To tour group, or not to tour group Advantages of group tours Organization and efficiency: If you decide to travel with a tour group you will almost certainly find that you pack a lot into your days. If you want to see and do the most possible things in the least possible time, then an organized … [Read more...]
Practical Information & Logistics
Once you know when and where you want to go and what you want to see and do it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty, make sure your budget can handle the trip, get your documents in order, find out if your phone will work (if you want it to), pack your bags, buy travel insurance and stash away the $29 bucks you may or may not need for the departure tax. This section includes all the logistical information we've accumulated over the decades.
Our 1996 Best Secrets
The Best Kept Secrets in Costa Rica - circa 1996 Some of these have been discovered but many are just as pristine and applicable over twenty years later. Wildlife Cruise If you're on a tight budget and can't shell out the $US 35-50 for a nature cruise in Tortuguero or Caño Negro, or you just want … [Read more...]
Energy Keycards
As new hotels are built and others in Costa Rica begin to modernize a number have added a system that theoretically helps save energy. In fact it's complicated pain in the neck that doesn't accomplish anything. The assumption driving the system is that guests are too irresponsible and … [Read more...]
What’s in a Name?
Costa Rican hotel owners started using keyword naming conventions long before SEO or the industry it represents existed. If you don't make your living in advertizing then SEO may be the most important acronym you've never heard. SEO is Search Engine Optimization which at the time the term was … [Read more...]
Travel Tips
None of these tips are going to save your life but they might save you a little money, time or culturally unaware embarrassment. That Cop isn't Waving to be Friendly - If you see a police officer standing by the side of the road waving at you don't wave back and drive on past. Most traffic … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Currency Exchange Made Easy
Update 2022 - After many years around ¢500 to the dollar - a ¢50,000 price tag was the equivalent of $100 the colón went through some wild swings but it's currently stable around ¢6s75 to one U.S. dollar. The best way for travelers from the U.S. to simplify currency exchange calculations are to … [Read more...]
Do You Know the Way to San José?
Getting from the airport (SJO, Juan Santamaría) to downtown San José Public Bus: Public buses on the Alajuela to San José route stop in front of the airport (after you exit go around the parking garage that is directly in front of you and catch the bus on the side opposite the terminal) … [Read more...]
Camping Gear Packing List
Our 40 years of back country adventures in the Rocky Mountains and the deserts of the American Southwest instilled habits that aren't necessarily appropriate for the tropics. We've never fully figured out camping in the rainforest (or maybe it's just impossible to be truly comfortable when it rains … [Read more...]
Bike Gear Packing List
Most airlines have started charging US$100-200 per direction, per bicycle for international flights to Costa Rica (I know, the bicycle page on the airline website says bikes can be counted as one piece of luggage on international flights, but read the fine print that often says "Except to Costa … [Read more...]
Giant Ziplock
I’ve been whining for about two decades that no one in the corporate glass towers built on the plastics industry was capable of recognizing the full potential of the zip-lock plastic bag. In December of 2006 they finally took a small step. The dimensions of the bags increased from inches to … [Read more...]
Trash Compactor Bags
I don't know anyone who has a home trash compactor, but the bags are indispensable for travelers. They are tough as nails, and our clothes and books stayed dry in our compactor bag lined bicycle panniers through rainstorms that made us feel like we were swimming. It hadn’t occurred to me but … [Read more...]
Swiss Army Light
Magnetic-Base, Flexi-Neck, Clip-On, Laser Pointer/LED Book Light It’s absolutely brilliant. I love doohickeys and this one is no exception. I have to admit that sometimes I’m a little susceptible to clever, compact, combination, creations. I’ve actually looked longingly at combination travel … [Read more...]
Tschermigite Deodorant
Before I discovered this magical mineral I had to throw out a pair of shoes every six months. My bromidrosis didn’t just affect python boots like Frank Zappa’s legendary stinkfoot it polluted even open sandals and seasonal footgear like ski boots (even though they weren’t made from … [Read more...]
A Sponge in a Towel
Made from the same material as pile or polarfleece jackets with slight modifications to the polymer cross-linking to make them water absorbent instead of water repellent synthetic backpacking towels are small, lightweight, wring-able, and quick drying—great for everything except modesty (most are … [Read more...]
Modern Bota
The Bota Bag Comes into its Own You won’t need your Camelback in Costa Rica. If you’re thirsty just tilt your head back, open your mouth and all the fresh pure rainwater you want will be instantly delivered down your throat. Seriously though, unless it’s already an irreplaceable part of your … [Read more...]
Picaridin vs DEET
Picaridin is an Alternative to DEET Mosquito Repellent Picaridin (RS)-sec-butyl 2-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperidine-1-carboxylate was developed by the German pharmaceutical giant Bayer in the eighties, was approved by the EPA as an insect repellent recently and is marketed in the U.S. under the name … [Read more...]
Slortz – Stylish and Functional
The adjectives in the title might be a bit of a stretch, but a pair of slortz are almost irresistible to first time adventure oriented travelers to the tropics. Slortz is the best one word moniker I could conjure for the cargo style travel slacks with zip off legs for conversion … [Read more...]
Document Backup
You can easily lose three or four days of your vacation trying to replace lost or stolen travel documents. Much of this time will be dedicated to simply waiting for copies to arrive at the local embassy or consulate, and some of it can be avoided by a few minutes effort before you leave home. Be … [Read more...]
Colon Devaluation
In a “free” economy a big decrease in the value of the local currency would mean big savings for international travelers. However Costa Rica is a special case and savings are unlikely. Residents receiving paychecks in local currency experience marked increases in costs. However, tourists are not … [Read more...]
Airport Hotels – Skip ’em
The Top Hotels at SJO and LIR International Airports, Costa Rica ...reprinted from CostaRicaTop10 with permission of the author and publishers... Ninety nine percent of the time the right answer to the question “What’s the best airport hotel in Costa Rica?” is “none of them.” It’s quite … [Read more...]