Trip Report and still need advice
 

I just typed a very long trip report and then lost it, so this one will be a little brief for now! We just got back from a 6 day trip in mid-December, 2nd time to CR without kids. We stayed at 2 places- Lost Iguana (Arenal) and Peace Lodge. Lost Iguana has beautiful grounds and a really cool bathroom. Jacuzzi tub outside was neat too. The only negatives are (1)- bed was uncomfortable, and (2) the owner (American) is pretty care-free and laid back, which translates to certain pitfalls in service. They screwed up a reservation for our friend, who had a written confirmation for 5 rooms and only got 4 upon arrival, with no explanation. They were booked, so our friend ended up on the floor of their friend's villa.
The staff was very friendly, but also messed up our Pure Trek tour. We arranged a day trip with Pure Trek canyoning- it all worked out at the end thanks to cell phones, but I had confirmed this trip 3 times with the hotel, including one day prior to arrival, and he said we'd be picked up in the lobby at 6:45 am. No ride by 7:05, so I suspected a problem- most tours are timely. Sure enough, Pure trek had NOT been told to come get us. As I said, it worked out, but be prepared for glitches if you stay at Lost Iguana.

We loved our 2 day-trips. Pure Trek canyoning was phenomenal- by far the most adventurous thing we've ever done. 5 waterfall rappels- with hiking in between- first one is 165 feet- I was trembling and crying but got over it about 10 feet down, and did fine rest of the way. I am 38 and mother of 2, so it was pretty extreme for me. Glad I did it. Very safe tour company- Cynthia- owner- is American and is a member of the Amer. Canyoneering Society- meets all the standards of Amer. canyoneering, even though such standards don't exist in CR. Lunch after was great, and you are definitely hungry by the end!

Next day was rafting down Rio Toro with Rios Tropicales rafting company. Hector, our guide, was great, nice and safe. Class IV, technical river- not for inexperienced or weak. 2 of Hector's friends fell out of our raft 2-3 times each. The only reason I didn't fall was I dug in my foot so deep that I had no skin left on one of my toes by end of trip. My husband didn't fall either but had many close calls.

I've been rafting for over 20 years- this was the hardest trip- even harder in some ways than the Class V Reventazon section of Pascua that we did last year. Beware!

We then went on to Peace Lodge- dynamite place. Great spot to base day trips. Even closer to the Rio Toro and Sarapiqui, so we could've gone from there instead of Arenal. The rooms are fabulous- some reviews called it too "Disney" but even if it's over the top, it's all great. The food was great, the land is beautiful- 5 waterfalls and plenty to do on site. We want to bring our kids there this Spring (which leads me to questions below).

They have a butterfly garden and a serpentarium, and a typical CR house (actually nicer than typical houses) where they teach you about way of life. They also have a casual restaurant during the day with more kid-friendly options, and a trout pond/pool where you can catch a trout and they cook it for you (we did not do this but would if/when we bring our kids). You can read all about the rooms on their web site. We also did a zip line/horseback ride combo through the hotel that was lots of fun but a long drive and we had to wait for the guests who did the raft/horseback combo who got back later than us and still had to eat lunch. Great tour but be prepared to wait for your ride back depending on who else went with you in the van.

We are NOW planning a trip in April with our kids and my folks (for my mom's 65th). I got tix on Delta into Liberia using skysaver points- much better than skychoice points, but we've never gone into Liberia. SO I now need advice on how far it is from everything, and where to stay. My parents are well-traveled but have never been to CR. They are spoiled and only like places like Peace Lodge (if it's not too far, we'd stay there again) They will require AC if we go anywhere hot. We've never been in April- only in Dec. and Jan., so I don't know how much hotter it will be. My parents might be able to fly into SJO- doing their own tix- but that might not make sense if we stay near LIB....
ANyone know really top notch place near LIB airport or close enough to be ok with a driver?

This forum was SO helpful in planning our December trip, so I know I can count on you all for more help! thanks. Jill

jdp867

This really has nothing to do with your current post, but I saw on a previous post that you hired Percy's driver, Oscar, for this trip. Can you tell me how that worked out? I am looking for a guide to take my husband, daughter and me to Lost Iguana with stops along the way, from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio with stops along the way, and then form San Jose through the Orosi Valley for another day. Anything you could provide would be appreciated.

