Costa Rica

Nevele

Nevele

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Last week I decided I was no longer settling for 'One day' and 'If' statements regarding my plans to travel. My passport expires in August, and I've never truly used it (Canada doesn't count imo). For years I've talked about going to various places, had a couple trips even planned out itinerary-wise, but for a variety of reasons... it just never happened. No more. I said 'Fuck it, I'm going to Costa Rica'.

I chose CR for a few reasons. Everyone I know who's gone there, has come back raving about it. I have a connection on a place to stay down there, so that will help with the cost of it. I'm not looking to do the touristy thing. I don't need a big travel group, or a 4-star hotel. I'll be staying in a house that this guy built, himself.. and uses as a rental property when he's not down there. As far as the exact location, I'm not 100% sure of where it is at in CR, but I know it's up in the mountain area, rather than down by the beaches. I'm cool with that. I'd love 2 weeks in the mountains of Costa Rica.

What I do need though, is general advice and tips for traveling there. I will ideally at least be traveling with 1 other person. Right now I'm single, so it probably won't be a SO. Is one airline option particularly better than the others? Are there certain activities that I need to make sure I seek out when I'm there? I know there is tons of wildlife watching, and hikes, etc. Probably see if I can do some river rafting as well. Other than that, it's an R&R trip. I just want to get away for a bit, see some place new and beautiful.

Other info: Aiming to go around mid to late April. I'm in Washington State, but I'm toying with flying down to Florida to see my niece I've never met first. So maybe 2-3 days in Florida, then onto CR for about 10 days or so. Money isn't the biggest issue, but obviously I have limitations. Fortunately, we're coming into the season where my company hands out it's Profit Sharing, so I'll be more flexible financially than usual.

So if any of you worldly travelers have some feedback or suggestions you would like to share, I'd be quite thankful.
 
M

Merkins4Brazil_sl

shitlord
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Awesome place to surf, some of the best waves in the world.

Also has a thriving sex trade last I knew. also zero tolerance on recreational substances due to it's neighbors wanting to run traffic through there heading north
 
Aychamo BanBan

Aychamo BanBan

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Haha, yeah, if you're single, look up places near where you'll be here:http://www.internationalsexguide.info/forum/

Learn some basic spanish if you don't already know some! You are going to their country! Even if you can only say "Where [english word]" that can help. Ie, "?donde hotel?" And "necesito [object]" (I need object).

Know your numbers, so when you're buying whatever random shit you can have an idea of what they are saying. Sometimes they'll have a calculator to type the number in to show you. I just looked up CR, and it looks like they use a "colon" (lol) for their money, and it's a 500:1 conversion, so, well, that sucks because you have to learn how they say their thousands to know the money. But I'm pretty sure they'll take american dollars. And don't forget to bargain. I suck at it, but my wife can always get huge discounts by bargaining. Rembmer, they will see you as nothing more than a rich American.

Obviously don't drink the tap water. First thing when you get there is you buy a whole lot of bottled water, and you use it for everything. Use it for brushing your teeth. Don't let their water run through your mouth when you're showering. And make sure the cap on the bottled water has that safety closure, because if you buy it from dubious sources they sometimes refill them. Depending on how rural your area is, street food may be unavoidable, but use your best judgement. Definitely bring some Pepto-Bismol for the diarrhea you're probably going to end up getting anyways, and if you have a good relationship with your doctor, I'd go ahead and bring at least 3 500mg Levaquin tabs for the diarrhea that you'll get (http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0601/p2095.html) You may want to bring some type of insect bite topical medicine, and shit, even some Zyrtec (day time) and Benadryl (night time) just in case you get all itchy. I don't travel without a decent supply of medications.

Another thing I do is always have photocopies of my tickets, passports, IDs, and put them as hidden as possible in each of my bags, so that if I lose my originals, or even a bag, I still have a copy of them. Bring reading material too.

I hope some of this helps and wasn't overly obvious. But really, that diarrhea can be debilitating, so really protect yourself against that.
 
