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Tell me about Costa Rica!
CptHamilton
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I'm going to Costa Rica on vacation this summer but I know essentially nothing about the place. I've tried Googling around but, aside from locating specific tours to take and general advice about how not to get robbed, I didn't stumble across anything that seemed spectacularly useful.
What should I know? Is the tap water safe there? I've heard that the roads are relatively terrible and, as such, car rental agencies require exorbitant security deposits which they will then try to chip into by claiming you caused pre-existing damage. Is this true? Am I better off getting a shuttle service, given that my hotel is ~100 miles from the airport? I know it's a moderately poor country and am given to understand that one can eat a solid meal for a couple of American Dollars, but what's the price situation like in tourist areas? The various hotel restaurants I've located online don't list prices. They apparently use the same outlet voltage there we have here in the States, but should I be worried about inconsistent power/spikes or anything? Are there any sights I really should go out of my way to see? Can anyone recommend a really good tourist info book/website?
For reference, I'm staying in the Arenal region, near the volcano but flying into San Jose.
Thanks
What should I know? Is the tap water safe there? I've heard that the roads are relatively terrible and, as such, car rental agencies require exorbitant security deposits which they will then try to chip into by claiming you caused pre-existing damage. Is this true? Am I better off getting a shuttle service, given that my hotel is ~100 miles from the airport? I know it's a moderately poor country and am given to understand that one can eat a solid meal for a couple of American Dollars, but what's the price situation like in tourist areas? The various hotel restaurants I've located online don't list prices. They apparently use the same outlet voltage there we have here in the States, but should I be worried about inconsistent power/spikes or anything? Are there any sights I really should go out of my way to see? Can anyone recommend a really good tourist info book/website?
For reference, I'm staying in the Arenal region, near the volcano but flying into San Jose.
Thanks
PSN,Steam,Live | CptHamiltonian
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Wait... are you sure he wasn't talking about Pokemon?
As for voltage, you can buy universal adaptors in most airports... but honestly unless you really really have to have your laptop, don't bring it, there are internet cafes, and there is a very good chance your hotel will have internet access.
GIS is evil
Is a converter necessary? Travelwiki claims they use US standard two-prong outlets at 110V. Need it for kindles and such for the return flight and wifely hair devices if nothing else.
When I say powerful, I meant "let go of the fucking rod or you'll drown." I don't remember the species.
GIS is evil
According to this Wikipedia page and a couple others, they use standard American two- or three-prong outlets (see the photos on the right for what "A" and "B" sockets correspond to). Considering their power runs at 60 Hz like the US, their outlets putting out 110V (if they don't put out 120V the way US outlets do, as I read on another site) likely just means your stuff might take a little longer to charge. Shouldn't have any other trouble, I think.
110V and 120V are essentially the same thing. Depending where you look, the Costa Rican grid is listed as either. Depending on your neighborhood and the wiring in your home, you quite possibly have 110V in the US. I just checked a wall socket in my room with a multimeter and I got 110 volts on the nose. That's a bit on the low side but it can vary between 105-126 volts without any deleterious effect.
Also, most modern electronics are quite accommodating. Almost all transformer/inverters (bricks) for charging battery powered (DC) devices automatically accept electricity anywhere from 100-240V and can handle either 50 or 60 Hz. Just check the sticker on the transformer to be sure. Devices that run on direct AC however don't tend to have transformers built into them (this includes things like hair dryers and irons). For those devices, you need to supply your own transformer when traveling to a location that uses different grid voltage or frequency. Also, since hair dryers tend to draw a pretty sizable amount of current, they are pretty good at overheating or burning out cheap travel transformers if used too long or too often.
The tap water is safe to drink throughout the country. I did on both trips and had zero issues.
I would recommend against renting a car and driving to the Arenal area yourself. Look into arranging a car and driver each way - it shouldn't end up being all that different from the cost of a rental for a week, and the roads are so terrible that I'd greatly prefer to not be driving. The last time I went we had a driver take us from San Jose to Monteverde (pretty similar drive to what you're looking at) and in the 4-5 hours it took us to get there we stopped twice so he could help people with flat tires. We passed at least two other cars with flats but they were already getting assistance. It cannot be overstated - the roads are absolutely terrible.
I know you have a hotel booked already, but if it is at all possible for you, I'd consider trying to work in a second location and splitting your time up. One of the best things about Costa Rica is the diversity of the different areas - the incredible differences between the tropical beaches, a coastal rain forest, a cloud forest, an area like Arenal, and a very wet area like Tortuguero where the sea turtles come to lay their eggs in the summer. Seeing the volcano at Arenal is very cool, and there are some great hot springs you can relax in. There are other nice things you can do a little bit further out as day trips, but overall the Arenal area is not one I'd want to spend an entire trip at. Even though it's a lot more touristy now than it was when I first went in 1994, I'd strongly recommend trying to work in a few nights in the Monteverde area if you can since it is relatively close by.
Restaurant prices at hotels are going to vary with the quality of the hotel, really. Last time I went I'd say you could typically expect to pay anywhere from $7-$18 per entree in a hotel restaurant. You won't be finding meals for a couple of dollars unless you get into towns with restaurants that serve locals, and even then that isn't some sort of universal price point. Regardless of where you eat, plan on a lot of rice and beans, and fish. Chicken too, possibly. Beef is harder to come by and rarely good. Good fresh fruit is often available with breakfast.