We actually did not hire Oscar- he was more expensive than the drivers quoted by each hotel. Lost Iguana sent Carlos Bogarin, who is very nice, and if you ask them to send him, and tell them you want to make stops, it will not be a problem. They are very accommodating, especially given that they don't get jobs daily. Good luck.

Hmmm .

Business must be good so Oscar raised his prices !!!!

I will have to mention that to him this year.!

Flying into Liberia in April will be hot , in the high 90's.

There are many resorts along the Papagayo Coastline , some all inclusive and some not.

Not to sure about the places right in Liberia, but there is a nice Best Western...at least it looked nice from the outside.

Are you driving or do you want to do day tours from your location.

Vargas Tours are in this area and they do small group tours only.

Ricardo's wife Lupita does all the bookings.

Let me know if you want his e-mail and website.

Monteverde is a long bumpy ride from Liberia , so with the kids you may not want to do that trip.

However , you are near some nice tour places that includes canopy tours, mud baths, water slide, waterfall hikes , and horseback rides ...these are at the base of the Rincon del la Vieja National Park.


Percy

Percy, good to hear from you again. High 90's will be out of the question, I'm afraid. Monteverde would be worth the trek, as we loved it in '04 and wanted to bring our kids there. Unfortunately, I don't know of any luxury hotels there that would satisfy my parents. It might sound bad, but Peace Lodge was the 1st place in CR that we though my parents would enjoy (Dad had int'l position and so they traveled far and wide, staying in the nicest of nice places everywhere) so we really want to pick a known quantity. Do you have any idea how far it is from Liberia to Peace Lodge?

Well let me just say that it is a long way !!

Your either have to circle around Lake Arenal...to La Fortuna...and down the usual way to Sarchi , Grecia and to La Paz Waterfall area.

Or from Liberia ..follow the Inter-American Highhway,all the way to the Grecia Turnoff and wind your way to the La Paz area.

About 4 1/2 to 5 hour drive from Liberia !

Actually,if your parent are used to "higher" class accommodations, then perhaps one of the nice resorts on the Pacific Coast would be okay.....if you all wanted to stay in one spot and do day tours.

Your kids would love the Palo Verde Tour . especialy if the white Faced Monkeys come righ onto the boat.!!!

Percy

THanks for the info. I was able to switch the return flight to SJO airport, so at least that would only be one 5 hour trip to Peace Lodge. I am afraid that the resorts on the Pacific Coast will be too hot. We want to hike, etc., and I am assuming the cloudforest areas (Peace and Monteverde) are the best weather that time of year. If you know any areas on the Pacific that are cooler, please let me know. Thanks Percy. Jill

There is really no cooler area on the Pacific( Papagayo ) Coast in April.

It was in the high 90's when I was there in the month of December.

The Central Valley and Monteverde will of course be cooler.

Have a good time
Percy

Jill - Sorry you lost your report - but this one was great - I long to be back!

To your Monteverde/Liberia delima! We drove from the Papagayo area on the Pacific to Monteverde and very much enjoyed it. As you have already been there you realize the condition of the road. So keeping that in mind I assume you want to spend a night before traveling to Monteverde. I have searched, as I am sure you have and there just does not seem to be any good suggestions. Have you considered staying at the beach areas of Ocotal, Hermosa, Panama for just that one night? These are all about 30-40 mins away from LIR and there are some nice ones to consider and they even have AC for those hot days!

Just a suggestion - have fun!

Percy- thanks again. DFarmer, good to hear from you once again. I feel like a regular in this forum now- 2 trips down and planning a 3rd! Guess we're officially hooked! We realize the condition of the roads. We are due to arrive in LIR around 1pm, but we are only staying 6 nights total, so I am not sure we want to spend the night locally before heading out. How long should it take to get to Monteverde? Peace Lodge said it's about 6 hours to get there from LIR, but they don't even have a room avl. until 4/17 (we arrive on 4/13) We are considering the San Luis student place in Monteverde- very rustic and not fancy but sounded wonderful on someone's recent trip report who took kids there- very educational (of course my folks would probably not go there, but I can't worry too much about that). Thanks. Jill

From Liberia to Monteverde about three hours .... maybe a little less if there is no light drizzling falling at the higher elevation.

