Explore Costa Rica [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Harry S. Pariser (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
" ...the definitive guidebook to read. This well-written and well-researched book covers every aspect of the country and carefully prepares you for your trip. ...The numerous easy-to-understand maps and color photos add to the text, which leaves no stone unturned." -- Travel Books Review

" ...this extensive, up-to-date guide for Costa Rica is a welcome sight. Selected accommodations and restaurants span the scale from luxury to low-budget, while the author's respectful, ecologically aware perspective contributes a progressive view of the sights and scenes encompassed in mountains and lowlands, rain forests and beaches." -- American Library Association Booklist

"...(differs) from the others in its naturalist-oriented cosiderations of outdoors activities and unusual offbeat adventures...mention of transportation challenges and unusual accommodations leads the visitor away from well-worn paths." -- The Bookwatch

"...the definitive book to read...well-written and well-researched...you are shown the best jungle hikes, the best jungle hikes, the best beaches with top offshore diving and snorkeling locations, white water rivers suitable for rafting/kayaking (with recommended outfitters), tips for bird watching, and mucn more... I recommend that you buy this book." -- Travel Books Review

"This book will be one you'll want in your library and to carry with you on your next trip to Costa Rica.... The...references are excellent and good reading. If you want to expand your knowledge about Costa Rica..then buy a copy of this book and READ it! You'll enjoy the light writing style." -- Shirley Miller, Costa Rica Outlook

"Your book is impressive as hell!" -- Michael Kaye, founder and CEO, Costa Rica Expeditions

"Your material about Tortuguero National Park is solid... I even learned a thing or two..."(Daryl Loth, Tortuguero Safaris (writing about Tortuguero National Park) "Your material about Tortuguero National Park is solid... I even learned a thing or two...") -- Daryl Loth, Tortuguero Safaris

Product Description
Travel with award-winning travel guide and author Harry S. Pariser around Costa Rica, and experience its wonders: *

Dive and snorkel off the coast of the remote Osa Peninsula *

Visit the intimate hotels of the Nicoya Peninsula *

Ascend by rope and pulley into the

rain forest canopy *

Surf, kayak, canoe, bungee jump,

mountain bike, spelunk and trek *

Or just lie back on a beach, relax and watch the monkeys at play. Everything's in this humorous, informative, educational, detailed guide. There's no other book quite like it! It covers *

Internal flights, ferry schedules and bus travel *

Sustainable tourism, including volunteer opportunities *

Studying Spanish *

Maps, photos, websites and lots more useful tips. For travelers who don't want to be called tourists, Explore Costa Rica is the book!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Manatee Press; illustrated edition edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893643506
• ISBN-13: 978-1893643505
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,200,890 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a costa rica enthusiast, January 12, 2000

By	Katherine C Besleme (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Having lived in Costa Rica for nearly two years and traveled extensively throughout the country, Explore Costa Rica is the ultimate travel guide to have on hand. The book has excellent maps and time saving tips that I wish I had known about prior to my travels. I have used Pariser's books on many occasions and believe they are the best resource on the market. Most importantly, Explore Costa Rica provides the traveler with information that goes well beyond which hotels to avoid and which bus to catch. It provides a fresh perspective that many travellers seek: an historical, social, cultural, and environmental understanding of the places they visit and grow to love.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In-depth personable guide to Costa Rica, December 27, 2000

By	Julie (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

I recently obtained a copy of Harry Pariser's guide to Costa Rica. I was very excited about reading his book. A couple of years ago I spent over six months travelling through Costa Rica and had happened upon an earlier guidebook by Mr. Pariser at a hotel I stayed at in the Osa Peninsula. I enjoyed it immensely. So, as I opened my copy of 'Costa Rica Complete', I anticipated thorough research and genuine enthusiasm to be displayed in the book. I was not in the least disappointed. It is refreshing to feel the writer's personality shine through the text and he does a thorough job of detailing the information a fellow traveller needs to make his or her trip a fantastic one. I highly recommend this book!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Eco-friendly Guidebook, April 7, 2000

By	David Stanley (Canada) - See all my reviews

The focus of this book underlines Costa Rica's status as the ecotourism capital of Latin America, and almost a quarter of the main introduction is devoted to the country's flora and fauna. Pariser is of the school that believes that selling the environment as a tourist attraction will contribute to its preservation in a commercial world. Minimum impact is an obvious consideration as he guides visitors gently through the rainforests or along the coral reefs. However, conventional city trippers won't be disappointed by Harry's 21 pages of detailed accommodations listings for San Jose, and it's significant that pricewise he starts at the top and works down. Smaller numbers of upscale visitors will leave fewer footprints than backpacking masses from Lonely Planet. Harry's eco-friendly values are also reflected in his detailed six-page chart of public bus services. Sightseeing from behind the wheel of a polluting vehicle is not his way. The food, festivals, and sports and recreation sections of this book are also very good, and you'll even find a precise guide to the local radio stations and detailed tips on volunteering. This book has an individual flair but it's as professional as they come. It's a welcome change from the stale consumerism of Frommer and Fodor. END