costa rica travel warnings
Any tips, insights or warnings for traveling to costa rica?
I am looking for feedback from folks who may have visited Costa Rica. Specifically, I’d be interested in tips, warnings or suggestions from personal experience. I’ll be traveling throughout the country – rain forest, Gulf coast beach and volcano plains. Aside from getting vaccinations, what should a first-time visitor be prepared for?
Tips & Insights: Be careful with your money and don’t flash wads of cash. Don’t carry valuables with you. Don’t drive in San Jose (trust me on this one). Experience as much as possible, there is so much to do and see and try doing as much as you can as your time/money allows. Oh, and definately zip line (canopy tour)- it is so much fun! Meet the people – they are so kind and will add color to your entire trip. Don’t forget to tip. In regards to vaccinations, I never get them. However, if you are going hiking in the Limon area or close to the Nicaraguan border, you should do the malaria thing, otherwise just be liberal with your bug spray and you should be fine. Whenever you are in a new region, take a guided hike before hiking on your own. You want to know what you can touch and can’t touch and behind what flowers the vipers are hiding. They have some poison fauna here that makes poison ivy look like a pleasant experience. Don’t ever leave your hotel without your camera, because that is when you’ll see the perfect thing you want to capture and you’ll be without. Murphy’s law.
Warnings: You may not want to ever leave.
Edit: Pink Diamond is correct, the crime rate isn’t that bad, just use common sense as you would anywhere else you are unfamiliar. Costaricanativa is correct on many things but I think is a little over the top. Dengue fever is in CR but it isn’t that common. Malaria is only located in a couple of areas. Check out this website for the straight shoot on disease in CR: http://www.therealcostarica.com/health_education_costa_rica/disease_costa_rica.html
Also, I always get ice in my drinks, I eat salad and fresh fruit by the ton when in CR. I was told on my first trip that the water (unless in very very rural areas) was safe, and I’ve never had a problem. Take a few precautions, but no need to fester over it.
12-24-09 Coconut Harrys Surf Report Nosara Costa Rica