melshells

I used this site extensively when traveling, so maybe I can help someone else with my experiences and equipment choices. Spent a month in CR in March, one week Playa Grande in Guanacaste, three weeks on the Osa Penn. Flew around on Nature Air instead of renting a car and then took taxis. Loved Nature Air! You really save time shooting around the country. Oh, and the views from the air! (If you are uneasy on small planes and might suffer motion sickness, try to sit behind the pilots..)

-San Jose airport is not the bed of chaos I had been led to believe. Actually a very clean and well organized little airport. Nothing like the Port Authority bus station in New York, which it had kind of been suggested to resemble..

- Taxis: Avoid all confusion by buying an official taxi 'ticket' and booth to left on main floor by baggage claim, right before you get to the windows with all the drivers waiting outside. (It's not particularly well marked.) You will then be escorted to the next available official driver, very professional.

-Alot of people don't speak English, or at least not much. Try to learn some! The amount of basic Spanish that has gotten me around Mexico fairly easily really wasn't quite enough here, especailly in rural areas. Even if you can't conjugate verbs correctly, it helps to at least memorize the names of common objects, services, and destinations you might require information about...And to know how to ask a question politely, to make requests in a civil manner..

- Having been warned about all sorts of manner of theft, I bought myself some peace of mind by purchasing an extensive series of what are marketed as 'backpack locks' with combinations which sometimes have elastic wire coated cords, like bike locks. Therefore, you can lock all entrances to your luggage, purse, backpack, and even lock them all together to a stationary object, like a table in your hotel room. (That way. somebody would have to take the whole mass, or cut them open.) I was also warned to avoid placing any valuables near a window.

-To all of you renting cars: I read alot of warnings on this site about flat-tire scams and having cars broken into. Heed those warnings! Met one young couple who were victims of the flat tire scam (they place a nail on the road, wait for you to pull over to help you, one 'good samaratin' helps, while the second unseen party steals your stuff.) Met three couples who made the mistake of leaving luggae in their car while they had lunch, used an ATM, or both went inside to the front desk while their car was completely emptied. Common thread? People are apparently able to emptie your car in broad daylight while you might only be away for a short period of time..Replacing your passport or shopping for a whole new vacation wardrobe in CR does not sound like fun.

-Use the hotel safe in they have one. Make copies of your passport and credit card stuff and keep them separate. The going rate for a U.S. passport now is apparently about 300 dollars. They're in demand! (Minimum hourly wage in CR is apparently only about 1.25 US, sometimes lower! Think about that... )

-Climates vary. You'll appreciate a light sweater or jacket in San Jose, Monteverde, Arenal, and other mountainous places. However, it's unbelieveably hot both on the Osa near Corcovado and on the Guancaste penninsula. Take precautions from the heat! 30 sunblock aint gonna cut it. A surfer told me that 45 is where you start. I'm pretty used to the sun, but I found I had to wear a light short sleeve shirt over my suit when walking the beach or I'd burn to death. By all means bring a good hat! (I didn't.) I saw people who had these great light weight nylon ones with breathable mesh and something that covered the back of your neck. I told my friends that my only reservation about younger kids in Costa Rica is the sun- heat stroke/exhaustion is a definite danger. Dip them in sunblock and cover them in lightweight clothes.

- Footwear matters a great deal, especially in the jungle. The hero of my trip was a pair of Solomon Amphibian Techs, sort of a all-terrain running/hiking shoe that's water friendly with some mesh. Absolutely fantastic for hiking through streams and along rocky riverbeds- you can even wear socks! (Brought the Land's End model along as well, and I didn't care for those. )

The Solomons were not so great on sandy beaches however- sand got in them. Most of us who hiked to Corcovado did a shoe change. Tevas or your basic sock-like mesh beach shoe do much better on sand and when swimming, others others in the jungle. you will find that it;s so much safer sometimes to hike through a rocky stream then trying to navigate slippery rocks bordering it if trying to keep your feet dry.

- I went in March, and the insects were not nearly as bad as I was led to believe. But bring bug stuff- and remember they won't let you fly with aerosol. Additionally, I was really glad I brought two tubes of Hydracortisone cream, which helps with no-see-um bites, heat rash, and sunburn. Also brough a triple antibiotic cream, things get infected easy. Additionally, I think there's something to the folklore about Vitamin B helping to repell insects. I ran out of vitamins mid trip and then I started to notice more bites.

