Customer Reviews

Frommer's Costa Rica 2010 (Frommer's Color Complete)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Costa Rica is one of my very favorite destinations and I likely own just about every flavor of review book on the area. While my husband has always been a big fan of the Frommers series I've always had others that I felt were more current and offered the information I value most when traveling. However I have been very impressed with the 2010 edition of the Frommers for Costa Rica and can honestly say that at present it is my favorite guide book for this area.

Typically I've been the type to gravitate more towards the Moon books which offers more of the "off the beaten path" type information on things to do, see, places to stay and where to eat. They tended to present a more local flavor and not focus so heavily on the more touristy spots. The one drawback to the Moon series is that it can occasionally get rambly and doesn't seem to update it's information as frequently as it should.

This latest edition of the frommers offers the same point of view that I've always sought in the Moon books, yet it is very current. I compared the commentary in the book with my own experiences when traveling in the area and found that I agreed with most everything the author wrote as far as destinations, great places to eat, nice places to stay, best places to visit, etc. Granted, I've never lived in Costa Rica and I've not been to every area of interest in the Country, but on the areas I know well the author is right on.

We are heading to Costa Rica again in a couple of weeks and are taking in a few new destinations and sights, so I will then see if my experiences and the commentary in the guide continue to align. (Update post-trip below...)

All-in-all, whether going to Costa Rica for the first time or on a return visit I feel this guide is a great resource. The information is current, seems very unbiased, and offers a great selection of places to stay and things to do if you're seeking ideas for your trip.

UPDATE: We returned from our trip a few days ago and I can say my initial impressions of this guide book were right on. This is indeed a great guide for both new and return visitors. The information provided was very accurate. Those activities, hotels and restaurants both recommended and not recommended were in-line with our own impressions, making the guide a great resource for both pretrip planning and in-country last minute plans as well. This is a great Costa Rica guide and I highly recommend it.

I opened the page to a sidebox: "No trip to Costa Rica would be complete without at least one monkey sighting." Then on the it describes the capuchin monkey, howler monkey, the elusive spider monkey, and the rare endangered squirrel monkey. Flipping to the beginning of the book, I land on "The best views" starting with The Summit of Irazu Volcano. In the same chapter you will find the best adventures and the best moderately priced hotels. The topic takes a serious feel in the section Common Ailments: Tropical Illnesses with discussion of dengue fever and dietary red flags. But the photo of the dolphin quickly takes the attention away toward the beautiful. The book is filled with useful tips that only the experienced traveler would know: "Because Drake Bay is so remote, I recommend that you have a room reservation and transportation arrangements before you arrive." It goes on to say that a flashlight and rain gear are absoultely essential in Drake Bay. While some other travel books are just compiled reference on touristy sights and lodging, this Frommers Guide frames this information around highly refined tips & tricks. Page 505 shows a little drawing of a Sally Lightfoot Crab. I have some of these in my marine reef aquarium. I look forward to seeing these critters in their natural habitat. This Frommers Guide is a must-have in your Costa Rica bound luggage. That is, if you can find your destination: "Although there are often street addresses and building numbers for locations in downtown San Jose, they are almost never used.."

We are considering a vacation to Costa Rica sometime in 2010. Since it would be our first trip to this country, I thought this travel guide might be a perfect way to learn more about the country and its culture, it's history, the beaches, hotels etc.

The book is divided into sections:

* The Best of Costa Rica (beaches, hotels, ecolodges and wilderness resorts, B&Bs, best family resorts, places for adventure,nature, and more.
* Costa Rica in Depth: The history of the country past and present, culture, architecture and eating and drinking
* Trip Planning: when to go, calendar of events,getting there and around once you are there, wedding planning, health and safety accommodations , suggested itineraries etc.
* Separate sections about San Jose, Guanacaste (The Gold Coast), Puntarenas and the Nicoya Peninsula, The Northern Zone: Mountain Lakes, Cloud Forest and a volcano.
* Central Pacific Coast (Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, The Southern Zone The Caribbean Coast
* Fast facts guide; Spanish terms and phrases and Costa Rican wildlife info.

Also included is a foldout map plus detailed maps throughout the book, hundreds of color photos, reviews of hotels and restaurants, shopping and nightlife, as well as trip planning ideas for once you are there. The only thing that I was a bit disappointed in was not the book itself, but that many of the featured hotels only had one or two star ratings, even most of the very expensive resort hotels were only 3 stars, so we really need to do a bit more research and talk with people who have traveled here before. RECOMMENDED

I used an earlier version of this Frommer's guide to Costa Rica when I visited there a few years ago, and found it to be the most useful of the three guides I used to plan my trip. When I received the 2010 edition I did a quick comparison between it and the earlier edition to see what might be added or subtracted from my itinerary if I were to plan the same trip today using the newer guide. I find that for our particular trip, not much would have changed, but the updates to a few newer attractions, to pricing, and so forth were welcome.