Chanur

Chanur

Shit Posting Professional
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I went to Gulfito and it was one of the friendliest places I have ever been. I really enjoyed it and hope you do as well. It seems Aychamo covered most of what I wanted to say.
 
Nevele

Nevele

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Definitely appreciate the feedback guys. I'm familiar with the 'don't drink the water' theories.. and I'd surely buy some bottled water for drinking. I hadn't even thought about the bugbite medication, or even allergy pills. Who knows how my body might react to someplace I've never been. If tomorrow isn't as fucking nuts of a day as today was (at work), I'll remember to check out some more information for where exactly I'll be. I've got it saved on my work email, and just forgot to forward it on home.
 
Kuriin

Kuriin

Just a Nurse
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Nevele, get some Nivea for Men Bug Spray. It is the best. Most of them actually have SPF 15-30 in there, so you get bug repellant with a sunscreen. Not to mention, it's not bad for your skin.
 
Aychamo BanBan

Aychamo BanBan

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BTW, you can generic Zyrtec (cetirizine) and Benadryl (diphenhydramine) off Amazon dirt cheap. Don't pay the super expensive in store prices!
 
P

prescient

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La Fortuna is a really good time with hiking, zip lining, going swimming in the La Fortuna waterfall, etc., and Arenal Backpackers resort is a great place to stay. I ended up having the best time of my life there. I had flown down for the weekend and while I was there went for a hike with one of the other folks at the hostel. Anyhow, we were gone for a long while and bumped into the owner on the way back. He was worried that we took so long to get back and was happy to see that we weren't lost or something. Long story short we told him that we were buying Halloween costumes and booze to throw a party at the hostel. He thought it was a great idea and threw in a few bottles of booze. We went back rounded up a bunch of Aussies, Germans, and Francs and threw an awesome Halloween party and then went completely blitzed to a club. By this point I was in pure blackout mode from drinking with the Aussies. I somehow got home and had to wake up the next morning and took a bus back to the airport. Good times and bad hangovers.

After Arenal I was supposed to fly home but hurricane Sandy hit so I ended up staying for another week. I popped out to Jaco Beach and stayed Hotel Perico Azul which was also awesome. I showed up in the middle of the night bleeding because I had kicked some stone and Mike one of the surf instructors (Tortuga Surf House is based out of the hotel) got me all set up and fixed up. The next day I bummed around with him for a bit and grabbed breakfast. Spent a few days hanging out on the beach and with the surfers. Then I headed back to the states. If you have the chance pop out to Jaco and go get a surf lesson with Mike!

Was uploading pics but I'm in a hotel and it's taking forever.
 
Nevele

Nevele

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As it turns out.. every one who had any 'chance' of going with me can no longer go. New jobs, back to work, or whatever.. doesn't really matter. I haven't purchased my airline tickets yet, but the time is pretty much near if I actually want to get this to happen next month. So that being said, I have one pretty basic question... Do I just say 'Fuck it' and go to Costa Rica solo?
Everyone I know that's been there, raves about how nice the people are. With a bit of common sense, it seems like it shouldn't be a dangerous place. There are plenty of countries I wouldn't even fathom doing a trip alone too... but I'm not sure this is one of them. I travel usually a couple times a year for work, and the majority of those are alone. But those are always state-side, so there isn't THAT huge of a culture change.
Here are my biggest concerns:
1) I don't speak spanish. I'm a smart enough guy, I figure I'll get by. But the depth of my spanish falls into phrases like 'Dos mas tequila por favor' and 'hola mamcita'. Again, most people tell me that english is spoken pretty broadly there, especially in the cities. And often times people who know (or even just think) that you speak english, will approach you in a friendly conversational way.
2) Crime & general well-being. It isn't that I'm overly concerned about this, but I do recognize it as a reality. Although I'm an average sized dude, I wouldn't consider myself threatening in appearance. While two people will often times be enough to scare away trouble, a lone traveler is much more susceptible.
3) Adventures are just more fun with a friend. Pretty simply really.

