No kids, but I know many other families have stayed there. The pool is the perfect size.
I LOVED this because the owners took care of everything! Booked all our excursions, gave us tons of tips and was basically there for us for anything. Beautiful house, awesome staff and so much to do! The beach was just a bus ride away.
eta: I mean. I slept here. This was my view every morning.
Me! We went to Guanacaste for our honeymoon and loved it. We stayed at the Occidental Papagayo, and did some day trips to different areas and just loved everything about it. It's chill, not overly touristy yet, beautiful abd the people were great. There were howler monkeys living in the trees outside our villa.
We're taking DD back in January with some friends and their kids. We'll stay in Guanacaste again, but further south.
Oops hit post by accident too soon.
We stayed here as well, but didn't love (or like, really) the resort. We spent 3 days at Rio Celeste hideaway, which is a very small boutique resort in the rainforest. Going to a big AI felt so inauthentic and we left as often as possible to explore on our own. I also got e. coli while there...
I recommend Rio Celeste hideaway to everyone. We took a two day trip to Arenal for some hiking and zip lining. We stayed in a b&b in La fortuna, the majestic, for a night. I wish we stayed there longer but we weren't able to get any money back from the AI once we checked in.
Another day trip we took was out to Rincon de la vieja. Hiking, zip lining, tubing on rapids, etc. We had a car, so we had the ability to travel around as we wanted. It's the best way to see the country.
IMO, costa rica isn't a place to go if you want to stay at an AI. I feel that way about most places, but especially costa rica.
I lived there for a couple of years. Happy to answer any questions.
If you're looking for a beach vacation, the north Pacific (Guanacaste) and central Pacific (Quepos/Manuel Antonio/Dominical) beaches are really popular. The tip of the Nicoya peninsula (Santa Teresa/Malpais/Montezuma) is also nice - lots of surfers. The Osa peninsula is amazing for wildlife. If you're looking for an inland spot, Monteverde/Santa Elena is super cool.
We did three nights each at four different places. I LOVED El Silencio Lodge and Lapa Rios. People seem to love Arenal Nayara, but I wasn't a huge fan of the hotel. Arenal was cool for zip lining and whitewater rafting.
If you did only one place, I can't recommend Lapa Rios or another ecolodge on the Osa Peninsula enough.
Me! We went to Guanacaste for our honeymoon and loved it. We stayed at the Occidental Papagayo, and did some day trips to different areas and just loved everything about it. It's chill, not overly touristy yet, beautiful abd the people were great. There were howler monkeys living in the trees outside our villa.
Same here. We were lucky and found a great local company to do day trips with. We loved going there and will definitely go back. But we'll probably pick a place that isn't as expensive.
This past January we went to the Papagayo peninsula, Rincon de la Vieja, and Tamarindo. No kids. I loved everything and we would happily go back. I have a post about it in my blog if you're interested.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. Mark Twain
We went in 2013 for my SIL's wedding and the kids were 3 and 6. They were married at Rafiki Safari Lodge and that's where we spent the first part of the week. It was fabulous. Gorgeous, the people were nice, the food was good, lots of fun activities (that cost extra - white water rafting, water hike, horseback riding). www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g309269-d530892-Reviews-Rafiki_Safari_Lodge-Province_of_Puntarenas.html
Then we rented a house in Manuel Antonio for the second half of the trip. Some of the group did surfing lessons, there were monkeys everywhere (which the kids loved) and we saw a couple of sloths.
We stayed here as well, but didn't love (or like, really) the resort. We spent 3 days at Rio Celeste hideaway, which is a very small boutique resort in the rainforest. Going to a big AI felt so inauthentic and we left as often as possible to explore on our own. I also got e. coli while there...
I recommend Rio Celeste hideaway to everyone. We took a two day trip to Arenal for some hiking and zip lining. We stayed in a b&b in La fortuna, the majestic, for a night. I wish we stayed there longer but we weren't able to get any money back from the AI once we checked in.
Another day trip we took was out to Rincon de la vieja. Hiking, zip lining, tubing on rapids, etc. We had a car, so we had the ability to travel around as we wanted. It's the best way to see the country.
IMO, costa rica isn't a place to go if you want to stay at an AI. I feel that way about most places, but especially costa rica.
It was our first AI experience as newb international travelers. We won't stay at a resort again in Costa Rica, but I still liked it fine at the time. We're renting a house in January.
Ecoli?! That sucks hard. I'm really sorry that happened to you!
I should probably apologize for how I come across about that place. I'm usually not that annoyed by things on vacation because it's vacation. It actually was nice having the pool there (we spent a day just hanging out at the pool - even organized a volleyball game with a bunch of people who were also there for a while) and we didn't take advantage of the water toys on the beach. But being in CR really brought out a new adventurous side of me that this place just didn't satisfy. It was definitely partially the place and partially what I wanted out of the trip.
Costa Rica is our #1 destination to return to, but it's out right now because of zika.
Also, thank you! I didn't have a bad case. I only went to the doctor because I was starting a new job and I had a required pre-employment physical when I returned. They were like, ummm you just traveled? Go see your GI doctor because there's probably something going on. My GI was pretty surprised that I felt *mostly* okay, considering that strain has put people in the hospital. It definitely could have been worse and I'm SO lucky it didn't ruin much of my vacation. (There was 1 dinner where I ate nothing but rolls... I have to say, the staff was SO nice about it and I could tell they felt really bad for me. They sent us home with a to go container full of bread for me.)
