<p>we are leaving to Costa Rica in couple of days.
Any safety tips from who visited CR ?
Do we need to carry the passport copy while doing the day trips?
We were thinking of leaving the passports in the room safe.
thanks in advance</p>
<p>My son was in Costa Rica in May. It’s not a country with any travel concerns. The only issue we ran into is the fact that no one is admitted to CR with a passport expiring within 6 months of the date of exit … we found out a few days before the trip & had to visit the passport office to get an expedited renewal! While in CR, though, there were no safety worries. It is probably a good idea to carry your passport with you (or a copy?) in a foreign country simply because it is a foreign country. I am my college’s international student advisor & I tell my students to carry their passport/visa with them at all times when they are out and about.</p>
<p>My daughter lived in the jungle while she was there.
So humid, it soaked her ipod touch and gave her a bad ear infection.
Free medical care though.</p>
<p>Thanks for the tips. Taking multiple copies of passport and emailing one to myself as well.
Plan to take some OTC medications with me.</p>
<p>S was all over - rainforest, volcano, shore - and he wore lightweight, long-sleeved clothing & long pants that I sprayed with Sawyer Permethrin. He didn’t get too hot, didn’t get burned, and didn’t get eaten by bugs. He wore lightweight hiking shoes that dry easily - we got them at Moosejaw, and they were amazing - and dried easily (it rains a lot in the rainforest!). I sent lots of Ibuprofen, which he shared with others - not sure if it was for sinus headaches from the weather or for headaches from hangovers!!</p>
<p>The only thing he didn’t like? The howling monkeys! :)</p>
<p>S and I were there for nearly 10 days and moved around in different areas. Never a problem with passports. We locked them in the room safe each place. S got a bug bite on his eyelid while rafting. The local pharmacia was fine. It did help to be able to speak a little Spanish.</p>
<p>I spent a few months there and it’s an incredibly diverse country. Know the specific climate you’re traveling to to know how to dress. I’ve been to every climate there so if you can give specifics I can probably tell you the weather climate. </p>
<p>Carry a copy of your passport but not the actual passport. That’s fine to leave in a room safe.</p>
<p>Have fun :)</p>
<p>I forgot about long sleeves. I am clueless about packing for a trip.
We are going to Arenal volcano area - lot of hiking, then off to Monteverde cloud forest ( zip lining, hanging bridge tours , hiking ) then ending with Manuel Antonio Park
We plan to lots of nature walk and hiking. We are leaving on Saturday for 10 days( will be spending New Year there !)
The whole group including me do not speak Spanish . Between 4 of us we can speak French and English. I am taking a Spanish dictionary with me and hope it will help.
Lots of good tips. Thanks!!</p>
<p>the zip lining in Moteverde was unbelievable. There was a bicycle tour around the Arenal area and the hike up close was enjoyable. Are you getting over to the eastern coast?</p>
<p>Monteverde can actually get quite chilly. Manuel Antonio is VERY hot by the shore. Most people in those places speak English. They’re the biggest tourist spots. </p>
<p>I’d recommend a good pair of waterproof hiking boots. </p>
<p>We didn’t do the ziplining. We were told by many locals that it’s quite disruptive to the wildlife. <em>shrug</em></p>
<p>The parts of the jungle D worked in, ziplining was how they got around, no roads.</p>
<p>We are not going to east coast.
I did not know that zip line and its effect on nature !! .
I am planning on taking lots of layering clothes.</p>
<p>Be a little more careful on the roads in Costa Rica, the roads aren’t designed as well and as safe as most American roads. I had a friend killed by an out of control car while standing on a sidewalk in Escazú waiting for a cab to go to the Multimall shopping center.</p>
<p>We speak very very little Spanish and did fine in Costa Rica. You are going to tourist locations where almost everyone speaks English. </p>
<p>Theft can be a problem in Costa Rica, but you just need to be careful – but not so careful that you become paranoid. There aren’t muggings where you’re going – just cars that get broken into. Don’t leave valuables (like a camera) on the beach and go into the ocean, for example. We always felt safe there. And you really don’t need multiple copies of your passport – one will do. Or – scan it in and have a copy on the Internet (like on Google docs) that you can access if necessary.</p>
<p>If you are driving – some of the roads around Arenal and the route from Arenal to Monteverdi are pretty awful – unpaved, with deep ruts. Consider this when mapping out travel times. A 60-mile trip won’t take an hour, more like 2-3. Drive during daylight hours. Get a GPS.</p>
<p>I planned my whole trip to Costa Rica using tripadvisor.com. The forums there are wonderful.</p>
<p>ETA: We loved our 10 days in Costa Rica. Had a fabulous time. The nature and animal life is fantastic. You’ll have a great trip, I’m sure.</p>
<p>This is their “Summer” because it doesn’t rain and school are out until March. It’s warm at the beach and cool in the mountains specially at night (including San Jos</p>
<p>DD lives near Manual Antonio and said muggings are very common, especially of Americans. They are mostly the grab and run type, rarely with weapons. </p>
<p>Both she & her roommate have been intended victims, but they were paying attention and stopped the muggers. A 10ish year old kid tried to grab her necklace, which looks fake even from a distance.</p>
<p>Don’t wear anything that looks remotely valuable and have expensive items (cameras, phones) hidden. My sister went to visit her and they hung a small bag in a nearby tree when they went to the beach and it was stolen. It only had an extra shirt in it and they were keeping an eye out, but it only takes a second for the thieves to swipe stuff.</p>
<p>She said the hotels have excellent security and there aren’t major problems in the touristy areas as long as you keep an eye out. Pretty much like most other places in the world.</p>
<p>You can get by without knowing Spanish in the areas you are going.</p>
<p>It still rains at this time of year, just not as much as other times. It is always hot where she is and she’s been freezing ever since she came home for break. School resumes in Feb, so she is going back in mid Jan. or I could give you her contact information.</p>
<p>You are supposed to carry a copy of your passport at all times, but she said she doesn’t since she lives there.</p>
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<p>The zip line operations in Monteverde are all established one.</p>