1. Waterproof vs. water-resistant anoraks/jackets, does it really matter? We're talking a $100 price difference.

2. We're going May 1-10th. Do we need to book our trip to Tabacon or Cano Negro in advance?

3. It's just two of us. We're staying at BdC for four nights, in Arenal for 3 nights and spending two nights in transit at Orquideas. Is $600-$700 cash enough? I've heard $50s are looked upon suspiciously, but $700 in 20s is a lot to carry. Can we get cash from ATMs in the Arenal area if needed? What about Alajuela?

4. I've seen multiple packing lists that reference bringing some long-sleeved t-shirts and light jackets. Is that really necessary in May?

Thanks in advance. We've had this planned since July/August - hard to believe the time is upon us!

Very exciting, alw! It always seems like it will be forever for a trip to arrive when you plan it so far in advance. And then all of a sudden, it's right there!

To take a stab at your questions:

1. You will probably want something to help keep you dry in case you get caught in some rain. We ended up buying cheap plastic panchos at Target. These worked fine for us and were easy to fold up and stuff in our day packs.

I remember the day we did the Hanging Bridges in Arenal. It started raining while we were there and rained steadily for most of our visit. Every part of me was completely soaked except for the parts covered by the plastic pancho!

My mom had a supposedly 'water resistant' jacket she wore that day. It got soaked through as well.

I wouldn't necessarily go out and buy expensive jackets unless you have good use for them at home as well. If you do buy something for CR, keep it lightweight and look for fabrics that will dry quickly in the humidity.

2. I would think you'd be okay to wait until you get there, since May wouldn't be considered high tourist season. We visited in early December; a few weeks before peak season kicked in and had no problems. I would make a visit to your hotel's tour desk upon check in to see what options they have available and make a game plan for your days in the area.

3. Keep your bill denominations small; mainly 1's and 5's with a few 10's and 20's for good measure. Many of the tour companies (for Cano Negro, etc...) will let you pay with plastic if you like. Most hotels will also take plastic. BdC seems to prefer personal check (we wrote 2 for them; one to settle up our bill including drinks and tours, and a second one to take care of tips for various staff members).

You <i>should</i> be able to use ATMs and/or banks in Arenal without difficulty. I have a Visa debit card with the Plus system, and I was able to use it.

I think we took about 300$ pp in cash for each of our CR trips. In both cases, I had a fair amount of money left over, but we pre-paid for our hotels and rental car (via a travel agent) and just needed to worry about food, tours, gas, souvenirs, etc...

4. Yes, take some long sleeves. CR is a land of microclimates. I got chilly a few times in Arenal when we were there and was glad I had my light weight fleece jacket with me. I also needed it at Poas and the Peace Lodge. I <i>think</i> I might even have worn it once at BdC for dinner.

Most of all, have a terrific time!! Tell us about your trip when you return.

Rain gear. Personally, I'd take ponchos. You can wear backpacks (or carry purses, etc.) underneath them which is an advantage.

I think you'll be able to book tours the day before without any problems. For Tabacon, we found that that you could just show up without any reservations in February (&quot;high&quot; season.) The only reservations I'd recommend making ahead of time is Eco Termales.

We took $100 cash for each night of our trip for two adults and one child. (Actually, that's what we take anywhere we go.) The only 50's we took were specifically for one cash-only hotel and the airport exit tax. BdC will accept a personal check at the end for incidentals and any leftover balance.

We had two cool days in Arenal and wore long sleeves in the mornings. Never needed a jacket, however.

We just used cheap ponchos too - got them at Target, the kind that fold up into a little pouch. They are so lightweight and convenient. We were so glad to have them when we got caught in a downpour at the Hanging Bridges. I think you'd be fine to book your tours when you get there. Yes, definitely bring something long-sleeved to wear in the evenings; it can get cool at Arenal. We brought about $700 cash with us and came home with money. We paid with credit cards when we could. Have fun!

