5 comments about Pauline Frommer's Costa Rica (Pauline Frommer Guides).

1. I looked through several guides on Costa Rica before purchasing this one - it wasn't just a list of where to stay etc., it had the kind of info a good friend really familiar with an area would let you know. For example we are interested in staying at the beach on the pacific side and there was a lot of detailed info on the beaches and beach towns to help decide which area we wanted to stay in. I know which beaches are considered more family friendly and which towns are the party spots. The book also talks about things like the history of development in the beach towns and gives info on which are still sleepy towns and which are sort of like Cabo. Also included is info on alternatives to hotels, and lots of good websites to check out. This isn't a comprehensive guide but rather a good place to start with all the online resources you need for further info.



2. For my super-detail oriented personality there wasn't quite enough meat (logistics-wise) in Pauline Frommer's Costa Rica for it to successfully stand alone as the only guidebook for someone on an independent vacation (with rental car). If you're on a package tour it's more than adequate. But when taken along with another guidebook (Moon's Costa Rica in my case) Pauline Frommer's shined.
   
   It excels in recommending excellent beaches, beach towns, restaurants and hotels but is lacking in maps and discussion on travel logistics - i.e. how long it will take to drive from town X to town Y on the dirt road, etc.
   
   Here's where it shines and is worth purchasing. On three occasions it guided us to sights (a secluded hard-to-reach pink sand beach, a beautiful beach town, and a wonderfully authentic restaurant (where there was no menu but 2 huge plates of food, 2 sodas, and 2 dessert pan dulces all came to under $9)) that made our vacation really special and were either totally left out of the other guidebook or not emphasized sufficiently to warrant exploration. This is a mark of a great guidebook and allowed me to feel confident that the authors, David Appell and Nelson Mui, knew what they were talking about and recommend great stuff! We also like the author's laid back and relaxed, but realistic attitude. We only traveled to areas covered by 3 chapters of the book so I can only imagine the other gems recommended in other parts of the country.
   
   This guidebook can definitely work alone, but I simply like to have more details about transportation - especially maps. The next version should include more. Also, as a young man I almost did not purchase this book simply because Pauline's picture is displayed prominently all around. It looks like it's targeted to my mom's demographic, which it may be, but if its trying to be a new series of guidebooks aimed at allowing the traveler to "see more" and "spend less" it could appear more contemporary and less like a book for ladies.



3. has a nice writing style, but I wish more specific places were reviewed. not quite the in-depth guidebook I was hoping for.



4. This book came from the library after we came back from Costa Rica, so we read the section about the area's we had visited, and BOY was Paula right on! It's simply amazing how one person could have such complete observations about so many area's. I would highly recommend this book (and Costa Rica). I will be buying it for my sister who is on her way... May all your travels be filled with wonderment, beauty and love.



5. Its July 2008, and my family has just returned from a wonderful 9 days in Costa Rica, enhanced by this book (2008 version, copyright 2008.) We traveled to San Jose, Monte Verde, Arenal/La Fortuna, and Sarapiqui. This book provided excellent descriptions of local sites and attractions and lodging. The sections on food, tipping, transportation, were all accurate and helpful. White water rafting and zip line recommendations were good. Recommended restaurants were good. The book is for the most part well organized.
   
   My only gripe with the book is that the prices were off by 25-100% even though we traveled in the same year the book was published. For example, the butterfly exhibit in Monte Verde is quoted at $8 per peron, and it is actually $10 per person. A Pizza Parlor in La Fortuna recommended for its $5 pizzas actually charges $10.50 for its cheapest pizza. At first I thought this might be an exchange rate issue (after all the dollar is doing poorly this year), but the book quoted the exchange rate at approximately 470 Colons to the Dollar and when we arrived it was 540 Colons to the Dollar. Then I thought maybe this was a problem with world food prices rising (yada-yada-yada). So I did a study of a single item : Imperial Beer. According to the book, Imperial Beer costs 60 cents in bars and "up to $2 in Better Hotels". We paid between $1.25 and $4 for an Imperial (mostly around $2). So, was it the excahnge rate or World Food Prices?.... neither. I went into two super markets, one in Monte Verde and one in San Jose . Both were charging 90 cents FOR A SIX PACK. So in Costa Rica places recommended in the book, they have doubled the price of beer since the book went to press and raised admission fees 25%. Whether this is a result of being included in the book or a sudden country-wide realization that Americans will pay this much, I don't know, but I would not plan a budget using this book as a guide. (Prices in San Jose were closer to the quoted prices than in the other areas).
   
