Costa Rica Holiday

guest2003

Hi All,

New here...... Am planning a holiday to Costa Rica for next April and i need some help....... I am planning to go for 2 weeks. First three days we will be staying in a tree house accom in Limon (going dolphin watching, hunting in the rain forest and zip wiring through the jungle) then for 4 nights in San Jose (mainly tourist sites and shopping) and then i wanted to travel to the pacific coast for the last week. Im looking for an all inclusive hotel with entertainment and things for kids to do and near the beach........ Im willing to pay dear if all food and drink is included and we could travel outside the hotel for daily excursions.... I heard Jaco was nice and Tamarindo (dont know if thats the right spelling)

Any suggestions welcome......

Also any places to avoid would also be helpful as i will be travelling with my partner and two children

Soylent_Green

If I were going back, the first place I would put on the itinerary would be Tortugureo. It is a Nature reserve/national park on the East coast. It is a bit out of the way and from memory it was a 4 hour bus journey followed by a 3 hour boat trip up inland waterways. There were no direct access via roads. There is a small regional airport, which we flew out of and back to San Jose. flight takes about 35 - 40 minutes. While there you can take a boat trip through the labarinth of waterways. Nearly everyone who was there at the same time as us went off on speed boats. we had arranged for a kayak with a brilliant guide (I'll try and find his name at home). He took us deep into the forest where we saw so much more than those on the speed boats. Most of the animals dissapeared once they heard their boats, but the silence of the kayak was not a threat. we paddled upstream for about 4 hours, pretty much until the hull was scrapping on the river bed and then let the flow being us all the way back again. Superb! Whilst there we also we able to get to see turtles coming in shore and laying eggs on the beach. You can only do this with a guide, but that can be arranged locally. While this is all well and good, there is nothing there that will fit the "All Inclusive" model, but I'd advise you get get away from the resorts for at least a part of the holiday, to really get a feel for Costa Rica.
Let me have a look at home and I'll get back to you with more details.
By the way, Tamarindo is a nice beach resort with some good fish resturants. Some good surfing to be hand and plenty of instructors on hand to teach you.

guest2003

Thanks Soylent_Green.

We have something similar to that booked within our first week in Limon. www.costaricotreehouse.com is were we are staying first. Have you any experiance with San Jose???? We will be living in the Jungle for the first week so i wouldnt mind a nice resort to recharge the batteries in the second. Can you recommend anywhere along the pacific coast that would be family friendly and have a lot of attractions. I am aware its huge.... Ive heard a lot about Jaco beach? also tamarina?

La La

I just got back from CR - spent my time there in Tamarindo but also crossed over to Nicaragua for a few days which was cool (until I was mugged at knifepoint).

Tamarindo's fine but only for a few days. Good breaks for surf, though. Check out Arenal and Monteverde.

guest2003

Thanks La La.......

I was looking into Tamarindo and Jaco.....

I wont be travelling to Nicaragua as i will have children with me and travelling around Costa Rica is enough (by the way knifepoint mugging, scary stuff, hope you recovered from that ordeal)

Does anybody have any comments about the Marriot in Guanacaste or the Hilton in Papayago?????? Complete luxury but would be only for 4 nights

guest2003

Bump

Trishis

hey folks, just wondering if anyone knows about the loos in CR, are they squat toilets? its just that I have a disability and might find things difficult.

Also any info on travelling in costa rica with a disability would be very much appreciated.....

Thanks

dory

Costa Rica would probably be one of the easier countries in Central America for you to travel in, it's quite developed. Lots of rich Americans live there.

I never remember seeing a squat toilet there, but it was 3 years ago now.

Trishis

Hey, that's great news! Thanks.

Just had a look at the cost of rental cars there though....sooo expensive...
anyone know a car place thats good value?! Looking for an automatic for 22 days!