RnR_travels

Hi,

I have read a few blogs on this site and am finding myself getting somewhere with my trip to Costa Rica . My husband and I have been wanting to visit Costa Rica for some time and finally, now that we finished our MBAs, we will be there in April from the 21st to 30th - a good 9 days.

Although from the blogs I now have a spreadsheet full of info, I am very confused. I am not sure which places to go and which ones to skip. We land in San Jose and I was planning on Arenal and MA... and decide to skip Monteverde (based on the blogs). But when I look at the map, I think Arenal and Monteverde (north) are much closer to one another and MA is away (south). In one of the blogs, I read that Arenal volcano has not been active for over a year and it would be a waste of time to go there...
I am confused :-S.

Also, I tried to book 'Tabacon Resorts' online, but I am unable to... I will call them tomorrow, but a non-responsive website does not give me a good feeling... hmmm!

I need some help to get me excited about the trip and make a good plan for both of us to enjoy and remember FOREVER.

qwovadis

costarica.bookit.com good deals booking on tabacon.com others
I really like Tabacon best free hot springs if you stay there.
Volcano is always active just not erupting(today,it varies)
Couple of years since I have stayed there. hotelvillacaletas.com best coastal hotel within an hour from the airport. issimosuites.com or costaverde.com or arenasdelmar.com based on budget for MA. tripadvisor.com/members/natureguide Juan Brenes
best guide you will have a brilliant time with him.
mapache.com servicecarrental.com for economy freedom flexibility orgood drivers like odysseytourscr.com Al Diego for xport but more $$$.

Have fun!

Cattail

Congrats on finishing your MBAs!

9 days dwindles to possibly 7 days after flight-time is figured in, less even if you consider travel to each destination. You are wise to choose no more than two destinations.

It's difficult for anyone to advise you where to go without knowing more about your preferences. Arenal is, however, a wonderful choice. I think that most folks greatly enjoy it whether lava is flowing or not, just that the choice of lodging becomes a little less important. The volcano, when it decides to emerge, is spectacular, and there's a ton to do in the area.

Travel time between destinations can be deceptive, and depends as much upon the condition of the road as mileage.

sylvia3

The Arenal area is kind of like Disneyland right now. The main attraction (active volcano) that everything touristy was built around is quiet (do NOT expect activity other than smoke from the top; there is no geological indication that that any eruption is imminent) but there are still MANY things to see and do in the area(albeit most for a hefty fee; zipline, hanging bridge hike, hot springs, river rafting, even cave tours an hour or so away) and it's a very scenic area. So, not a "waste of time" just because you don't see lava (make sure you check out the views early in day, if it's been overcast). (BTW, if you can find a deal, most love Lost Iguana, and it is in a wonderful location. You could always ask them.)
Monte Verde has the cloud forest, but a similar (hanging bridge, ziplines) experience can be found in Arenal. However, it is also a beautiful area. The drive from Fortuna (arenal) to Monte Verde is gorgeous; however, it is a long drive (map distances mean nothing in CR compared to what you're used to), and parts are extremely rough; you will want 4WD.
Manual Antonio for me was overcrowded, frankly. Nice beach, if you want to pay $10 pp/day (but Tulemar Bungalows has a lovely private beach). Easy to get around, lots of restaurants, but lots of people.
If you want beach time, another hour farther south of Quepos/Manual Antonio (Uvita) will provide long expanses of beach with bath-warm water and no people. There are other threads about that here.

volcanogirl

Arenal is a great place to go; we've been there several times and try to go every year. Tons to do there including the ziplines, rafting, Cano Negro Tour, Penas Blancas river float, hiking at the gorgeous waterfall and Hanging Bridges, and the natural hot springs like Tabacon or Eco Termales. I'd definitely still go there if you enjoy hiking and adventure activities. It is really cool to see the lava, but most people go for the activities. Nayara and the Lost Iguana are two other nice places to stay. The drive to Monteverde is long and on a bumpy road. Like mentioned above, it's very hard to judge distances on a map. Monteverde was rainy and chilly for us. MA is a nice place to go if you want beach time and easy access to fairly tame wildlife. Lots of hotel and restaurant choices there.

RnR_travels

Wow... thank you all for such great inputs. Arenal is a definite YES for us after reading all of your posts.

@Qwovadis: Thanks for all the links, will look it up shortly.
@Cattail: Thank you for the wishes, and no - 9 days is the time we stay there, which means I am leaving for Costa Rica on the 20th and will leave for bac home on the 1st morning.
@Sylvia3 and Volcanogirl: Lava or no Lava - Arenal it is!

Both, my husband and I, enjoy adventures. I am leaning towards starting off with Arenal for the first 3 nights and then heading to MA for 2 nights. But since we have more time on hand... what are the other places you suggest we visit? Can I add one more place? If yes, what are your recommendations?

PS: I am all smiling after reading what you guys have to say

kayekaye

I would suggest you drive a little further south to Dominical. We loved it there. Small town with a few hotels and restaurants and a great vibe. We did a river tubing trip on our own that ended in town which was great. Not an advertised trip but the guys at the rafting shop will rent the tubes and take you up river. You float back to your car. We also drove down to Sierpe and rented a private boat and guide to tout the mangroves. It was about $50 for two people. Also, we went tilapia fishing at Tilapias El Pavon which is a few miles south of Uvita. For $7 each you can catch your tilapia which they will cook and serve you for lunch. They also have a beautiful waterfall nearby that is all included in the price. We also did an ultra lite flight one day. Pricey but worth it if you're into that. The canopy tour in Uvita is one of the best we've done in Costa Rica. Long runs and a Tarzan swing.