So again, I'm open to your opinions and thoughts. How do you feel about traveling abroad solo? Would you? Have you? Concerns, cautions, or even just a 'quit being a bitch and go already. christ man, I thought you had gone and been back by now'...
 
Korrupt

Korrupt

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1) If you are near any kind of resort or tourist area you are going to be fine with speaking English. When I went to Turkey last year I researched "guides" that basically cost uis 60 bucks a day for an air conditioned mini benz bus with bottle water included that drove us all around. You'd be surprised how cheap a driver is and you might want to contact the hotel youre staying at or research online.

2) Like you said its 95% about common sense. In general LATAM countries and their people are going to treat you with how you treat them. Learn to say "Buenas" which is short for good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. That one word as a greeting is going to show respect to them and you'll most likely get it back right off the bat. Without trying to sound racist the biggest issue outside of the US is that our hoods arent a certain demographic of skin color like the US. Just do a little research and preempt where to stay away from.

3) Ive travelled alone for business more times than I can count. Use it as an opportunity to maybe meet others travelling and put yourself out there. Ive had a freaking blast and met friends all over the world I still Skype weekly and visit yearly from some amazing trips. Costa Rica is beautiful, I wouldnt pass up the trip man.
 
S

skrala

Silver Knight of the Realm
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Definitely go, you'll be fine. I go there every year to surf, it's a lovely country. Most people in the touristy areas speak English, hell a lot of places will take US dollars. Treat people with respect and you won't have any issues.
 
Nevele

Nevele

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Just as an update, this is on for reals. Tickets bought, new passport on the way... and I'll be heading down to Costa Rica in just about a week. Still no real itinerary, but that's not too big of a deal. I'm usually pretty good at finding myself some mischief and adventure when I'm on the road. Super excited, I'll be sure to let you guys know how it went.
 
S

skrala

Silver Knight of the Realm
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Good for you, I'll be in Nosara on the 21st for 2 weeks, can't wait.

Just a word of warning, it's the tail end of their dry season so it will be quite dusty.
 
Nevele

Nevele

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Sorry Grumble, I didn't manage to dig up any child sex. You'll have to list your favorite hot-spots there for those interested....

For the rest of you, I'm back from Costa Rica. I had a few hiccups along the way, but I think they actually spurred me onto a little more adventure than I otherwise would have had. It was a fantastic trip. The country side is amazing. Rolling hills of farms and bustling little villages. Everyone there seemed to be tourist-friendly; if you didn't speak Spanish, they worked with you until you came to some understanding. I ended up covering a good majority of the country in my 2 weeks. Started in San Jose, went down to San Gerardo de Dota, back up to Cartago and the Iztur Volcano... then over to the Atlantic side for a bit. From there it was back to San Gerardo de Dota (was the guy's house I was staying at), and then over to the Pacific side.. down to the Peninsula de Oso. That was probably my favorite area. Thick rainforest, tons of wildlife, but still close enough to the ocean where the views and the weather were pretty much perfect. After spending some time on the Peninsula de Oso and the Golfo de Dulce, I drove around to the other side near Golfito. Stayed there a night, worked my way back up the coast line until I got up to Quepos (which I continue to confuse with Qeynos from EQ). That was also an amazing area, with pristine beaches, very sexy girls, and some sunshine that would even melt the ice off of Hilary Clinton's heart. After that I snaked over to the Arenal Volcano for a night, then down to Poas Volcano. For those playing along on your googlemaps at home, that's a shit ton of km in a couple weeks! That's alright though, I saw all sorts of different parts of Costa Rica, and definitely know which areas I'll be spending more time at when I return.

If anyone has any specific questions on the places I saw, or curious about some stories.. let me know. I didn't think everyone wanted a full on recap of the day-to-day activities.
 
Arden

Arden

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Really surprised not to see a thread here within the last couple years about Costa Rica- considering how popular it's become due to cheap prices, friendly people, its relative safety, and ease of travel-- not to mention gorgeous environments.

