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Good afternoon all. I’m a long-time lurker on the forum. To the point: I’ve become increasingly dismayed at the conditions in the US and am honestly starting to form some contingency plans for places that I would wish to take my family in the future.
We have been planning a nice vacation to Puerto Vallart, Mexico since we had a great time there two years ago. But, I was considering trying to plan a trip to CR to get to see what it’s really like there and what living there would be like. My problem is that I’d like to combine a nice vacation (at least a few days of relaxing) with a little cultural/country exploration too. For example, we were planning to do a basic, all-inclusive vaction in MX that’s obviously very relaxing. That doesn’t give much culture though.
So, is it possible to stay a few days in a nice all-inclusive (maybe to wrap up a vacation) and spend the balance of the time in CR exploring a bit? I’m trying to serve a dual purpose, and of course, do it at reasonable cost. I know that it will cost roughly $3,000 (US) to stay in MX for 7 nights at a 4 star resort (plus another 20-30% for expenses/activities).
Is it possible to do a trip similar to to what I mentioned while staying within similar budget constraints? I know it’s not realistic to see if you’d want to live somewhere based on 4 or 5 days of exploration, but I’d like to get as much exposure to the CR life, while it remaining “fun” and entertaining for my family too. Then wrap up the whole thing with a few days maybe in a resort in Guanacaste or something similar. Thank you all for any input you can provide. It’s much appreciated.
My inclination is to suggest that you do what we did on our first trip, get a guide book (and the map Scott recommends here on the site), hire a car and explore. Accept that driving can be a little frustrating but when you get lost or take some side road you discover some of the most beautiful unspoiled areas of Costa Rica. You can always find a decent hotel anywhere you go (that’s where your guide book comes in handy) so you don’t need to book in advance. Pickup your car somewhere out of San Jose, we spent 4 frustrating hours exploring “barios” around San Jose before we found the road to Cartago! The rest of the trip was pure joy and the reason we are moving down there in January.
This can also be done going with a bus tour (small busses with 10 to 12 passengers) that takes you from one activity to another and hotels are booked for you. Can’t make recommendations on what company to use but I am sure others on this site can.
Good luck.
On our first trip we put nearly 1,800 km on our rental vehicle and hit every corner of the country except Tortugero. On our 2nd trip, we picked our 3 favorite locations and stayed 4-5 days in each. By our 3rd trip we had decided where we would like to live based on several parameters (bank, medical facilites, veterinarians, beach access, wildlife, no resort development, access to San Jose, etc.) and stayed there the entire 2 weeks. It is a process to determine what works best for you, however, an all inclusive resort is by nature insulated from the local culture. It is very difficult to get the true flavor of Costa Rica without visiting the smaller communities that have not been transformed for tourism purposes like Tamarindo and Papagayo.
For the vacation part of your stay, finding a good hotel (incl all inclusive ones) will not be a problem in CR and there are also smaller hotels/cabinas throughout the country, but have you considered staying in a Tico home for part of your stay where you wish to explore the culture and people to see if CR might be right for you and your family? The number of members traveling with you may be a limiting factor, but you would be surprised that some of the hosting families usually can accommodate 1-4 people for very reasonable prices. These are available in the Central Valley area or while visiting some of the more out of the way communities? Many families have been providing this service for universities and language schools in CR for many years, but they also offer it to other types of visitors and you can negotiate lodging, meals and laundry service plus you get the added bonus of getting to know a real Costa Rican family up close and personal. For our college students, this was one of the most culturally enriching parts of our language-cultural program in CR. I would caution that you make sure you have all of the particulars clear so that you’re not unpleasantly surprised when you arrive. If you choose to go this route, I still know some wonderful families in the San Jose & Heredia areas and I could give you their contact info, but for other areas it would take a bit of digging (just in case anyone is wondering: I do not charge or make any money by offering this). Many of those families were wonderful to our students and I would recommend them in a heartbeat. I agree with grb1063, you really need to get to know the “less traveled” places in order to get a good taste of CR culture and the time of year can also make a difference and not just because it’s more difficult to get around under torrential rains, but it might also allow you to see how they handle holidays, elections, etc. There’s a lot to see and experience, hopefully, this trip will be one of many other vacations spent in CR…Enjoy your trip…Pura Vida!