To my mind the most useful and outstanding feature of Frommer's Costa Rica guide is the advice on how best to spend one week (if that is all the time you have) in the country. The recommendations are very good, from the San Jose arrival and departure to how to make a big triangle of travel within the center of the country that enables you to see key sights and experience some culture as well as environmental diversity (that includes the coast and the rainforest).

Costa Rica is a wonderful experience, and certainly was one of the most important trips I've ever taken, but a guide is essential to getting the most out of it. Planning and preparedness are seldom more important than they are when visiting a country with crime and corruption issues and most importantly, incredibly bad roads. Frommer's goes some distance to underscore just how awful the roads are, but it can't be underscored enough. Plan for your travel to be inconvenienced by wash-outs, monstrous potholes, unbelievable traffic patterns, and the like. The pull-out map that comes included with the Frommer's Costa Rica 2010 guide will be invaluable to you as you plan your travel routes, and most especially, when you plan alternate routes if your initial plans prove unworkable.

One bonus with Frommer's guides is the exquisite color photography with which the books are amply illustrated. While the photos used tend to draw on the best and prettiest a location has to offer (I didn't see any pictures of the razor wire used to protect shops and nicer residences in downtown San Jose, for example), when you're trip is over, the book acts as keepsake of your adventure, reminding you (as this one did me) of your journey. Every few pages there is the equivalent of a postcard, and that's not only handy in helping you decide where you want to go, it turns out those images make a wonderful souvenir of where you've been, as well.

A good value, and I would say a practically essential purchase if you're serious about a trip to the truly magical Costa Rica.

Not a bad travel guide for Costa Rica, just not as good as Fodor's Costa Rica 2010 (Full-Color Gold Guides). The Frommer's guide covers all the basics and then some, but does not give you as much background information as the Fodor's guide. Both have nice color photos, and both are heavier than I would like. Since having both is unnecessary, I recommend the Fodor's.

Update: We just returned from our weeks vacation in Costa Rica. We used this guidebook extensively and found it very helpful for everything from dining suggestions (Sofia's in Monteverde was a particular favorite) to itineraries to activities. We found the information to be sound and the opinions offered to be in line with our own. The fact that the author lives in country is invaluable; some of the tips he provides are not mentioned in the Fodor's guide and his suggestions for lodging appear to be a bit more solid and up-to-date. That said, the maps in this guidebook are not quite as helpful as those in the Fodor's guidebook so it is well worth the investment to buy both books.

Original Review: We are in the planning stages of a 2010 trip to Costa Rica. I selected this book as a secondary resource, having used the Fodor's Costa Rica 2010 (Full-Color Gold Guides)as my initial primary guidebook. The contrast between the two books is interesting. The Fodor's guide is a beautiful book, full of wonderful pictures of flora and fauna. However, the book has a definite green slant and at times I was a bit nervous about the authors recommendations, in particular their lodging preferences. In contrast, a travel writer who has resided in Costa Rica since 1992 writes this book. It is obvious that the author has an all-encompassing knowledge of Costa Rica, her people and her issues. That said, the conversational tone of the book leads one to trust the author's recommendations a bit more than the Fodor's guide.

The book begins with a brief overview of the best of Costa Rica, from beaches, to breakfasts to bird watching. I imagine this section will be particularly helpful in country. The next section of the book gives a brief overview of Costa Rica, including history, etiquette and current happenings. Then we are on to planning. The author quickly covers the basics: when to go, issues of concern (currency, health, crime), means of travel and a basic overview of types of accommodations. Several different itineraries are suggested accompanied by helpful maps. As with the Fodor's guide, eco-tourism and green concerns are addressed, but not overtly pushed.

The remainder of the book is broken down into regional segments. As is typical, there are entertainment, dining and accommodations suggestions. Some (at times many) of these are the same as those in the Fodor's guide. A scan of reviews on travel sites reveals that the lodging recommendations are reasonably sound. (No place is perfect there is always someone out there whose expectations have not been met.) The regional maps which accompany the text are very helpful and easy to read and understand.

To sum it up: The Fodor's guide will convince you to go to Costa Rica. The Frommer's guide will be of more assistance in planning your trip. Will update the review to let you know which one was more helpful on the ground.

I actually got this book as an additional guide for reference since I'm an artist. This is of course a travel guide if you want to head down for a nice vacation or get-away to Costa Rica. The size of the book is of course small to make it easier to tuck away when traveling, however it's rather bulky at the same time so it can be a bit cumbersome when trying to read or carry. The binding is really tight so it's harder to keep a page open sometimes when reading. That is ok, since you don't want it falling apart on you when you're trying to find out what foods are safe to eat when you're out in Costa Rica.

