Customer Reviews

Explore Costa Rica, 5th Edition

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I do quite a bit of traveling and often buy a Lonely Planet guide as a basic reference. Lately, however, I've become somewhat jaded by its formulaic coverage and superficial approach. I'm also skeptical about how they go about choosing which accomodations and restaurants to include in their books.

Pariser's book at first glance looks remarkably like a Lonely Planet guide--the same format and much the same information. However, Pariser puts more of himself into it and the book clearly is a labor of love. Pariser's guide compares to Lonely Planet like a family restaurant to McDonalds.

As co-author of the sixth edition of Lonely Planet Costa Rica, acquaintances often ask me which guidebook I recommend, now that my own is out of date. Explore Costa Rica is the perfect choice for independent-minded travelers interested in learning more about the country from travel writer who has been covering Costa Rica since at least 1992.

A detailed field guide of flora and fauna will help you appreciate Costa Rica's fabulous national parks, while useful advice on "Picking a Tour" is accompanied by listings that include everyone from slick, international package-tour operators to scruffy beachtown-based independent guides. Hotel and restaurant listings span a wide range of prices and expectations, and descriptions tend to be more detailed than in thinner guidebooks - at 621 pages, there's plenty of room. I especially appreciate events listings; you just haven't lived until you've attended a loud, guaro-soaked Costa Rican fiesta, and Pariser makes sure you know what's on while you're in the country.

My only quibble is with the maps - they're accurate and useful for towns and cities, and are more than sufficient for travelers using public transport. If you're planning to drive, however, be sure to ask for a free country map from your rental car company or any tourist office. Regardless, this book gets five stars because it is accurate, updated and insightful.

I should start by saying that I travel extensively and plan all my own trips. I enjoy the planning process almost as much as the trips themselves (sometimes more so, after a rainy trip to Switzerland when we did NOT see the Alps even once!!!). I've used countless guidebooks and internet sites, and consider myself pretty knowledgeable on travel information sources.

I bought this book as a starting point for planning a trip to Costa Rica and while it contains an incredible amount of information, I felt like it was too encyclopedic to be easily helpful for planning. For example, the first 170 pages deal with history, culture, national holidays, wildlife, etc., etc., etc. While I think all of this info is valuable and interesting, I don't want or need most of it when trying to decide where to travel within the country. This book, while providing a ton of detailed information, seems to assume that the reader has some previous knowledge of the country regarding possible itineraries and what the 'must see' areas are. Its 'Suggested Itineraries' section is one paragraph long and basically says 'do what you want and can afford' - not a big help, in my opinion. I don't always follow suggested itineraries but I find them helpful as a starting point, especially in a country as diverse and filled with so many wonderful possibilities as Costa Rica.

Additionally, I found the format to be kind of like a laundry list - lots of stuff but often no indication of relative merits between lodgings, attractions, etc.

I ended up going to the library and using Frommer's and Fodor's as a start for itinerary ideas and then used "Rum and Reggae's" Costa Rica (Jonathan Runge & Adam Carter) as a good source with a definite 'point of view' and lots of opinions. They make pretty clear WHY they like or dislike something, which helps determine if I'll agree or not.

Having said all of this, now that I've planned my trip (using other sources), I will read this book more closely and I'm sure I will benefit from it. It IS an exhaustive (and perhaps exhausting!) source of, I'm sure, everything you've ever wanted to know about Costa Rica.

We really found this book to be useful both in planning our trip and in traveling around Costa Rica. The background information on wildlife, history, culture, and politics was very informative and helpful. We didn't find a bus timetable in any other guide. And the beautiful color photos (of wildlife and flora) are a great addition. We found the itineraries and other information on the publisher's website to be a valuable resource for trip planning. Explore Costa Rica also helped us find some special places to stay we would not have found otherwise. Finally, the book is quite humorous and fun to read.

I have been using and reading Harry Pariser's guides for years, through all the editions, and I find them enormously entertaining and helpful. Loved his guide to Puerto Rico, but more importantly: he has a FIFTH edition of the Explore Costa Rica, which I found before my trip. Although Pariser has always included a lot of background information and tips in his travel guides, this one is packed with more. The coverage of lesser known places was great, and the sidebars useful and informative. His images reveal the beauty of Costa Rica. This is a valuable resource for any person going to explore Costa Rica. Take this one with you!

I truly enjoyed Harry Pariser's 5th edition 'Explore Costa Rica' as it offered many insights on the history of the country, off the beaten trail destinations, travel tips, little known traveler spots, and much more! With very descriptive information and brilliant photos, Costa Rica's myriad of activities seems to come alive. I would strongly recommend this to anyone interested in *experiencing* Costa Rica through the lens of an expert who knows this country like the back of his hand.

I found "Explore Costa Rica" incredibly user friendly in terms of easy to read text, wonderful descriptions of resorts, inns and jungle haunts to stay, maps, color and black and white photos. It covers absolutely everything one needs to navigate the rainforests, beaches, rivers--including the guided tours, wildlife tips, safety, history and complete travel details. It's a gem.

Like Harry Pariser's other travel guides of the Caribbean, this one is packed with information. Comprehensive and detailed, "Explore Costa Rica" gives you the sense of being there. The color picture pages show you the majestic beauty of the country as well as the wild life.

The book breaks the country into sections: San Jose, The Meseta Central, The Northern Zone, The Central Pacific, The Southern Zone and the Caribbean Coast. Each gives you detailed maps, hotel information, festivals and events, what to see and do and much more. For example, in the Northern Zone there is a Bat Jungle you can visit and a sky walk on a suspension bridge that runs above the rainforest canopy just for starters.

Harry hasn't left anything out. Web sites are listed for hotels, tour guides, restaurants and anything else you might be interested in seeing or doing.

Another incredible book by Harry Pariser. If you're planning a trip to Costa Rica, this book should be at the top of your list of tour guide books to get.

We found this to be an indispensable guide with a plethora of detail and much information not found in other guidebooks. In fact in might be too much information for some folks. We really enjoyed the author's sense of humor, as well as the extensive background information provided. For example, we learned a great deal about the rainforest and other ecosystems, history, culture, and economy. We also were able to find some great local restaurants as well as several ecolodges that we did not find elsewhere. The book contains thousands of website URLs and e-mails and this was a tremendous help in planning our trip, as was the additional tips and online update found on the publisher's website. The color photos are great also! If you are interested in getting off of the tourist track, then Explore Costa Rica is the best guide we've found to bring along!

There are many travel books to choose from, all have the basics - accommodations, activities, attractions and transportation. What sets this book apart is that it offers choices that go above and below the basic 1-5 stars! If I was lost in Costa Rica with a limited budget, this is the book I want to have with me. For those of you who like to blend in to the country you are visiting...Mr. Pariser gives info on places to stay and transportation that involves you in the entire Costa Rican experience. Including non profit groups that you can intern with. There is a very thorough section about the traditions and customs of the area so there is no need to be an unattractive tourist!