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#11
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here is my Costa Rica Vacation Plan, feedback needed
AA wrote:
OK. I have already booked the airlines to COSTA RICA and a car (12 full days). Also, based on the responses I received from this newsgroup and many web sites: We decided to visit the following 6 areas : 1) San Jose 2) Tortuguero National Park area 3) Arenal 4) Monteverde 5) North Pacific Coast (Guanacaste) 6) Central Pacific (Jacó, Manuel Antonio). I would suggest skipping Manuel Antonio ... it is so overused that it is a dump. It would be a nice place if not so overused. You also want to visit at least one of the places with canopy tours, typically they are on your way anyway, in the Monteverde area. Doug McDonald |
#12
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here is my Costa Rica Vacation Plan, feedback needed
I second the canopy tour in Monteverde. It is fabulous. If I recall the
drive from Monteverde to the Tabacon Hot Springs(which is in Arenal or close to it) took 2 hours. Thats not counting the time it took to get a new rental car when I drove/slid the car off the road near the Botanical Gardens opposite Lake Arenal! Just remember like the others have said: what is 30 miles on the map can take anywhere from 1-3 hours to drive depending on the road. You may have to Skip Tortuguero, and just do Arenal, Monteverde and the Pacific Coast. "Doug McDonald" wrote in message ... AA wrote: OK. I have already booked the airlines to COSTA RICA and a car (12 full days). Also, based on the responses I received from this newsgroup and many web sites: We decided to visit the following 6 areas : 1) San Jose 2) Tortuguero National Park area 3) Arenal 4) Monteverde 5) North Pacific Coast (Guanacaste) 6) Central Pacific (Jacó, Manuel Antonio). I would suggest skipping Manuel Antonio ... it is so overused that it is a dump. It would be a nice place if not so overused. You also want to visit at least one of the places with canopy tours, typically they are on your way anyway, in the Monteverde area. Doug McDonald |
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here is my Costa Rica Vacation Plan, feedback needed
Google "Costa Rica driving times" and San Jose to Tortuguero driving times.
It says 6 hours from San Jose to Tortuguero, 3.5 hours Arenal to Monteverde, etc. You will see it takes a lot longer than you think to get from place to place. "AA" wrote in message news:3yE8i.20917$dy1.18122@bigfe9... Thanks a lot for such an abundance of directions. Are you sure "Tortuguero " would need 3 days? does this include Arenal as well? I was under the impression I needed 2-3 days in Arenal? How about driving: Even though we will be "boating" a lot in "Tortuguero", you think we will be doing a lot of driving Also, I was under the impression that Monteverde and Arenal are in the same area, you have put Arenal destination on my way to the North; and Monteverde on the way South to Jaco? The above questions are just to make sure I understood you right and see if you have any further comments. I will take your advice ad visit the Flamingo beach, ay recommended accommodations? I heard Manuel Antonio is better area for mainly than Jaco (I heard it is a party town). Again: between you and janerene, you guys have been a great help for me so far. thanks AA "k" wrote in message et... This is a nice trip. The following are just suggestions, and I put the longest stat in the middle so you can squeeze that part or stretch it out to fit your wants. Tortuguero will take a minimum of three days, and two of those days will involve quite a bit of driving. I'll leave a lodging suggestion to others, because it's been a long time since we went down that way. Boat tours within the park will afford you the best wildlife viewing, and the beach there is tropical paradise. It's easy to find an unoccupied stretch to call your own. Be aware that it is HUMID on the Caribbean side, and also buggy, so bring plenty of repellant. From there, it's not a bad ride at all to Arenal. You should probably plan lodging in advance, but the volcano-view places seem pretty similar. They consist of main lodges with regular rooms, and cabins on a hillside facing the volcano, and because of the hill, everyone has unimpeded views. The mountain plays its rhythm around the clock, but you see the lava flows after dark. You can rent horses in Fortuna and follow a guide out to a jungle falls, where you can swim in remarkably cool water, then find your own way back to the farm. Fortuna is a funky town, and it evokes feelings of the old west. There are jungle boat tours nearby, and a lot of wildlife in the area. Two nights at Arenal should be plenty. From there, it's not far out to Guanacoste, and here I'll recommend a place you're sure to like. It's the Flamingo Beach Resort, and it sits right in the sand on one of the best beaches you're likely to encounter in CA. http://www.resortflamingobeach.com/. Spend four or five nights there. Diving is good, horses are available, and there are jungle and canopy tours right from the hotel area. With a car, you can also check out some of the neighboring beaches, which are all very nice. You can drive through Monteverde on the trip from Flamingo Beach to Jaco. Be sure to stop and hike out to a waterfall or, better yet, see the reserve on horseback. On the way down from there to Jaco, you'll cross a bridge near the sea, and you'll see all sorts of vehicles pulled off the road there. That's because crocodiles congregate on the riverbank there, and you'll get a nice, safe view of them from the bridge. I can also recommend a high-end resort in Jaco. The beach isn't nice there, but there are acres of swimming pool instead, and you can have a lot of fun swimming and floating around. The place is Los Suenos