More bug help: Another hero of my trip was a pair of those lightweight nylon pants which zip off at the knee to become shorts. A necessity! I bought the Buzz-off brand (treated with an insecticide) but you can also buy this stuff at camping stuff to treat your own clothing. I did my socks as well. ( I personally prefer wearing these lightweight long pants - not shorts- when hiking in the jungle. Leg and ankle coverage makes me feel more secure somehow. )

-Wanted to see snakes, only saw two pretty little non-venomous ones. So rest assured, Fer-de-Lance, Corals, and Bushmasters are not lurking under every log. But know what they look like anyhow, and be careful where you put your hands.

-Didn't see any scorpions, but others I know did. Still, do the old shoe shake out and remember, to them, any piece of clothing lying on the floor is a big giant leaf to hide under...

-I am a bit of an arachniphobe, but I survived. The pretty colorful Orb spiders that make the beautiful intricate webs are abundant but perfectly harmless and stay in their webs. I saw no Tarantulas (live in holes, mostly nocturnal.) The only spideys that I have a helathy respect for are the big somewhat hairy wolf spiders- they apparently pack a hurtful bite. They mostly come out at night, and like thatched roofs and high places and sometimes outdoor showers. Large, light brown, fuzzy. On my 'Try to avoid' contact with list.

-I always hiked with a walking stick that I borrowed from the hotel. Really helps during the up and down portion of steep hikes, and especially on rocky streambeds. Also, you can't test the footing with it, there's alot of leaf litter and rotten logs that look more stable than they are.

- Other things I'm really glad I brought: An LLBean LED headlamp that you wear on your head. You see so much more wildlife! I spotted more than the guide! It has to do with when a source of light is near your eyes rather than in your hand, like a flashlight. You line up with the animals eyes easier. I also really loved this little LED light I had on my keychain- a necessity for opening your hotel door after dark. Becuase, if you're smart, you turn off all lights- interior and exterior- so as not to attract bugs.

I also brought a Camelback that fits into any backpack- It was especially great when horseback riding (hands free hydration.) For those of you that ride, horses in CR are a new experience. Don't be surprised when you are given an animal dressed in a simple rope halter- no bit in the mouth! I quickly concluded that any suggestions I might have about speed or direction were simply that- a mere suggestion. Many are pretty barely broke and were just pulled out from a month long pasture hiatus right before you get on- therfore I would think twice about putting a kid on a rental horse. I also wouldn't necessarily be buggin' the guide for a gallop down the beach unless your'e prepared for a little rodeo style bucking and possible detour into the palm groves. (Oh yeah, and always ask them to double and triple check the tightness of your girth. )

Wearing backpack into the jungle can get incredibly hot. Next time, I might re-think my whole system to one of those waist packs with a water bottle on each side. Bring super-light binoculars if possible, mine were waying me down- too heavy.

Things I wish I hadn't brought: A lot of heavy guidebooks. Every hotel has an extensive library anyhow. Cut it down to maybe one, or those laminated handy i.d cards I saw everyone carrying.

Didn't need my snorkeling gear either- surf way too rough where I was. Flippers take up alot of room, maybe next time just the mask and snorkel.

Remember, in alot of places, it's hard to just run out to the drugstore for more batteries and advil. I have always appreciated a well stocked toiletries bag. Benedryl is a must to minimize any reaction to bug bites. It also makes you drowsy, you if you are itching at night, take it before bed. I also bring Pepto for stomach stuff, and get my doctor to give me these certain kind of antiobiotics just in case you get a bad intestinal thing. (Although I had absolutely no problems with the food or water on my trip- drank the hotels water the whole time I was in the Osa, and avoided no local produce, which is fantastic by the way..)

I know i was all over the map with these suggestions, but I hope they might help someone! Happy travels!

jkgourmet

Thanks so much! Great suggestions. May I ask where you stayed in the Osa Penn?

missypie

I second your comments on the sunscreen. We were at the beach at MA on two days, both in the morning; the second day we all swam with t-shirts on. We used 45 spf and got so burned. I didn't FEEL burned at all, but every one of us peeled EVERYWHERE that was exposed...two weeks after we got home, the tops of my feet were peeling. That sun is more wicked than most of us are used to.

melshells

Fabulous place, I'd highly recommend it. It's called The Look Out Inn, and it's technically in Carete (a town without a town as it were) and you can see Corcovado from there, and the entrance to the park is about a 45 minute walk along the beach. It's absolutely beautiful- check out their website: www.lookout-inn.com

Here's why I chose it: Unlike other hotels in the area between Puerto Jiminez and Corcovado (Luna Lodge, Terrapin, ect.) which are so far up the mountain that you don't have beach access, the Look Out is a perfect compromise. It's set high enough on the mountain that you have a magnificent view (and I mean magnificent) but they also have a small pool and a beach. Having a pool is a real must, as the waves are big and you can't always swim except generally at low tide. But it's so nice to be able to walk the beach and sit down there on a hammock and read.

