Costa Rica Dreaming on a Budget
When I first dreamed up this Costa Rica Adventure Vacation, my goal was to create a great adventure-vacation.
Involving opportunities to see wildlife, with a strong focus on outdoor activities, and adventure. All while traveling on a budget.
How did I do it?
As I began my research, I decided flying into San Jose was the best financial option for us at the time. So our adventure will start and end in San Jose, Costa Rica. We booked a direct flight from Washington D.C. and started planning the trip. In my mind, this was the adventure of my lifetime. I wanted to hike alongside active volcanoes, zip line through cloud-covered rainforests, snorkel in the warm turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean, and white water raft through the jungle, all within the span of one week. You can catch up by reading Costa Rica Dreaming https://noshoestraveler.com/costa-rica-dreaming/
As I mentioned previously, I had a secret weapon – my wife! She is a very thorough planner. Since the flight was booked and paid for, she knew this wasn’t just one of my many half baked ideas that would fade away as the bourbon wore off. So she made sure we had the best travel guides available:
Fodors “>https://amzn.to/2H4GoGV
National Geographic “>https://amzn.to/2Sb9N8Z
Frommers “>https://amzn.to/38agDRk
Now “best” travel guides maybe a little objective, but I like them. I have used these guides ever since I was a kid. My Dad swore by them. I also like to have a physical copy in my hand when I travel as you can’t always count on cell service.
As we started looking through these guides and searching the internet researching Costa Rica and all it has to offer, a plan of attack was formed. We now knew where we wanted to go and how we wanted to get there.
The Plan
Rent a Jeep
Drive to La Fortuna / Arenal Volcano White Water Rafting
Hike an Active Volcano
Explore Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
Monteverde Zipline (A must see)
Volcanic Hot Springs
Drive to Rincon de la Vieja
Rincon de la Vieja’s Park on Horseback Blue River
More Hot Springs / Mud Bath
See the Butterfly and Hummingbird Gardens
Drive to Brasilito Beach
Beach Dive Bars
Snorkel in the Pacific
Watch Sunset
Drive back to San Jose
That’s the plan we came up with that would check off many of our Costa Rica bucket list items. Now we had ponder how to tackle this adventurous itinerary. In the end, as we looked through a few tours, none had everything we wanted all in one trip at an affordable price. So we decided to be our own travel agents!
On to Adventures in Hotel Hunting
Buckle up – here we go!
The wife and I can differ in what defines a good hotel. I tend to lean towards four walls, roof, shower, maybe indoor plumbing. The wife tends to look more at sheet thread count, running water, air conditioning, and what time the spa opens. You can see where the negotiations start, and pretty much end – LOL!
We used Expedia and Trip Advisor, as well as the hotel recommendations in the travel guides to decide where we would lay our heads for this trip. Not that we are looking for cheap hotels exactly but we wanted to keep within the budget. I personally advise checking a few sites, then going directly to the hotel’s website to compare the pricing. I feel more secure booking directly with a hotel if I can get the same deal. In France, I was able to get better deals at several. The main thought process for this trip wasn’t about luxury, so the resorts and hotels we stayed at were moderately priced, or in some places, the only hotel option. It was also difficult finding places in Costa Rica with A/C, so keep that in mind when booking. Keep in mind the Costa Rican or Ticos definition of A/C is by no means up to par with what us spoiled Americans are used to. There will be a period of letting your body get acclimated to the environment. But lets not forget this is an Adventure Vacation ! We are here to enjoy Costa Rica for all it has to offer and all that it is.
Before beginning your search, ask yourself what type of accommodations you want and what your budget will permit. Is it Location Location Location or is it Price? Do you need a hotel with a spa and fitness center, or would you rather stay at a small property with lots of local charm?
Once you’ve decided on your top priority, then you can make a more targeted search.
Price: Nearly every major booking engine gives you the option to sort your results by price. Don’t limit yourself to just (Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz) you should also pay a visit to other sites like Kayak.com, Booking.com and Hotels.com. If you really feel adventurous and want to throw all caution into the wind try bidding on Priceline.com.