In the Van I was in ( 4 of us) we could not make it up one of the hills dues to the light falling rain..... so we had to back up and take a "run at it"...made it.!!

But you have already been to Monteverde so you know all about the roads.

Those resorts along the Pacific Coast, some of them may be all- inclusive BUT you do not have to do the all inclusive and you can stay for a day or two.

Hi dfarmer

Percy

Percy, that helps a lot- if it's 3-4 hours, we could go there from LIR and then on to Peace Lodge, flying out of SJO. One more big question though- should we do Arenal instead of Monteverde? We've been to both- just stayed at Lost Iguana in December and it was nice. There doesn't seem to be a great hotel in Monteverde- the Lodge is totally adequate and had great staff- but I recall a plain room with scorpions in it. Very torn- kids would likely enjoy either place. How far from LIR to Arenal?

You know from Liberia , Arenal would be the better drive for you and your parents.

About 2 3/4 to 3 hours but on a much better road.

I just would not want to subject your parent to that trip to Monteverde and then from Monteverde to Arenal.

I call those two road "Dumb and Dumber".take you pick !!!

In April about the only thing you will miss by not going to Monteverde is a chance to see the Quetzal during mating time ( April).

If you want you can do the Sky Walk and Sky Trek at Arenal.

You parents should enjoy a dip in the Tabacon Hot Springs...have a drink at the swim-up bar and look out at the Volcano.

Percy

Yes Jill you have become a regular!!!! Certainly no need to ask "how did you like CR?!!"

And Hello Percy!

I was going to say maybe 4 hours to Monteverde, but we did leave out from the coast and then it took us 2 hours to get from the highway turnoff to the lodge - AND - YES - we got lost a little bit! You know that is the reason that I can never give anyone driving directions for CR - I simply never know how we got there!!!!! Fortunately we have a compass, a good nose and ask alot of questions along the way.

Hmmm - Arenal or Monteverde......
Both are great, Monteverde my favorite of the two. Since your first gut reaction was that your children would love Monteverde, that would be my choice. However, you know what is available in terms of activities at both - so which would entertain the troops. Tough with a generational trip, trying to please everyone! But possibly consider the children for the first half and your parents for the second half? Oh and the lodge you talked about in Monteverde on another post - El Establo? - web pix look great, added that one to my to do list!

Yes there are the hot springs at Arenal, but there is a hot tub!! at Peace Lodge.

I know - I haven't helped a bit - just confused you more!!!

Keep in mind it is your trip too! A few years back we took friends, who left the planning to me, and then acted as though they hated everything! I kind of forgot, along the way, that it was my trip too!

Ok I am rambling - better go!

Percy and DFarmer- thank you both again. I spoke to my Dad, and he thinks it'd be better (for them and for us) to be together for only one leg of the trip (Peace Lodge) and they would do their own thing for the rest of the time, perhaps for more days. Still torn between Lost Iguana and Monteverde, where we would consider Monteverde lodge or the Ecolodge San Luis. The El Establo place got panned by two or three people (fodors or tripadvisor-forgot which)- horrible service and bad food, so even though the pictures look nice, not inclined to try it. I think we'd be happy in either location- can't really go wrong, and we always hire drivers- so driving to mont. doesn't scare me.

If my folks want to avoid the heat of the coastal regions, where else shoudl I send them besides Peace Lodge? Finca Rosa Blanca? Not sure if they care so much about different surroundings as much as nice accommodations, good service and good food. Also not willing to drive for 4 hours. Could get them to do 2 though. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Are you going to use Peace Lodge as a home base and then just do day tours with a driver ?

Are you asking where to send your parents on tours?

