I first did a bit of research on Costa Rica before looking at any tour companies and made a list of the places I really wanted to visit. Initially, I was looking at smaller tour companies that would have more of a personalized tour for our family but the prices were quite high. I came across the Caravan tour package and it included the places on my list and it was at a very good price. I must also add here that our family is not highly adventurous in the sense that we were not looking for activities like zip-lines, rafting or off the beaten path wilderness experiences. You really make the most of your time on an organized tour but you do lose a bit in terms in getting closer in with the local culture. My report prefaces with the main reasons I chose Caravan. We like to travel alot so in the end the deciding factor was price and the fact that I had not found any negative reviews for this company.

Thanks for the great report. Dh and I are considering this trip. One of the things that concerns me is the hotel with no AC. Was it only one hotel for l night???? I can't sleep hot and this worries me. When is the rainy season? We are thinking about april, is this a good choice? Thanks

Depending on the year you go, april is fine as long as it doesn't fall in Easter Week. Costa Ricans love to holiday and many spots will be crowded. It was pretty warm/hot in March and likely a bit hotter in April with a bit more rain. The 'rainy season' varies by coast as well. The lack of A/C was okay due to large ceiling fans but everything stays a bit moist - my book cover had curled up in a short time and our swimsuits never dried out there. The only time I felt a bit miserable was in the town of Tortuguero (not where are cabins were located) and that really is not worth the trip - better to relax at the hotel in their nice pool or take an extra boat ride to see wildlife. All hotel stays on the Caravan tour are for two nights. My first choice would be feb/march unless you are very keen on seeing green turtles nesting in which case you need to visit in July.

just booked caravan tour to costa rica feb 2008.
i am a single, and very athletic 50 yr old woman.
singermoms reveiew was very informative...if anyone else has info please let me know.
a couple of questions...
what types of shoes should i bring?
do most take a carry on type of luggage vs. a large suitcase?
is there any difficulty with credit cards? i read that visa and mastercard are the cards readily accepted. when and if i zipline...where do you leave your personal belongings? ie...ipod, $$$,
i also read that san jose is filled with some not so honest individuals...was this a big problem?
living in n.y. i am accustomed to being very careful.
is bottled water available...when not touring ...like in the hotels and/or lodges?
singermom4 said the ages vary greatly...and i hope they do. one reviewer said they were all old and obese...
any nice outfits necessary for night life? ...if there is a night life?
this tour properties are:
barcelo san jose palacio
laguna lodge
las cabanits resort
doubletree resort
and aurola hotel
any and all info will be greatly appreciate.
thanks in advance
marion50

Marion, hope this answers some of your questions.
shoes: I brought sandals (Teva) and tennis shoes. They were all I needed.
luggage: Most people had a rolling suitcase. when you go to Tortuguero You leave your big luggage at the hotel( it goes by bus to your hotel after tortuguero) You pack for 3 days in a backpack or whatever your carry on luggage is.
Found no problems in San Jose but you are not there too long.
They provide you with bottled water at the first hotel in San Jose for free.
the bus had a giant bottle we just filled the empty smaller bottles with.
There were many families on my tour in Nov. of 05. Not alot of oldsters.
No need to dress for nightlife. Most places there wasn't any. the dinners are at the hotels so no need to dress up to go out.
Hope this helps.

dear martha
thanks for your reply and advice.
not used to packing lightly...but i guess i will for costa rica.
any other advice from you or others is greatly appreciated.
thank you
marion

Enjoyed your trip report. My only concern is the non air conditioned hotel, however, we are leaving next month so maybe it will not be as hot. I do have a question on what to pack, on your last night at the better restaurant did people dress up much? Also, did people change from the day trip before dinners?

Thanks for your help.

budandjan

Thanks for posting such a detailed report.

I'd like to know if you need to take your own beach towels when you visit the Hot Springs and beaches, or can you take from the hotel, or do they rent them? We are taking the Caravan tour in Feb and much appreciate your detailed info.

We have been looking into taking a tour to Costa Rica. We were questioning which one. The Caravan seemed to have the most for the money After reading you trip, we feel this was good, thanks you made up our minds

j

I went on the CR tour with Caravan in August. I had a wonderful time and highly recommend them to everyone. I tried to post a report about my trip on trip advisor, but they wouldn't take it. I don't know why. But I do know that I will definetly be using Caravan in the future. I just wish they traveled to more destinations in central and south america. Choosing a new tour company is absolutly daunting!

BudandJan - For the final night, you don't need to be very dressy, but should be nice, casual. I did change before dinners mainly because it is quite hot and with hiking, your clothes get a bit sweaty so I liked changing at the end of the day. For this reason, I recommend a few extra tops.

PATTIS - you will receive towels at the hot springs and a place to keep your belongings. If you want to purchase drinks at the bar, you will need to keep some cash with you - not sure if they run a tab. I would recommend purchasing a camp towel for the trip - these are small, highly absorbent towels. They hardly take up any room and are very effective for drying off (such as from rain even).

shaytravels - I also wish Caravan travelled to more destinations. I don't think you can beat their value.

Booked another trip on Caravan to Guatemala. Will post my detailed report when I return. Our trip is 3/20/09 - 3/30/09.

I am too thinking of this trip also, but had a few concerns and one was the CON that you listed..can't stop to take pictures or anything.

You mentioned that some people took a zip lining trip...on the limited free time.

how much free time was there.

Along the same questions as the post before mine. Is there a good place to do zip-lining? Does the tour allow for enough time to do this?

I was planning on booking a canopy tour/zip-lining before my trip but the Original Canopy Tour charges $45/person if you have your own transportation or $100/person including transportation and lunch (as well as the zip-lining itself). Is it worth purchasing this in advance in fear of not getting a chance to do zip-lining or do you think I'll be fine in terms of finding enough time on the tour to fit this in and not have it cost me so much $$?