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February 5, 2015 at 7:01 pm in reply to: Private: Groupon Costa Rica: Don’t Be Fooled By “Deals” Like These #194981
Nikki SolanoKeymasterProfessor Crunchy –
Yikes! That is awful! There is nothing worse than finding a great “deal” only to uncover its layers and find out that the base cost is way more than what is advertised. I hate that we had to write a blog post on this topic at all (and I hate that you have found out the same for yourself) but I am glad to hear that you took the extra step of inquiring with the trip provider directly. Regardless of whether you book their package in the end or not, at least you won’t be incredibly surprised later as you can plan for the extra “fees” in advance. Your note about the “all-inclusive resort” stay not actually including the all-inclusive resort meal plan is sneaky. I couldn’t imagine checking in at my hotel once in-country (ready for an all-inclusive trip) and learning on the spot that my inclusive trip wasn’t so inclusive at all. What a vacation downer.
For group travel and considering non-Groupon trip options, you are 100% correct – Pura Vida! eh? Inc. was designed to help travellers build their own custom Costa Rica trips (ie. families, couples, independent backpackers, etc.) and not those looking for a group travel experience (ie. where the group travellers from place to place together, stays at the same hotel together, etc.). For the “deal” you spotted through Groupon, is it a group travel package? I don’t usually see group travel trips to Costa Rica advertised on Groupon, but I also have not been on their website in ages and things could have certainly changed since I last poked my head around online.
Pura vida! 🙂February 1, 2015 at 8:54 pm in reply to: How To Make A Day Trip To Monteverde From La Fortuna / Arenal (Or Vice Versa) #194718Nikki SolanoKeymasterHi again billjoehunter!
Sounds good! Let us know how everything goes. 🙂
Pura vida!
February 1, 2015 at 5:48 pm in reply to: How To Make A Day Trip To Monteverde From La Fortuna / Arenal (Or Vice Versa) #194716Nikki SolanoKeymasterHi billjoehunter!
That’s great to hear! We’d love to read it when it becomes available. Will you be staying overnight in Monteverde or will you be visiting the destination as part of a day trip?
Pura vida! 🙂
February 1, 2015 at 5:04 pm in reply to: How To Decide Between La Fortuna / Arenal or Monteverde (or Why You Should Visit Both) #194963Nikki SolanoKeymasterHi Lori!
Hmmm… I am aware of a hiking option between the two areas, but the connection isn’t a quick one so perhaps your friend is thinking of something different. The hike I have in mind is run by ACMCR. It exists between the San Gerardo Biological Station in Monteverde (roughly a 1-hour hike is required to get to the station from beyond the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Biological Reserve) and El Castillo in the Arenal region (an approximate half-hour drive from downtown La Fortuna). Excluding the hour-long hike required to reach the biological station, the hike from there to El Castillo is another approximate 6 hours. 🙁 There are a few other trails that lead from one area (Monteverde) to the other (La Fortuna/Arenal) but they are longer in length, hike duration, and require an overnight stay, so I doubt these are what your friend had in mind.
Pura vida! 🙂
January 27, 2015 at 8:47 pm in reply to: Best Hot Springs In Arenal: We Compare All 14 La Fortuna Hot Springs #195013Nikki SolanoKeymasterHey Robin!
We love hot springs too! These exist in areas where volcanoes are present, and the two most popular destinations in Costa Rica where you can find them are the La Fortuna and Rincon De La Vieja regions. The Rincon De La Vieja area is more remote. Since you mentioned that you would like to visit a place with hot springs where you can eat and sleep, we would recommend the La Fortuna/Arenal area given its multitude of accommodation and dining options (you can learn more about the destination by reading our city guide: Must-Know Info About La Fortuna Costa Rica From Longtime Residents). La Fortuna is home to many unique, public hot springs properties; of the top choices, these ones have hotels and at least one restaurant on-site: Baldi, Tabacon, Springs Resort, Paradise, and Los Lagos. Other hotels in the La Fortuna/Arenal area also have hot springs (and a restaurant) on-site, but the pools tend to be smaller and private for overnight guests. You can learn more about the top public hot springs in La Fortuna here:
Baldi Hot Springs Review: La Fortuna Hot Springs Guide
Tabacon Hot Springs Review: La Fortuna Hot Springs Guide
Springs Resort Hot Springs Review: La Fortuna Hot Springs Guide
EcoTermales Hot Springs Review: La Fortuna Hot Springs Guide
Los Lagos Hot Springs Review: La Fortuna Hot Springs Guide
Paradise Hot Springs Review: La Fortuna Hot Springs GuideIf you decide to go to Rincon de la Vieja, check out Hacienda Guachipelin; it owns the Rio Negro Hot Springs, which is about a 10-minute drive from Hacienda Guachipelin’s accommodations. Of course, if your vacation time, itinerary, and budget permit, you could always plan to visit both the La Fortuna and Rincon de la Vieja areas during your trip. They’re about a 3.5-hour drive from each other.
Pura vida! 🙂
January 27, 2015 at 8:44 pm in reply to: Best Ziplines in Costa Rica: Comparing 6 in Arenal and Monteverde #196175Nikki SolanoKeymasterHey Cooper!
Great question! Some zip-line operators will not allow children to run cables with a parent for liability purposes, but most will allow children (who meet their minimum age limit to participate in the tour) to run cables with one of the canopy tour guides if need be. I’d recommend going with either Sky Adventures‘s “Sky Trek Canopy Tour” run in the La Fortuna/Arenal area or Sky Adventures‘s “Sky Trek Canopy Tour” run in the Monteverde area. Both of these tours use an automatic braking system that is easier for children to operate when they opt to run a cable on their own. For more information about these two tours, don’t miss our related blog posts:
Arenal Sky Trek Canopy Ziplining Tour: Everything You Need To Know
Monteverde Sky Trek Canopy Ziplining Tour: Everything You Need To KnowPura vida! 🙂
January 26, 2015 at 1:51 pm in reply to: El Salto Costa Rica: Free Tarzan Rope Swing And Swimming Holes In La Fortuna / Arenal #196392Nikki SolanoKeymasterHi Kara!
Great question! There is no taxi stop directly at El Salto, so taxis don’t automatically visit the location. Taxis often drive along the road that El Salto sits along, though, so you could take your chances at hailing one. The best plan would be to call a taxi from El Salto when you want to be picked up, assuming you plan to travel with a cellphone. If worse comes to worse and you cannot catch a ride, you can walk back to town (the walk is about 20 minutes to La Fortuna center).
Pura vida! 🙂
January 20, 2015 at 3:34 pm in reply to: Private: Choosing A Costa Rica Hotel: Why Location Is Key #194757Nikki SolanoKeymasterHello Wagner Shaves!
Thanks so much for your kind comments and the great tip! We touch on some of the “do’s and “don’ts” of Costa Rica travel in our related blog post Our Master List Of Costa Rica Do’s And Don’ts. Also, we cover safety in Costa Rica in our related blog post Costa Rica Safety Guide: Is Costa Rica Safe? Yes, If You Do This..
Pura vida! 🙂
January 17, 2015 at 6:29 pm in reply to: How To Plan A Trip To Costa Rica For Free Step By Step #194735Nikki SolanoKeymasterHi fallingoffbicycles!
That’s great to hear! We wish you a wonderful time. 🙂
Pura vida!
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