   I took two other books with me that accompanied this book well. One was Moon Costa Rica (Moon Handbooks)which has MUCH deeper information on the history and culture and politics of Costa Rica (you can buy a used copy that is a couple of years old CHEAP on Amazon and you won't miss anything if you stick to the opening and closing sections). The other was The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide. Unless you plan to just get hammered and lay on the beach for a week, you have to bring this book and a pair of binoculars. They have the most increadible birds down there and many places put out fruit scraps so that these amazing creatures come to join you for breakfast!

3 comments about Costa Rica For Dummies (Dummies Travel).

1. My husband and I were going to Costa Rica for our honeymoon so, wanting to research it thoroughly, I bought 6 different C.R. travel books. I bought this one last and wish I had bought it first. It was the book I kept going back to. It also had the most useful maps of any of the C.R. books I saw. We wanted to stay at a mix of regularly priced places ($100+/night) along with the occasional splurge of $200+/night places. We also wanted to stay at enviromentally-friendly places as much as posible. This book got the job done.
   
   CR for Dummies is the best intro/overview book. I would also recommend buying The New Key to Costa Rica because it has more detailed information about accomodations for all budget types and lots of additional info on activities and tours that you won't find in Dummies.



2. Although the book supplies the necessary do's and don'ts in Costa Rica, it does not touch on the secluded villages in the country or much on Costa Rican traditions.



3. Dummies travel books are usually pretty good and this is no exception. I just can't figure out how people could travel with only one guide book. It usually takes me 3 - I find that between all of them I can fill in most of the blanks. This one and Frommers were the best combination for Costa Rica but a lot of their info was duplicated because this Dummies book has "tips and recommendations from experts at Frommers" so it is like getting a different flavor of the same book. Why can't they just cram it all into one? I also had National Geographic but that was used mostly for the beautiful photos (great natural advertisements for neat places).
   
   I wish there were pictures in this book but it's all text. The one great advantage to this is that you can highlight items of interest and they are very easy to find since there are no other contrasting colors in the book.
   
   The bottom line is that I like it, it's a good tool, but for me it wouldn't be enough on its own.

2 comments about Let's Go Costa Rica 3rd Edition (Let's Go Costa Rica).

1. In my extensive travels on a shoestring I've had a back and forth debate going between competing Let's Go, which I used in Europe 4-5 years ago, and Lonely Planet, which accompanied me in South America last year. Previously I had found Let's Go more extensive "story telling" regarding sites impressive enough to warrant returning to books written by smarty pants Harvard grad students.
   
   Yet each time I opened up my Costa Rica guide book on my trip two weeks ago, I could not but feel disdain for the likely 17-22 year old undergrads who authored this edition. Perhaps they were too busy partying it up while studying abroad, because the most simple things were off - such as every page I looked up (by 2 pages or sometimes more) listed in the index. Not one bus schedule I consulted was accurate, but that could just be a function of changes in Costa Rica itself.
   
   Additionally, I would find it useful to have fewer restaurant reviews and more lodging recommendations, as it's fairly easy to find somewhere to eat but can be tricky finding a decent place to sleep. But please, be accurate! One hotel we visited based on Let's Go's endorsement was heralded as being "beautifully decorated" with "spectacular views." Instead, the place was run down, dim, depressing and had views of internal hallways. Let's Go? Let's NOT Go.
   
   Aside from the pagination problems, in general, the book is poorly organized so that consulting it quickly is quite difficult - and isn't the quick consult what you need when you are backpacking?
   
   Also, while it gives information about renting cars, it gives no road information whatsoever.
   
   Regardless, it's a decent enough book. Caveat emptor!



2. I bought several books on Costa Rica, including the popular Lonely Planet edition, but this has become my favorite. I'm in my mid-20s and will be going to Costa Rica on a budget and have found that this books fits my needs the best. It not only lists details on hotels, campsites, hostels, restaurants and bars, it also lists details such as where you can access internet resources or get your laundry done. There are details on nightlife such as the types of crowds you can find at the local bars and clubs. It's the kind of information that only a local usually knows, stuff you cannot usually find in your typical travel book. The only thing I find annoying about the book is the fact that they sometimes list American $$ currency and sometimes the local currency and it gets confusing. I wish they'd stick with one or the other.

3 comments about Costa Rican Spanish: Lonely Planet Phrasebook.

