Frommer's Costa Rica 2005 (Frommer's Complete Guides) [Paperback]

Eliot Greenspan (Author)

Book Description

Series: Frommer's Complete Guides | Publication Date: August 13, 2004

Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Costa Rica features gorgeous color photos of the lush rain forest, the amazing array of wildlife, and the spectacular beaches that await you. Personally researched by a longtime resident, it's the only truly up-to-date guide that gives you such in-depth coverage of this fast-changing country, with recommended accommodations in every price category. You'll visit rugged wilderness preserves and sleepy beach towns, spectacular orchid gardens and mineral hot springs at the foot of a steaming volcano. There are adventures here to suit all ages and abilities: swooping from treetop platform to treetop platform on a canopy tour, taking a dip in a jungle swimming hole, spotting playful spider monkeys as you hike through lush foliage, windsurfing on Lake Arenal, or watching endangered sea turtles nest on the beach. With Frommer's in hand, you'll experience the wonder of Costa Rica's amazing biodiversity, as we point out the best places to see hundreds of unique, colorful species of animals and plants. You'll even get a color fold-out map!

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. And avoid tourist traps. At Frommer's, we use 150 outspoken travel experts around the world to help you make the right choices. Frommer's. Your guide to a world of travel experience.
Choose the Only Guide That Gives You:
* The best ecolodges, with tips on bird-watching, diving, and other adventures to get your adrenaline pumping.
* Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.
* Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip no matter what your budget.
* Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.
* The best hotels and restaurants in every price range, with candid reviews. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. Frommer’s. Your trip begins with us.

• Expert advice on the best bird-watching, diving, surfing, and other adventures to get your adrenaline pumping.
• Outspoken opinions on what’s worth your time and what’s not.
• Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip no matter what your budget.
• Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Frommers (August 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764567683
• ISBN-13: 978-0764567681
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,908,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Would be perfect if it included more places, March 8, 2004

By 

Traveling the world (Heading East...) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frommer's Costa Rica 2004 (Paperback)

The descriptions of hotels and restaurants in the guidebook are accurate and colorful. Frommer's prepares you for exactly what to expect, and in a few instances correctly identify places that are overrated.

In Costa Rica we found that many places were just that: overrated. It seems that places that the most commonly used guidebook, Lonely Planet, raved about had jacked up their prices and become content on coasting on that review, letting the money roll in without exerting any effort (or facility upkeep) to earn the money.

It is important to understand that Frommer's does not devote much attention to budget travel; it is not appropriate for people on a tight budget. Additionally, Frommer's is not very comprehensive (only listing a handful of hotels at each location) and Frommer's doesn't give you enough nuts & bolts about how to get to places, which buses to take, how much a taxi should cost, or the real "on the ground" grunt work that you need in a foreign guidebook.

Thus, my rating of this book as a 5-star is only as a secondary book. It is not sufficient guidebook by itself. But the information it does have you can really count on. Once you're in the country and a little tired out from travel, and frustrated by inaccurate and outdated info in other guidebooks (LP) you'll really appreciate this book's information.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide, November 27, 2001

By 

Fatima Jinnah (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frommer's Costa Rica 2002 (Frommer's Complete Guides) (Paperback)

I have been in Costa Rica for 2 months now and have one more month to go. I have been using this guide to find hotels, great places to eat, shop, and hang out at night. His recommendations are awesome and, of course, accurate. The only discrepancy has been some of the hotel prices. They seem to be quoted lower in the book by a few dollars even though I am traveling during the low season. His bus schedule times are pretty accurate although with so many fluctuations with scheduling it is best to call ahead. If you want more history on any particular region it would be best to do outside reading as this guide book is more to the point step by step instructions on how to get there and where to stay.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Guide For A Great Travel Destination!, January 24, 2004

By 

Patricia Gioieni (Rockaway Beach, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frommer's Costa Rica 2004 (Paperback)

My husband recently took me to Costa Rica for my thirtieth birthday and we used this guide every day. We travelled to Santa Teresa & visited many places of interest & local places to eat in the area. The guide was most helpful. We went to the waterfalls in Montezuma & would not have known about them if not for the guide. The hotel/restaurant reviews were very accurate and saved us a LOT of heartache. Thanks Frommers!