Hope this helps.

sylvia3

Yes, go south of MA; Dominical (more for surfing; check our Rio Mar, http://www.villasriomar.com/) or even a tad farther south to Uvita (both pretty close). Great for terrific beaches, and it's a pretty easy drive from there to the village of Sierpe for (organized and not) tours of the mangroves, and if it's reopened, they say in June, Cano Island for a snorkel tour. You can also leave Sierpe for a day hike of Cocovado National Park.
I second El Pavon for a lovely lunch; we went there between meals the first time, and they smiled and waved us through to view the beautiful cascade. Lots of good beer, and other food if you're not a tilapia fan!
Cristal Ballena (http://www.cristal-ballena.com/cb_en_acommod.htm) is a great location and reasonable; lots of places in the Ballena N.P. area.
And, if you want long stretches of warm water and deserted beach...

RnR_travels

Awesome... will look into the options suggested.

On a different note, what is best way to get from one place to another in CR? Interbus (which I have read about on a few blogs), rent a car, hire a private driver/car, taxis? I know each one of them is an experience, but my preference would be to commute economical and spend on the activities, food, and hotel (if I am spending too much time there). Having said that, I don't want to be ruin my trip by traveling cheap and feeling miserable... if you know what I mean!!

Also... I am a vegetarian and my husband is not. Will food be a challenge? Thanks in advance for being so helpful

sylvia3

Depends on what you want to do; if you plan on taking a lot of sidetrips for tours, visiting several locations, taking excursions from those locations, I think a rental car is your best best for convenience AND cost. Driving from Arenal to the (southern) Pacific coast is relatively easy, and the roads are fine. You could get an inexpensive sedan (we've had very good luck with Solid and Europcar) and as long as you have a major credit card (and bring evidence of the cc coverage), your CLW will be covered. So, it will be rental cost plus ~10/day mandatory insurance. (We like to be on own own schedule, not at the whims of buses or other drivers/methods.) BTW, the cost for 16 days in Jan-Feb for a 4WD for us was ~500; the cost for a sedan would have been much less.

volcanogirl

We use private drivers that we book through our hotels to get from town to town and taxis once we're in town. A lot of people like to drive themselves; if you're adventurous go for it. A private driver lets you sit back and enjoy the ride, and they can act as a tour guide of sorts pointing out things along the way, good places to stop, etc. Interbus is more affordable if you're willing to operate on someone else's schedule. To give you an idea of costs, a private driver going from SJO to La Fortuna will run around $130-140 or so.

sylvia3

p.s. $476 with Solid, 4WD Suzuki Jimney, supplemental liability included in that price.

volcanogirl

Costa Rica is big on rice and beans, plantains, salads, etc. I don't think food will be an issue for you.

For most tours that you do, they'll pick you up at your hotel and drop you back off.

MFNYC

We did our first CR trip in January. We normally rent cars, but decided to go for the private driver for the long legs and used taxis and buses locally (Manual Antonio had a very convenient and cheap bus system). We used Wilson Rojas ([email protected]) as our driver. He is also very helpful with excursions, restaurants, and even hotels. We ended up staying at Lost Iguana in Arenal. It's a lovely place. In MA, we stayed in Tulemar (with the private beach) which was also very nice. Our last night we spent near the airport at Casa Bella Rita, B&B which was also great and very inexpensive.

RnR_travels

Hi everyone and thank you so much for the great inputs.
Sorry... I have been a little out of loop... really busy at work, but I have to nail this down this weekend.

So based on the inputs, here's my tentative plan:
3 nights in Arenal (reach noon, leave morning)
2 nights in Dominical (reach afternoon, leave morning)
3 nights in MA (reach noon, leave morning)
1 night in Casa Bella Rita (reach afternoon, leave morning)

Does it make sense? Am I including too many places? Should we spend more/less time at a place?

Once I figure out how much time I am spending in a city, I can plan the hotels and other logistics.

volcanogirl

I think it sounds nice. I've been to grad school so I know the relief you must feel! Have not been to Dominical, but it gets consistently good reviews. It was very MBAish of you to make a spreadsheet!

sylvia3

Sounds nice, but I'd really recommend the Dominical (Uvita) area longer than MA. (Dominical is a surfers' beach, but beaches a tiny bit farther south down the road are tranquil and awesome.) We saw more monkeys in the Uvita area than in MA, and frankly, MA was way overcrowded for our tastes. But Ballena National Park, the Playa Ventanas, and other stretches of almost deserted beach (one named Hermosa, like several others in CR) would be my choice if I had to pick tomorrow.

RnR_travels

MBAish... hee hee... that makes me **blush**. It is, and I donno another way to plan

Since MA and Dominical are so close by, we may switch a night, and for the most part we should be good. So back to my spreadsheet and as I am doing that will ping you for any other questions?

Thank you and keep the tips, trivia, and advice flowing

sylvia3

Playa Ventanas:
http://www.google.com/search?q=playa...w=1105&bih=862

Also ask your lodge owner/whoever is around, how to get to other lovely beaches (such as the one with a path down from a restaurant; you don't have to order a beer on your way, but it's a nice thank you for the parking).

RnR_travels

I was at a friend's place for a get together yesterday and we spoke about our trip to Costa Rica. There was a constant mention of Monte Verde for it's Rain forest, zipline tours etc. At this point, Monte Verde is not a part of our tour... are we missing out something? Should we replan or tweak our itinerary? ... yea... a lil confused again!