Percy

Hello! I think I'm the one whose report you saw about the San Luis Ecolodge. We really loved it and it is still the thing my kids rave about the most when discussing our trip to Costa Rica. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Percy- I wanted advice mostly on where to send them for the 2 extra days they plan to stay in CR- so far, I told my Dad to check out Finca Rosa Blanca. We are also considering La Mansion in Arenal instead of Lost Iguana, due to limited choices at LI for a family of 4 (celebrity villa being built, but it'd be $330/nt). Do you know anything about La Mansion?

Wanatravel- if my folks join us for both legs of our 6 night trip, we'd most likely go to Arenal for the easier drive and nicer accommodations. If they don't come with us, we'd seriously consider San Luis Ecolodge based on your review. This might sound silly, but the picture of the room looks so sparse- were the beds comfortable? We like to be able to sleep well on vacations, as my husband is quite the workaholic, so I really want to make sure we are at least comfortable, if not pampered by luxury! That choice would clearly be for the kids' benefit. Our fave meals in CR have always been the ones cooked by the locals- much better than hotel food, in fact. THanks. Jill

Yes, I agree your parents would probably not like San Luis Ecolodge. I don't recall the beds being uncomfortable at the ecolodge but they are small and basic as is the whole cabin. If the beds at Lost Iguana were uncomfortable for you, then you may find these beds to be uncomfortable also. Good luck planning. I'm pretty sure your kids will enjoy whatever you end up choosing.

Okay I think what I am hearing is that after you leave for home, your parents are going to be there an extra 2 days.

I am assuming you will be leaving from Peace Lodge to go home and your parents then have to try some other locations and scenery for their two remaining days.

Is this correct.?

So you want to know from Peace Lodge ,where they should go to spent 2 days because on the third day they also have to fly back home. ( Am I correct?)

Do they have any idea of what they might like to see.?


Percy

Percy, yes you are correct. They are leaving the planning to me, b/c they've never been and we've been twice. I would like to give them some ideas and then let them choose. I am thinking Finca Rosa Blanca or similar calibre (perhaps Xandari?) We stayed at Xandari in 2004 and loved it. Have never been to Finca but always hear good things. My folks won't do hanging bridges or anything w/ height, so I need to stick to hiking, tours, etc. Thanks

I have no arguement with either of these choices.

From either of these places they can do a few day tours each day and then on the 3rd day they are ready for home.

If their flight from San Jose is in the afternoon, then I would take in Zoo Avenue in the morning...which is very near the airport.

There are many choices they can go for a few days tours.

Percy

Thanks. Is Zoo Avenue the city tour in San Jose? Our driver took us the marketplace in San Jose last time (we had never been to the city) and his wallet was stolen. I was glad to see it once, but would not be inclined to send my folks. Perhaps Zoo Ave is nicer?

Jill here is something I learned back in Jan 05, from a friend here on this forum.

"If you decide to go to Zoo Ave and take a taxi be sure to ask for Zoo Ahbay. Ave is bird and not avenue. They might not know where you are talking about. It is a good place to see some of the great birds of CR up close and personal"

As you can see from the above reply - I had asked a similiar question about Zoo Avenue!!

Also, if you are interested the subject I was exploring was things to do in the Central Valley. There were quite a few good recs. If you want to read the others suggestions, click on my name and look back to Jan 05, around post #550 or so. (didn't realize how much I talk!!!)

I am not a big fan of the city of SJ or any big city for that matter. But your parents may enjoy some of the city tours. One thing we did that was so memorable was the Orosi Valley/Cartago tour. Beautiful scenery. It was just my husband and myself, along with our guide. We visited beautiful churches, Lankester Gardens, the Cachi Dam and Lake, had lunch overlooking the lake, took several stops along the way, stopped at a market to purchase coffee, just a easy paced very nice day. More info can be found somewhere in my trip report back in about Feb/Mar 05.

Also, with a driver your parents can pretty much plan the type of adventure they prefer to have. We have found drivers in CR to be very accomodating and knowledgeable about the country.

I agree with what dfarmer has outlined.

I also had a private guide and did the whole Central Valley area.

I also did enjoy Cartago ,Orosi Valley and the Lankester Orchid place, plus the Cachi Dam, as dfarmer has so well pointed out.

