just got back, full version
Jul 13th, 2006, 08:09 PM
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just got back, full version
sorry for posting this 3 times, I kept accidentally hitting the post message button...
Wow, what an excellent 10 days. We flew into Liberia and hitched a ride with Tamarindo shuttle. Was nice to have a ride with A/C and cold beers waiting, not to mention it seems like its the cheapest ride into town.
We stayed at Pasatiempo, and it could not have been a better choice. Within minutes of arriving, we met a bunch of friendly people, some tourists, some expats, some locals. Ron and Janet the owners are so energetic and knowledgeable, and they really went out of their way to take care of us (including a surprise birthday dinner for my girlfriend, which Janet help set up. They set a candle lit table on my patio, served us a 4 course dinner and wine, arranged for a Mariachi band, along with amazing service. It was a complete surprise to my girlfriend and they executed it perfectly. THANKS!) Hung around a bit, did the beach for a few days, a great tour of the estuary to see all the wildlife, including monkeys, iguanas, a croc, and a ton of birds and insects. The best day in town was courtesy of our new friends Jeff (who by the way can be found sitting at the second table closest to the door, facing the bar drinking a Bavaria dark, pony tail and beard...trust me, he will be there after 2. Talk to him, he's the man.) and Steve, two expats from the US. They took my girlfriend and I on a day long quad trip that brought us to several Tico towns (and bars), amazing and secluded beaches, and local attractions only the locals know about. Places like Brasolito, Plaa Conchal, Playa Flamingo, to name a few. We couldn't pay for something like this even if we wanted. We met so many interesting and friendly people who were more than welcoming. Next Arenal...
A bumpy 7 hour ride from Tamarindo, though coming back was only 4.5. Took a wrong turn and decided not to backtrack, but it made things interesting. One tip about driving, keep some small bills on you, you will probably have to pay the police a "fine" at some point in your travels. If I did not have a couple 5000 ($10) colones bills in my pocket, I would have been giving them the $100 bills in my shoe.
So the ride was long and winding and bumpier than I could imagine. Stayed in La Fortuna at the foot of Arenal which seemed like a good hub. Was a little busier and sketchy than expected, I guess we were picturing this small dusty little town. We stayed at the Backpackers Hostel, which for 30 bucks a night got us a clean private air conditioned room with private bathroom, a view of the volcano, a great pool with swim up bar, pool tables, free internet, open air kitchen. Yes, a hostel).
We did the canopy tour with SkyTrek, it was excellent, very safe and modern, with one of the longest zip lines in the area. At first site of the zip line, my girlfriend did turn blue and suddenly became mute. She got over it and of course we were pros by the 3rd line. Also checked out some of the wildlife conservatories in the area which were real cool, and the coolest of all, PureTrek's waterfall rappelling (office by Arenal Volcano Motel, turn in and you'll see signs)
Back to Tamarindo to call airline to extend our trip a few days. We were back at Pasatiempo, which served as an excellent venue for the World Cup games (and 4th of July party filled with bbq, bands, and Kelly Slaters Costa Rican new surf video premier). I would 100% be back to Costa and would only stay at Pasatiempo when in Tamarindo. The rooms were spotless, and its just the right distance from everything.
If you're into eating out, definitely check out Dragonfly. One of the best meals I've ever had, and being an NYC'er, I eat out a lot. Also check out Bula Bula, which you need to arrange a boat ride with the restaurant to get over there, pretty cool. And to go where all the locals and expats go, check out Nogui's for the amazing sunset view. As a photographer, I had a field day there. Well if you've gotten this far, congrats. Feel free to ask me about anything, because I know before I went I was so lost and overwhelmed, and this board helped me a ton.
Wow, what an excellent 10 days. We flew into Liberia and hitched a ride with Tamarindo shuttle. Was nice to have a ride with A/C and cold beers waiting, not to mention it seems like its the cheapest ride into town.
We stayed at Pasatiempo, and it could not have been a better choice. Within minutes of arriving, we met a bunch of friendly people, some tourists, some expats, some locals. Ron and Janet the owners are so energetic and knowledgeable, and they really went out of their way to take care of us (including a surprise birthday dinner for my girlfriend, which Janet help set up. They set a candle lit table on my patio, served us a 4 course dinner and wine, arranged for a Mariachi band, along with amazing service. It was a complete surprise to my girlfriend and they executed it perfectly. THANKS!) Hung around a bit, did the beach for a few days, a great tour of the estuary to see all the wildlife, including monkeys, iguanas, a croc, and a ton of birds and insects. The best day in town was courtesy of our new friends Jeff (who by the way can be found sitting at the second table closest to the door, facing the bar drinking a Bavaria dark, pony tail and beard...trust me, he will be there after 2. Talk to him, he's the man.) and Steve, two expats from the US. They took my girlfriend and I on a day long quad trip that brought us to several Tico towns (and bars), amazing and secluded beaches, and local attractions only the locals know about. Places like Brasolito, Plaa Conchal, Playa Flamingo, to name a few. We couldn't pay for something like this even if we wanted. We met so many interesting and friendly people who were more than welcoming. Next Arenal...
A bumpy 7 hour ride from Tamarindo, though coming back was only 4.5. Took a wrong turn and decided not to backtrack, but it made things interesting. One tip about driving, keep some small bills on you, you will probably have to pay the police a "fine" at some point in your travels. If I did not have a couple 5000 ($10) colones bills in my pocket, I would have been giving them the $100 bills in my shoe.
So the ride was long and winding and bumpier than I could imagine. Stayed in La Fortuna at the foot of Arenal which seemed like a good hub. Was a little busier and sketchy than expected, I guess we were picturing this small dusty little town. We stayed at the Backpackers Hostel, which for 30 bucks a night got us a clean private air conditioned room with private bathroom, a view of the volcano, a great pool with swim up bar, pool tables, free internet, open air kitchen. Yes, a hostel).
