Hello all. I just wanted offer my vacation experience (My 2 daughters 12 & 15 and myself). Hopefully this will help and answer any questions for new visitors of going to CR.

Day 1-San Jose
Hotel Don Carlos-Hotel Don Carlos-Large Double family room-$98-Excellent hotel and great staff and free buffet breakfast
Bungee Jumping (not for those scared of heights)

Day 2
Hotel Don Carlos-$98
White Water Rafting for 3 $225 (arranged for by Don Carlos)

Day 3
Received truck rental 4x4 Grand Vitara $416 total for 8 Days
Hotel Los Lagos (Arenal Volcano)Great pools with fast slides and one is heated by the Volcano-$214
Drove to waterfall a must to visit and free.
Daughter got 24hr. stomache flu (very mild)
Day 4
Hotel Los Lagos
Tobaccon Hot Springs for 3 people-$87
Got to watch the volcano erupt that night
Day 5
Monteverde Lodge-It was marginal at best
Windy and in the low to mid 70s during the day and mid 60s at night. (could have skipped this leg but the drive was fun).
Night Hike for 3-$45
Day 6
Decided to leave Monteverde early and drive to Manuel Antonio
Kahare Hotel-$120-Okay room, crummy matress but has access to the beach which made it great.
Beach all day
Day 7
Hotel Villa Nicolas-$128-Have to drive down to get to the beach but what a fantastic and large room with great balcony (It makes the need to drive worth it if you will be here more than 2 days. It even has a kitshenette and is very tropical).
National Park to see Monkeys and swim-Aproximately $36 for 3
Day 8
Villa Nicolas
Horse back riding-$180 (Extremely Fun)
Beach for the rest of the day and Quepos at night.
Day 9
Villa Nicolas
Zip Lines (very fun and is okay even if you have a fear of heights like me)
Swim the rest of the day
Day 10
Drive back to San jose andspend last day at Hotel Don Carlos. Payed tax at bank across the street so we wouldn't have to at the airport.
Day 11
Back to Chicago
Notes:
-No need to exchange money to Colones
-No need to bring passports when going on excursions that you are driven too (Horse back riding, zip lines, etc..)
-Bring extra shoes to get dirty on hikes at Montverde
-Driving is fine but can be bumpy on gravel roads. A truck will be much more comfortable than a car.
-The bugs are not bad but in Manuel Antonio you may have geikos climbing on your hotel walls. They are cute and very harmless and eat the bugs.
-Rent a surf board in Manuel Antonio and give it a try for $5-10 for an hour but be careful or get an hour lesson for $25. The surf is excellent for a novice.
-Drive at a speed your comfortable with and ignore the drivers behind you, they can pass you if they want to go faster.
I have to say our trip went perfect with out one bad incident (except my daughters small case of the flu).
If I can help anyone with any questions just post a response.

Sincerely,
Joel

Great report! Enjoyed reading it. This is the first I knew (in many visits to Costa Rica) that one could pay the departure tax at the bank. Will definitely try that next time. Thanks!

Thanks for the report! We're leaving tomorrow...YAY!!! We have a very similar itinerary, except we had to cut out Monteverde. We're also staying at Hotel Los Lagos. Thanks for the tip about the waterfall.

What canopy tour did you do in Manuel Antonio? Do you remember the company name? Did you reserve it before you left on your trip, or did you wait until you got to the hotel?

Thanks!

Thanks for info, we are planning trip to Manuel Antonio but staying at Plinio, I stayed there about 8 yrs ago and loved it and rates are the same 35.00- 50.00 US for double room but we are going take travelair from San Jose and I am prob going to stay at don Carlos-for the 1 night in SJO-we checked it out last time but stayed at Santo Tomas--lots of traffic noise there.

Joel,

Thanks for the great trip report. Liked the price info for each leg. You enjoyed the slides at Los Lagos, but how were the rooms? What about the other attractions they advertise, ie: trails, butterfly garden, crocodiles? We think this would be a great place for our 11 and 9 year olds, but my husband saw a picture of the rooms and wasn't impressed.

Any info you can give us will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Linda

Dear Linda,
I have been to Los Lagos several times, and I always recommend it, especially for families. They have a new section, so make sure you ask for the new rooms, and I believe you won't be disappointed. They are not fancy, don't expect anything too amazing, but they are clean and nice and with wonderful views of the volcano, if you are lucky enough... Also, the price is very reasonable, and with all the nice attractions they have there (beautiful grounds, water slides, crocodile farm, trails, outdoor jacuzzi etc), it is one of the best options in Arenal, in my opinion.
Please feel free to write me directly for any more info or help.
Pura Vida,
Neta Talmor

Hi Joel,

Thanks for the trip report. We will be at Villa Nicolas in May for 3 nights. Which room were you in and did you enjoy the hotel (pool etc.). Where did you end up going for breakfast (they don't serve it there). Because we did not need the kitchenette we were advised to take room 8UP. Any info would be appreciated. We are due to go to Monteverde for 2 nights but see you did not like it. What was the reason?

Trish

Sorry I didn't respond sooner. 1st Hotel Los Lagos doesn't have the greatest rooms but is by far a fantastic hotel that should not be overlooked for the money. They even have a medic on site with meds. My daughter got the flu for a day and they treated her exceptionally. Fantastic views, great pools, and just a all around nice place.
Monteverde is a fun drive to get to but it is windy, cloudy and rainy. They have a nice cloud forest but honestly (I feel guilty saying this because I'm sure the money helps their ecoreserve) I got just as much out of Manual Antonio-(80-90, sunny and warm, Pacific water is like a bath)and you can swim in the park. Also forest outside of San Jose was nice as well. We stayed in room 5 (I beieve) at Villa Nicolas, this hotel is fantastic for a stay of over 3 days with great balcony, pool, and view. DOn't miss it if you can get a reservation.

Also, one more thing I didn't set my excursions up until I got to my destinations except for White Water (set up thru Hotel Don Carlos) and bungee jumping I set up myself before leaving. This is better because you can set up what you do based on how you feel and what state of mind you are in. I ended up spending much more time at the beach in Manuel Antonio than I htought I would (surfing). The trick is, as soon as you get to your destination check out the brochures at the hotel and have them set up the ones u are interested in (1 day or less notice okay for most) or if you want to save a little money call them from hotel room and set it up yourself. Hope this helps.

Joel,

Which canopy tour did you go with in Manuel Antonio?