Hi everyone,<BR><BR>Hope you can help. What is the best hotel to stay at in the Tamarindo area? We will be on our honeymoon in early April and plan to stay in the Tamarindo area for around 3 or 4 days. We are looking for beautiful beaches and a romantic and beautiful room. Interesting and well-run day trips would be great, too.<BR><BR>Many thanks!

Can no one help? Please!

Sari,<BR><BR>We have never stayed in the Tamarindo area, but friends really enjoyed their stay at the Cala Luna Hotel. I think it is supposed to be very romantic, too. But you should do a search on this board for the Cala Luna and make sure I'm right about that.<BR><BR>Good luck. Costa Rica is a wonderful place for a honeymoon.

Try these websites. Although I haven't stayed at either one they have had great reviews.<BR>http://www.hotelcapitansuizo.com/<BR>http://www.tamarindo.com/sdmar/<BR><BR>A little further north - <BR>http://www.costa-rica-hotels-travel.com/<BR>I have satyed here and it is quiet and very romantic.<BR>Good Luck!

Sari,<BR><BR>I didn't make it up to Tamarindo when I was in Costa Rica in June, but plan on staying a couple of days when I return next May. I am looking into Sueno del Mar (www.sueno-del-mar.com) and Capitan Suizo. Let us know where you end up and how you liked it.<BR><BR>Happy Honeymoon!

Sueno del Mar looks great. Many thanks for the tip!

I've stayed at Capitan Suizo when they were first opened and it was fantastic. I hear it's family oriented now and kid freindly, so may not be good for a honeymoon. Sueno del Mar, though I've not been there myself, seems to get very good reviews from those who have stayed there.

Stay at the Sueno del Mar for sure! It is the perfect place for a honeymoon. The honeymoon suite is beautifull, the food is delicious, and the sunsets are unbeatable. I would go back there is a heartbeat.

We are going for our Honeymoon in September and while in the Tamarindo area we will be staying at Villa Cala Luna. <BR>Our friends who visited last year stayed at Captian Suizo and liked it but recommended Cala Luna for a "Honeymoon"<BR>Good Luck!

Kasia, I'm interested -- what is your itinerary for your September honeymoon? We're having some trouble deciding where to go, but we think we'll probably spend one night at Vista del Valle or Finca Rosa Blanca, then two nights at Tabacon Lodge, then three or four nights at Los Suenos Marriot, then four nights at Calla Luna or Sueno del Mar or Punta Islita, then one or two nights at Xandari.<BR><BR>Also, we are a little bothered by the fact that Calla Luna is not right on the beach. Anyone else worrying about this?<BR><BR>Thanks!

Sari, I am interested in your itinerary. I am planning a trip for my family over Thanksgiving. How are you planning on traveling from one place to the next? What is the best means of transportation once you get there?

I am SO not the best person for you to be asking! I am in the initial planning stages and am feeling rather clueless about all the details.<BR><BR>My fiance and I are not very comfortable with driving (we live in Manhattan where we pretty much never drive at all). So we think we will probably hire cab drivers to take us from region to region. Through reading this board, it seems like many hotels offer this service for a fee. We are looking into buses, too, which many people on this board seem to think are a good option. Interbus (I think that's the name) is well-regarded.<BR><BR>We'll probably visit with a travel agent soon to hammer out all the details.<BR><BR>Good luck!

Kathy and Sari: I spent 3 weeks in Costa Rica over June/July and did not rent a car. During our visit, we used public busses, shuttle busses(including Interbus), taxi cabs, jeep taxis, ferries, and boat taxis. Personally, I loved getting around this way. It kind of depends on what you want to experience while in Costa Rica. If you want to get easily and quickly (if there is such a thing without wings) from place to place, I would recommend Interbus or a private driver. Interbus was great and the shuttle was very comfortable. On the other hand, if you really want to experience the culture and mingle with the Ticos, I would highly recommend public transportation. It's cheap, reliable and an adventure. One other point -- if you do decide to travel by public bus, knowing a bit of Spanish would be very helpful.

