A high-energy, action-packed itinerary, experiencing a bit of everything: volcanoes, beaches, and rainforest.

Included activities:Caving, Tabacon hot springs + dinner, canopy tour, whitewater rafting

Also includes bilingual guide, 9 meals, airport transfers, travel insurance, taxes (except $26 departure tax)

Transport: Private van and driver	Hotels: moderate
Meals Included: 9	Group Size: 10

Important predeparture info!

• Make two photocopies of your passport (one for you to pack, one to give to Joe)
• Within 72 hours of departure, check flight times, just in case there was a change. Use the ‘locator’ on your flight itinerary/receipt and go to www.Continental.com .  Your seat arrangements have already been made so you’ll be with your family on all flights.  You can also apply this flight to your frequent flyer account here.
• Contact your credit card company before you leave and notify them that you'll be using your card abroad. Otherwise they may reject your transactions on the basis of suspicious activity.  
• At the airport in the baggage area (or at a bank in the US), change $50 into colones. The rate at the banks in Costa Rica is about 500 colones = $1.

Spending Money: A lot depends upon how you spend your money, but here are some tips:

• food - $150 (at 3 meals a day, you'll need: 7 dinners, 6 lunches, and 1 breakfast) 
• departure tax - $26
• tips - $25-75
• optional activities - $50-200
• misc spending $100-300

So that's about $350 - 750

Money:

It is best to bring cash, traveler's checks, and a credit card. There is no guarantee that you will be able to take cash out of a cash machine.

Recommendations:

• bring about $300 per person in cash to start
• bills no larger than $20
• separate your money, i.e. $150 on you and $150 in a suitcase

Credit/debit card: Use this whenever possible (watch for additional fees, though). This will work well for more mid to high range restaurants, souvenir shops, and optional activities over $15. Some ATM's accept some US debit cards to withdraw cash; this cannot be depended upon.

Cash: You'll use this when you can't use your credit card

Traveler's checks: This is backup, in case you run out of cash and have problems with your credit/debit card.

Changing money: Trips to the bank can be very slow and inconvenient. When you first get to Costa Rica, you should change $50 per person at the airport into colones. Many restaurants and souvenir shops will accept dollars. You can also arrange to change dollars with Joe; please allow 48 hours if he needs to go to the bank.

*Note- be sure to contact your credit card company before you leave and notify them that you'll be using your card abroad. Otherwise they may reject your transactions on the basis of suspicious activity.

Hotels It is very important to know what to expect regarding hotels; it won't be anything like Cancun or Mazatlan in regard to size. Tourism is on a relatively small scale in Costa Rica, and almost all hotels are locally owned and have a lot of local flavor and embrace the biodiversity of Costa Rica. Very few are more than 2 or 3 stories. Further, often hotels cannot be built on the beach in order to preserve the beaches.

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 http://www.monterealhotel.com/ .

Hotel upgrades Room standards vary by region, based on climate. For example, in the Central Valley, it stays cool enough where air conditioning is not necessary. Any room upgrade options will be given during regisration.

Meals:  9 meals are included; the exact meals will be indicated in your detailed itinerary you will receive. Meals are included to expedite and simplify payment when we eat together, to reduce the dependence on cash for participants (trips to the bank can be slow), and because many hotels include breakfast.

Flights:  

• Your seats have been preassigned to have all the family together on flights in and out of Costa Rica

Arrival:  

You will be greeted at the airport by your driver and guide. This is included in the price of your trip. Just go out the airport exit (there's just one) after the baggage claim

Must I speak Spanish? :  No problem! You’ll be fine. Many people, especially in the tourist industry,speak English in Costa Rica.

Responsibility:

Respect for the group, communities, and environments we visit is a vital part of this trip. We as travelers have a responsibility to minimize our impact on the people and environments we visit. Drugs and prostitution are things no community we visit wants.  Use and/or possession of illegal drugs will not be tolerated as it defies laws of the land, and puts you and the group at risk.  The exploitation of prostitutes also goes against this standard of respect. We reserve the right to expel any member of the group if drugs are found in their possession or they solicit prostitutes.

