sheila

Has anyone stayed at the Iguana Lodge on the Osa Peninsula? We are planning a 12 day trip starting at Arenal - the to Mal Pais and onto the Peninsula. We have three children and any input as to a "kid friendly itienerary(sp) would be helpful. There is so much information out there it get's confusing. Thanks!

David

Go to: www.costaricabureau.com. click on Gen Info..go to bottom of page and click on Rain Forest Tours...they'll do a FREE itinerary for you. Their site is really good and you may get some additional ideas. Have Fun!

sheila

Excellent. Thanks David. Have you been to Costa Rica. Any input as to what you liked and didn't like is always appreciated.

bridget

My family went to Costa Rica in January (2 kids, ages 7 and 9). Everywhere is "kid friendly." We too started out at Arenal and had a great experience. We were lucky to hit clear weather and could see the volcano's activity in both day and night. The kids sat for hours and watched, especially at night when you could see the red rocks roll down. Take a tour of the Arenal Volcano park, it is educational and beatiful. <BR>We next went to Monteverde, which was really our favorite. There is so much to see and do. My kids enjoyed the Cloud Forest tour, although their interest subsided after two hours. They really enjoyed the Butterfly Garden. But, the big hit was the Canopy Tour; it was a thrilling adventure. I'm not sure the ages of you kids, but if they are 7 or older they may enjoy the thrill. We researched the issue, given the risks, and decided on the Original Canopy Tour. The guides were great with the kids. <BR>Our last stop was the beach, so we had a good mix of adventure and relaxation. Costa Rica is a great destination.

sheila

<BR>thanks Bridget! Would you mind giving me some specifics? I am working with a travel agent in costa rica who is very helpful - but it's nice tohear from a mom. where did you stay in arenal? Will two nites be enough? Do we need to stay overnite in Monteverde? Which beach did you go to? I wanted to do Osa but it would be too much driving and in the rainy season for that area. I am bummed. Big decisions. Any input will be helpful. Thanks

David

Arenal area: Volcano Lodge - a short distance from LaFortuna, but they have a free shuttle to town and Tabacon. Great view of the Volcano! Monteverde Lodge is OK. Another site to look at: www.orbitcostarica.com. Fantasy Tours vans are a lot cheaper than car rental. I like some of the day tours, especially the Hilight Tour: www.ecoscapetours.com. How old are your kids? It matters. dave

iza

Sheila, <BR>Can't help you with Arenal or Monteverde, but if you are looking for beach recommendations, my 6 year old daughter really enjoyed our stay at Tamarindo last year. We stayed at Captain Suizo (excellent and very kid friendly) and at Jardin del Eden (OK but would not go back). The pool at Captain Suizo was perfect for kids with a lot of shady areas. The place is also directly on the beach and my daughter enjoyed boogie boarding and exploring in general. The hotel gets frequent visits from howler monkeys, iguanas and a variety of birds. From there you can take a day trip to Rincon de la Vieja National Park and they also have a canopy tour in the park vicinity which we did (my daughter is very adventurous and athletic and she loved it). Even though it was the rainy season (August) the weather was beautiful with just two rainy afternoons during our entire 8 day stay in Costa Rica.

bridget

Sheila, we stayed at the Tabacon Resort in the Arenal area. They have great views of the volcano. As for Monteverde, I do think a day is not enough time. We really enjoyed it there and could easily have spent another day or two (we were there two full days). We stayed at the Fonda Vele, in new accomodations which were gorgeous.

Tanya

Sheila - ooh you've made me so excited! I just decided on Costa Rica today, and Tabacon and Fonda Vela are 2 of the places that were recommended to us. Now I'm just wondering about the beach part - we are scheduled to stay at Best Western Jaco Beach for 2 days b4 driving back to San Jose to fly home. Oh yes - I'm 6 mos. preg., and our son is 6. Any other recommendations out there?

sheila

Hi Tanya! I booked our trip. We had to change our itinerary a bit. We're going in August. We're splitting our time between Domincal and the Osa Peninsula. We had to cut our time down, so I had to cut our the Arenal area. Thanks for all the input! Tanya, my husband has been to the Jaco area and he would not return to that area with our kids. He said it was crowded and he didn't feel safe. Mind you, he is a large italian man and no wimp. You might consider going a little more south. Manuel Antonio maybe. Just a suggestion. Enjoy - wherever you go!

Mindy

Hi everyone, we were in Costa Rica back in 1994 but we found Manuel Antonio much better than Jaco Beach, lovelier beach, lots of sealife and jungle walks. Jaco's a surf spot so you get lots of guys with blistery mouths and language to match. <BR> <BR>In Manual Antonio we stayed at a funny place -- it's a government-owned rest house for civil-servant vacations and retreats. The rooms all have about seven beds in each one and that's about it, not much in the way of amenities, restaurants, etc. But it is very inexpensive and we met some wonderful C.Rican civil servants doing social work in the area. One night we all sat outside under the mango trees and sang. Also there was a little herd of horses that grazed on the grounds; it's on a huge sort of plantation, at the end of the road that goes inland just across from the beach cove before the Natl. Park starts. We were there just at the beginning of the rainy season and the first night it rained we thought we heard the sound of heavy machinery going all night, like a huge generator or something. Then we realized it was the frogs! They had all descended from the hills and trees into a little pond nearby for a night of making whoopee, and the sound was a vast combined synchronous croaking. By the way at the time we were traveling with our daughter who was just turning two. <BR> <BR>Don't know if this helps but it sure brought back some great memories. Best, Mindy