1. This 2nd edition is more than just a beauty cleanup of the 1st. It completely changes the content, the intent and therefore the usefulness of the book. It is full of pronunciations, painstakingly spelled out as if someone was going to read them preferentially over the Spanish words. It's sort of lame, because Spanish pronunciation is basically invariable (accents aren't, of course) and if you are having trouble with it that is best fixed with a different book. It seems like there is less information, because a big chunk of the page has gone over to pronunciations. It has been scrubbed of most of the sketchier inclusions of the 1st edition, which are fun. The very useful verb endings charts and some of the Tiquismo sidebars are gone. I also find the typeface harder to read in dim light, especially the dictionary. On the plus side, it is prettier, and perhaps better organized and easier to find information.
   
   I had my 1st edition stolen while down there. I hadn't been in a hurry to replace it, but the minute I received this 2nd edition, I scoured the 'net to locate another 1st. You should consider the same.



2. This new edition has corrected some of the mistakes I pointed out in a previous review and in an email exchange with the author. As I thumbed through the book I didn't see any "tu" conjugations, only "vos" and "usted". This is much more accurate for Costa Rican Spanish and was a blunder in the first edition. There is also an explanation at the beginning of the book about Costa Rican Spanish, which includes mention of the predominance of the voseo en Costa Rica. Nonetheless, I still give the book one star for two reasons. First the pronunciation section, as Mr. Kohnstamm informed me, was done by someone from Australia (if I remember right). So if you are from the U.S. several of the pronunciations are incorrect. Second, it only took me about a minute of looking through the book to see several mistakes in grammar and translation. Example: "Si vengas a Costa Rica..." should be "Si viene/venis a Costa Rica..." and "Adonde es la sala ejecutiva?" should be "Donde esta la sala ejecutiva?". These types of mistakes really stand out and defeat the purpose of the book, which is to help English-speaking tourists fit in and learn correct phrases for interacting with the locals... at least I think that is the purpose here.



3. We bought this as a "just in case" backup in case all communication skills broke down and we had to resort to language. Luckily that never happened so we never actually used the book. Usually you can get your point across with your hands and facial expressions (including getting out of a ticket because you did an 'illegal' U turn in front of a cop - show me the sign, there was no sign).

5 comments about Living and Investing in Panama.

1. Good information which we had not seen elsewhere. Poorly edited by some non-English speaker and has lots of typos, sing-plural mistakes and is amateurishly done, spoiling it for the English reader. The print is excessively large, and the paper needlessly heavy making unhandy to carry. Evidently, the author made a poor choice for editor and for publisher. Quality does not warrent the price--it should not be more than $12.95 in the current market!



2. I've never seen a book with more typographical errors. It looks like no one proof read it, they just published the rough draft... Usually a few typos doesn't bother me but there are so many here, it is annoying and makes you feel like the author didn't put much effort into the work.
   
   Okay, aside from that, it does have some good info, and since it is basically the ONLY book on living in Panama, you will have to buy it. (There is another one but it has no reviews here, and I took a trip to 2 book stores and did not find it in either store.)
   
   He only gives you the lowdown on a couple of the most well-known areas to live in Panama, doesn't give any info on any "off the beaten path" places where one might (?) find cheaper real estate.
   
   Actually, he does not go very much into buying real estate at all. How about some names of attorneys to use, that people have used and recommended? How about some realtors (other than himself and a couple others)? How about more info on buying real estate which one would assume one would need to know if one is planning to "live and invest in Panama". How about the procedures for surveying and checking the land you are going to buy? How about other tips for checking and buying real estate? There are a lot of things that could have made this book better but it seems the author was just into making a fast buck, rushing out a book on Panama before someone else beat him to it.
   
   I found this book very disappointing. I think anyone could have written as good a book with just a few months of research. [...] Everyone says that Howard's book on neighboring Costa Rica is great. I haven't read it. But this one is far from "great".
   
   It should have been much better. Buy it only if another one isn't available by the time you read this. And really, if anyone is interested in writing one, this one won't be hard to beat, at all.



3. This book was very much like his other books about living in Nicaragua & Costa Rica. In fact I found many passages that appeared to be the same. However, it was very informative and has useful information about living & relocating to Panama.



4. Unfortunately, this is only one of two (the other / better being "Choose Panama by William Hutchings") books about retiring to Panama. Equally unfortunately, if you are serious about moving to Panama Mr. Howard's book has a lot of useful information and you are left with no choice but to buy it.
   
   That said, the book loses one star (and I'm being kind) for being so poorly edited. The author is a native english speaker, there is no excuse and it is simply disrespectful to your audience to have such a mountain of typographical errors. [...]
   
