Okay, I know that wasn't the best subject line, but it pretty much sums it up. I'm in the early stages of planning a trip to CR with my hubby and parents, and need some random info.

1) About how far is Guanacaste from Arenal, and what's you preferred way to travel between the two?

2) What are the odds of seeing snakes at a resort in Guanacaste? I'm asking on behalf of my snake-o-phobic mom, who would literally pass out if she spotted a slithery guest on hotel grounds.

3) How's the drinking water in resort areas? Is is a brush-your-teeth-with-bottled-water kind of place (a la Dominican Republic), or a drink-from-the-tap kind of place (a la Aruba), or somewhere in between (a la Cancun)? This is extra-important since I'll be traveling with a baby. Tried to research this online but could only find info on TravelMD (usually overly cautious) and Costa Rica's tourism board (not exactly unbiased).

THANKS!

This site gives routes and times
http://www.yourtravelmap.com/

Where ever your Mom lives there are as many snakes as in
Guanacaste (unless she lives in Ireland)

With a baby I would opt for the first option but I drink tap water in CR.

We've had several trips to CR and have eaten all the fresh fruits and veggies and drunk the water with no problems.

There are a lot of snakes in CR, but you will rarely see them. Most of them are more afraid of you than you are of them. We've had several guides, and I always tell them I'd like to see a snake to get some photos, and the best they came up with was a tiny snail-eating snake! People do see pit vipers, usually pointed out by a guide; it would be rare to spot anything on your own. Always watch where you step and put your hands though just to be safe.

Okay good to know! Thanks!

Your travel time to Arenal will depend on where you are at in Guanacaste. From Liberia it was around four hours, but we made a few photo stops along the way. I would plan on a bit longer than that from the beach area. Guancaste is a large province so plan your time out accordingly. We drove from Liberia, roads are fine, no problem.
We also have eaten all types of fruits and veggies, drunk tap water and have had no ill effects. Costa Rica is one of the few Latin American countries where you don't have to worry about the water.

correct info from www.cdc.gov Costa Rica...

Be Careful about Food and Water

Diseases from food and water are the leading cause of illness in CR travelers. Follow these tips for safe eating and drinking:

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before eating. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand gel (with at least 60% alcohol).

Drink only bottled or boiled water, or carbonated (bubbly) drinks in cans or bottles. Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes. If this is not possible, learn how to make water safer to drink.
Do not eat food purchased from street vendors.

Make sure food is fully cooked.

Avoid dairy products, unless you know they have been pasteurized.

Diseases from food and water often cause vomiting and diarrhea. Make sure to bring diarrhea medicine with you so that you can treat mild cases yourself.

This is what the CDC website says for travel to the USA:

"Diseases from food and water are the leading cause of illness in travelers. Follow these tips for safe eating and drinking:

Avoid unpasteurized dairy products.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before eating. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand gel (with at least 60% alcohol).

Diseases from food and water often cause vomiting and diarrhea."

Sounds strangely familiar.

Most travelers to CR have no problems (at least according to these travel forums); I'm certainly fine after two visits, and I've never been sick while there or soon after returning. If you don't eat the fresh fruit and veggies, you're going to miss a huge part of the experience, imo. The water, except in some rural areas, is considered safe to drink -- but if you only drink bottled water here, maybe do it there also? Except that plastic bottles are really adding so much unnecessary garbage and pollution to the world.

I believe they pasteurize their dairy products also. In any case, I LOVE Dos Pinos yogurt! I'm totally addicted to it while there.

Everything tastes better in CR.

touche plum!

Spot on, plum! Let's see, in the U.S. we can't eat peanut butter, eat pistachios, seems like a new thing every week... I have been violently ill in Mexico but never in CR. The fresh stuff is one of our favorite things about eating there.

I've never had any problems anywhere. Only once was I asked not to drink the tap water because they had some recent flooding, otherwise tap water and ice and anything from street food to restaurant food.

My guess is, maybe the CDC website warns against the water because it's not potable in EVERY area of the country and they want to err on the side of caution? That's what it sounds like from everyone's experience on here so far...

It's not potable on top of Irazu, but there are no hotels there, so that's a moot point.

We've traveled there for years with absolutely no problems. Have lived with a Costa Rican family for weeks at a time (one year with our daughter and 5 month old granddaughter). We all drink tap (including the baby) and no problems. Now my mother (God rest her) would have croaked had she seen her great-grandchild drinking unboiled water (even in the U.S.!), but all was fine. Probably cleaner than here. . .

Go and enjoy! We've never seen a snake in Guanacaste (except for last year on the road).