Costa Rica

Anyone have a really good time?

This one is a bit hard to answer because there are so many things to see in Costa Rica and not knowing your preferences so I will just say what I like and if it fits … go for it.

I like the northwest area because it is quiet and relaxed and family style leisure. http://www.jardindeleden.com/

This little hotel in Tamarindo is not directly on the beach but it has an intimate setting on a bluff with immediate access to the beach. Tamarindo is located in the Northwest part of the country.

Things to do in the immediate area … laying on the beach,crashing through waves, surfing,sailboat adventures, rest and relaxation, rapelling in trees with howler monkeys, watching sea turtles come ashore and lay their eggs, horseback riding in the ocean and along the beach.

I have been to this hotel twice. It is not the largest… just a few rooms but each has a unique personality. There is one room that has a shower and the shower curtains are tropical plants that separate the shower from the bedroom…..like I said intimate.
The ocean water is nice,comfortable and cleaner than the middle of the country (Puntarenas south to Jacò- Quepos). The reason being the sanitary sewer system dumps raw sewage in the rivers and gulf and ends up messing up the water for miles. (at least that’s what I see from the air)

There are so many thing to see in Costa Rica it really depends on what you want to see if you want to spend a lot of time in one area or move around. The central highlands is wonderful for birding and there are many national parks. Volcanos…. hot springs…. canopy tours.

Costa Rica is laid out a little like Detroit, Michigan…. Most roads wagon spoke out from the capital city San Jose. It can easily take 1/2 day to go into San Jose and out again so plan well you "must see" sites. Going from Tamarindo to Golfito requires a return to San Jose and then out again by car. There are flights on Cessna Caravan type planes with most going in and out of San Jose.

A few recommendations:
1. Costa Ricans are beginning to smell American money and there are many more rip-offs than just a few years ago. Make your ground transportation once you arrive and ask first at the hotel how much it should cost. Pre-paid transportation can cost you 2 to 3 times as much as just hiring a taxi in San Jose so be careful. The hotel will even help you arrange this at reasonable rates and make sure you are not ripped off.

2. Many of the smaller hotels are very nice and the people are very hospitable. $35 -45 a night including breakfast are not hard to find. They are not as exquisite as the type of hotel I left a website for but they are clean and located everywhere. (It is sort of like bed and breakfast hotels in Ireland)

3. If not traveling by air or taxi and on a buget, the public bus system is not a bad way to go from one section of the country to another and is reasonable.(air conditioned and modern)

4. Plan your itinerary and consider flowing from one to another close by to save time. (eg Arenal volcano, hot baths, birding, upper canopy rapelling, butterfly sanctuaries) It takes a 4 hr ride from Tamarindo each way so you don’t want to spend your entire vacation in a car.

5. Hire a driver if this is your first trek in the country. Police officers can smell tourists and issue traffic violations easily because they KNOW you will be stuck paying them and cannot afford to come back to fight them.

6. Many of the little hotels have their own website and I found it better to deal with them directly due to travel agency rip-offs. The Jardin del Eden gave a 25% redution in rates for more than a 3 day stay for example. The travel agents will grab that for themselves. So ask and negotiate. Some will even pick you up at the airport and save you the expense of another ground transportation cost when you first arrive.So ask … you may surprise yourself.

7. If you use the little commuter airlines for internal travel. Learn to pack LIGHT. There is a 25 pound weight limit on your luggage. There is a substantial fee you must pay for each pound over 25 pounds for each leg of your journey. Parachute luggage is a great help. People don’t realize how much weight is just in their bag alone.

My last trip to Costa Rica was to Samara… it also is pretty but the main reason for going there was to rent an ultra-light airplane and fly the coast.

Hi! I am getting married at the end of June and my parents graciously offered to send me and my husband to any location that has a Hilton or Marriott hotel. Do you have any recommendations of great Hilton or Marriott hotels you have stayed at?

We saw on the website that there were beautiful resorts in Costa Rica, Seychelles, Maldives, and Tobago. Would you recommend any of these places?

We are looking for a beachy, islandy, resorty type place, but we would also like a place that had plenty of areas to explore outside the resort. Thanks!

Congratulations!

The Maldives are my speciality knowledge and my favourite destination. There is a Hilton on Rangali Island.
BUT

Whilst you will get beautiful beaches and your own island, exploring beyond your island will be limited to visiting another island or what they call island shopping.

The Maldives has about 1,200 islands 87 of which are purpose built resorts for people seeking trips like yours.
They are designed to provide you with all you could want for a tropical island holiday without losing any of the comforts of home (showers, hot water, restaurants, spa, jacuzzi etc etc). It is why so many honeymooners go there.

So long as you understand you may be on a strip of land 800m long and 200m wide with only yourselves on the beach then you can’t go wrong with the Maldives.

You can go Snorkelling and dive the coral reefs. Dine on the beach and watch sunsets before wandering back to your water bungalow (on stilts) over the lagoon…

I don’t have anything specifically on Hilton resorts but my Maldives Guide has a lot of info to help you make a informed opinion about choosing the Maldives.
I wish you both well and happy holidays!

- stop press –

I understand that Rangali is now run by Conrad but it is a change in name only. The quality of the Hilton name remains on the resort.

And one more thing, don’t be afraid to look at all inclusive honeymoon packages because you may be surprised at the star rating and quality of what is provided. It also means less to worry about once you arrive.
oh yes… take the seaplane from the international airport on Malé … you won’t be disappointed!

That’s it! Enjoy!

Consultants Damian Viera and Jason Haug produce a resort-wide composting program for a yoga resort center in Costa Rica. www.puravidaspa.com

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