knemo

Hello! I am headed to Costa Rica THIS SATURDAY! Have been super busy with life, work, etc and am finally finalizing details for this much needed getaway! A few questions regarding my tentative itinerary.

Sun: Arrive in San Jose at noon. Get a rental car and drive directly to Lost Iguana.
- Any car rental agency recommendations?
- Any good stops along the way?

Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu:
- Activities we plan to hit up include:
(1) Ziplining. Is Sky Tram or Ecoglide? Best time to go (morning or afternoon)?
(2) Hanging Bridges. Best time to go? Worth it to book a guide?
(3) Waterfall. Do-able without a guide? Safe to swim in?
(4) Hot Springs. Which resort? Is early evening good time to go when it's cooler?
(5) Anything else? Is a trip to Monteverde Cloud Forest worth it? How about the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge?

We upgraded to a suite at the Lost Iguana to plan to also enjoy the outdoor jacuzzi and maybe get a spa service when we're not relaxing on the patio enjoying the volcano views!

Fri: Flight departs out of San Jose at 3pm.
- What time should we leave for the airport by?

Misc Questions:
- Bug Spray. With deet? Buy here and bring with us or buy there? Any recs?
- Money. Credit Cards fine most places? Best place to change currency? Money belts recommended?
- Souvenirs. What is Costa Rica known for and good to bring back to share?
- Cell Phones. Worth it to get an international plan for the week?
- Packing tips. Anything not to forget to bring or recommendations?

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

MFNYC

1. We did Ecoglide and thought it was very good. We did it in the morning, 9:30am, and it wasn't crowded. I don't know if it gets more crowded later in the day. We arranged for pickup at Lost Iguana and then asked if they could drop us off in town, so we could grab lunch in town.
2. We didn't use a guide for hanging bridges. Also, Lost Iguana gave us a ride there, just ask the front desk. I think they also gave us a discounted ticket. We had lunch there as well and it was very nice. Afterwards we walked back. We didn't use a guide, but could listen in to the guided groups. We did hire a private nature guide to take us to a private reserve that he is caretaker of. That was excellent.
3. Waterfalls are doable on your own, and you can go in the water at the base of the falls. We didn't because we had valuables (camera, etc) and didn't want to leave them unattended.
4. We did hot springs at Eco Termales in the evening with dinner included. The dinner was not very good, but the frozen margarita while soaking in the spa was. Overall we were underwhelmed by this given the price (with dinner included), but others love it.
5. Relax at the Lost Iguana pool and hot tub. It's very pleasant there. Also the grounds are beautiful, so do a little exploring right on the property. ALso consider a private nature guide. We used Geovani Bogarin. This was arranged by our driver, Wilson Rojas, who also runs a travel agency with his wife (http://www.coatitours.com/). Geovani was written up in this blog: http://fortunaguide.blogspot.com/ and also in the NYTimes (link is in the blog). We paid only $15pp. He can be contacted directly, (506) 8626-9348.

We used credit cards in most places, and also withdrew some local currency from ATMs. Most places also take USD. We didn't use a money belt (in fact never have anywhere). As for souvenirs, they have lots of these wooden items, from jewelry to serving bowls made from a variety of woods of various colors, that are sold just about everywhere. As far as packing, bring comfortable, flat shoes with cushioned bottoms, CR in general is very hilly, and there aren't many sidewalks. La Fortuna has some very gravely streets as well.

MFNYC

As far as stops from airport to Lost Iguana, our driver took us to Mario’s in San Ramon for dinner (we ordered to go because it was late). The food was excellent and very inexpensive there.

volcanogirl

I'd go with Sky Trek for ziplining. They have some of the longest, highest lines in the country and are the most well known of all the ziplines. We loved it. I also like the tram ride up with beautiful views of the lake and volcano.

We did the Hanging Bridges without a guide and bought half price tickets at the Lost Iguana front desk. We didn't hire a guide, but I really wish we had. It was a beautiful hike, but we didn't see any wildlife except for ants. I think a guide would have added to our experience.

We did the waterfall hike without a guide; you really just pay the admission fee and hike down. We got the phone number for our taxi driver and called him when we were ready to be picked up. There's a little set of steps at the bottom off to the left that lead to a crystal clear river. The water was so clear that we could see trout swimming in it. People were also swimming by the falls, but the water has a lot of force there. It's very pretty.

We've done both Tabacon and Eco Termales hot springs - both very nice; Tabacon is more elaborate but also was crowded for us; Eco Termales is charming and locally owned. We really enjoyed their chicken dinner there a lot. We've always gone in the evening when it's cooler.

I don't think you really have the time to go to Monteverde, so I'd save that for another trip. Cano Negro is wonderful; we've done it several times and have seen caimans, water birds, sloths, and monkeys. We even saw an albino howler monkey on one of our trips. It was bright orange and sitting amongst a black troop.

The Lost Iguana suites are great; that's what we always get. I like having a second floor room.

volcanogirl

We use both credit cards and US dollars. If you want to use credit cards, be sure to tell your credit card company where you'll be going, otherwise they might shut down your account. Also check to see if they charge a financial transaction fee; a lot of companies charge 1-3% more for purchases made in colones. We have a Capital One card that doesn't, but our other cards do. We like to buy the wooden items MFNYC mentioned - carved salad bowls, wooden figures like toucans; they also have a lot of tile work that's nice - serving trays and things like that. Coffee and Linzano salsa are also popular.

I'd recommend packing a rain poncho and a pair of binoculars in addition to the usual stuff.