jlh370

I see that when I posted the pictures late last night I forgot to take out the bathing suit shots - lovely!

We really liked Orquideas Inn and thought it was a good choice. We didn't hear any road noise. I would ask for a top floor room because we heard noise above us.

The area was plenty safe in the hotel. I thought it was shielded from the main roads. You do drive through Alajuela to get there.

We live in LA and I have lived in some not so nice areas, so safety wasn't a real concern to us. We feel more uncomfortable when we are somewhere where we can't communicate clearly. I felt more unsafe when we were at the market trying to find medicine for my arm and I couldn't totally read the bottles. If that makes any sense...

The breakfast was very good. Many claim it is the best in CR. It was good but I wouldn't say the best. The people were extremely friendly and helpful.

I would without a doubt recommend Puretrek. The Owner said almost all their advertising has been word of mouth, and for good reason.

surfexec

Enjoyed reading your trip report. I'm glad you enjoyed some of the restaurants I recommended. Funny, I actually left off Soda Piedra Mar which was close to Casa Chameleon. We did go there twice for lunch and enjoyed the local food as well.

I feel the same way about Milarepa. Nice, but the "vibe" is pretty lame. It's like standing in line at Studio 54 and then when you get in you still feel self conscience and just want to go somewhere where people aren't trying so hard. It always seemed like that to us even when we just went to dinner there.
We didn't feel like it was very private when we stayed there.
Oh well,some people like that.
Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip overall.
The photos are great, thanks for sharing!

teacherkab

Great trip report! I have a question about Isla Tortuga. I am thinking of booking this trip (with a different company). Other than the boat and sea lice problems, did you think the all-day excursion was worth it? Was the beach, water, and scenery much different than you had already experienced? We will be staying in Manuel Antonio where the beaches are supposed to be nice and wondering if this trip is worth my time. Thanks for any input.

jlh370

If we had gone on one of the bigger boats we saw, I'm sure we would have had a great time. We really enjoyed our time on the island. The water was perfect for playing in. We got to listen to live music that the larger tour group had provided for their people.

Some people in our group rented kayaks or sea bicycles. They had banana boat rides that everyone was having fun.

A bunch of people were playing soccer on the beach and volleyball.

I think it would probably depend on cost. We paid $40 and for that price I think it is worth it. I don't think I would pay more than that. Just my personal preference. The beaches were beautiful, though.

jlh370

Over the past 2 weeks, we created a blog for our trip report. It is everything but a little more in depth. We made it for our family and friends, but thought that others might want to read it if they are going to these areas. We haven't transferred all the pictures to the site, but everything else is there.

http://www.vallimont.blog.com

cookbound

Hi jlh370,

Great pics and trip report. I have a couple of questions for you, we to will begin our trip in Arenal and the puretrek trip sounds awesome, can you give me their website? I think I found them, but want to make sure it's the right company. I AM afraid of heights but this looks too cool to pass up, I hope I can handle it!! Oh, and will teva type sandals work or do you need hiking boots?

Also, what is Eco Termales, I haven't heard about this place, is it just hot spring pools or is it a restaurant or both???

Thanks! I can't wait for our trip in July, you made me really excited for it after reading your posts.

jlh370

http://www.puretrekcostarica.com/

This is the website for Puretrek. I have a bit of a fear of heights, too, and I loved it. I think the added adrenaline makes it more fun.

Shoes - I have the Soloman water shoes. I didn't mention that before. I LOVE these shoes. They are a cross between a hiking shoe and a teva. They are enclosed with mesh, so you get the protection, but you can wear them in the water.

Tevas, Chacos or water shoes is what I would suggest for the waterfalls. You are actually IN the water at the bottom. I would think that hiking boots would be very uncomfortable. All the guides had chacos. Just wear a Teva that has a good grip on the bottom, so that when you are hiking back up you aren't sliding around.

Do a search on here for Eco Termales. I found out most of my info about them on here. It is a hot springs with a restaurant. Family run. No sign out in front. Very low key.

Have an awesome trip!

cookbound

Cool! Thanks for the quick answer back. I'll check out your Solomon water shoes, I just bought some chaco flip flops, didn't want to spend $90 on their ugly looking sandal, but might do it since they are pretty comfy and more versitile for our trip. Anyway, thanks again for your info!