The food was absolutely wonderful- you get three meals a day included in your daily rate. There are all these local organic farmers that drop off their produce and stay for dinner. People who come to do deep sea fishing brought their catch for the chef to prepare. I ate really well and drank the hotels tap water and never felt better.

Oh and the gardening and the wildlife on the grounds itself! New people would come and ask me where the best bird watching was and I'd say "Right here, especially down by the pool". I'd say they should change the name to Look Out Inn, Hotel and Hummingbird Sanctuary. All the beautiful plants and flowers that are native to the jungle are maintained right on the grounds and it attacts alot of bird life: you name it, hordes of Scarlet Macaws, all sorts of other small green parrots, countless colorful songbirds including honey creepers, and an amazing array of hummingbirds. Even toucans. Of course tons of iguanas, and a variety of other lizards. and butterflies. And huge flocks of Pelicans, Frigate birds, and vultures fluterring on the breeze.

Another nice thing is you didn't even have to hike as far as Corcovado to see alot of wildlife, although we certainly all made trips to the park. There is a road and then a trail to a waterfall nearby that they have nicknamed "Shady Lane" that I hiked everyday. It's one of those rainforest corridors that monkeys like to use, so I saw monkeys on nearly a daily basis: troops of adorable squirrel monkeys, white faced Capuchins, spider monkesy, and occasionally Howlers. (Heard them more than I saw them.) A troop of Capuchins led by a battle scarred old male named 'scarface' visited the hotel nearly every other morning to look for banannas.

The owners are an ex-pat named Terry and his Costa Rican wife Katya. He is absolutely hilarious and a wealth of knowledge. She is so charming and wryly funny. Her family has long roots in the Osa so we got to go to her Uncles cattle farm to pick up horses and were also invited to a rodeo type festival / birthday party there. Boy, that's the kind of indigenous experience you don't get on a package tour. What fun!

I kept extending my stay becuase I kept meeting the most fascinating people! This place is a magnet for really interesting people with interestiing lives with a strong interest in nature, and world travel.

What else? The accomodations are really nice and range from hotel-type rooms in the main house to a series of cabinas and Tiki Huts where you can be more 'one' with nature. No issues with unwanted bug life in my room...

When you figure in all that good food, I thought the price was real reasonable too. I think it runs from 100 to 130 per person per night.

Really, check out the website- I thought it was the best place on the Osa and judging from the amount of repeat customers, alot of people agreed. Kept running into people who had stayed somewhere else initially and wished they'd been at The Look Out the whole time.

tully

awesome, I will be at Lookout from 05/17-05/20, can't wait but your wonderful description helps!

bertini

Could you explain the Tikki Hut shared outdoor bathroom. How can they be at all private if they are shared and open?

melshells

Bertini, I didn't stay in the tiki huts, but an number of people I met did and loved them. Basically, there's a bathroom and a shower where you go in one door (and presumably lock it after you) but then you are sitting there on the pot or taking a shower, looking out at a beautiful vista of plants and flowers. (No one can see in.) So in other words, while two units may be sharing a toilet and shower, nobody is going to charge in on you because you lock the door after you. Did I describe this well enough?

The main room/ sleeping area is kind of a big grandiose A-frame tent covered with white canvas. So you lay in bed covered with mosquito netting and look out at the great outdoors. They have little electric fans, and a great little table and chairs to watch the bird life.

The people I met who stayed in the Tiki huts absolutely loved them. They said that one of the best part was hearing all the birds and all the sounds of the jungle, plus also having hummingbirds and butterflies fly into your room.

I was in one of the main hotel rooms and I absolutely loved it as well. (I was traveling by myself and liked the convenience of a room near everything.) The cabinas are darn nice too, especially if you are traveling with a group.