   That said, all [...] absurd editing aside, this book is a must buy if you are serious about moving to Panama. [...]



5. i got the feeling the author knew more about costa rica (where he lives?) than panama. not recommended...the info just wasn't very comprehensive.

4 comments about National Geographic Traveler: Costa Rica, 2d Ed. (National Geographic Traveler).

1. I read this book cover to cover before my first trip to Costa Rica and had highlighted a number of places I intended to visit. This book was EXTREMELY helpful in giving an accurate description of geographic regions, landmarks, customs, and general travel information. It made my trip much easier knowing what to expect. In addition, after returning, it was fun to compare the photos in the book to the ones I had taken. The beautiful photos in the book were not just "travel" photos to entice you to visit, but accurate photos of how beautiful and incredible Costa Rica is!



2. This book is very beautiful, the pictures are all in color and amazing. But, if you want to truly use this book as a travel reference while on the road you're going to have a hard time. There is no index in this book...I just can't understand why. I was so frustrated when trying to find information that I bought a far superior Frommer's and I no longer reference the N.G. book. But again, the pictures sure are pretty.



3. I'm traveling to Costa Rica and I'm interested in well-rounded traveling advice; this book had some pretty pictures but fell short of the necessities for planning a trip. It explored cultural, political and economical conditions of Costa Rica but didn't provide the details pertaining to areas of interest, hotels, restaurants or local perspectives - all things I find valuable before and while traveling. For instance, I'm flying into Liberia and need to book a hotel. Chris' book had less than 2 pages ( factual revealing, but not practical) on the city, didn't provide maps, hotel reviews or relevant information for getting down and dirty or just around town. Sorry for the slam brother - stick to the shutter.



4. This book was like a first-rate advertisement that helped me figure out where I'd like to go in a foreign country.
   
   The pages hold a variety of images from a magnificent beach and napping monkeys to a lush jungle, or smiling villagers. After perusing the photos, I went back to the ones that caught my attention the most and then I read the information on those places... And that was how a good portion of my trip was planned.
   
   Does this book have good info? Yes
   
   Does this book have magnificent photos to show you the potential of your destination? Yes
   
   Would I use it as my singular guide? No
   
   In my opinion National Geographic is geared slightly towards the adventure traveler, therefore I recommend supplementing this book with another guide such as Frommer's or Dummies.
   
   Before my trip I was weighing the costs ($$$) of all the guidebooks and I almost put this one back in order to save a few bucks - but it really came through for me on the trip. When you don't know what a country has to offer, a visual guide is amazingly helpful. In retrospect it was definitely worth the cost because it's such a complement to the other guidebooks that are lacking in images.

5 comments about Potholes to Paradise: Living in Costa Rica - What You Need to Know.

1. My wife and I read Tessa's book before going to Costa Rica with the idea that we might settle there as she and her husband did. Not only did we get great info from Tessa's book, we made a personal connection through it that led us to having a fabulous time and learning way more than we had anticipated. This book is a must read for anyone contemplating moving to Costa Rica. Cheap way to benefit from Tessa's experiences.



2. The authors can't be serious! I really didn't get any benefit from this book. I just moved to Costa Rica and didn't learn much from it. It just doesn't contain enough info. for the potential resident. I read other books on the subject and prefer "The New Golden Door" and "Choose Costa Rica." The authors of these guides really seem to know the scoop.



3. I did like that it was "part diary, part travelogue, part advice column" instead of so straightforward a text. Desultory, yes, but inviting--sort of like REAL travel and life abroad!

   Another book I found helpful before my "relocation-research trip" was a photo-essay book called, "Costa Rica: The Last Country The Gods Made." It too gave me a feeling for the country in a randomized sort of way. But that's not to say it wasn't wonderful information and insight into Tico culture--like Borner's book!




4. An overt advertisement for their business in Costa Rica, I found virtually no helpful information here. If you want to know the history of the people (and therefore understand things like squatters' rights), read "The Ticos". If you are investing in land or a business ANYWHERE, know the language and get a second legal opinion before signing at the X. Check crime stats on the web for free, and keep in mind that a city is a city - use good old common sense in all that you do. Make several trips covering different regions and grow your "network" each time you return. When it comes together, you'll be ready. Pura Vida!



5. This is the first time that I have ever been motivated to write a review. There is virtually no useful information here which cannot be garnered from other more comprehensive and literate books on the topic.
   It is written from a very personal viewpoint, which would be interesting if the author was a writer. As it is, this is one of the worst books I have read in several years.

