Moon Costa Rica (Moon Handbooks)
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Moon Costa Rica (Moon Handbooks) Paperback – December 3, 2013
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Best of Costa Rica:
Few visitors have time to explore Costa Rica from tip to toe, but the following itinerary takes in half a dozen of the best national parks, a potpourri of active adventures, and many of the best sights.
Day 1
Arrive in San José. Take the afternoon to visit the Museo del Jade and Museo del Oro Precolombino, then dinner at Hotel Grano de Oro.
Day 2
An early-morning visit to Parque Nacional Volcán Poás is followed by a visit to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. In the late afternoon, get a feel for Costa Rica’s coffee culture with a tour at Café Britt or Doka Estate.
Days 3–4
Head to La Fortuna and fill your days with hiking at Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal; a ride on the Sky Tram, including the zip line; and a soak at Tabacón Hot Springs. A traditional meal at Choza de Laurel is a good way to end the day.
Day 5
Transfer via Laguna de Arenal and Tilarán to Monteverde, where the Monteverde Lodge makes a fine base. After lunch, head to Selvatura for a canopy adventure.
Day 6
Rise early for a guided hike in Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve or Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. In the afternoon, visit the Serpentario and Frog Pond. In the evening, take a guided twilight walk at Bajo del Tigre.
Day 7
Transfer to Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja. After settling in at one of the nature lodges that double as activity centers, you’ll want to visit the bubbling mud pools and fumaroles and partake of canopy tours, horseback riding, and hikes.
Day 8
Today, it’s the Nicoya Peninsula and Tamarindo, arriving in time for lunch at a beachfront restaurant. This evening, head to Playa Grande to witness marine turtles laying eggs (in season)—you’ll need to make reservations.
Day 9
Head south to Nosara via Ostional National Wildlife Refuge. If you’re driving, the coast road will prove an adventure. With good timing and prior planning, you can visit the turtle arribada at Ostional.
Days 10–11
Travel to Manuel Antonio for wildlife-viewing, snorkeling, and relaxing in and around Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio. The resort hotels here offer superb accommodations, and there are plenty of excellent restaurants and a lively night scene.
Days 12–13
Transfer to the Osa Peninsula for more rugged adventure. A guided hike along coastal and rainforest trails in Parque Nacional Corcovado leads to waterfalls and offers phenomenal wildlife sightings.
Day 14
Return to San José for your homeward flight, or extend your trip and fly to Tortuguero, where you can explore Parque Nacional Tortuguero by canoe or boat.
Few visitors have time to explore Costa Rica from tip to toe, but the following itinerary takes in half a dozen of the best national parks, a potpourri of active adventures, and many of the best sights.
Day 1
Arrive in San José. Take the afternoon to visit the Museo del Jade and Museo del Oro Precolombino, then dinner at Hotel Grano de Oro.
Day 2
An early-morning visit to Parque Nacional Volcán Poás is followed by a visit to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. In the late afternoon, get a feel for Costa Rica’s coffee culture with a tour at Café Britt or Doka Estate.
Days 3–4
Head to La Fortuna and fill your days with hiking at Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal; a ride on the Sky Tram, including the zip line; and a soak at Tabacón Hot Springs. A traditional meal at Choza de Laurel is a good way to end the day.
Day 5
Transfer via Laguna de Arenal and Tilarán to Monteverde, where the Monteverde Lodge makes a fine base. After lunch, head to Selvatura for a canopy adventure.
Day 6
Rise early for a guided hike in Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve or Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. In the afternoon, visit the Serpentario and Frog Pond. In the evening, take a guided twilight walk at Bajo del Tigre.
Day 7
Transfer to Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja. After settling in at one of the nature lodges that double as activity centers, you’ll want to visit the bubbling mud pools and fumaroles and partake of canopy tours, horseback riding, and hikes.
Day 8
Today, it’s the Nicoya Peninsula and Tamarindo, arriving in time for lunch at a beachfront restaurant. This evening, head to Playa Grande to witness marine turtles laying eggs (in season)—you’ll need to make reservations.
Day 9
Head south to Nosara via Ostional National Wildlife Refuge. If you’re driving, the coast road will prove an adventure. With good timing and prior planning, you can visit the turtle arribada at Ostional.
Days 10–11
Travel to Manuel Antonio for wildlife-viewing, snorkeling, and relaxing in and around Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio. The resort hotels here offer superb accommodations, and there are plenty of excellent restaurants and a lively night scene.
Days 12–13
Transfer to the Osa Peninsula for more rugged adventure. A guided hike along coastal and rainforest trails in Parque Nacional Corcovado leads to waterfalls and offers phenomenal wildlife sightings.
Day 14
Return to San José for your homeward flight, or extend your trip and fly to Tortuguero, where you can explore Parque Nacional Tortuguero by canoe or boat.
About the Author
Christopher P. Baker was born and raised in Yorkshire, England. He received a B.A. in geography from University College, London, and masters degrees in Latin American studies from Liverpool University and in education from the Institute of Education, London University.
He began his writing career in 1978 as contributing editor on Latin America for Land & Liberty, a London-based political journal. In 1980 he received a Scripps-Howard Foundation Scholarship in Journalism to attend the University of California, Berkeley.