We did the canopy tour with SkyTrek, it was excellent, very safe and modern, with one of the longest zip lines in the area. At first site of the zip line, my girlfriend did turn blue and suddenly became mute. She got over it and of course we were pros by the 3rd line. Also checked out some of the wildlife conservatories in the area which were real cool, and the coolest of all, PureTrek's waterfall rappelling (office by Arenal Volcano Motel, turn in and you'll see signs)
Back to Tamarindo to call airline to extend our trip a few days. We were back at Pasatiempo, which served as an excellent venue for the World Cup games (and 4th of July party filled with bbq, bands, and Kelly Slaters Costa Rican new surf video premier). I would 100% be back to Costa and would only stay at Pasatiempo when in Tamarindo. The rooms were spotless, and its just the right distance from everything.
If you're into eating out, definitely check out Dragonfly. One of the best meals I've ever had, and being an NYC'er, I eat out a lot. Also check out Bula Bula, which you need to arrange a boat ride with the restaurant to get over there, pretty cool. And to go where all the locals and expats go, check out Nogui's for the amazing sunset view. As a photographer, I had a field day there. Well if you've gotten this far, congrats. Feel free to ask me about anything, because I know before I went I was so lost and overwhelmed, and this board helped me a ton.
Jul 14th, 2006, 05:50 AM
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Wow! Great trip report!
I've stayed at Pasatiempo before and everything that Robloud says is true! Great people there who make all the guests feel like family.
Why did you have to pay a 'fine' to the policia? Were you speeding? We obeyed the speed limit when we were there last year and got flagged over a few times by the roadside cops. They just asked to See our passports and my driver's license and then told us to have a good day. Maybe we looked too poor to pay a 'fine'
What did you mean by La Fortuna being 'sketchy'? Is there a web link for the Backpacker's Hostel? We're going back to CR in August and might want to check it out
I've stayed at Pasatiempo before and everything that Robloud says is true! Great people there who make all the guests feel like family.
Why did you have to pay a 'fine' to the policia? Were you speeding? We obeyed the speed limit when we were there last year and got flagged over a few times by the roadside cops. They just asked to See our passports and my driver's license and then told us to have a good day. Maybe we looked too poor to pay a 'fine'
What did you mean by La Fortuna being 'sketchy'? Is there a web link for the Backpacker's Hostel? We're going back to CR in August and might want to check it out
Jul 14th, 2006, 05:43 PM
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Great report. Sounds like you had a wonderful time and the locals really spoiled you.
I have to ask about Sky Trek in Arenal, which we plan to do next month. Just reading about your girlfriend turning blue made my stomach flip-flop, so what more when I get there?! How did she get over it so quickly? I actually chose Sky Trek because I think I read somewere there were about 7 lines as opposed to the 11 or so on some of the other ones. Guess I'll just have to suck it up and fly!
I have to ask about Sky Trek in Arenal, which we plan to do next month. Just reading about your girlfriend turning blue made my stomach flip-flop, so what more when I get there?! How did she get over it so quickly? I actually chose Sky Trek because I think I read somewere there were about 7 lines as opposed to the 11 or so on some of the other ones. Guess I'll just have to suck it up and fly!
Jul 19th, 2006, 04:17 PM
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OK, to answer your questions...
Call Bula Bula directly and they will arrange a small boat to pick you up. Go towards the end of Tamarindo, right where the river meets the ocean. Thats where you'll meet the boat. They'll take you over. The food is a mix of seafood, fusion with a Costa Rican twist.
The fine was for my seatbelt, though it seemed he would've found anything to have pay up. I say that because he leaned over like a kid shoplifting to slip the money in his pocket.
What I meant about La Fortuna being sketchy, maybe sketchy is too strong a word. We were more surprised because like I said, we thought it would a small sleepy little town, but it in fact was bustling and seemed a lot more urban than Tamrindo (though there is really only one main street).
The backpackers hostel, no clue what the website is. We got a brochure in town. It had several names, so I never quite found out the proper name of it.
Now, Sky Trek, they take you on 2 short lines to get used to positioning, then braking. By the third, she was a little more relaxed. It was more the initial shock of it, because she was thinking it was like 100 ft long, not almost a half mile.
Feel free to drop me a line at [email protected] if you need more info. I went with nothing more than a room booked and we figured everything out there. It seemed so overwhelming before we went, but once we were there it was so much easier to get an idea of the country and what to do.
Call Bula Bula directly and they will arrange a small boat to pick you up. Go towards the end of Tamarindo, right where the river meets the ocean. Thats where you'll meet the boat. They'll take you over. The food is a mix of seafood, fusion with a Costa Rican twist.
The fine was for my seatbelt, though it seemed he would've found anything to have pay up. I say that because he leaned over like a kid shoplifting to slip the money in his pocket.
What I meant about La Fortuna being sketchy, maybe sketchy is too strong a word. We were more surprised because like I said, we thought it would a small sleepy little town, but it in fact was bustling and seemed a lot more urban than Tamrindo (though there is really only one main street).
The backpackers hostel, no clue what the website is. We got a brochure in town. It had several names, so I never quite found out the proper name of it.
Now, Sky Trek, they take you on 2 short lines to get used to positioning, then braking. By the third, she was a little more relaxed. It was more the initial shock of it, because she was thinking it was like 100 ft long, not almost a half mile.
Feel free to drop me a line at [email protected] if you need more info. I went with nothing more than a room booked and we figured everything out there. It seemed so overwhelming before we went, but once we were there it was so much easier to get an idea of the country and what to do.
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