Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Costa Rica (Country Guide)

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

 

 

My wife and I recently took a trip to Costa Rica. We packed light, deciding not to even take any checked bags- but we decided it would be worth it to take two guidebooks. After reading reviews online, we bought the Lonely Planet guide, as well as the newest guide from Frommers. After about day one, we barely even opened the Frommers guide. LP had more places, more information about each place, and better recommendations. A fellow traveler had brought a Moon guide, and had to ask to borrow our LP to look up some places he was thinking of visiting.

One caveat, however- we traveled during the rainy season, and didn't have to battle crowds. If you're traveling in the thick of high season, using a non-LP guidebook might be worth it, simply in order to avoid the LP crowds. But for our trip, it was LP all the way.

this book was only okay. We found several errors, ranging from an incorrectly placed restaurant address (we drove around and around until we asked someone) and, less importantly, old information about a B&B that had changed owners at least five years ago, but the description still contained the previous owners... did the author even bother to check? I have always taken Lonely Planet with a grain of salt, so I would take an extra guide with you. Frommers did a better job on this.

Costa Rica is changing very rapidly, so it is very difficult for any guidebook to be up to date, and I am not a huge fan of travel guidebooks. But I usually carry one, and I found the maps, hotel recommendations, and how to get there and away very helpful.
I have met a few guidebook authors during my travels, and their budgets and time allotments do not allow them to check all of the hotels and restaurants. The other problem with Lonely Planet and other popular guidebooks is that many people read them, and the recommended hotels are often full.
The information on Cerro Chirripo was not very accurate, but we managed to find an incredible hostel right next to the trail that the Lonely Planet author hadn't mentioned. The Casa Mariposa offers tranquil gardens and a very homey atmosphere. It was our favorite place in Costa Rica and we spent a whole week there.
The author was also quite negative about the huge amount of tourism and sudden change, but I attend to agree with him, so it didn't really bother me.
My wife and I usually purchase a guidebook when we travel, but we are always alert for other options. Many of the best places that we have found have been by word of mouth from other travelers, or just exploring on our own. But, if you are entering a strange city late at night, or looking for interesting places to visit, this guidebook can be very helpful.Dancing on the Edge of an Endangered Planet

By the end of my wonderful trip, I was ready to toss this garbage in the fire...What reader enjoys being lambasted for wanting to *horror of horrors* travel? Every other entry was a diatribe on how tourists are ruining the Costa Rican landscapes. Well guess what, Dear Authors, without us pasty and slobbish turistas, you wouldn't have a job! Being in my mid-20s with decent experience in eco-friendly, leave-no-trace travel, I am well in the targeted demographic, but that fact certainly didn't endear me to these authors and their high horses. Tell me where to go and how to get there, but check your snobbish attitude at the door. Alienating your audience is never, ever the right path.

The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is because it was the only guide I brought, so by default, I was forced to rely on it.

I have used many LP books for different locations and they were great. This one however left me totally disappointed. The best example was that they failed to mention that to get to the most beautiful beach (playa conchal) from Brasilito you have to ford a river. Not a big deal if you are expecting it and know when the tides are. The authors failed to give any relevant information about any of these. Crossing the river during the rainy season is often impossible.

Most of the hotels did not live up to the descriptions- either they were not right on the beach, not right downtown, or not so clean.

These are just a few examples of many, and I was left with the feeling that the authors just phoned this lonely planet guide in.

I listened to some of the reviews on here and ended up passing up on the Lonely Planet (mistake) and going with Fodor's. After reading Fodor's, I discovered that it sucked and was really for travelers with LOTS of money. Two days before my trip I went to B&N and bought the Lonely Planet. I wish I had bought it here and saved the money. Lonely Planet Costa Rica is awesome. It really is up to date, I found no issues with the authors, and it had all the recommendations I could have wanted -- from the very cheap to the very expensive -- and it's all categorized. If you're going to Costa Rica get this guide and have a blast!

Although the historical overview is spotted at best, the guide itself is incredibly useful. We followed Lonely Planet's recommendations throughout our trip, and we had an amazing time in Costa Rica. Follow this like the Bible.

This is a good basic travel guide for young travelers on a budget and have use Lonely Planet backpacking through many countries. One negative is the book does not have a list of definitions for its symbols. I also like Fodor's which provides a bit more information and detail for the more mature traveler.

I have, as I've always done when I travel, stayed in more touristy places(always safer) which this guide would make out to be an absolute nightmare. I stayed in Jaco and loved it,.. I wasn't there much. I had a rent a car and went exploring other places and even stayed in different places off the beaten path using Jaco as my base of operations. Yes I agree that Jaco was probably beautiful and serine at one point in time, however I wouldn't trade the safety in numbers for a cabin in the woods,..never! I would consider myself well traveled and if you are too, you already have the powers of deduction and probably don't need the obvious stated to you. Have fun and enjoy Costa Rica without big brother telling you your contributing to the destruction of the country. I assure you the locals would rather have our money. Are Americans destroying the country, or is it the locals trying to feed their families pandering to tourists? The answer is neither Mathew Firestone, that's the word we live in and if you need to indulge your lust for poverty and untouched beauty than I have a suggestion for you, Somalia. It is still very untouched by American tourism and is a beautiful country to boot!

Don't buy any other books. This one is the only one you need to get along well in Costa Rica. It provides specific information....like the location of bus stations! Also nicely woven into it is cultural information that will help you blend in, maybe, a bit better.