PassportPassports are required to enter Costa Rica. It costs approximately $100 and takes about 10 weeks to receive. Expedited service is available. Click here for official information.

Seasons and weather Costa Rica has two seasons: rainy and dry. To the traveler there are positives and negatives to both. Temperature has more to do with the region you visit than the time of the year.

We will be in warm areas (70's and 80's F)

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 few 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

Water Water is generally safe to drink in Costa Rica. That said, our bodies often do not respond well to a lot of sudden change and stress. It is recommended that you primarily drink bottled water as a measure to help ensure that no one gets sick. An occassional glass of water at a restaurant or ice in a drink is not a concern. It is very important that you drink a lot of water every day as well.

Extended Stay You may arrive earlier or stay later if you'd like. You just need to arrive to the designated meeting place at the designated time.

Adventure Activities

A number of great and exciting activities are already including in the tour cost.  There is free time built into the itinerary to either relax and explore on your own, or to take part in an offered optional activity.  These activities were carefully selected to all be special and unique opportunities, as well as considering cost.  By already having the bus, some tours that you may otherwise pay $35 for, for example, will only cost you $5-10.  A couple of the more expensive tours were carefully selected for their uniqueness and quality, or because participants have requested them.  Links are provided if you want to research them more; otherwise more info will be given to you during the trip. All prices are per person and are estimates.
__ $8 – La Fortuna waterfall  
__ $5 – Arenal Observatory Lodge
__ $10-15 –Volcan Tenorio national park (day trips usually cost about $100)
__ $10 Manuel Antonio national park
__ $26 – Second hot spring spa
__ $50 – Horseback riding
__ $70 – Sunset sail and snorkel
__ $150 (w/4) - - Sport fishing

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.

The "Big 3" concerns for tourists in Costa Rica

• Roads
  • cars, not pedestrians, have the right of way
• Petty theft
  • money belt or neck wallet recommended for passport, money, credit cards, etc.
  • use safes at the hotels
  • separate your money; don't keep 'all your eggs in one basket'
• The ocean
  • Avoid rough waters, especially where there aren’t other people
  • If you’re caught in a rip tide swim parallel to the beach

Use these street smarts

• nightlife- keep it at the bar (including not disclosing what hotel you’re staying at)
• drinking heavily makes you vulnerable, so be smart about where you do it.
• if you go off alone or with people outside the group, always let someone know with who and to where.
• check with your leader for their opinion on situations
• walking alone after 9pm is generally not recommended
• avoid and flee from escalating situations
• avoid drug dealers

Immunizations: For adults traveling less than 4 weeks, standard vaccines should be up to date: MMR; DTaP or Td; OPV; HbCV; and HBV. For recommendations on immunizations consult the Center for Disease Control and check with your doctor

Travel Insurance: A goup policy from Travel Guard in included. You will be given a copy upon arrival.

Luggage: To make sure there is space of the bus, you are asked to not bring more than one large suitcase, one carry-on or equivalent, one backpack or personal bag (for daytrips)

Appropriate clothing: You can typically dress the same as we do in the US.

LaundryLaundry service is common and is much cheaper in town rather than at your hotel. Drop off your clothes at least 36 hours before you need it.

Packing list

Absolutely passport two photocopies walking shoes or hiking boots necessary medications a couple pairs of long pants/jeans medications	light weight rain jacket or small umbrella a couple long sleeve shirts for cool nights daypack/backpack toiletries cash, credit card, and traveler’s checks
Recommended student ID for discounts small alarm clock or watch sunglasses sunscreen bathing suit sunscreen insect repellent	books, magazines, journals—things to keep you occupied during downtime beach towel sandals (closed best) money belt camera
Other ideas binoculars Swiss Army knife hat disposable camera (for beach) notebook and pen for new Spanish words/phrases  or journaling	plastic bags (to separate dirty clothes) travel pillow ear plugs  Spanish dictionary/phrasebook
Consider leaving at home cell phone unnecessary ID’s (driver’s license/work) and unnecessary charge cards valuables, such as expensive jewelry, IPods, CD’s, very expensive cameras and video camera
Activity-specific needs Caving  (optional) headlamp—you can get at home depot for pretty cheap Whitewater rafting Study sandals or tennis shoes you can get wet

Survival Spanish: Learning all these will help you communicate better in Costa Rica! It will also help you find the stores you need and to know what to order at a restaurant (a ‘soda’). A dictionary, phrasebook, and notepad are recommended for learning new words.