Make sure to take some car sickness medication along with you…kids, and sometime even adults, get motion sickness with all the ups and downs and turn arounds on the roller coaster ride that is any Costa Rican road. I am not joking. We had to stop several times for my 13 year old to get out and throw up before we stopped at a farmacia for some pills. And along the way, we saw another stopped car with a kid doing his thing on the side of the road.
I would like to thank all of you very much for your great input and feedback. I think what we’ll end up doing is a “regular” vacation with our kids (they’re pretty young) in the early summer, then I’ll make an attempt at a trip to CR with my wife. We’ve wanted to take a nice, fun “grown up” trip together anyway, so maybe we can work out something like that. I already did my Disney duty this year, so I’m off the hook for a couple more years there!
Again, I really appreciate the info. In the interim, I’m working on forming a plan to look abroad when and if the need arises. For now, I’m still working with some good Americans who want their country back. I’m a member of the Constitution Party (3rd largest behind the “big two”) and running for a state level office next year. People say that “you can’t fight city hall” but in this case, I’m going to try anyway. Aaron Russo said that it’s time we stop worrying about being good democrats or good republicans. We need to start worrying about being good Americans. Amen to that!
I wish you the best of luck with such a noble endeavor. Margaret Mead said it best, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” People like yourselves would be an asset wherever you go and whatever community you choose to belong to.
When you do visit CR you might want to visit Monteverde. This community is made up of American expats (mostly from Quaker backgrounds) and Ticos/as and are some of the most respectful people I have ever met anywhere. Martha Moss taught us that we all need to have more than tolerance for one another, we need to strive to respect each other. Even though these expats settled here after being jailed in the US for being peaceful conscientious war objectors and then again being threatened with incarceration many decades ago (when that wasn’t a popular option), they built up this community with inclusive values (it’s not a religious commune by any means, but it’s also not an anything goes type of place), they continue to speak English, but also learned Spanish, they enjoy their family ties, food, culture and support counterparts with issues of importance within the US and CR. They actually strive to live up to the values they express in this CR community and that’s not an easy task anywhere when you’re coming in as an outsider. They give more than lip service to family values, striving to be inclusive and cooperative with locals from their most explicit attitudes to their most implicit ones—-from their words, to their welcoming attitude, to their economic activities. There are more reasons to go to Monteverde than just to visit the beautiful Reserve which I’m sure you will find in your CR guide books or eat their cheese. I don’t know about now, but most things were closed on Mondays so you should try to plan your stay there knowing that. I hope you get a chance to visit one of their “Friends Meetings,” a walk thru their artist galleries, enjoy coffee/tea with old fashioned American & CR pastries at Stella’s and some horseback riding and great canopy zip lines too. It’s a great place for grown ups and kids alike. Whatever you choose to do, I hope you enjoy your trip to CR. Pura Vida!
In Costa Rica you can look into getting a vacation rental. Most areas offer vacation rentals and they are usually the best way to go for people who have children. Look up http://www.vrbo.com and you will find information about vacation rentals. I’m partial to Grecia because that is where we live and the crime is low, the community is wonderful. We have a lot of families living here from the USA and Canada. Renting a home will give you the opportunity to meet the Costa Rican people. Your children may even make some new friends.
If you really want to go cheap!! Than stay away from the gringo hot spots and stay in the tico cabinas or areas where there is no tourist places. When you travel CR you will find many bed and breakfast places and hotels but they are owned by non Ticos, those are normally the expensive places. When my wife and I travel on a budget we stop at all the Tico places. One example is some pics that I posted in the photo gallery on this site; you will find cheap cabinas all over CR. One example that I love to show is some that even had cable TV and were A frame with banos and everything.
For me to go to CR and spend more than 35.00 a night is considered splurging! So beware of the tourista trap because you could have a very expensive vacation.
You better check out what standards Scott has for his quality of life before you take his advice. Low rents mean, under paid staff, little use of cleaning agents, cheap mattresses and cold water. It often means ants and mice in the room. I for one like nice clean rooms nicely furnished, with a refrigerator, coffee pot, telephone in my room, computer access, hot country breakfast and excellent service and airport pick up. You can not get that for $35.00 or less.