Anybody who goes there, please tell Terry and Katya that Melissa sent you!

bertini

Thank-you melshells, you descibed the prefectly. I can totally picture them now.

cahenn

Sounds like a wonderful trip. We are going in June. However, I did buy the lands end shoe for jungle hiking. That way if they get wet, they would quickly dry. What did you not like about them?

melshells

Cahenn: I found that they did not have good traction on rocks, in fact I found them to be downright slippery. Which surprised me, because I too thought they'd be great. I also didn't find them nearly as comfortable as the Solomans, which seemed to have better arch support and were 'cushier'. But of course, others might disagree.

cahenn

Thanks melshells,
Looking at the soles, I wondered about traction, too. Are the jungle trails that rocky?

tully

So nice to read about your experiences, especially so recent & the fact that you were solo ( me too). I'm staying in the main cabins as well, I'll have 3 nights/2 full days there. Sounds like I'll have enough to do to keep me busy. Wasn't planning on going to the park but may walk down there just for the walk itself. Did you taxi there or take the collectivo? Anything else you can think of to do/see? So excited....only 16 more sleeps til I leave!

melshells

Oh, I'm so glad I could help people who are going there as well! I'm excited for you- you'll have a great time. Remeber to tell Terry and Katya that you spoke to Melissa- we stilll e-mail and they'lll be thrilled that I was able to help guests in some way.

Cahenn, most of the the trails are not rocky, but many that you might not want to miss are. Like the walk up Shady Lane to the waterfall. (It's not a huge waterfall, but it is a beautiful destination.) You have to shadow a small stream to get there and navigate rocks, some large, many slippery. I also did a guided tour down a narrow stream bed off the main river near the park which is beautiful, but again has slippery rocks. Corcovado is not particularly rocky, but you do have to cross a couple of streams and rivers. If you have time, I'd say run out and buy those Solomon Techs and return those Lands End- they took my back no problem and were happy to hear my feedback in terms of future product development.

FYI- Elias is the Look Outs Costa Rican guide. He's just wonderful- be sure to say Hello to him from Melissa. I learned alot from him. He comes down everyday at breakfast to see if guests want to arrnage trips. They bill his rates to your hotel bill, which is very convenient.

Tully, I am happy to hear about another fellow solo traveler. Don't worry, you'll meet so many interesting people. And I loved the main rooms at the hotel! Especially the great individualized murals in them and the beautiful hand carved doors. Each has a theme pertinent to local wildlife.

I took a cab to get to the Look Out from the airport in Puerto Jiminez, which cost $60.00 and took about two hours, but it is a beautiful ride through beautiful farmland and rainforest. (The driver will stop if you want to take pictures.)

I opted to do this instead of taking the collectivo because a) it was an unknown place and I wanted to play it safe b) the cabs are right there waiting by the planes c) Puerto Jiminez is a hot, little dusty town and I didn't want to drag my crap all around looking and waiting for the collectivo.

Some people took the collectivo back however because it will stop right in front of the hotel. It's basically an open bed truck with benches. You might want to do it on the return trip and save some oney. (it only costs 8.00.) Ask Terry what he thinks- sometimes they fill up fast with locals and it's a tight squeeze, and not necessarily on a rigid time schedule.

Keep the questions coming! I'm glad to help!

Jandk

Melshells, did you notice if there were surfers on the beaches there? This place looks beautiful! Thanks for all the details.

melshells

Jandk, the locals and the Look Out Inn staff surfed out in front of the hotel, but the big wave action is at Matapalo, about 45mns before the Look Out on the road from Puerto Jiminez. I'm new to surfing lingo, but it looked to me that although the waves out front of the Look Out could at times be huge (like at high tide or at a full moon), they did not however have a definite 'left' or 'right break' that I could discern.

But still, people surfed and the hotel provides boogie boards for the less athletically inclinded, like myself....If you wanted to surf, however, the chef Juan Ki and the rest of the staff would instantly love you and I think you'd have alot of fun. Probably lend you a board as well. Maybe you could go up to Matapalo for a day of big action as well...)

Jandk

Thanks! Our kids surf and this place looks like a great fit for the whole family! We just got back from Mal Pais and as you can see, I am already thinking of our return to Costa Rica.

melshells

You know Jandk, I think it would be a great fit for a surfing family. I was especially touched by how nice and helpful the male employees of the hotel were with Katya's son Luis (he's about 9) and with other local kids. They'd hold his surfboard and point him into the wave at a good angle, set him up for a decent ride and cheer him on. I don't know how old your kids are, but I think it might be a good fit with helpful people around. (Alot of families visited during the three weeks I was there..)