campjulie

Finally - our trip report. I must tell you that some of this was written during the trip and some later. Please excuse the confusing changes of tenses and rambling sentences. If I take the time to polish this, I think I may never post my report.

We are a family of four - Mom and Dad with two girls 7 and 9.

Costa Rica Trip
11.17.07 – 12.01.07

Pre trip: 2 nights before we are ready to leave, almost everything is in order. However, 7 year old has a very bad cold and 9 year old woke up in the middle of the night vomiting. I am hoping and hoping that no one needs to battle this en route!

11.17.07
We departed from the Sacramento Airport @ 10:30 p.m. without any difficulties. Sleeping in the Atlanta airport at the gate during our four-hour layover felt a lot like college days and travel abroad. (Arrive Atlanta @ 6:00 a.m. for a 10:00 flight.) The girls went with it and spread out across several chairs and got a couple hours of sleep. No one else has started to vomit and 7 y.o. is hanging in there!

11.18.07
Our flight arrived on time and we made our way toward Immigration. From the Fodor’s posts, I was looking for a line for families with young children, but the line was very long and no other lines were visible. We got in the only line we saw and in about 3 minutes, an airport employee asked how many were in our party and brought us all the way to the front of the line. He “handed us off to” another employee who directed us to the far right line that was marked “Special” and handicapped. We were through Immigration in about 5 minutes! Customs was just as easy with our carry-ons. We wound our way around and found ourselves looking at what seemed like a hundred faces holding signs with names. I quickly spotted, Marriott and asked the guy holding the sign if there are two Marriott shuttles (one for Los Suenos and one for the “other”). He looked at my email confirmation and called over another guy who whistled for the van. He loaded our bags and we were off. Our plane landed at 1:00 and the kids were in the pool at 2:00.

We stayed at the Marriott our first and last night to have some R and R before our travels. Our room was beautiful – steps away from the pool – and the hotel has many amenities. Didn’t really feel like we left home, so we ordered Casada and Imperials and decided to turn in early after a long night of travel.

My first impression of Costa Rica was how friendly the people are here. I read about that ahead of our trip, but it difficult to describe the warm welcome already felt.

11.19.07
Our driver, Luis, arrived at 8:00 to transport us to the Lost Iguana in Arenal. He was very friendly and we enjoyed the drive in what he called the “Jungle Limo.” (A Kia 4x4). We stopped at the La Paz Waterfall Gardens for a self-guided tour. The property is very beautiful and well maintained. The kids enjoyed seeing the “zoo” animals: monkeys, birds, frogs, snakes and butterflies and then we started the hike to see the 5 waterfalls (Actually 7 y.o. was in the butterfly house for about 30 seconds before panicking that one was going to land on or near her, so she waited outside with Dad). The trails are well maintained and the scenery is really gorgeous. We loved getting so close to the waterfalls and walking across the bridges. After the last waterfall, there is a shuttle to pick you up and take you back to the resort. Dad and 9 y.o. decided to hike back up the way we came. “It is just too beautiful to pass up the opportunity to see everything again.” 7 y.o. was ready to be done, so I assured my husband I could go the next 20 yards and catch the shuttle. About 1 minute into our walk, I point out a trail of determined ants to my daughter, “Look Honey, these ants are so busy. Do you remember the leaf cutter ants we read about at home? I wonder if these are those kind of ants.” She replies with a series of shrieks and begins pointing and crying. I look down and her feet (and mine I had not yet realized) were covered in ants – really covered! It was quite the site I am sure. I am trying to wipe them off of her, but then realize we need to move from where we are, a few feet up the trail, we try again, but more ants. We finally found a spot and wiped a lot away. A few minutes later (at the gift store at the end of the trail) we took our shoes off and then our socks – and rid ourselves of the last few ants. We really checked, but for the rest of the day, both of us kept feeling like maybe there was another one crawling on us. Ick! We were lucky – no bites!

We met my husband and 9 y.o. and told them all about our adventure! Our first hike with Bug-O-Phob. Oh boy!

We drove into La Fortuna and had lunch at the Don Carlos (very good and reasonably priced) and then checked into our hotel. On the way, we stopped to see Coatis alongside the road. We were lucky to see the volcano during the day as the clouds cleared… a very majestic site. Snacks, Imperials and a swim before bed helped to end a great day.