Hola, ¿como está?	Hi, how are you?	¿Cúanto cuesta/vale?	How much does it cost?
Bien, gracias.	Fine, thanks	¿Se vende leche aqui? I	Is milk sold here?
Buenos dias/tardes/noches	Good morning/afternoon/evening	¿Se aceptan tarjetas de credito aquí?	Are credit cards accepted here?
¿Cómo se llama usted?	What’s your name?	Perdon, ¿dónde hay una pulperia?	Excuse me, where’s there a convenience store?
Me llamo Joe, mucho gusto	My name is Joe, nice to meet you	¿Me puede traer un vaso con agua?	Could you bring me a glass of water?
¿De dónde es usted?	Where are you from?	¿Le gusta _____?/ Me gusta _____	Do you like _____? / I like ______
Soy de Minnesota	I’m from Minnesota	¿Quién es él/ella?	Who is he/she?
Hasta luego / Nos vemos	See you later	¿Dónde está ____?	Where is ____?
Dónde trabaja usted?	Where do you work	Yo estudio en/trabajo en ____	I study/work at ____.

Typical Spanish in Costa Rica: Spanish in Costa Rica is overall very formal. The informal “Tu” in almost never used. Instead, you will use “usted”, including formal commands

	Greetings	Responses
More formal	¿Cómo está usted?	muy bien, gracias a Dios
	¿Cómo le va?	de lo mejor, por dicha
Less formal	¡Pura vida!	hey man!
	¿Qué mae?( pronounced "my")	What’s up man!

Costa Rica Vocab
Bira	beer	Buenas	said in passing to say hi to someone (short for buenos dias/tardes/noches)
Casado	A typical Costa Rican meal. Rice, beans, plantain, a little bit of salad of pasta, and a meat.	Chao	Bye
Cien metros	one city block	Colones	currency of Costa Rica.
¿Cómo amaneció?	How are you this morning?	-ito, -ita	This ending is put at the end of nouns commonly to make something ‘little”. Casa = house, casista = little house. Gato = cat, gatito = little cat. This is used very often in Costa Rica.
Mae - (pronounced “my”)	“dude” or “man”.	Pulperia	Very small grocery store, usually run just outside someone’s house.
Que le vaya bien	I hope it goes well	Soda	café or lunch counter; place to find typical Costa Rican food.
Tico/a	This is what Costa Ricans are called. Sharon is a ‘tica’.	¡Tuanis!	Cool! (¡Que tuanis!)
Upe (pronounced “oopay”) -	Say this outside a house or store if you’re trying to get someone’s attention.	Vos	“Vos” is used at times in place of “tu”. It is actually quite common in Latin America. You may here this. Some conjugations are slightly different. Ask Joe for an explanation
Regalar	verb usually used instead of 'dar'	Ocupar	verb commonly used instead of 'necesitar'

Suggested Reading

Assault on Paradise: A Novel - by Tatiana Lobo & Asa Zata

A historical novel about a young man who finds himself dealing with the forces of the colonial army, the Church, and the Mayan natives of Costa Rica

Tropical Storm and Storm Rising - by Linda Kay Silva

a page turner about a young woman lost in the Costa Rica rainforest who must battle the elements and Colombian drug runners in order to survive

More Info

Wikipedia -"Costa Rica"	Online encyclopedia entry	US Passports	Official information
Let's Go	Travel info about Costa Rica	Immunizations	US Center for Disease Control
Visit Costa Rica	Official site for Costa Rica's tourism board	Travel Conditions	published by the US State Department.