Anyway, I've never been and would love some advice from anyone who has. Planning to stay 5-7 days. Booking my own travel stuff. Between skiplagged and airbnb I can get there and be accommodated for pretty cheap on my own. Was going to rent a car.

Current targeted location is Manuel Antonio/QueposManuel Antonio National Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Was going to do beach/surf/national park/hiking stuff. Looks like an awesome place.

Anything I need to know before going or recommendations?
 
Frenzied Wombat

Frenzied Wombat

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Manuel Antonio is nice but I'd highly recommend against renting a car there as their addressing system is fucked up and it's practically impossible to find something without knowing the area. At least four years ago Google Maps wasn't any help either.

IMHO, I find Costa-Rica overrated, but I'm more of a luxury vacation kind of guy and Costa-Rica just seemed more geared towards the hiker/backpacker type. The beaches are also mostly rocky and ungroomed. The animal life is definitely fantastic, but that's maybe one day of your trip. For an inexpensive beach vacation with a latin tinge, I preferred Cuba.
 
Arden

Arden

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Frenzied Wombat_sl said:
Manuel Antonio is nice but I'd highly recommend against renting a car there as their addressing system is fucked up and it's practically impossible to find something without knowing the area. At least four years ago Google Maps wasn't any help either.

IMHO, I find Costa-Rica overrated, but I'm more of a luxury vacation kind of guy and Costa-Rica just seemed more geared towards the hiker/backpacker type. The beaches are also mostly rocky and ungroomed. The animal life is definitely fantastic, but that's maybe one day of your trip. For an inexpensive beach vacation with a latin tinge, I preferred Cuba.
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Probably a good call on the car thing. Almost every airbnb review I read started with "The place was nice but impossible to find..."

I don't mind a vacation a little on the bohemian side, but don't want to totally rough it. Not too concerned about groomed beaches.

Tell me more about Cuba. I'm a little behind on the politics. I can go there as a Yank for vacation now (without crazy trouble)? It's safe? It's cheap? There are nice spots there? If so, where and what did you do? Do tell.
 
Frenzied Wombat

Frenzied Wombat

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Arden_sl said:
Probably a good call on the car thing. Almost every airbnb review I read started with "The place was nice but impossible to find..."

I don't mind a vacation a little on the bohemian side, but don't want to totally rough it. Not too concerned about groomed beaches.

Tell me more about Cuba. I'm a little behind on the politics. I can go there as a Yank for vacation now (without crazy trouble)? It's safe? It's cheap? There are nice spots there? If so, where and what did you do? Do tell.
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I don't know what the travel situation to Cuba is from the US currently, though I was told even when you weren't allowed to go you just asked Cuban customs not to stamp your passport and it's all good. I went to Cuba a number of times when I lived in Canada-- it was basically Canada's version of the common US Mexican vacation and was preferred because it was untouched and obviously free from American Spring Break fratboys.

There's only one "tourist" city called Veradero that the government built specifically for tourists and privileged locals on vacation. Beaches are fantastic, nightlife is pretty good (great live music/dancing), girls are hella loose, food is decent, and everything is (or was) dirt cheap. You can also obviously do Havana, which basically looks like a city frozen in time circa 1960. Do bottle service in Havana for like $50 and say hello to your free harem/entourage. As for safety, it's probably one of the safest places I've ever travelled. As a tourist you are God-- if anybody so much as looks at you the wrong way they'll get stuffed into the back of squad car and never seen again. When on the beach you will get hit up by locals that will offer you a family cooked meal for $20 US where they'll invite you for dinner and use your coin to buy food they can't normally afford to eat (like lobster). Great food and great people.

The last time I went (10 years ago) a week in Varadero including a 2 day trip to Havana cost me $1200 including flight. That was all inclusive with free alcohol. I would buy two boxes of Cohiba cigars locally for $75, bring them back to Canada, then sell them to a Cigar aficionado in NY for $500 and pretty much pay for half my vacation..
 
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