11.20.07
First Full Day in Arenal
It rained as we slept last night and was very cloudy when we woke. Our first breakfast at the hotel was great. And the coffee… excellent. We decided to put the raincoats on and do the hanging bridges tour. Although it is close, the hotel sent a driver in a golf cart (with a plastic enclosure) to take us. We were grateful, as the 7 y.o. had to be coaxed into giving this hiking in the rainforest another try. “I don’t like rainforest ants.” It rained quite a bit, but we really enjoyed the hike and the suspension bridges in particular. We had resigned ourselves to seeing very few animals due to the rain, but near the end of our hike, my husband spotted movement in the trees – a troop of Spider Monkeys. We were so thrilled to have the opportunity to watch the groups move through the trees – even a mom with baby on her back! We must have spent 45 minutes watching until they moved out of view. The rain even stopped during our monkey time.

We walked back to the hotel – enjoyed some room service and quiet time and arranged with the front desk to have a driver take us to EcoTermales Hot Springs. Our driver had made the reservation the day before for us. We arrived at 3:00 and used the springs until our dinnertime at 6:00. We really enjoyed the entire experience. I think our 9 y.o's favorite part was the strawberry smoothies and the 7 y.o. liked the cool pool. WeI liked the low-key vibe and beautiful grounds. Our dinner was served family style was also really good. I also met a fellow Fodorite - crlover! We had both been reading the boards in planning for our trip. They will be at Bosque del Cabo when we are. Carlos was waiting for us at 7:00 and brought us home to Room #1. As we got ready for bed, we stood on our patio and saw our first glimpse of lava flow from the volcano. A perfect ending to a really great day!

11.21.07
It rained during the night and we awoke to a light misting. During our breakfast we decided to give the Sky Trek zip lines a try.The front desk made our reservations for a 2:30 transfer. We then went to the maze on the Lost Iguana property, which was a lot of fun for the kids. The owner, Elaine, is making quite a few additions including many new trails and told us about the maze the night before. Back in our room, the front desk called to tell us the 7 y.o is too young for the zip lines. We decided to still go and cheer for Dad and sister and we would do the Tram portion.
Next was time for a bit of homework and some relaxation at the pool. Our poolside lunch was great. The girls loved the nachos. We changed and met the driver from Sky Trek / Sky Tram at 2:30. After Dad and 9 y.o. put on their harnesses and helmets, we all took the tram to the platform. We watched while each person did the first two practice lines and then took off along the very, very long third cable that was so high above the canopy floor. My daughter went with a guide. (Which was a relief to me.) The 7 y.o. and I then went on a nature hike with four others and a naturalist. He showed us many kinds of plants and explained a lot about the primary and secondary forest. We had no ant issues and enjoyed our guide. On the way down in the tram, we saw a troop of Howler monkeys - our first on the trip. The guide was able to imitate the sounds and get a great response. We met A and E at the bottom. They had a blast and said there were even faster and higher lines as they went. There were 11 lines in all. Our driver loaded up the van with Sky Trek employees and we headed for the hotel. We went straight to the restaurant and enjoyed a nice last night in Arenal. We also ran into Fodor’s crlover and his wife eating dinner.

La Fortuna and its majestic volcano have been a great first leg of our trip.

11.22.07
Thanksgiving
Luis picked us up to depart for Arenal at 9:00 after we enjoyed our last breakfast at the Lost Iguana. It was a long and beautiful drive. We drove through quaint mountain towns and the San Lorenzo Cloud Forest (I think that was the name). We also drove past the site of a recent mudslide that killed 22 people – very sad. We stopped at a bakery and bought some fresh bread in San Ramon and crossed the Rio Tarcoles. We got some great pictures. Our next stop was at Spoon, a chain of bakeries, for some outstanding cookies. We loved the star shaped, powdered sugar cookies with caramel in the middle. Then it was on through Palm orchards and across two very old one-way bridges, through Quepos to Manuel Antonio. We said our good-byes to Luis and settled in to unit 305 at Buena Vista Villas. The villa is a beautiful octagon set high in the canopy. Our balcony has a gorgeous view of the ocean. We head to the pool nearest us and enjoy a quick swim before dinner. We ate at the Tulemar Restaurant on the property. They were offering a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but we opted for fish and lobster in honor of our location! The food was great. We enjoyed a great first night sleep in our new place.

