

Hi Percy:<BR><BR>We stayed at Vista del Valle for a week an did day tours from there. <BR><BR>Day one:<BR>Paos Volcano and La Paz Waterfalls<BR><BR>Day two:<BR>Canopy Tour - lunch - Tabacan Hot Springs resort for the afternoon into the early evening. Sat in the pool and watched the volcano errupt. Had dinner nearby and back to Vista del Valle<BR><BR>Day three:<BR>Jaco Beach - walk through a park - Crocodile river tour <BR><BR>Day four:<BR>Cafe Brit and San Jose<BR><BR>Day five:<BR>White water rafting at La Selva Lodge<BR><BR>Day six:<BR>Horseback riding in the morning and laid in the pool that afternoon<BR><BR>Arturo and Oscar are the best when it comes to arranging tours out of Vista del Valle. Arturo is the manager and Oscar is the driver. We were able to see more than we expected.

Thanks Peg:<BR>So you think that you could stay around the San Jose/Airport area and have Oscar do tours for us!<BR>What is the hotel Villa delValle like.<BR>I hear so many bad things about Monteverde especially the roads.!<BR>I want to do the Aerial Tram seen so much about it and itsound neat.<BR>Is the canopy tour ,the one that you swing by a rope from platform to platform!! my wife will certainly not do that!!<BR>Did you see all five waterfalls and the hummingbirds.?<BR>What was Cafe Britt like?<BR>Thanks a lot..was this your first trip<BR>I do want to take the San Jose City tour . I always take the City tour of any place I go to for the first time<BR>Once again Thanks Peg.<BR>Percy

To Peg:<BR>Peg did you find that staying in one spot at the Villa del Valle was okay&gt;<BR>Or is it better to move around from place to place which I do not really want to do.<BR>Also where did you eat, was it always at Villa del Valle...or just here and there. Does Villa have a web site.<BR>Do you have pictures. How can I get your e mail address without everyone else getting it also.<BR>Thanks<BR>Percy

There are tons of tours that you can take. There are several variations of the highlight tour. You have breakfast at a coffee plantation, visit Poas, look at a couple of waterfalls, stop and look at hummingbirds, visit a ruin, lunch at Selva Verde with a short rainforest walk after, then on to a slow float on the Saripiqui River to look at wildlife, there is another company that goes rafting on another area of the Saripiqui. You can visit Irazu Volcano, Lankester gardens, the Bascillica in Cartago. For a night out if you can splurge just a little go out to dinner at the Monastery. It is up in the hills around San Jose and you have a beautiful view of the city lights at night. Sarchi is a must for the shopaholic and you might find time to stop in Zarcero to see the amazing topiary. <BR>If you were to stay in the Alajuela area (vista del Valle or Xandari) for a few days and then go to La Fortuna (Arenal) for a few you would have even more opportunities.<BR>There are many options also for transportation. There are private buses and private mini vans/shuttles. We have a driver/guide that we use.

Percy,<BR>Yes, Vista del Valle and Xandari do both have web sites. Unfortunately, I'm unable to copy them here due to the way this forum is working now. But if you do a google search, (or use your favorite search engine) and type in the names, the web sites will come up.<BR>For a great hotel at much less cost and fantastic breakfast buffet included in the cost, also look at Orquideas Inn. I've stayed there 6 times and just love it. It's also much closer to the airport in case you have an early return flight. They can also arrange the same tours that everyone has mentioned.

Hi Percy:<BR><BR>My e-mail address is [email protected]<BR><BR>I do have pictures, and I might even still have a powerpoint presentation I did.<BR><BR>I loved Vista del Valle. You walked out on a balcony and it overlooked the valley. Would see many birds in the morning. The grounds were nice to walk around. We ate dinner at Vista del Valle about half the time. We were just too tired once we got back to go anywhere else. We fit as much into a day as we could.<BR><BR>