With a private Tour guide your choices are almost limitless, and also the Guide himself will know of some nice places to take you to.

Also the Guide will know of the nice little out of the way good Tico places to eat.!!

About Zoo Avenue:

This is nice place to"kill" a few hours if you are flying out in the early afternoon.

It is very near the airport and here you will see many of the birds and animals that you wish you could have seen in ther wild.

I spent 1 hour and 40 minutes there and wish I had had a bit more time.

I mean you can spend 10 minutes just looking at the Quetzal !!( But of course this bird has to mean a little something to you.)

I can say that I really enjoyed my tour of San Jose (I am probably one for the few !!!), but I made a list of all the places I wanted to see in San Jose..

Then I had my private Tour Guide take me to all these places.

So I well informed myself of what I was going to see and its significance.

I have to agree with dfarmer that with a private tour guide ,you can almost say to him:

"I am here for two days, take me to some of your nice highlite places"...and away you go.

You know the bottom line is , is that they really cannot go wrong ,no matter where they go.
Just sightseeing is pretty.

Happy Travelling
Percy

Forgive me - I got really stupid today!!!

Here is the discussion I was talking about above!

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34549116

Dfarmer and Percy- you both are so great. thanks for all the wonderful tips. I can't believe we are really going back so soon! Guess we are totally hooked. Just can't come up with better option! J

Hi,
We are going to Ocotal and to Playa Flamingo next week, and want to know the price and how to hire a driver - can you give us a heads up on that/ We originally thought of renting a car, but a driver who knows where things are sounds better.

Also, I hear that US cell phones don't work in CR - what cell phone did you use that you mention here/ I'd sure like to know.
Thanks!
Gigi

Not sure who mentioned using a cell phone but it wasn't us. We signed up in advance with ATT (we use them at home) for int'l calling plan, so you can pick the country you will be calling (to or from) and use your calling card- it gets billed to your home. It's 9.95 per month minimum but calls you make go towards that amount. It is about 25 cents/min. Then you cancel the plan when you get home.

As for drivers, we relied on the hotels to hire drivers and we have never been let down. The rates are competitive for the most part, and car rental, esp. for 4 by 4 is pretty expensive, so for us, it was worth the peace of mind. Good luck!

Thanks so much, jdp867! We are getting really excited about our trip. I will contact ATT about the phone card - did you just use the hotel phone to call on the card, then?
-Gigi

We just got back today from Costa Rica - what a joy. We had superb weather. We stayed at condos of the Mapache Group for Coco Beach - I plan to buy one to rent out so stayed there to try it, and it was beautiful, and perfect, great price for a two bedroom sleeps at least 4, could make it 6; great kitchen even micro, fridge and hot cold water, etc. just like here at home in the USA; very good A/C.

Got our food mostly at the new supermarket (best pineapple I ever ate, only $1! ) The Tico cheese - mmmmm couldn't get enough of the cheese and butter, or the prepared black beans or breads. And the homemade tortillas! So fresh.

Will write more this week, but just wanted to say everything went beautifully, and I was sooo impressed with how clean & tidy everything is everywhere we stayed, restrooms even at the river or a soda stand were CLEAN and tidy, including the little cantinas/sodas where we ate a LOT 'cuz it's so good. No mess ups of any sort at Coco or Flamingo (body surf heaven for me) Beaches, but the electric power did go off for a bit both places, which is apparently common every few weeks - happens here in Colorado daily in the Summer during thunderstorms, so no big deal to us. Same with the mildly rocky roads all over; our country roads here match theirs except some of the ruts there beat ours... the rocks are much smaller in CR than the ones that fall onto California Hwy 1 between Santa Barbara and Carmel... ooh baby! And CA has their highly paid CalTrans! Overall it is true that the going is slower from Coco Beach up to the volcanos at Rincon de la Vieja and getting to Flamingo than even I expected, but once there, I forgot the road and loved the nature-ness.

The most tiring ride was in around Flamingo and going to Playa Grande as we looked around a lot. The shoulder to the paved road/hwy was actually better on its incline than the hole-y roads, so our driver used those. Overall, I was amused, but think that the road conditions actually save Tico lives 'cuz they can't leadfoot themselves into each other as easily on those as smoother roads; at least I can hope!