11.23.07
Today we enjoyed our first breakfast here. Guests of the Buena Vista Villas eat at the Tulemar café with coupons for breakfast. It is really good. You can get made to order omeletes, eggs, French toast, pancakes, bacon, and lots of cereals, breads and fruit. The view and service are wonderful as well. After eating we got ready for the beach. We took the short cut to the beach – pretty but slippery. The beach was more than we expected – really beautiful with loungers and umbrellas – plus lots of equipment to use. The girls boogie-boarded for hours. A and 9 y.o. kayaked and we all enjoyed ice – cold drinks on the beach. We had a small lunch there and got back to our villa around 4:00. The concierge arranged for the BVV driver to take us to the Supermarket. While waiting we saw our first troop of Squirrel Monkeys. There were more than 20 and were so animated and quick. We also met a large black iguana that likes to lounge poolside. Some other guests nicknamed her Margarita. It was a short drive and he returned to pick us up after about 20 minutes. We had fun comparing brands and choosing items. When we returned we made some dip and chips and then quesadillas. These along with apple juice for the kids, an Imperial for mom and a Pilsen for Dad made a great dinner. One last swim before bed.

11.24.07
We made arrangements last night with the concierge for a taxi at 10:00 to take us to the National Park. I repeated my usual mistake of starting the conversation off in my best Spanish, leaving the impression that I speak the language. The driver responded with a lengthy and enthusiastic response to which I could only smile. My husband has the other approach… single words in Spanish only and native speakers are much slower with him. I need to keep that in mind. I enjoyed driving past all the hotels I had read so much about. I am amazed at how so many buildings can all look so hidden among all the trees and plants. When we arrived at the drop off location, we met “Skinny.” He offered his guide services but we decided to walk around ourselves. We had a couple of other offers, but no one was pushy and all gave us a nice smile. The entrance was $7 for adults. The kids were free. We met some Tico grad students at the entrance who asked if we would give them a few minutes to answer some questions. The questions were related to our visiting the National Park, if we planned to visit our National Parks on the trip, how we planned our trip and if we thought we would have used an “All Park Pass” if one were available. After the questions we talked with them briefly. One of the girls did her Bachelors work in Colorado and came home to complete her Masters in Sustainable Development and Finance.

The public beach outside the park was beautiful and busy with vendors and beach-goers. Things were much quieter inside the park. The beaches were straight out of a movie and we chose “#4” to have our picnic and swim. We saw raccoons and their ability to get a free meal. They would wait in the bushes until a bag was left unattended and sneak down and drag it back to eat whatever was inside. After a great swim in very calm water we sat down and enjoyed our sandwiches. We were watching the family next to us try to keep a raccoon at bay that was very determined to get their picnic. We were so involved in watching this family we didn’t notice the baby raccoon who crept up behind us and took the half of PB&J right out of E’s hand. We quickly stood up and shooed it away, but he still tried a tug-o-war with our towel and zip lock. We won, but the raccoon was tough.

As we were getting ready to leave, we enjoyed watching a couple of Capuchian Monkeys and got lots of great photos of them and a very large iguana. Our walk to the exit took us path more iguanas, birds and a sloth. Then we walked past a few hotels and stopped at one for some cold drinks.

We walked and walked – up lots of hills and on a road with no shoulder. We stopped at Si Como No to ask how much farther BVV was (and possibly call a cab). We decided we could handle the last 500 meters! The walk took us about 30 minutes. When we got back to Tulemar we didn’t even go to our Villa. We just headed straight to the other pool in the complex we wanted to try. The swim felt great.

When we did get back to #305, we found our Mama Sloth in her favorite tree. G noticed her. She was spread out and looked just like a tree branch. We hung out on the balcony and were treated to a large troop of Squirrel Monkeys. They were just inches from us. A couple of them even came on our railing. It was so much fun to watch them jump and eat and talk to each other.