CR has much to choose from and you certainly need to gage the requirements of your comfort level, but may I suggest that when exploring in traveling you might also want to consider the mood you might want to set for yourself and your family which may have very little to do with the way you live back home. I had the privilege of previewing many hotels for the language-cultural exchange program that I ran for 10 years in CR and there really is a range of offerings. If you’re feeling adventurous I can tell you that I have stayed in little houses within lush Caribbean gardens, right in front of Playa Chiquita for much less than $35. Now the bed was not as comfortable as the one back home and the netting needed some fixing since this is a must as the mosquitoes there mean serious business when dusk sets, but I managed to have a magical stay there nonetheless and the music of the congos (howler monkeys) and birds was free throughout the day. When looking for more creature comforts and privacy I’ve stayed at Villa Caletas for over $325/night (which is a bargain in NYC, but obviously not in CR and that was in 2001) and how can you complain when the furnishings had a rustic elegance and the suite had its own enclosed garden with a beautiful pool where you had full view of a star filled sky? But I would take the beach at Playa Chiquita any day over the one offered in Villa Caletas unless you like literally being stoned while swimming in the ocean. I don’t know if they have been able to fix this, but you couldn’t go in the water without being hit by fairly good size rocks that came with every wave. My daughter’s favorite hotel in the Central Valley area is the Marriott and it is beautiful, but has become a bit more expensive these days than I care to spend all the time. There is a very safari type place where the rooms are large tents on platforms right in the middle of lush jungle areas and they have been making them more and more rustically elegant in the last few years, it is a fairly expensive place to stay called Almonds & Corals that I took my students to while in the Gandoca-Manzanillo area of Limon, but as the signs on the beach will tell you, and I can vouch for, you are NEVER to swim in that part of the beach since the riptides are treacherous even for the most expert swimmer—you need to walk towards the town of Manzanillo or in the opposite direction towards Playa Chiquita in order to take a dip in the ocean. Consequently, it will always be about the kind of trip you would like to enjoy with your family, the money you spend may not necessarily guarantee what you may be looking for. The worst thing that can happen (and I have done this before) is that if you get there and don’t think it’s an appropriate place for you and your family, then you take your things and leave the next day. Beware of very inexpensive hotels that use the same or very similar names as very nice hotels in CR and are just the opposite, I learned that in Monteverde and also watch out for really nice websites that may not portray the current conditions of said establishment. One of the hotels I previewed in Guanacaste with a friend and my daughter made my 12 year old daughter become incredibly religious, she just kept repeating “Oh my God,” over and over again because the conditions were so deplorable:). We arrived under torrential rains, it was late and we had to tough it out that night, but I was sitting at a very nice resort the next morning. No matter your budget or level of comfort expected when you travel, I’m sure you will be able to find places that you will enjoy during your stay in CR with plans or winging it–the idea is to enjoy what CR has to offer and your family time together. Pura Vida!
(Sorry for the duplication, I posted this under the wrong thread when I meant to post it here…)
I have to disagree w/ Jenny.
I’ve stayed in CR, and repeatedly found very clean places to stay from $25 to $50/night (and the more expensive ones were for 4 adults with breakfast and tax included.)
The ones for $25-$30 were basic, but never dirty.I wouldnt hesitate to go back.
Low rents with a Tico owned place usually means a family run business, who cares about their place. I for one have never seen mice in the room.Are you going to find tons of amenities for $35? No.
But I’ve always had hot water and clean rooms.One of the things I’ve learned is everyone has a different opinion on what is clean, what is hot and what taste good. I like sleeping on a mattress that is regular size for big people, that is people over 5′ tall. I enjoy a queen size bed and when I go to a hotel or B&B, I want towels and a wash clothe. I enjoy the comforts of a nice room, spacious and comfortable. Difference in taste, and according to my taste, I’ve not found accommodations suitable that were less then $60.00 per night. The same way with breakfast, rice and beans every day is not a good breakfast for me.
Yes, I am a spoiled North American and old, to old to stay in hotels, Pensions or B&B’s that does not have some comforts. That is my taste and according to my taste, I have not found any accommodations suitable for under $60.00.
I would be in error to say all of those that cost more are always clean and never have any insects or mice. I have found dirt in some of your most expensive accommodations.
All – I’d like to again thank you for the advice. It’s pretty clear that the forum in general, is much like a small community. It’s great to see! I think that we’ll probably do a more “conventional” vacation with the kids in the spring, but my wife and I might try to make it there later next year. I will most definitely keep all the advice listed on the various posts so I can learn from all the valuable experience and advice that each of you have given. It is much appreciated. In the interim, I better start working on my Spanish. It’s pretty bad right now…but I can at least find a restroom 🙂
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