Vicky

Hi,I've done quite a lot of homework on the computer and asked around but found no one yet who has been to Costa Rica. My husband and I are planning on gooint there sometime in December (a little later if advisable). We are retired and are not into rafting or goiong on strenuous hikes. We enjoy snorkling and bill fishing (or other fish).<BR>Does anyone have places to recommend and reasonable hotels (but clean) for a stay that could be 3 weeks if there is enough to do? From comments it sounds like renting a car is not worth the problem because of slashed tires etc. We are both seasoned travellers but that does not mean we have not had a few "incidents", but in the States as well! We'd prefer places with not too many tourists. I know I'm asking for a lot of info, anything you can recommend will be greatly appreciated. THANKS Vic

Iza

Vicky, with 3 weeks in Costa Rica, I would suggest that you plan to stay in 2 or 3 different locations since there is a lot of diversity in that small country.<BR>Areas that come to mind would be Manuel Antonio (although may be too crowded for your taste), Arenal, Nicoya Penninsula (from my research Nosara and Samara are very quiet and suitable for a longer term stay, we also enjoyed Tamarindo which tends to be busier), Osa Penninsula for the ultimate nature experience. Good places for fishing would be Manuel Antonio/Quepos, Tamarindo, Playa Flamingo, Nosara. <BR>We did a combination of flying and driving during our two trips to Costa Rica and had no problems with slashed tires or anything else for that matter. Renting a car is rather expensive but gives you a lot of flexibility.<BR>It is hard to recommend specific hotels without knowing your budget and the areas where you decide to stay. I would recommend that you do some research and narrow down your choices of location and post them here and then people will be more responsive as to specific recommendations.

Ally

Hi Vicky,<BR>There are a lot of people on this board who have been to Costa Rica. I've been 7 times myself. In a three week period, you could see at least three different areas. Beside fishing/snorkling, what else might you want to do/see while there? What made you choose Costa Rica? I have some experience planning itineraries in Costa Rica. Feel free to contact me!

Vic

Iza, your Email is XXX'd out on the correspondence. Thanks for your info, t'was good to learn we can rent a car without too much trouble. I know it is expensive but then we can do what we want when we want! Hotelwise, the way we figure it out, we can make do with anything that's clean and preferably not way out in the middle of nowhere. We can afford what they ask but know what? You don't splurge and then you can stay much longer and learn more about a country. Grandson just went to Costa Rica unexpectedly and highly recommended a day trip out of San Jose to Volcano Irazu, the tropical cloud forest, butterfly farm and the jungle for about $80 which will be about $100 in the wintertime. Said the walk to the volcano was only 1/2 hr long and not difficult. I may have had two back operations but "ain't dead yet!!!" I'm taking the map out and starting to put up little flags. If you come up with anything else, I'll be most grateful. Thanks again, Vic

Vicky

Ally,Tks for your reply. My husband just kind of decided he would like to go to Costa Rica. Usually I kind of "hint" or "suggest" overseas trips and this time I thought "let's try it, it sounds beautiful". I want to see and do everything but am a little too old for some of that and, after two back operations, climbing uphill on road or steps is more than tedious. We have been almost all over the world and I usually insist on staying long enough to get a feel of the people, of the country. Anywhere you go there are accomodations that are quite reasonable and away from the big american crowds. Most places, you might as well stay home! I usually try to see as much of the country as possible, from North to South, East to West. Is CR like Peru, all up and down? What is the berst time to go end of december (with christmas and the festivities) or early january. Do you know of any reasonable hotels for ex. in San Jose where all this is going to start, and from there what would you suggest. From what I gather, there are no ancient ruins of any importance. Would you suggest going toPanama or to Nicaragua for a week? Any info you may have will be greqtly appreciated. Thanks so much, Vic

