costa rica jewelry
Have you ever gone to costa rica with Caravan Tours? Tell me how you liked it!?
Going on a 9 day trip to Costa Rica with Caravan Tours. Do you have any reviews about the hotels there, the food the serve, the hospitality, and your over all experience. Where staying at the Barcello Palacio, Laguna Lodge( I heard it had roaches all over it), Magic Mountain, Double tree resort, and Aurola Hotel.
Just any conserns i should have for anything ( besides the usuall sun- burn, bugs, and common stuff)
I know there a pick pockets there and that scared me I plan to have a small backpack on me at all times ( i dont plan to wear like jewelry or bring expensive things except for camera and Ipod) should I be worried about this
Suzie Homemaker and I have very different opinions of Costa Rica. She is the only person I’ve ever heard talk negativily about their experience (outside of San Jose, which is kind of a dump). Most people love it. Americans are moving down there in droves. They have entire neighborhoods where Americans come to live. This isn’t a bad place, and most people have an excellent experience. However, with her list of illness, I suspect she was probably sick before she got off the plane and didn’t know it due to incubation periods. Regardless, not everyone who goes to Paris has a fantastic time, so I guess not everyones experience in Costa Rica is perfect either.
I have never gotton sick, and I use icecubes and eat salad. I do drink bottled water, but only because it’s offered everywhere. Except in extreme rural areas, the water in Costa Rica has been deemed safe, but it never hurts to be a little cautious.
I’ve never had a problem with any restarant or with any food service. I’ve never gotten ill from eating there. I actually eat better in CR than I do at home. Lots of fresh fruit and lots of beans and rice.
As far as crime goes, it isn’t worse than anywhere else you’ve probably gone. Just don’t do anything in Costa Rica that you wouldn’t feel comfortable doing anywhere in America you are traveling too and you’ll be fine. The crime rate is much lower than the US, and the petty theft is their biggest problem (not unlike Washington DC, New York, or Paris). Don’t make yourself a target, use common sense, and no will bother you.
As far as hospitaility goes – I’ve found Costa Rica to be the most hospitable country I have ever visited. The people are open and friendly, and so happy all the time it about makes me nautious (just kidding, well kind of, lol). Costa Rica is the wealthiest of all the Latin American countries and they owe that primarily to tourism. They are very grateful to have the American tourist visiting and spending their American dollars, because it means there families live better than their counterparts in Nicaragua or El Savador. I have never had a problem with any hotel personal, any restarant personal or any tour guides. The people are actually the primary reason I continue to go back.
As far as other things:
- make sure you have an extra memory card and extra batteries for your camera. You don’t ever want to be without, because guareteed, you’ll be kicking yourself.
- Bring extra socks, and if you plan on doing any hiking in the mountains, you may want to consider hiking boots/shoes. Not everywhere I’ve hiked I’ve needed it, but I was really happy to have them in Arenol National Park.
- If you are going during the summer, couldn’t hurt to have a poncho incase you get stuck out in the rain.
I’ve never taken an organized tour. I always arrange my own itinerary and transportation. However, I’ve looked at this tour company before and it looks nice, however – I can’t give you any first had experience with it.
That should pretty much cover it. To be honest, they only thing I worry about packing is my sunscreen, bugspray & camera. Anything else I remember to pack is frosting 
costa rica