Moon Costa Rica (Moon Handbooks) (Paperback)

by Christopher P. Baker (Author)
Key Phrases: las juntas, forest reserve, las ruinas, Costa Rica, Santa Elena, Avenida Central (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Earlier this fall Moon released two updated guides to Costa Rica. The 6th edition of the handbook to Costa Rica was written by veteran travel writer Christoper P. Baker, an expert on both Costa Rica and Cuba. Baker won the 2006 Lowell Thomas Award for best guidebook for a previous edition of this book. At 650 pages, the latest version is bursting with valuable tips about traveling through this tropical jewel. -- Gadling, October 29, 2007

Product Description

Award-winning travel writer Christopher P. Baker knows the best way to experience Costa Rica, from surfing the beaches of Golfo Dulce to hiking in Corcovado National Park and dining in upscale Escazú in San Jose. Baker includes unique trip ideas like The 21-Day Best of Costa Rica, The Offbeat Experience, and Seven Days for Active Vacationers. Packed with information on dining, transportation, and accommodations, Moon Costa Rica has lots of options for a range of travel budgets. Every Moon guidebook includes recommendations for must-see sights and many regional, area, and city-centered maps. Complete with details on the best beaches for surfing and a variety of opportunities to get outdoors, Moon Costa Rica gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience. With expert writers, first-rate strategic advice, and an essential dose of humor, Moon guidebooks are the cure for the common trip.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 650 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing; 6th edition (September 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566918472
• ISBN-13: 978-1566918473
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #87,165 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #15 in	Books > Travel > Latin America > Central America > Costa Rica
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars America's version of Lonely Planet, March 3, 2008

By	chp (Miami) - See all my reviews

I usually purchase Lonely Planet guides, but the LP Costa Rica was too old. Moon was more recently published and I'm very glad that I was able to try out a different series. I was very impressed with Moon Costa Rica and the Moon series will definitely be one that I check first when looking for a guidebook in the future.

The similarities with LP mainly come from the tone in which it was written since it was authored by a Brit (much like most of the LP books I've used in the past). And this author has a tremendous amount of knowledge of Costa Rica as well as Latin America. The layout was logical and easy to navigate.

Of all the Costa Rica guidebooks on the shelf this one had the most, and most detailed, maps. In small towns where there are no road signs and "intestinal" roads that make getting turned around and confused very easy these detailed and zoomed-in maps came in very, very handy.

Of all the guidebooks it also devoted the most amount of pages to the areas where we were visiting (the Pacific beaches/Nicoya peninsula and the Arenal volcano area).

I liked this guidebook especially because it gave me the feeling that nothing was left out. For instance, while driving by the tiniest town I noticed that it would be mentioned in the guidebook even if very little was written about it.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for LP loyalists or budget travelers, April 28, 2008

By	Jennarator - See all my reviews

As a loyal Lonely Planet reader, I thought Moon would be as good or better, considering the reviews for the two. This book is written for the author's ideals only - anyone who is really into sportfishing and seeing exclusively expats while traveling. It does a poor job of listing the more budget-minded lodging and restaurants, and has little to no mention of info that would suit someone with cultural interest. All restaurants and lodging are "to avoid the Ticos, book here" or "try expat Chuck and Susan's pace, here". It would help someone book an entire trip to see other travelers traveling, and to go fishing. Disappointed, I went to the bookstore and paged through LP's older, more concise guide book, and was thrilled to see better descriptions, more color pictures, and more cultural insight. Moon's book also packs an extra 100 pages of Costa Rican history - something that is nice, but not necessary to take with me in a backpack trekking around the country.
Lastly, the author has an absurd overuse with superlatives! "This beach is the best in the country" and "the wildlife in this park is unmatched" - these are good descriptions, but when applied to every park and every beach, given that there are dozens, it makes it difficult for the traveler to make an informed decision to organize their best trip to Costa Rica.
Overall I was disappointed and will be buying a different guide book to take with me.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide book, February 25, 2008

By	ZK "Classic fan" (KS/OK/USA) - See all my reviews

Christopher Baker makes this one of the most versatile guide books for Costa Rica to be found on the market! You get a lot of info for one book-historical, nature, lodging, restaurants, things to see and do -my favorite! Thanks!