My little sister and her boyfriend want to travel to CR for a month in Sept., neither of them speak any spanish and I am concerned for their safety. They seem to think they are going to have jungle adventures, the boyfriend is a bit of a daredevil, which concerns me. Is backpacking a terrible idea? Help!

A lot would depend on how mature these two 18 year olds are. That being said, there are a lot of backpackers in CR, although I don't know how many are THAT young. In any case, if they use common sense, they SHOULD be fine. The 'daredevil' activities are USUALLY on 'tours' such as canopy/zip lines, etc., but a young 18 year old who, for example, tries to jump from the top of a waterfall just because it looks 'safe' and fun can get himself into big trouble! They also need to be aware and cautious of their belongings at all times, especially if they will be using public busus for transportation. MANY people get ripped off on these buses. They should keep their backpacks WITH them, not under the bus and not in the overheads, but WITH them. It would be great if they had a little more money to use the 'tourist' buses, like Interbus or Greyline. Most of the 'toursit' hotels will have someone who speaks English that can help them arrange transportation, ect., but if they are on a tight budget and staying at the real cheap hotels off the beaten 'tourist path' then they would need to know Spanish.
Also, I would not be comfortable with them staying in San Jose at all. If they have to stay near the airport the day of arrival or day of departure due to flight times, I would suggest somewhere in Alajuela, such as the Orquideas Inn.

There is my two colones on the subject.

Completely agree with previous post and want to second her/his advice re watching possessions. We had all our luggage stolen last week from our locked SUV outside a busy restaurant on a busy street at noon in Cartago. The US Embassey the following day was FULL of other Americans replacing passports who'd been ripped off in the cities and at the beaches. One young backpacker staying at a hostel went off to take a shower and was COMPLETELY wiped out in his absence. He didn't even have $$$ needed to replace his passport till another hapless tourist there paid his fee in addition to theirs. Property crime is pretty rampant, so these kids, if they go, want to be VERY careful about their possessions.

Costa Rica is one of the safest Latin American countries. Tourism is their bread and butter, and it's easy to get around without speaking Spanish. San Jose is ripe with pickpockets, but I wouldn't recommend staying in the city much anyway because it's just a business hub and not too attractive. They should learn a bit of Spanish --- at least the pleasantries (please, thank you, etc) And do SOME planning ahead of time, like making campsite reservations --- they CAN fill up--- and planning how long transportation will take. Bus trips to the coast can be pretty time-consuming. Also they should make a hotel reservation near the San Jose airport for the first and last night of their trip, as most flight arrive to CR at night and leave in the morning, requiring you to stay near the capital.

It's a great place to get your first taste of Latin America, and they will almost certainly have jungle adventures! If they do canopy tours, they should make sure it's with a reputable company that's listed in the guidebooks.

If they are planning to hike deep into the forest, they should make sure they know exactly how to get to the next ranger station and they should splurge on a guide for at least one jungle hike ---preferrably at the beginning of the trip so they know what to look for on future hikes.

All in all, I think it's a fine destination for 18-year-olds. If they're not mature enough to handle Costa Rica, I doubt they'd be mature enough to handle any trip outside the U.S. (and maybe even inside the U.S...)

I'm not sure what you mean by "backpacking". That doesn't necessarily mean hostels and tent camping. There are inexpensive hotels and cabinas all over the place if they are willing to forego hot water and AC at a few of them.

There is a lot of rain in September. There will be less of it in the Guanacaste province (north Pacific coastal area). There are some very cool beaches here. One of our favorite places (hot water, ceiling fan, good restaurant, beachfront) is Hotel Brasilito at Playa Brasilito between Flamingo and Tamarindo. $30 per night. There are several places like this (although most aren't so close to the beach).