11.25.07
For our last day in Manuel Antonio, the kids wanted another day at the beach and so we headed to Tulemar’s private beach for more boogie boarding and swimming. After dinner at our villa, we decided to enjoy sunset on the beach. We caught the shuttle back to #305 and changed for dinner. The concierge arranged for our taxi and we headed to El Avion for dinner. The ambiance was great and the food was fine. On the taxi ride home it began to rain and we ran to our villa in a downpour.

11.26.07
We ate our final breakfast at the Tulecafe at 6:30 in order to meet our taxi driver at 6:45. We really enjoyed our cooked to order breakfasts here and will miss the beautiful view, but it is on to Puerto Jimenez. We drove to the airport in Quepos to meet our flight. It is a clear day and that puts my mind at ease for our small commuter flight. It isn’t until we check in that I realize we will be flying Quepos – San Jose – Drakes Bay – Puerto Jimenez. I feel concerned about all of the take-off and landings, but my husband is excited to see more of the country! He is right. It is a great tour in mostly clear weather. Finally we arrive in Puerto Jimenez and are met by our Bosque del Cabo driver. He looks like Indiana Jones in his Landrover and the road we take helps the similarity. It is a beautiful drive; first through the town, the countryside with cattle and horsed and then up into the jungle. We cross several rivers and traverse very muddy and steep roads. We see many birds including two kinds of Toucans, a Tiger Heron and Scarlet Macaws. After about 45 minutes we arrive at BdC and are met by Carlos with cool drinks in hand. He gives us a brief tour of the dining area, bar and pool and then shows us to our cabina – Tucan. The cabina has a wrap around porch and view of the Pacific. Inside is a king size bed, and a loft with two doubles. Our outside shower even has an outside bath. We have just enough time to get settled and head to lunch. This is the first of many great meals at BdC. Breakfast and lunch is ordered off a menu of about 8 choices. Adam and I had the fish tacos for lunch – excellent. The girls usually had grilled cheese or the special PB&J (PB, mango jelly, bananas, and granola). Dinners were served buffet style with everyone sitting together at several long tables. I can’t remember better food at any place we have stayed. One of the guys at our table caught a Mahi Mahi and they cooked it for us! Some of our other meals were banana pancakes, the tuna melt and the fresh fish dishes. Our first afternoon my husband checked out the Pacific trail and the girls and I explored the grounds. We walked across the suspension bridge, observed leaf cutter ants and found the garden area. Later at our cabin we compared notes. A met a dog on his hike that followed him back to BdC and didn’t leave his side until we all went to bed. He called him Perro, fitting for his Spanish language acquisition skills! A felt the Pacific trail would be a bit challenging for the kids, so we planned to do the Golfo Dulce trail the next day. The bar area opened at 5:00 and so we began our family Happy Hours Tradition. Each evening we packed up Yahtzee, Pigs and Cribbage and headed over for Margaritas, the house Especial, Imperials, Pilsens, smoothies or Fantas. We enjoyed the two hours visiting with others, but mostly being with each other. crlover and his wife, Julie, were at BdC while we were along with Cathy (volcanogirl’s coworker). “Super Terrific Happy Hour” as we began calling it ended at 7:00 when the conch was blown so that we would all be seated in the dining area where we would enjoy the buffet, dessert and coffee. We headed to bed around 8:00 and slept well our first night on the Osa Peninsula.

11.27.07 – 11.29.07
We spent the next three full days enjoying the area. Our first full day, we hiked the Golfo Dulce trail, about 3 miles to the beach. A had the map in hand and the three of us followed – mom last. We walked across the bridge (G and I careful not to stop on any ants), and across the garden to the trailhead. The first part was relatively easy, yet slick. We all commented on the many vines on the ground and how we kept thinking of the vine snakes we saw at La Paz hidden in their cages among the vines. It was difficult not to image spotting them every few feet! Still on we went. We began a fairly steep descent. I was going carefully along the trail (read: slow). A and G were way ahead and E was kind enough to hang with Mom. Soon we were on the road near the beach, through a small group of homes and hotels. We saw some other tourists, looking at Spider monkeys along with our friend, Perro! We enjoyed a couple of hours on the beach playing with Perro and his girlfriend and building sand castles for the hermit crabs. We were met by our BdC driver at the “white gate” (neither white nor a gate) and got back just in time for lunch.
The next day was spent at the Animal Sanctuary. We drove into Puerto Jimenez and met the boat driver. Along with our Fodor’s friends, we started out across the Gulf. We saw many dolphins, rays and even a turtle. The kids especially enjoyed the flying fish. When we arrived at the beach, we waded through the water and met the other group from BdC and two others who were there for the tour. Unfortunately there was an inspection that day and the owner was irritated that they were there to tell her how to run her place – including which animals to release. She told us a bit about how each group (or agency) has a different idea about how best to preserve the area and help the animals - they don’t always agree. She was quite a character. We really enjoyed meeting Lulu, an injured Howler monkey, and although she said she would not be able to let us touch her (because of the inspectors) she made a special trip to where Lulu was as we were leaving and what do you know? Lulu decided to hold me. Both my girls got to hold her hand and Lulu even followed G and held on to her ankles as we were leaving. Being so close to Rhonda the Sloth and personally meeting Lulu along with some of the other monkeys was a very special part of our trip. On the boat trip back, we saw many more dolphins and watched as they played in the wake of the boat and swam right under the nose!