Kindest, gentlest human beings in CR that I have ever had the honor of acquainting and being around (they're just not timid drivers, that is certain). Super grande bravado in the car/truck driving experience, but the taxi and pro drivers know the wheels of their car to the pulgada (inch).

More Later,

GigiCO

A group of 10 of us are going to CR for the first time and we are arguing about what to see and what to leave out. One idea is fly into SJ and spend a couple of nights to have a look around, then down to Manuel Antonio for about 4 days of beach and exploring. After than we thought about bussing/driving up to the Monteverde/Arenal area for a couple of nights. Finally, we would spend 4 or 5 nights around the Tamarindo area before leaving to Liberia for a night or two and then on home.

Is that too ambitious? Should we add in or leave out?

Comments would be welcome.

Glen

I'm a little confused; are you flying out of Liberia or just thinking you might stay there a couple of nights before driving back to the airport near San Jose?

The first part of your trip sounds fine. From Manuel Antonio, I'd go to Tamarindo area (be sure and do a daytrip into the Rincon de la Vieja National Park). Then, assuming you are going back to San Jose for your return flight, spend the last few nights at Monteverde (or Arenal), but you'll want to return to the airport area the night or day before.

Sounds like you have about 6 or 7 nights after leaving MA? Reserve the last 3 for your last destination. Hope this helps!

Actually, rereading your post more carefully (sorry), it sounds like you have more like 8 or 9 nights after Manuel Antonio. Be aware that Monteverde and Arenal are not anywhere near the same area. Although it may appear so on the map, they are hours apart and represent 2 very different locales, each deserving of at least 2 nights. Certainly, Monteverde, as difficult as it is to get to, works out better if you can give it 3 nights.

Could you do San Jose area 2 nights, Manuel Antonio 4 nights, Tamarindo, 3 nights, Monteverde 3 nights, and Arenal 2 or 3 nights? You could also drop a night at Manuel Antonio since you'll have beach time near Tamarindo as well. It's a good idea to end up at Arenal or Monteverde since they are both closer to San Jose than Tamarindo, which is 5 hours away. Monteverde is about 3.5 or 4 hours from SJO, and Arenal is 2.5-3 hours from SJO. If you go to both Monteverde and Arenal, the logical progression is Tamarindo-Monteverde-Arenal-San Jose.

If you do have the full 2 weeks, then 4 locations is not a stretch. I think your idea to spend the first couple of nights near San Jose is a good one. Visit Poas Volcano, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, go rafting on the Pacuare, do the Highlights Tour. . .there are plenty of things to do in this area and starting out (or finishing up) with a couple or 3 days in this area is always a good idea. It's actually one of the best parts of the country!

You don't even have to go into San Jose (the airport is a few miles west of town). If you do, you could easily spend a few hours in town if you are interested in things like the Gold Museum, Jade Museum, National Theatre, Central market, etc.

I apologize for tacking my question on to the end of this thread. I am new here and I didn't see how to start a new thread...

Thanks for your advice. Actually, we are flying into SJO and leaving from LIR. So... we should do SJ for a couple of days, Manuel Antonio for 3 or 4, then taking your advice, on to Arenal for 2 days and another 2 or 3 in Monteverdes and wind up in Tamarindo. We will likely spend the last night in Liberia since a large part of the group flies out at some obscene hour of the morning.

Thanks again for reviewing our itinerary.
Glen

You are welcome. Sorry, I didn't understand about flying out of Liberia. Yes, that changes things a bit. San Jose-Arenal-Monteverde-Manuel Antonio-Tamarindo.

Or San Jose-Manuel Antonio-Monteverde-Arenal-Tamarindo.

You could even do San Jose-Monteverde-Manuel Antonio-Arenal-Tamarindo to mix up your rainforest vs. beach locations.

Those are some lengthy transfers, but you seem to have the time. Besides, the sightseeing along the way makes the driving worthwhile! Have a great time.

BTW, Welcome to the Fodor's board--you'll get lots of good help here, from folks who love and know Costa Rica well!