topper

ttt

Ally

Hi Vicky,<BR>Sorry it took so long to get back to you again.<BR>First, let me say the the timeframe you have in mind, end of Dec. through mid January, is their peak season. Everything will be more crowded and prices can be inflated. Flights during this time frame are also very expensive and sometimes hard to find. <BR>Early to mid Dec. is an excellent time to visit as it marks the start of the dry season, isn't too crowded and you can take advantage of 'low' or 'mid season' rates.<BR>Okay now that's out of the way, I think you would enjoy the Arenal/La Fortuna area. The hot springs, while crowded, are a real site to see and the pools/springs are fantastic. You may also want to take a conopy tour, where you walk on suspended bridges through the canopy to see flora/fauna, etc.<BR>Another good area would be Flamingo/Ocotal beach area for fantastic fishing and snorkling, sailing, dolphin watch, or tour the mangroves/estuary of the Tamarindo area.<BR>Down on the lower pacific coast is a small area called Playa Zacudo which is much less traveled. Only a very few hotels and excellent opportunity to mingle with the ticos!<BR>This area is also excellent for fishing. You can also visit a botanical garden and it's a great area for kayaking.<BR>Well that's just a start for you. It's hard to give more information unless I know what other activities you'd enjoy besides snorkeling and fishing and what you expect and want for your vacation. Depending on your budget, I can recommend many hotels that would be a good starting place, as well as hotels in the areas I mentioned. Feel free to email me for more help!

Alison

Hi Alison, Thanks so much for contacting me. I'm having problems contacting anyone who was kind enough to answer me. Is there a special way to answer these E-mails (besides having the exact spelling?) I.m trying this site, hoping you will check because my three other messages were sent back. Thanks so much. Vicky

Ally

You do have to be careful with email addresses. For example, if you were trying to email me, there is an 'underscore' between my first and last name, not a dash! It should be the same key, but uppershift!<BR>I sent you an email at your address. Did you receive it? <BR>Regards,<BR>Ally<BR>Ally

Ally

Hi Ally, that must be it! I'll try to reroute my message. Thanks. Vicky

casey

Vicky:<BR><BR>December is going to be nearly impossible and is probably not the best time for a first-time visit to CR if you're planning this late. I'd suggest you try March when tourism has died down a bit and you have more options for hotels (most everything that's good is booked SOLID thru January).<BR><BR>Three weeks is a perfect timeline. I'd suggest you try to get to three destinations. Since traveling within Costa Rica is somewhat slow, if you can take domestic flights to some of the more remote places, DO. Assuming you have 21 days, you'll probably be traveling 3-4 of those between loacations. I'd suggest you try to see:<BR><BR>1. Manuel Antonio (a great beach, nice national park)<BR>2. Arenal Volcano (maybe the most unique destination in Costa Rica)<BR>3. The Osa Peninsula (CR's last frontier)<BR>4. Puerto Viejo (the Caribbean Coast, this would give you a full-flavor taste of CR and it's VERY affordable there)<BR><BR>Regards,<BR><BR>Casey

pj

I had no trouble getting what I consider reasonable air fares from LA last night. Went through ABS Travel via the Lacsa website. Roundtrip air for two leaving 12/23 and returning 1/4 was 986.00 including all taxes and surcharges. Nonstop one way, 1 stop coming home.<BR><BR>Now, on to the hotels. That may be a bit more of a challenge.

Casey

Casey, thanks for your message. I gather you feel that, financially, we should wait until march to go to Costa Rica. We are retired so that is no problem. I want to see as much as possible, same as we do in any country we visit. I know we'll have to mingle with the hordes of tourists when we are on the acific coast.What about the northern part of the country? We love quiet places, away from the big crowds. Just want to enjoy snorkling and swimming (and fishing if there is any). We'll be gone from Sept 2 to 11th.. if you can think of reasonable places to stay and things to do (not topo rough- I've had 2 back operations) I'd be most grateful to you. # weeks is the time limit I've mentioned but we are not bound to stick to that figure. Thanks and I'll be looking forward to reading you. Vicky