On our last full day, A and the girls did the tree climbing tour. The pictures they took are wonderful. Each had the opportunity to climb twice and they all said they loved the experience of climbing “inside” the Strangler Fig. I enjoyed a massage and can’t say enough about the sensation of a massage in the jungle: the sounds, smells and beauty of the area were total relaxation.

BdC was one of our favorite parts of this trip. We loved the accommodations, the food and the people. To be in the middle of the forest with all the comforts of BdC was the best of both worlds.

We left BdC on Friday for our flight to San Jose. The Nature Air flight was non-stop but not as smooth as our flight to Puerto Jimenez. The kids were not fazed, but I had a couple of sweaty palm moments. At the airport we hired a taxi to take us back to the Marriott ($20 as the Nature Air terminal is not at the main airport). We checked in smoothly (paid our departure tax at the hotel to save time at the airport) and then did some shopping at their gift store: mostly coffee and wooden salad servers. We treated ourselves to room service and plugged in to the Internet to check in on reality (highly overrated).


We took the 6:30 am shuttle the next morning to catch an 8:45 flight. Check-in was easy – the Delta line was long, but moved quickly (contrary to the Continental line that wrapped around outside). We had time to do a bit more shopping and then it was time to board our flight. The flight was smooth and we landed in Atlanta, cleared customs, and had about an hour in the Atlanta terminal. We grabbed some lunch and then boarded. We arrived home around 9:00 p.m. just in time for bed.

It is hard to say enough wonderful things about this trip. All of the Fodor’s advice and planning really paid off. Things were smooth and we were very happy with each of our hotel choices.

Summary
• We loved each place we stayed.
Buena Vista Villas in MA was especially convenient with its private beach and well-stocked kitchen.
BdC is all that the Fodor’s board makes it seem – truly special.

• I did not need to worry about bugs at all! I think among the four of us we had a total of 6 small bug bits and we only wore repellant the first day.

• I definitely recommend only bringing carry-ons. We had no trouble meeting the weight restrictions on Nature Air. We actually didn’t need one more thing than we brought.
Packing tips: I am especially glad I packed:
Laminated animal ID card, Oil of Olay daily facials (small disposable cloths – this really helped with liquid restrictions), Wet wipes (one small packet for each person day pack), plastic bags of various sizes including two large trash bags, clothesline, stick sunsreen (in addition to lotion - easy for kids to apply on face).


My husband and I loved our Eagle Creek packs. They were very comfortable and it was easy to organize our stuff. Each had a small daypack that was a perfect size for carrying water, sunscreen and other essentials. Our kids actually brought small light weight (cheap) rollers and we were glad so they could roll their own stuff in the airports.

Regrets: I would have liked to stay 3 weeks for our first trip. But alas – time and money!

I wish I had taken more pictures.

I usually like to go to new destination. Costa Rica is the first place that has immediately been put on my "return list."

