Melissa5

i am in costa rica right now with hubby and teens! we have also been to hawaii twice. hubby and son like to go, go, go. girls and <i like to do a little but also relax.

here is the difference between hawaii and costa rica. do you want to get up close and personal with nature, i mean nature with a tremendous biodiversity, things you will never see in hawaii...then go to costa rica. we love it here.

but would you rather feel pampered all the time, and always be guaranteed to have enough hot water for everyone´s shower, and have all your every need qickly taken care of...then go to hawaii... we have been to maui and to kauai. in maui there isn´t much original natural flora and fauna left. there are beautiful beaches but most of the original forest has been cut down. there are nice beaches.

costa rica is another world love it. but understand you will be treated politely here, ticos are very respectful and polite, but there are things you will have to accept here. servide in restaurants is slow. that is the custom here. lunch takes more than an hour. that´s the way it is here. there are insects everywhere. hawaii has fewer insects.

hope this helps. we´ll be back home in a few days to do a trip report!

i suggest arenal in costa rica for yoru family. there is plenty to do in arenal...see volcano, sky tram-sky trek, waterfall canyon rapelling, hanging bridges, river rafting, and more...

maui is very very expensive, costs more for everything than costa rica costs. kauai cost is in between maui and costa rica.

adios!

bevoblake

They're both amazing. Costa Rica will definitely give more cultural variety, but it also is a more foreign experience (good to some people, bad to others). Hawaii has some amazing treats (even on the well-developed Maui where I stayed). We ate fresh corn and fruit purchased from a local farmers' market. Plus, we drove a section of the Road to Hana which was beyond spectacular. That said, surfing among the stingrays in Costa Rica was one of the most spectacular experiences I've ever heard, and I'm a sucker for the cuisine there. You can't go wrong with either trip! Also, it's helpful but not necessary to have some Spanish abilities in Costa Rica.

virginiafish

We have not been to Hawaii, but went to CR with our 15 and 23 year old children in December for 2 weeks and have a wonderful trip. They are well-traveled and really loved the diversity the country afforded.