You know her from her frequent postings on this message board and her offers to personnally help all newbies to Costa Rica...but I just spoke with her on the phone! And she's terrific! So incredibly helpful!

My husband and I will be staying at her place, Finca Que Ama, in May and though we haven't been yet, and know it will be as wonderful as she has been in her help to me!

Everyone should go there!!!

She is on the top of my list on my next trip to Costa Rica.

Her website is terrific with all those butterflies flying about !!!
Percy

Guys, I am blushing...
Thank you. MonaManuel, I will see you very soon. Percy, when are you coming?
By the way, like MonaManuel said, I enjoy very much helping everyone, and feel free to take advantage of my kindness... I hope to meet you all soon
(maybe I should organize a reunion for Fodorites at La Finca Que Ama... I just thought about it, what do you say?).

Pura vida,
Neta Talmor

Wouldn't that be a HOOT? I'll bet some of us would come! What a gathering of "know it alls"

Seriously, Neta, you and Arbel do have a lovely place at La Finca. I hope all is well there with you! Such hospitality is rare!

I agree! Neta, who was a complete stranger to me at the time, helped me plan the most amazing trip to Costa Rica! After staying at La Finca Que Ama, I now consider her a friend. Her place is beautiful! Neta and Arbel even welcomed us as part of their family during dinner. It was wonderful! If you want to relax and enjoy the beauty of CR, this is the place to do it!!! Unfortunately we only stayed for one night (April 6), but we'll be back some day.

Hi Neta

I will e-mail you personally but I willbe coming now after the end of August ,as I am going to England, Scotland,Ireland and Wales for 18 days in the middle of June.

But I WILL see you this year..promise
Percy

Saludos! (Greetings!) While I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting Neta yet either, I have read countless postings from her and agree she is most helpful. Where is Finca que Ama? Is that the B&B in San Jose or the one in Turrubales (spelling?)? I thought I "knew" where we'd be spending our time on our upcoming trip but...I've made and re-made those decisions a half a dozen times. Maybe we need do meet Neta too....

Still deciding...

Julie, one of the many tica travelers

Dear Julie,
Thank you. Hotel La Finca Que Ama is located half way between San Jose and Jaco, on the old (yet paved!) road to the pacific. If you are coming from SJ/airport, it is 2 Kilometers before you get to the small town San Pablo de Turrubares. It is basically west of San Jose.
Julie, we would love to have you here! Please write me personally if you would like more info.
Pura vida,
Neta Talmor

You can add my name to the Neta fan club. Neta, I can't tell you how much I've appreciated your e-mails, your insights and your advice. I'm still trying to work out a way to come visit in July, even if just for lunch. If a Fodorite reunion happens at , you can count me in!

I have to say, the posters at this board are the friendliest, most generous people I've encountered on the web. My last two trips were incredibly wonderful experiences, thanks to so many of you, especially Iza, Suzie2 and Ally. Thanks guys.

Terri

Sounds like Netas new lodge is taking off just from the Fodorites! Thank you Neta for not being too out front with it as I find it a little annoying on many of the boards to have people pushing their own places. You have given people a chance to get to know you a bit. One of these days we will have to get together and do some traveling so you can get to see more of CR. You have been so busy building Finca Que Ama that it sounds like you haven't taken much time for yourself.
I am sure your help is invaluable to many of the new people as it is so much easier for someone who is actually down there to find things out than it is for us statesiders. One of the several reasons we use people down there to help us set things up after we have decided what to do. Do share as much as you can as I am sure we can all learn from you.

Dear friends,
I find it very amusing to top this message again (my ego can't handle it...), but I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you, my friends, how I feel about this forum.
It is true, as the hotel is very new, I was looking for any venue to reach potential guests, BUT, and this is the big but, I was also looking for a place that I can learn more about Costa Rica, and get to KNOW the people who choose Costa Rica as their vacation destination. I had NO IDEA how powerful this forum is, and I had no idea of all the friendships and satisfaction I will get from it. I have a special folder in my email account called "Fodors" and I now have in it 421 emails! These are all personal emails I got, and to which, I hope, I have all answered. (Unfortunately.... ;-)) only a handful of my fellow Fodorites have been to the hotel so far, and I try to be very subtle about it, even when I get personal emails, many times I don't even mention the hotel.
Suzie, you are exactly right - it is so easy for me to make phone calls and find out stuff, ecstatically since now I know so many people and I have great contacts.
This forum has brought only great things to my life, and I hope my 2 cents helped others as well. Hopefully, as the hotel starts to pick up more business (we can use any help, so please, spread the word!), I will still have time to read and post messages on the forum!
Thank you everyone! Hope to see you soon!
Pura Vida,
Neta Talmor

Neta is an amazing and helpful women. She is very reliable and gives great information. Thankyou Jim

I was frantic in trying to plan an itinerary for my Dec trip. Neta was great in making plans, phone calls and suggestions for us. We will be spending two nights in her hotel and are very excited after reading so many great things on this site. I feel as though I have a friend in CR. Will report after our trip. Thanks again for all your help Neta.