Thank you again to everyone for your help.

tully

Great to read your report julie, sounds like a great time. Yes, CR is one of those places you just have to go back to! Glad you got to experience the friendliness & warmth of the Ticos and got to meet up with other fodorites and especially see we're all not crazy when we all rave about Bosque! I think especially on the Golfo Dulce trail I spend a lot of time deciding stick or snake, stick or snake...poke, poke

cm318

Great trip report -- and what a wonderful experience to share with your children -- they'll remember it for the rest of their lives! Thanks for sharing.

xyz99

Campjulie,
Amazing trip report - very interesting and informative for me, as we’re planning a very similar trip for Feb 2009 (2 weeks, Lost Iguana, MA – not hotel decision yet, and BdC).

You mentioned you had carry-ons only. How did you pack, how much baggage (weight) did you have? What about shampoo , sun screen, tooth paste and other liquids and gels? How did you manage them? Did the hotels provide soap, shampoo, shower gel, etc?

How did you find Luis, the driver? How much was the fare from SJO to Arenal, and from there to MA? Did he speak English? We will also look for a private driver, but since none of us speaks any Spanish, we would love one that can speak English.

At the Buena Vista Villas, did you get a chance to see the 1-bedroom villas? How is the view? If you had a choice between the Buena Vista Villas and the Tulemar Bungalows, which one would you choose?

I think this is the first time I read about the Tree Climbing tour at BdC – what exactly is it? Do you actually climb up the trees? How athletic do you need to be for it?
Sorry for so many questions, hope you don’t mind. And can you please share the pictures, too? Would be fantastic to see all the places you’ve been. Thanks a lot.

ShellD

What a great vacation! Your girls did great. When we go in August, my kids will be the same ages - my son will be - 9 and my daughter 7, so this was very interesting! I'm glad to know about Sky Trek - I thought the age limit was 6, so it's good to know that it's older! This way my daughter won't be disappointed that she can't go! I think the Sky Tram would be enough for her anyway!

What would you say were the favorite activities for your kids? Is there anything you wish you would have done differently with them? And how did the driver work out? We had planned on driving, but are considering a driver for part of the time - we were thinking it might be better with the kids!

Your trip sounds perfect!

campjulie

xyz: Yes, we took just carry-ons which was new for me. Even for a one week trip, I tend to check a larger bag. Our weight restrictions for our Nature Air flight was max of 30lbs. This includes a max 10lb carry-on. My pack was about 22lbs and my carry on day pack was about 5. My husband's was similar. Our kids bags were under 20 each - even with rollers. This was the reason we did carry-ons, but I can say now, I would only take carry-ons regardless of the Nature Air restrictions. It was so convenient to not have to wait for bags along the way. Plus, we just felt "freer" with less stuff. Really!

The liguids seemed like it was going to be the most challenging, but that was not a problem either. Each of us (4) took a quart size bag with a little shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, insect repellent (we only needed one among the 4 in hindsight), sunscreen, chapstick (We made minor adjustments - husband packed extra shampoo for me - he didn't need conditioner, etc. I packed a small bottle of laundry concentrate. Lost Iguana and BVV had shampoo, etc. but not BdC (soap at all 3). We did not need lotion (humidity) and there was no need for any hair gel, etc (pony tails and ball caps for us!).

Regarding our driver. I found him on this site and we began emailing. The fare was:
San Jose - Arenal $125 (stop over at La Paz)
Arenal - MA $200
It would have been an additional $125 a day if we wanted him to drive us around as needed in Arenal (our original plan), but he pointed out that we would pay less using taxis and transfers that some of the tours provide. We did not miss having a car or driver in Arenal. Many of the drivers, speak English very well and can be wonderful tour guides. We had very interesting conversations with Luis.

Search private drivers on this forum and you will find several recommendations. Then begin emailing them. If they get a few good reviews on this board and are responsive to your emails, I would go with it.

We drove ourselves in Belize, St. Thomas, Mexico and elsewhere, but we decided to hire a driver on this trip. With the cost of rental and gas, it was easy to choose a driver. We were very happy with our decision to not drive,

We had a one bedroom villa at BVV. The one bedroom units are the upstairs only of the two bedroom units. The bedroom and bathroom are 1/2 of the octagon and the kitchen and living space are the other 1/2. There are two queen beds in the bedroom which was fine for us. (We were roughing it ) The two bedroom units include a staircase that go down to the unit below (second bedroom and second patio). The upstairs unit balcony view is gorgeous. Lots of comfy seating, hammock and dining table and chairs.
I believe in Tulemar only Mot Mot has a balcony. We did not go in the Tulemar villas, but they looked simialr without the balcony (I really wanted the balcony.) I highly recommend BVV.