You've already gotten great advice. Nothing really to add to it, except we never take rain gear--just a light jacket or long sleeves. We nearly always travel in late June-early August. You may not want to take that chance, but it has sure worked out fine for us in many, many trips! May 1-10 will be a transition time from dry to rainy season--shouldn't be much rain during this time--GENERALLY speaking!

Of course, the panchos are easy to pack. For sure, don't spend a bunch of $$ on something!

Second the thought about the smaller bills. If you split them up, it's not as bulky as you might think. We find the one's and five's particularly useful with tipping, etc. Be sure they are all in good condition. We NEVER start out with more than $200-$300, and rely on ATM's--there are many in Alajuela. In fact, if you want to get colones when you arrive, just exit out the front of the airport as usual, then take the elevator up to an ATM on the upper level (may be some inside now as well). We prefer to use colones even though US$ is readily accepted.

Good luck--have a great trip!

We were in CR during that same time frame last year and didn't have to book Cano Negro in advance, as a matter of fact, we were the only couple on our tour. It was really nice - our own private excursion! Tabacon wasn't crowded at all either. We stayed at the hotel, but when we were at the hot springs, it was early evening and most of the times we were one of the only people in many of the pools. Maybe a few other small groups in the larger pools, but it was never crowded. We didn't eat there, so I'm not sure about booking a meal, but I don't think you'd have a problem.

We had some downpours, but I just had a regular, lightweight jacket and it was fine. I didn't bring a poncho, but will on our next trip. I wouldn't bother with special clothing. Honestly, the rain sort of felt nice, and our clothes did dry out.

For money, we brought maybe $500 in $20's and then we chose to bring another $1000 I think in travellers checks. At each of the hotels, we were able to change a hundred or so of the travellers checks over to cash, so we weren't carrying large amounts of dollars with us. We paid some of the hotel bills with travellers checks I think as well so we didn't get hit with the exchange credit card fee. We put the tours on our hotel bill, so the travellers checks paid for them. And none of the hotels had a problem with this at all. I believe for meals we used cash or credit card. We never used an ATM while we were there. And at BDC we used travellers checks as well.

I didn't pack any long sleeved t-shirts and was fine, but I did wear a jacket quite a few evenings. I didn't want to overload my luggage with long and short sleeved tops, so - with the jacket or sweatshirt - that worked better for us. It was cooler in Arenal and the Peace Lodge area at night.

Have a wonderful trip!

The long sleeved shirt that works best for us is the Columbia (and other brands) shirt, buttons down the front, lightweight, dries fast, and has the flap on the back yolk with mesh underneath for air flow. It makes a great cover for cooler evenings. Also has roll-up and button tabs on the upper sleeve.

Thanks everyone. I'm still trying to figure out what to take for my &quot;lightweight&quot; long sleeve item. I've got a water-resistant anorak, a lightweight North Face fleece and a standard long-sleeve T. I'll figure it out.

One more thing I thought about... we're just going to Arenal and the Osa. We have two overnight stays in Alajuela, and our rental car is being delivered to our hotel in Alajeula, so we won't mess with San Jose proper traffic. Does anyone think we really need a guidebook with this scenario?

The fleece would be good if you were going into some of the higher areas, such as Cerro de la Muerte on the Divide. It gets very cool there in the evenings and at during the night (30's 40's).

For where you will be, something a little &quot;less warm&quot; perhaps.

Regarding your guidebook question, I'd bring it. We brought the Moon guidebook with us and I packed it as sort of an afterthought, but found it to be invaluable. I used it mainly in Arenal. It was great to get recommendations for restaurants, places just to stop at, plud it has detailed maps of the towns - street maps. I needed to find a pharmacy (broke out in hives) and I was able to find them thanks to the guide book.

I was really glad to have had our guidebook with me - I've never taken one on a trip before, but will definitely take it when we go back!

I've found my ll bean rain jacket indispensable - it's light but can double as a jacket, keeps the rain off and folds into itself til it's about the sie of a bowl.

Also, if you're taking Sansa, if you need cash there is a Mas x Menos about 1/2 mile up the road, they have 2 or 3 banks there with atm's.