5 comments about Sleeping with the Toucans: 100 Great Places to Stay in Costa Rica.

1. We have traveled to Costa Rica many times since 1993. A guide book like 'Sleeping with the Toucans' is the 'missing link' we could have used while planning our trips. The places in this book are exactly the kinds of places we searched for during our many vacations in Costa Rica. With each visit our love of the people, the land and the culture grew. In 2006 we left our life in the USA, packed our bags and opened Leaves and Lizards Arenal Volcano Cabin Retreat. We are featured in this wonderfully descriptive, well researched and up to date guidebook. Chris and Alison have compiled a list of small hotels and inns that anyone traveling to Costa Rica will find invaluable. This book thrown in your back pack as a companion to a guidebook with - what to do- and - where to hike- will assure a memorable and authentic trip to Costa Rica.



2. Its nice to read a guide book by people who have actually been there and write it as they see it - nice comfortable writing about where and what - and a big help in finding the places you want to stay in



3. This is a fabulous book that explores the tiny, eclectic, out of the way lodgings that aren't included in other guide books. The authors provide a snapshot of each place with a substantial description to give you a good idea of what kind of atmosphere each one evokes. Definately a good choice if you're planning that trip to Costa Rica!



4. Sleeping with the Toucans proved to be the perfect companion for our 1 month trip to Costa Rica in February. Travelling with two 6 year old children can be a bit of a challenge - but this book took the guessing out of what to see and where to stay for our family. This is not just a book filled with lodging ideas - as each section begins with very detailed information about the area, towns and sights. I love the descriptions of all the geographical areas and made several changes in our route based on reading such clear and personal descriptions. The lodging sections have great places to stay on any budget - and calls attention to different lodging categories and amentities - honeymoon, get away, kid friendly, wildlife viewing etc... I am so pleased to find this book and hope that travelers following the authors suggestions are as excited as we are to visit beautiful Costa Rica.



5. Travel the whole of the country with good suggestions of places to stay. Especially enjoyed Sueno delMar. Am going to try places in Poas next.

5 comments about Insight Guides Costa Rica.

1. Vacation photos are the ubiquitous, clichéd chronicle of the average person's travels. Yet few travel books include more than a small smattering of so-so photos, offering only a peek at a destination's sights and environs; even though a great deal of our travel memories and experiences are through images. This book, along with the Insight Guides series in general, is different, offering a comprehensive set of fantastic photos that not only showcase the sights, but bring the details, richness, and life (some gorgeous, some gritty) of Costa Rica closer.

   The accompanying text, while a bit uncharacteristic (likely due to editorial consistency), is informative and comprehensive, giving you a great overview of Costa Rica, its history, its people, and places of interest. Its travel information, such as lodgings, appears targeted towards middle-class travelers, although it touches on a wide range of styles and budgets. And when you're ready to plan your itinerary the maps outshine those of any other guide book, and are good enough to use on your trip, even for 90% of the driving most folks are likely to do.

   Other guidebooks might offer more in-depth and "insider" information with a particular slant (e.g. the excellent, down-to-earth, and environmentally conscious book by Harry S. Pariser, "Explore Costa Rica") but the Insight Guide should be the first one you buy to "see" where your travels might take you.




2. Although I find the large Insight Guides to be useless, the pocket guides have worked VERY well for me in Morocco and in Costa Rica. By being condensed, they choose very interesting itinaries for you.



3. ...i lugged this around and liked, at first, looking at the pics -- however this book is not comprehensive in the least to the even slightly curious and adventuresome traveler. this is a tourist guide, not a travelling guide. fyi!



4. Buy this book for the map in back. When planning your first trip to Costa Rica it is extraordinarily helpful to have a detailed map of the entire country so you can get your bearings and get a feeling for the distance between Monteverde and Manuel Antonio, for example. The map also has a good "places" index where you can look up the names of towns, parks and beaches and find them on the map. This came in VERY handy because, as I found out, there are many places in Costa Rica with the same name (i.e. there are three towns named 'Matapalo', eight towns named 'San Isidro' etc.). If you are driving in Costa Rica, this map is a must. As an added benefit, the map has Recommended Itineraries that match those highlighted in the book.
   
   The book itself, even the color pictures, is lackluster. They do a C or C+ job of providing a bare bones general overview of the country.



5. This book has an excellent map. However, other than that, it is anything but comprehensive. It offers no budget options and only covers very selected locations. Besides the map, it was not used at all on our 2 week trip to Costa Rica.

No comments about Waterproof Costa Rica Adventure Map by National Geographic.