Which parts did you love? Were you with kids or without?
Thanks!
I lived there 16 years ago. I'm sure things have changed. Some things that won't have changed:
1) amazing beaches. I liked the pacific coast. 2) great fruit 3) watching the Arenal at night is fun, but often it't too foggy to see the lava. Go for the hot springs. If it's clear enough to see the lava, that's a plus.
I've been twice and prefer the Manual antionio area. The second time I went to Tarmarindo and that was nice too but I prefer MA. The first time I went with my best friend and the second time I went with my son (10)
Post by snipsnsnails on Jul 1, 2016 14:54:26 GMT -5
You all are so helpful!!!! I think this is a good vacation spot for us as a family. I was looking at it for my DH and I to go at the end of the month, but it seems like a place my kids would love! There's so much to do and so many different ecosystems in one country!
How concerned should I be with Zika? I am not TTC and have no plans to TTC.
You all are so helpful!!!! I think this is a good vacation spot for us as a family. I was looking at it for my DH and I to go at the end of the month, but it seems like a place my kids would love! There's so much to do and so many different ecosystems in one country!
How concerned should I be with Zika? I am not TTC and have no plans to TTC.
I'd say little to none at all. Just use bug spray (which you'll want to anyway!). We're actively TTC, so that's why we aren't planning a trip there any time soon.
I think it will be a really fun place to take kids. Just be careful. A lot of the roads aren't paved and the ones that are have low speed limits. Places that look close on a map might be a few hours drive.
We did three nights each at four different places. I LOVED El Silencio Lodge and Lapa Rios. People seem to love Arenal Nayara, but I wasn't a huge fan of the hotel. Arenal was cool for zip lining and whitewater rafting.
If you did only one place, I can't recommend Lapa Rios or another ecolodge on the Osa Peninsula enough.
You all are so helpful!!!! I think this is a good vacation spot for us as a family. I was looking at it for my DH and I to go at the end of the month, but it seems like a place my kids would love! There's so much to do and so many different ecosystems in one country!
How concerned should I be with Zika? I am not TTC and have no plans to TTC.
Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention. Rainy season, means RAINY SEASON. It rains for hours most days and you should avoid driving at times because of the risk of flash floods (mountains+heavy rains). Costa Rica is lovely December through March. I would be very careful to research what the weather is like where you plan to go during July. Of course, vacation is different from regular life and working. You can adapt to weather rather than slog through it. I'd think Arenal and rain forrest would be pretty grey. I think the carribean coast can be better than the pacific at that time even if the beaches aren't quite as nice on average.
You all are so helpful!!!! I think this is a good vacation spot for us as a family. I was looking at it for my DH and I to go at the end of the month, but it seems like a place my kids would love! There's so much to do and so many different ecosystems in one country!
How concerned should I be with Zika? I am not TTC and have no plans to TTC.
If you're not TTC, I wouldn't worry about it. I'd worry more about malaria, and CR has done a pretty good job of addressing that. I did not take anti-malarials there and never had a problem. Use bug spray and cover up in the evenings and you should be ok.
Sonrisa is right, though, the wet season is wet, though things are increasingly unpredictable with climate change. You might get lucky but you might not. The Caribbean side tends to be dry when the Pacific side isn't, so it might be better to think about that if you have to go this summer.
We went to the Osa Peninsula, Arenal, and Tamarindo. Lots of wildlife in the first place. Volcano in the second. White people in the third. (No need to go to Tamagringo -- we were there only for a wedding.)
"Everything has been so wet for so long you can never feel dry again" rain. In July, I'd go to Guatemala instead. But I don't know about taking small kids. Diarrhea sucks and it's impossible to keep a baby from drinking bathwater. As a couple, I'd be happy to make suggestions :-)
However, there really is a difference between working and vacationing. Plus I lived in the mountains near San Jose not on the coast.
Is there a destination you want to see where the drop in the british pound would help with costs? you are on the right coast...
we did manuel antonio, playa hermosa, and jaco. first two were great. jaco was meh & kinda seedy after staying near rainforest & on the beach in manuel antonio and playa hermosa. we went as a couple, no kids.
Heh, so, how rainy is RAINY? I'd it like a deluge in the afternoon that goes away after a bit or consistently raining all day?
It can be either. Some days it's grey and drizzly all day; some days it's sunny in the morning and downpours in the afternoon. For the record, I was there last summer in June/July and went to the central pacific coast twice (Dominical/Uvita) - the first time we were hit by an afternoon storm that you wouldn't believe and the second time it was beautiful for two days straight. It's super variable, but the later you get into the rainy season, the wetter it gets. There is a brief window in July called the Veranillo de San Juan (San Juan's little summer) that is awesome but difficult to predict - if you hit that, you'd be golden.
Honestly, if you go into it expecting some rain, you'll be fine. I've been to the beach plenty of times during the US summer and can't remember a bad experience. But if you want crystal clear skies every day for your beach vacation, it's probably not the right timing.
Is there a destination you want to see where the drop in the british pound would help with costs? you are on the right coast...
DH is hesitant to do anywhere in Europe right now due to travel advisories for parts. We disagree, but so far he's still hesitant.
This shouldn't be as hard as it is. Ha. We have as many days as we need at the end of July/start of August, a 4-5k budget and a DH that likes relaxation with a wife that likes adventure. I hear the Jersey Turnpike is nice this time of year. : /