Sari:<BR><BR>As you are noticing, there are lots to see in Costa Rica. I've heard very good things about the Cala Luna. However, 2 nights at Tabacon may be 1 too many...There's really not that much to do, especially at night. I'd spend another day at a beach instead (I'm not suggesting you skip Tabacon, just stay 1 night). A couple I know is spending their honeymoon there this month, 1 week in Manuel Antonio, at the Si Como No, and then driving around for another week.<BR><BR>The best bet for transports, especially if you have a set itinerary, is to coordinate it with a tour operator. They can arrange for pick ups and drop offs (this couple is even having their car delivered in Manuel Antonio).<BR><BR>Let me know if you want a couple of recommendations...

Thanks -- I'd love some suggestions about tour companies. <BR><BR>As for Tabacon -- we were told that staying for two nights in the Arenal area is recommended to increase your chances of seeing the volcano erupt. But nothing is set in stone yet. Unfortunately!

Sari<BR>Hey there<BR>I'm also living in Manhattan - small world. <BR>Here is our Honeymoon trip we are going to be taking in September:<BR><BR>Flying into San Jose and arriving early so we will head to our first destination: Arenal/La Fortuna. Staying at Tabacon Springs Resort for 3 Days, 2 nights. Plan on visiting the Spa , enjoying the hot springs, and will hike to the Rio Fortuna waterfall. Also want to experience a canopy tour. Hopefully we'll get to see the Volcano!!<BR><BR>Second Destination: Tamarindo. We'll be spending 4 days, 3 nights at Villa Cala Luna. We'll probably rent a car for a day or 2 to check out all the neighboring beaches and surfer coastal towns along the Pacific coast. I heard a trip to Santa Cruz to eat at Coopetortillas is a must! We'll also probably do horseback riding on the beach or maybe rent a boat to go snorkeling for the day. My friend stayed at Captain Suizo but said that Cala Luna was much more romatic.<BR><BR>Third Destination: Manuel Antonio. Staying 4 days, 3 nights at Tulemar Bungalows (I have also heard good things about Makanda). We'll probaly spend most of the time exploring the National Park and enjoying the beaches and all the animals! We also want to take a day trip to Quepos.<BR>Lastly, we'll fly back to New York.<BR><BR>We plan to hire private drivers to take us to most destinations. If there is the possibility to fly we will arrange that as I heard distances are long as the roads are not so great. <BR><BR>I booked everything myself through e- mailing most resorts. I found that Travel Agents had package trips which I really did not want.<BR> <BR>Two friends of mine helped out tons as they travelled to CR last year. Frommer's 2002 edition is also a good resource!<BR><BR>Have a great time and let me know if you need anything else!

Sari:<BR>We just booked our honeymoon through Costa Rican Luxury Vacations. They will help you custom create an itinerary for your trip based on where you want to go, what accomodations you want, tours, rental car, etc. Carrie is the person I worked with. She was very good. She created and recreated our itinerary until it was exactly what we wanted. Give them a try!<BR><BR>http://www.vacationscostarica.com/index.html

Another great tour company is International Adventures Unlimited. They will also create a custom intinerary based on what you want to do, what you want to see, where you want to stay, etc., etc. Their packages include food, transportation, guides, equipment, tips..even travel insurance. They do this for private parties from one person on up, meaning you'll never get stuck with another group of people going to the same place...but is private for 'your' party only. It's a very convenient way to see Costa Rica on your terms.<BR>http://www.intladventures.com

Thanks everyone for all the great information!<BR><BR>Question for Kam: Costa Rican Luxury Vacations looks great, but I would prefer different hotels than the ones they recommend. Do you know if they are flexible in terms of which hotels you use?<BR><BR>Many thanks!

Ally, just sent an inquiry to IAU. Thanks for the tip!