The "daredevil" aspect concerns me somewhat. To be a daredevil and up for whatever activities are available (canopy, bungee, whitewater rafting) is one thing. To take chances (such as Ally mentioned) that would jeopardize both person's safety is quite another. We were at the waterfalls near Montezuma a few months ago, and the sign posted warns that there have been several deaths from jumping the falls. I know from reading that several of those deaths have involved young carefree and obviously daredevil Americans! Still kids were doing it. This is not only disrespecting the posting, it is very stupid. No reason not to have a great time enjoy this magical place without doing those few things that are life-threatening!

Costa Rica is certainly safe provided one is vigilant, always alert, and uses a LOT of common sense. There are plenty of folks in every corner to prey on those who are foolish and careless. And they can spot you in a heartbeat!

There are a lot of nice hiking areas through the jungle that don't involve ranger stations and remote isolated deep jungle experiences. Most of the hiking areas are fairly popular with other travelers, well marked, and easily navigated.

And another thing. . .on my soapbox here! Sorry. . . All that goes without even mentioning the drug/alcohol factor. At 18, they will be legal drinkers in Costa Rica, and drugs are easy to come by just about anywhere you go. Very easy. Getting drunk or stoned moves the risk factor up several notches--just as it does here, only WAY more so. I say this not because I think your sister and her bf are into that stuff, but because a lot of kids are, and it is a very poor idea, especially in an unfamiliar place, and more especially in a third world country.

I couldn't agree will Shillmac more. Drugs were certainly prevalent when we were in Tamarindo. My hubby and I got asked 2x if we'd like to buy some weed and when we said no, were asked "cocaine"?. Now, I'm not saying that this some big deal and that CR is a crummy little place because of drug pushers. When were in Lahaina 10 years ago we got asked the same questions no more than 2 hours after landing!

Back then, I thought it was because we looked like people who might indulge in that stuff but now? For goodness sake, we're pushing 40 wearing fanny packs and baseball caps as our vacation attire!! Ain't nothin' cool about that.

Seriously though, the drug thing is everywhere. I just remembered, we were asked on last year's vacation too while we were in the Cook Islands. That's one small little island and the pushers sought us out there too. I'm sure this happens to many different types of people while vacationing.

I would also like to comment on the theft thing as well. My husband and I just returned from our first vacation ever to CR and had NO PROBLEMS. You know why? Because we didn't turn our backs on our belongings for one second. The one time we did need to stop with our stuff in the car, we ate at an open air Soda off the highway to Grecia from Tamarindo.

The Ticos are very nice people and my husband and I have come to the conclusion that probably much of the crime that goes on is done by the scummy people who come to CR to kick
around and live like vagabonds. Nonetheless, just like I wouldn't leave my belongings in a rental car in Beverly Hills or on the shores of Maui, I wouldn't EVER leave my belongings even among the friendly Ticos. You just never know when there is a creep lurking around the corner.

Thank you Shillmac for lending me your soapbox!!! It feels good to be home.

You are so right. Same problems everywhere. There's just something more reassuring if you're going to get into trouble about doing it here in the states than out of the country!

About theft, you are correct there too. I was amazed to hear someone complaining on our last trip to CR about how they had left their belongings in their car just to walk a short distance to the beach. Their things were taken, and they were blasting away at Costa Rica. For Pete's sake, I wouldn't have done that at a beach here in the states! And, of course, when you get into areas where nearly everyone is a tourist, there are certainly going to be some local "experts" hanging around!

You are all so right! I learned "the hard way" not to leave things in my car when I was 16 in suburban Atlanta. My friend and I left our purses and a small boom-box radio in the car for a little while. Sure enough, when we came back the window was smashed and our things were gone. I never leave anything in view any more.

I also learned "the hard way" again when I was about 20 years old on my first trip to NY city. My friend and I thought we would be "smart" and put our things in the trunk of a car with Mississippi plates near Grenwich Village. Bad move, trunk lock opened with a screwdriver, everything taken. So now, depending on where I am, a rarely leave things in the trunk either!