Cancellations:
Refund Schedule |
| Days before trip |
Cancellation penalty |
| 60+ (within 5 days of registration) |
None |
| 60 + |
deposit |
| 30-59 |
50% of trip cost |
| 0-29 |
75% of trip cost |
- Travel insurance is required and the recommended plan will cover cancellations of up $500 for eligible reasons (see
Description of Coverage)
- If the trip is canceled due to lack of participants, you will be given a full refund
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Extended Stay:
You may stay longer or arrive earlier.
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Flights:
- Airfare is not included in the group cost.
- Most people will make their own arrangements, although a group flight can be arranged for those interested.
- You should arrive into San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) no later than 5pm.
- Keep in mind that flights are generally most affordable approximately 3-4 months from departure, although availability on specific flights can start to become tight.
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Hotels:
It is very important to know what to expect regarding hotels; hotels in Costa Rica are not like Cancun or Mazatlan in regard to size. Tourism is on a relatively small scale, and almost all hotels are locally owned and have a lot of local flavor and embrace the biodiversity of Costa Rica. Very few hotels are more than 2 or 3 stories in Costa Rica. That said, Joe has personally visited many hotels there in search of ideal ones for this group, looking for friendly and helpful staff, personal attentiveness, cleanliness, charm, comfort, and affordable price. An examples of places we might stay is
www.monoazul.com
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Minors:
This will be looked at on a case-by-case basis. Generally, minors will be accompanied by a responsible adult.
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Passports:
Passports are required to fly into all foreign countries. It costs approximately $100 and takes about 10 weeks to receive. Expedited service is available.
Click here
for official information.
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Payments:
|
Payment Schedule
|
| Days before trip |
Payment |
| Anytime |
$200 deposit secures your spot |
| 60 |
Balance due |
Registrations within 60 days of departure require full payment within 5 days of registration.
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Safety:
Overall, Costa Rica is a safe country place to travel to, and has been quite stable politically, socially, and economically for many years. Like any other place, Costa Rica has its good and bad areas. As a foreigner, you are less aware of some dangers, making safety a bigger concern than being at home. We take you to overall safe places that we are familiar with, use a very safe driver, and will regularly give you safety 'briefings' throughout the trip as we go to new areas. You will receive more information with tips for staying safe.
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Spanish - must I speak it?:
Spanish is not required unless noted. Many people, especially in the tourist industry,speak English in Costa Rica. Of course, the more the better.
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Seasons:
Costa Rica has two seasons: rainy and dry. To the tourist, there are positives and negatives to both. Temperature has more to do with the region you visit than the time of the year. In general, expect to visit a variety of regions, some hot and sunny and some cooler.
| Dry Season (also "high" season) |
Rainy season (also "low" and "green" season) |
| more expensive |
cheaper |
| more tourists |
less tourists |
| predictably sunny and hot weather |
daily showers common, just a couple hours |
| some areas very brown |
foliage is green and lush |
| some rivers and waterfalls dry up |
rivers and waterfalls full |
| better for scuba and snorkeling |
bad for scuba and snorkeling |
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Single travelers:
Single travelers are strongly encouraged to come. You will likely get to know other traveler's very quickly.
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Who can go?:
The important thing is that you agree with principals of the trip and are physically able to participate. It is common that people bring their siblings, parents, children, and friends.