I agree with everyone here....Neta is great and I love her post. Count me in for a Fodor's meet and greet!
And keep you fingers crossed for me as my family (husband, brother and sister) will be looking for property to buy and build a restaurant so I may be living there in a year or so!

Thanks Neta! We will not be as mobile as we had planned as my sister is coming down with a broken leg. She had surgery on the 16th (she now has a steel plate and 7 screws holding her bones together) so we just found out today that she will be able to go, but she can't put any weight on her leg and needs to 'keep it up' as much as possible. We told the Dr. that she would mostly just hang by the pool with her leg elevated. My husband is already there in Nosara (looking at property and surfing) and we will meet him on Sunday. We might be able to meet you for an early lunch on Sunday. We had planned on going to La Paz before heading for the beach, but it depends on if there is someplace she can hang around and wait for us. (I posted a different message about that.) If we don't go there, is it feasible to meet with you and still get to Nosara before dark? I'm not sure exactly how far out of the way you are from our route!

Dear Ally,
I hope your sister is doing well, and it is only very temporary. I am delighted to hear that this has not made her cancel her trip.
When will you be landing? If you arrive in the morning, then you can definitely come. But otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it, just because I don't want you to get to Nosara too late. We are not a huge detour (I estimate, each way about 45-60 minutes), more or less like the detour you would have made going to La Paz.
We would LOVE to have you guys here, whenever you want, just let me know. I really think I can give you some great tips, so if you can't come, make sure to call me while you are here.
Pura vida,
Neta Talmor

As all of you know, Neta and Arbel own a lovely hotel on a hillside between Puriscal and Turrabares. She is always available on Fodor's and quick to offer all kinds of assistance for anyone traveling to Costa Rica. When she doesn't know an area, she says that. However, she does have contacts with hotels all over the country and has helped many people with reservations and discounts. Sort of like having a travel agent free of charge! I think it is admirable that never does she "push" her property on this board. However, when someone gives it a great review (which is one of the purposes of this board), and someone else says "I'd like to come there sometime", I think it is quite appropriate (not to mention friendly and welcoming) for her to respond by saying she would be delighted for anyone to visit at any time. This is NOT advertising on her part. Neta, if you are reading this, you just keep right on doing what you are doing. You are providing invaluable assistance to many people and, as you can tell, by reading this thread, you are MUCH appreciated!

shillmac

I agree 100 %

Neta , from what I see on your lovely website you have a very nice place..so do not be afraid to give yourself a plug.

On my next Costa Rica trip you are #1 on the list

Percy

Maybe she should stop mentioning her hotel herself then. That is self serving and not the same thing you are talking about. By her saying the name she is advertising for herself. She has increased that quite a bit lately. If someone who has stayed there gives a review it is not.
There are actually several posters to this board who also own businesses in Costa Rica but they never mention that. They aren't on here much because they tend to go where it is okay for them to mention their own businesses. There are different rules on every board. Fodors happens to be one of the boards where self advertising is not allowed under any circumstances.
This is a travel info board and most of her responses seem to be off the board thereby limiting the actual information the rest of the people are getting. Many people on this board are newcomers and can use any and all information they can get. By having to email her directly they are doubling the amount of writing as well as depriving the next new person the chance to learn what they can without having to write to someone. Again, this board is supposed to be for sharing information. I used to do a whole lot of private help but joined Fodors because it seemed to be such a family type place with people happy to share info. I still do a lot of private help from the other boards I am on but most of the info is given up front on the public forums. Most people I have talked to say they saw my responses on someone elses question and wanted to ask me a question. That shows that people are looking for information to read and do use it for their trip planning. By the time most of them actually email me, they have a good idea of the options and just need a little tweaking to help them.

I didn't realize she actually had her travel agent papers. I was a bit worried that she was taking business from people who depend on the tourism business to make a living. All agents have the option to give discounts but many of them do have families to support and this is a job to them just like any other real job. Our dear friend Orlando is now a legal agent and can earn a decent living but not if people keep doing it free of charge. I am sure Percys friend Oscar is legal also or at least any person he works for is. They make money, Oscar makes money.
Last note, Neta knows very little about travel in Costa Rica as she has been to very few places. This she told me personally. Some of the information she gives is second hand and not from personal experience. We all share second hand information but there is a good bit of first hand that goes along with it. Most people want first hand news about places.

Yes Oscar is legal and he works for himself.

I have exchanged e-mails with Orlando and I assumed he was legal also..but if Suzie says he is then he is.

I am not sure of any advertising rules on Fodors, but it would make no difference to me if Orlando or Oscar advertised, except that when I want them they might not be available.... how selfish of me.!!!!!!

Percy