Preview Free New Costa Rica Guidebook of Tips on the Insider’s Journey. 

 

Chapter 1 – A Tourist Well-Traveled.

The first chapter begins. Read the beginning of

Chapter 1 – A Tourist Well-Traveled.

Even crap on my shoe wasn’t going to ruin my day, for I was going to the beach. The car was jammed full of supplies; the kids buckled in; the warm Caribbean called, nothing would stop us on our mission to find fun in paradise.

Packing up for a trip is exciting and stressful. Making it all happen with small…(…read more…)

 

1. Let Go

With your first step onto Costa Rican soil, your comfort zone will be challenged. Swing from trees; bobble down…(…read more…)

2. Leave Room for Error

Sit down. Write out what you want to do; where you’d like to go; when you’re going to get there; and whom you’re doing it with. An experienced travel agent (tip 75) will help with this. The Internet is invaluable in many parts of the country, but guess what? You are going to a ...(…read more…)

3. Copy the Passport

According to Costa Rican law, you must travel with a copy of your information page from your passport – the one with all the data and your photo – plus a copy of your entry stamp into Costa Rica. Avoid carrying the original if you don’t have to. Lock it in a safe. I’ve gone a step further and (…read more…)

4. Drink Bottled Water

It almost goes without saying, but I’ll just repeat it here for fun’s sake: Drink bottled water. This is just a practical tip for traveling anywhere. The water all over Costa Rica is potable, but you’re traveling. Different critters live in foreign waters that your system may consider unfriendly.  Bottled water can be purchased everywhere.

Also consider carefully…(…read more…)

5 & 6. Omitted in Preview Copy.

7. Get Moving Early.

One of the reasons Costa Rica is so beautiful is all that rain. There is a dry season in the Central Valley, December through April, but don’t be alarmed if …(…see photo and read more…)

8. Rubber Bands, Safety Pins and Plastic Baggies
Toss a few of each in one of those side pockets you never use on your backpack. I actually have no idea what you will need them for, but they take up little space for unexpected emergencies. It will be a stroke of luck to be in the thick of a …(read more…)

9 & 10. Omitted in Preview Copy.

11. Sunscreen, Please
I know, I know, you want to get a tan. Return to the North with a golden glow – a prize to show the poor chums stuck in the gray clouds of winter. But don’t over do it! Do not forget Costa Rica is quite close to the equator – ten degrees – give or take a peninsula. That makes a huge difference to tender…(read more…)

12. Pack the Kids

Strollers are challenging here. The sidewalks are the pits and have you ever tried to push those little plastic wheels on the sand? A big-wheeled jogging stroller is great, but how to get it on the plane? I wrestle with these questions every time I travel with my kids. Consider a…(see photos and  read more…)

13. Plugged In.

You got the gorgeous shots! The kids! the family! The images are fabulous! As you unpack the day’s camera equipment or other apparatus that needs electricity to run, you may notice some odd…(see photo and read more…)

14. Dig Deep for Patience

You may going to get lost; or there will be a mud slide; or the overloaded truck in front of you will lumber uphill and spit out a nasty diesel fume; or one of the kids looks pale and is about to…(read more and see photo…)

15, 16, & 17 Omitted in Preview Copy

18. Bring a Map or Two

In Costa Rica, there are no street signs and rarely house numbers. Getting from here to there involves knowledge of the metric system; understanding a bit of Spanish; keen eyesight; perhaps a…(read more…)

19.  Omitted in Preview Copy

20. Take a Taxi Instead

Taxis are a good way to get around. Red cars with yellow triangles on the side are official taxis. The meter is affectionately called…(read more…)

21. Or Bus It

It may seem like cars rule here, but the majority of Costa Ricans take the bus. It’s widely available in the city and on to the beaches. That said, they are buses. Often, but not always, they can be…(read more…)