Location:
All the major booking sites allow you to view search results on a map so you can see which ones are right on the beach or in the neighborhoods you prefer. This is free to do so you may as well check it. I sometimes take it a bit further and put the address right into Google maps and zoom in as far as I can maybe even get some street views. So you can get a feeling for the area around the hotel. You know if you see a burned out Cadillac and guy holding a AK-47 in street view you may want to go on to your next choice of hotel.
Amenities:
Most of the major hotel booking engines allow you to specify certain amenities when you’re searching, such as a fitness center, swimming pool or restaurant.Make sure to pack correctly for the hotel. Do you need your own soap and shampoo? Should you take an extra blanket if your heading someplace cold? Smaller cheaper hotels may have issues provided extra amenities like these so be prepared.
Luxury:
If you’re looking for a truly upscale and distinctive place to stay, you can search for only 4 or 5 Star rated Hotels.
Loyalty Programs and Frequent Flier Miles:
If you travel a lot or if you’re a member of a frequent flier program, it may be worth your while to join a hotel loyalty program. Not only can you earn points toward a future hotel stay, but you may also be able to accumulate airline miles if your hotel is partnered with your frequent flier program. (for those of you that maybe travel for work something to remember.)
Family-Friendliness:
If you’re bringing the kids, you’ll want to check for both deals and family-friendly policies. (I’m thinking of those all-inclusive Sandals kind of joints) you want to make sure kids are cool or not if adults only trip.
Check the Reviews:
I trust TripAdvisor they are the biggest and most well known. Just be careful with reviews remember most people who have a good time never leave a review. Most reviews are left by unhappy guests. Read them with an open mind. Know that Central America plumbing is not the same as North America plumbing so if they tell you to not flush the toilet paper its not the hotels fault. If the hotel doesn’t have AC they are not going to get an AC unit just for you.
Our Hotel Choices
Arenal Paraiso Resort and Spa
The first hotel we decided on was the Arenal Paraiso Resort and Spa https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g309226-d301652-Reviews-Arenal_Paraiso_Hotel_Resort_Spa-La_Fortuna_de_San_Carlos_Arenal_Volcano_National_Park_P.html At $100 a night, it was the perfect choice, with comfortable rooms surrounded by tropical gardens and the best view of Arenal Volcano. I’m not kidding! We pulled in at night when it was pitch black. When I woke up the next morning and stepped out of the room, it took my breath away! Never in my life have I seen a real volcano. Growing up in Florida and Michigan, there wasn’t much of an opportunity to see such a thing as magnificent as a live volcano.
The warm pools were relaxing and also had beautiful views of the volcano. The grounds harbor dozens of species of birds! One morning we at breakfast with a Parrot. We saw iguanas in trees pretty much everywhere. It was an amazing place.
Blue River Resort and Spa
https://www.blueriverresort.com/es/
Blue River Resort and Hot Springs is an authentic Costa Rican experience in the rainforests of Rincon de la Vieja. The rooms are actually cabins, not hotel rooms. The grounds are gorgeous and the mud baths and hot springs are all included in your stay. Now I must say this is off the beaten path – the couple hours of the drive is all dirt roads. There is nowhere else to eat, shop, or really do anything once you’re in the resort. But it’s absolutely worth the experience, especially at around $100 a night. Seeing the Blue River makes it all worth it. Its so blue like being in a Fairy tail.
Now to the beach in Brasilito
Hotel Conchal
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g1013693-d626112-Reviews-Conchal_Hotel-Brasilito_Province_of_Guanacaste.html
Hotel Conchal is a great little boutique style hotel and is family owned and operated. My wife loved this little colorful slice of heaven. They served breakfast for two on a small table on the porch outside our room with the freshest cheese, milk, juice and fruits you ever tasted in your life. It’s a small quiet place, not for the partying type.
The hotel is set in lush tropical gardens with fruit trees, palms, and exotic wildlife, and is only a short walk from Playa Brasilito. We paid about $125a night here.
As can see, all the hotels we choose were under the $200 mark, keeping the trip to an affordable level. On the flipside, they were still elegant and comfy enough for my wife.