http://www.lossuenosresort.com/hotel.html. It's definitely upscale, run by Marriott. You might actually do better with a condo there, but it will be nice way to end your trip. It's not far back to San Jose. Be sure to take a ride on a birdwatch boat from near there. You'll see a lot of exotic birds, as well as dolphins and more crocs. Before I forget, if you want a real 'downtown' experience in San Jose, try the older Gran Hotel, which sits right on the main plaza. There is a front balcony where you can eat or have a drink, and it's very sociable. The hotel is pretty well maintained, but it's a grand hotel in the Central American tradition, not by world standards. It's still our hotel of choice in San Jose. Keith "AA" wrote in message .. . OK. I have already booked the airlines to COSTA RICA and a car (12 full days). Also, based on the responses I received from this newsgroup and many web sites: We decided to visit the following 6 areas : 1) San Jose 2) Tortuguero National Park area 3) Arenal 4) Monteverde 5) North Pacific Coast (Guanacaste) 6) Central Pacific (Jacó, Manuel Antonio). My Four questions a 1) How would you order the itinerary given that we will fly in and out of San Jose 2`) How many days do you suggest we should stay in each spot 3) Do you have a recommended accommodation (we don't mind spending a little more money for a luxury accommodation), and a contact information that gets us a good deal 4) Do we need the car the entire stay? thanks for those who responded to my inquiry ad to those who will help with these questions. thanks again |
#14
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here is my Costa Rica Vacation Plan, feedback needed
"AA" wrote in message . .. Wow, you have been specific enough for me. One last thing, I keep hearing about the "CR highlights" by http://www.ecoscapetours.com/ not to be missed. So here is what is in my mind: day 1 : CR highlights day 2, 3: Tortuguera day 4, 5: Arenal day 6, 7, 8, 9 Flamingo+Monteverde day 10, 11, and 12: Jaco and Manuel Antonio Head back to Sa Jose on the 12th day. Please tell me what you think AA It sounds good if you have a late flight out on that last day, otherwise I'd go back to San Jose the night before you leave. Stay out near the airport and wake up with no worries. Keith |
#15
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here is my Costa Rica Vacation Plan, feedback needed
I tend to skip Tortuguero and in this case I intend to go to Monteverde (1
night) straight from San Jose, followed by Arenal (2 nights), followed by Flamong North Pacific (4 nights), followed by Manuel Antonio (3 nights), and finally San Jose again for 2 nights. "Nick and Judy" wrote in message t... I second the canopy tour in Monteverde. It is fabulous. If I recall the drive from Monteverde to the Tabacon Hot Springs(which is in Arenal or close to it) took 2 hours. Thats not counting the time it took to get a new rental car when I drove/slid the car off the road near the Botanical Gardens opposite Lake Arenal! Just remember like the others have said: what is 30 miles on the map can take anywhere from 1-3 hours to drive depending on the road. You may have to Skip Tortuguero, and just do Arenal, Monteverde and the Pacific Coast. "Doug McDonald" wrote in message ... AA wrote: OK. I have already booked the airlines to COSTA RICA and a car (12 full days). Also, based on the responses I received from this newsgroup and many web sites: We decided to visit the following 6 areas : 1) San Jose 2) Tortuguero National Park area 3) Arenal 4) Monteverde 5) North Pacific Coast (Guanacaste) 6) Central Pacific (Jacó, Manuel Antonio). I would suggest skipping Manuel Antonio ... it is so overused that it is a dump. It would be a nice place if not so overused. You also want to visit at least one of the places with canopy tours, typically they are on your way anyway, in the Monteverde area. Doug McDonald |
#16
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here is my Costa Rica Vacation Plan, feedback needed
Don't miss the gold museum in San Jose. It's underneath the main plaza, and
would be interesting just for the architecture, but there's all that gold, too. Do consider staying at the Grand Hotel. It's the epicenter of San Jose. http://www.grandhotelcostarica.com/ Keith "AA" wrote in message . .. I tend to skip Tortuguero and in this case I intend to go to Monteverde (1 night) straight from San Jose, followed by Arenal (2 nights), followed by Flamong North Pacific (4 nights), followed by Manuel Antonio (3 nights), and finally San Jose again for 2 nights. "Nick and Judy" wrote in message t... I second the canopy tour in Monteverde. It is fabulous. If I recall the drive from Monteverde to the Tabacon Hot Springs(which is in Arenal or close to it) took 2 hours. Thats not counting the time it took to get a new rental car when I drove/slid the car off the road near the Botanical Gardens opposite Lake Arenal! Just remember like the others have said: what is 30 miles on the map can take anywhere from 1-3 hours to drive depending on the road. You may have to Skip Tortuguero, and just do Arenal, Monteverde and the Pacific Coast. "Doug McDonald" wrote in message ... AA wrote: OK. I have already booked the airlines to COSTA RICA and a car (12 full days). Also, based on the responses I received from this newsgroup and many web sites: We decided to visit the following 6 areas : 1) San Jose 2) Tortuguero National Park area 3) Arenal 4) Monteverde 5) North Pacific Coast (Guanacaste) 6) Central Pacific (Jacó, Manuel Antonio). I would suggest skipping Manuel Antonio ... it is so overused that it is a dump. It would be a nice place if not so overused. You also want to visit at least one of the places with canopy tours, typically they are on your way anyway, in the Monteverde area. Doug McDonald |
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