The tree climbing was fun for all three of my family members from very athletic to not so very. You are in a harness and attached to a cable so there is no chance of falling. You climb up the center of a Strangler fig (imagine large vines that form a tree) and when you get to a certain point at the top you stand up and "repell" down or in my daughter's case, just get lowered down. They really enjoyed it.

I will work on getting my pictures posted somehow. Until then, let me know if you have other questions... happy to help.

campjulie

ShellD
As I said in my last post, I am very glad we had a driver. Still, after having been there I think you would have no trouble driving. We met lots of people with all sorts of itineraries - many travelling with kids - who were driving with no problems.

The highlights for my kids were: Hanging Bridges in Arenal, Sky Trek / Sky Tram - Boogie boarding in MA, swimming at the MA national park, the Animal Sancutary and dolphin tour out of Puerto Jimenez (arranged by BdC), Tree Climbing at BdC and of course all of the animal sightings, especially from our balcony at Buena Vista and our cabina at BdC.

If I had it all to do again, I would have liked to have done a zip line all together (my husband wished we would have "stretched her age") and done the horseback ride from BdC. Our family enjoyed all of the time to hang out there and take our time. There were lots of other great experiences including grocery shopping. I am glad I did not overplan. The laid back schedule worked very well for us at this stage of our lives!

One other note: There seemed to be some discrepency about the minimum age at Sky Trek / Tram: I almost think they would have let her go except she is a very tiny 7 year old.

volcanogirl

Welcome home, campjulie - I loved reading your report. Nice to reminisce about all our favorite spots. We had the same reaction to CR; we love to go somewhere new every year, but now it's CR, CR, CR.... Such a wonderful place.

owlwoman

Great trip report.

We loved CR so much last year, we're doing a repeat trip next month, cannot come soon enough, especially after the winter we're having (so far).

Staying at LI in Arenal again, but we're also spending 4 nights at BDC, even more psyched now that I've read your glowing raves on the place.

Glad to hear you had a nice time, you've now joined the CR club!

Suzie2

What a great trip report!

I know what you mean about visiting a new place every trip. There is something special about CR so we decided we had to take two trips some years so we could continue to see new places as well. Some years it is just CR but we have taken several trips to other countries during the 15 years traveling to CR. On years we don't go to a new place we make our selves stay in new places in CR. For the first 8-9 years going down there we never repeated hotels. BdC was our first place that we repeated and have repeated so many times that they welcome us home when we go now.

You definitely have caught Pura Vida fever.

hipvirgochick

Welcome back campjulie! So glad you had an amazing trip and something your kids will be talking about for a long time to come I'm sure! The prelim sickness and all. What an adventure! My daughter was 10 when I took her last Spring and like you, loved it so much we're returning next Spring! Adding a new area, returning to a couple places with change of hotels and returning to BDC. Can't wait! P.S. A dog ended up at BDC when we were there too and had to be returned to town to it's owners. Wonder if it's the same one? Fun that you met up with some fellow Fodorites too.

travelgirl2

Thanks for your excellent report, with such useful information.

shillmac

campjulie,
Thanks so much for a very informative and interesting report. Amazing, isn't it? Very hard to explain to those who haven't been just how special a place Costa Rica is. I am so happy that the 4 of you shared it together. And yes, you are right. There is so much more to see there, very hard not to immediately start planning that return trip!

Your itinerary other plans (packing, transfers) were obviously very well thought out. You did a great job of putting together a great trip! Congratulations!

campjulie

Yes, I can't say it enough - Costa Rica is special. And I also want to again thank all of the Fodor's help I received planning this trip: shillmac, tully, volcanogirl, suzie, hipvirgochick and others - Your suggestions, tips and reassurance made our trip so smooth. I appreciate the time you take to respond to so many (and the hand-holding you do for each of us first timers).

Sidenote: My youngest (bug-o-phob, picky eater, drama queen) told her second grade teacher that she wants to grow up and be one of those "Rain Forest Studiers." Yahoo!

shillmac

Yahoo, indeed! Or as we say here in the midwest, "Yee Haw!"