The back of the book comes with a map you can pull out. Just be careful and tear along the perforated area so you don't kill the back of the book.

As for the information in the book itself. It's pretty thorough which is why it's so thick. You can find information on hotels and ratings and prices. Areas that are good for birdwatching or monkey sightings, what kind of customs and attitudes you can expect with native residents in Costa Rica (it's also very honest about it, and tries not to come off as PC). There are also ideas on how to spend your days in Costa Rica, such as going out to San Jose, and river rafting one day, bike riding another, and even offers tips if you're with a family or just having a romantic time with your significant other.

It also tell you about how to shop, and what to look for when shopping for example crafts in Coasta Rica (since it states it's not especially known for craft work).

It doesn't leave out phone numbers, and contacts in case you get sick or have another emergency to take care of. It also has information on transportation.

The pictures in the guide are fairly decent, since the guide is small and is mostly telling you about areas of interest and other information, the pictures are small too. I do love some of the landscape and animal photography in this book.

You definitely need some kind of guide if you're headed over to foreign land, and I honestly couldn't tell you if Frommer's is better than some other competing travel guide. However, the information I did find in this book is rather useful.

San Jose, Guanacaste, Puntarenas and so very much more, it's all Costa Rica and it all reeks of adventure. I've never been, but someday I'm going. I used to travel a lot, but for the last few years I've been stuck in one place, however I'm still a traveller at heart, albiet an armchair one and if you're going to travel in your heart from your chair, you can't go wrong with Frommer's. Don't get me wrong, Frommer's are an excellent choice to take with you when you really go. I know, I have, but they are also great to have around the home when you want to dream a little, much better, for me anyway, then wishing from a catalog.

This book starts out giving you the best of Costa Rica, briefly mentioning beaches, resorts, hotels, places where you can see nature and just sort of have your own little adventure. Then it goes into Costa Rica in depth. Frommer's gives you separate sections on Guanacaste (the Gold Coast), San Jose, The Northern Zones mountains and lakes and more. You'll really learn about the country, plus you'll learn a tiny bit of Spanish, not really enough to get you by (I have traveled in Spanish speaking countries and believe me, if you learn a bit of their language, the people will go out of their way to help you).

This book is great armchair reading and it'll put you right into Costa Rick in your mind, so that when you really go, you'll be better prepared. Some people, especially older people, take tour busses. My suggestion, take Frommer's instead, get out among the people, meet them and have an experience you'll never forget.

The more I travel and the more travel books I read and review, it comes down to distinct styles of books. Frommers, I think, does a good job at aiming at the slightly affluent crowd and spells out the basics for them (health risks, precautions, etc) so people can follow a checklist. It's designed for people who will be taking a tour, and not really venturing off the beaten path.

The book itself is pretty comprehensive, but lacks the historical depth as the Fodor's Costa Rica 2010 (Full-Color Gold Guides). Both have pretty pictures and make you want to get on a plane and visit. However, this book is thicker and heavier than the Fodor's, so odds are you'll only be taking one of them with you.

It's not to say that this book is bad, but it's not just for me. I sort of like planning trips on my own and venturing off by myself and getting "lost." If I was going with a packaged tour, I'd probably stick with Frommer's. If I were off by myself, I'd leave this book at home.

I think this guide is a good place to start planning a vacation to Costa Rica. It has a very reader-friendly layout, and introduces you to the Central American country with a chapter about the "best of" Costa Rica, featuring the best beaches, adventures, birding, nature, destinations, restaurants, accommodations and "fun". They also list "the best" websites, for additional information on travel to the country. This is followed by an interesting general overview of Costa Rica, including "Tico" etiquette and customs (Costa Ricans are referred to as "Ticos").

There is a chapter on planning your trip, with sections on where to go, entry requirements, money, safety, and staying connected (phones, cell-phones and internet). This is common to most of these guides, but does offer good insight to the specific country as well as some food for thought in the planning process. They include suggested itineraries for making the most of your vacation, depending on your interests, as well as information on planning "active" vacations.

Chapters on specific destinations within Costa Rica include higher levers of detail for such areas as the city of San Jose, the Gold Coast, the Pantarenas, the Northern Zone (mountain lakes, cloud forests, a volcano), the Central Pacific Coast, Southern Zone, and the Caribbean Coast. There are color photos throughout and some basic maps for the different areas, which are ok for general planning, but not for finding specific places. There is also a section of fast facts of Costa Rica and basic word and phrase translations, as well as a brief section of wildlife local to the area.

While the book is somewhat general, in that it covers the entire country, it does provide a good level of introductory detail for the relatively small country. There is some geographic diversity between San Jose, the mountains and the beaches, but the guide does a pretty good job of providing enough information to help you get started in planning your vacation. Once you get your planning underway, it is usually a good idea to locate some more specific and up-to-date information than can be provided in a general guide such as this.