Since 1983, Christopher has made his living as a professional travel writer, photographer, speaker, and international tour guide. He is acclaimed for his specialist knowledge of Cuba and Costa Rica, about which he has written 10 books, and created the Costa Rica ¡Pura Vida! travel app. His many books include Moon Cuba and Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba, winner of both the 2002 Lowell Thomas Award for Best Travel Book and the North American Travel Journalist Association's Grand Prize. He has contributed to more than 150 publications worldwide, including Caribbean Travel & Life, Maxim, National Geographic Traveler, The Robb Report, and the Los Angeles Times.
Christopher has been profiled in USA Today; appears frequently on radio and television talk shows and as a guest-lecturer aboard cruise ships; and has been privileged to address such organizations as the National Press Club, the World Affairs Council, and the National Geographic Society (on the televised show Live from National Geographic). He is a National Geographic Resident Expert and escorts cruise-tours of Costa Rica and Panama for National Geographic Expeditions and Smithsonian Journeys.
His many awards include the prestigious 2008 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year, from the Society of American Travel Writers, and Travel Journalist of the Year from the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Jamaica Tourist Board.
He began his writing career in 1978 as contributing editor on Latin America for Land & Liberty, a London-based political journal. In 1980 he received a Scripps-Howard Foundation Scholarship in Journalism to attend the University of California, Berkeley.
Since 1983, Christopher has made his living as a professional travel writer, photographer, speaker, and international tour guide. He is acclaimed for his specialist knowledge of Cuba and Costa Rica, about which he has written 10 books, and created the Costa Rica ¡Pura Vida! travel app. His many books include Moon Cuba and Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba, winner of both the 2002 Lowell Thomas Award for Best Travel Book and the North American Travel Journalist Association's Grand Prize. He has contributed to more than 150 publications worldwide, including Caribbean Travel & Life, Maxim, National Geographic Traveler, The Robb Report, and the Los Angeles Times.
Christopher has been profiled in USA Today; appears frequently on radio and television talk shows and as a guest-lecturer aboard cruise ships; and has been privileged to address such organizations as the National Press Club, the World Affairs Council, and the National Geographic Society (on the televised show Live from National Geographic). He is a National Geographic Resident Expert and escorts cruise-tours of Costa Rica and Panama for National Geographic Expeditions and Smithsonian Journeys.
His many awards include the prestigious 2008 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year, from the Society of American Travel Writers, and Travel Journalist of the Year from the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Jamaica Tourist Board.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By
GainesvilleGuy
on March 10, 2014
Format: Paperback
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The Moon guide was chock full of information, much of it very helpful in preparing us for our trip to Costa Rica. Highly recommended. If I were to critique it I would say that the author has taken a lot of care to be informative, objective, and neutral, but the downside is that you need to study the guide to understand the information because there's so much info and the author doesn't steer you a lot. For instance, it encouraged us to stay in the Monteverde area, which turned out to be great advice, but we thought we'd be closer to Arenal volcano, which was not even viewable from Monteverde or the surrounding area. Similarly, the descriptions of the different Playas in Guanacaste didn't seem to differentiate the places as much as they could have, which made the descriptions a little less helpful than they could have been in picking a place to stay (example: Playa Hermosa has virtually no town, which I didn't pick up from the guide's description). Note that if the description of your hotel doesn't contain any superlatives, it's probably because the hotel doesn't deserve any (though the author won't come right out and say so). Overall the guide was well worth having. The seller delivered it in the condition and timeframe advertised, though it took a good bit longer (16 days) to receive it than other books I've ordered from Amazon, which required me to do some cramming to extract the needed information before leaving on our trip. Not ordering it earlier was my fault, but an earlier delivery would have been helpful, so arrange to get it well in advance of your trip to get the most out of it.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By
Jill Weber Friesen
on February 13, 2014
Format: Paperback
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Planning a special trip to a foreign country can be a daunting task, especially when you have limited time and much to see. The Moon series of travel books makes the experience enjoyable. On our recent trip to Costa Rica my husband and I relied solely on Moon recommendations for sightseeing, accommodations, and regions to visit. We had limited time and wanted to maximize our experiencing in this amazing country.
Moon made planning the trip simple with excellent reviews, highlights of top tourist attractions, and a realistic plan of what can be accomplished in limited time. Having a printed book ensured we always had quick and easy access to the information we needed. The maps and other travel tips helped us keep our bearings throughout our trip.
We will not travel abroad without a Moon Handbook!
Jill Weber Friesen
Canada
Moon made planning the trip simple with excellent reviews, highlights of top tourist attractions, and a realistic plan of what can be accomplished in limited time. Having a printed book ensured we always had quick and easy access to the information we needed. The maps and other travel tips helped us keep our bearings throughout our trip.
We will not travel abroad without a Moon Handbook!
Jill Weber Friesen
Canada
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By
Michael Alterowitz
on February 21, 2014
Format: Paperback
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The guide provides plenty of useful information for my upcoming trip. I have used it for all of my accommodations.
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By
Cavewoman15
on July 15, 2014
Format: Paperback
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good information about the many places to visit in costa rica. a great read!
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By
M. Reid
on September 26, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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I found the book very helpful in planning my trip next year. Can't wait.
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