Lonely Planet Costa Rica

Book Description

Beyond the deserted beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula and the visceral heights of the Monteverde cloud forests lies the real Costa Rica - a land of delicate pathos, forthright purity and hard-won pacifism. Tromp through virgin rain forest - sighting poison-dart frogs and howler monkeys along the way - or simply explore the local lore and laid-back beach scene with this comprehensive guide. LESS IS MORE - expanded ecofriendly coverage and loads of volunteer and learning opportunities make traveling with a conscience easier than ever THE WILD SIDE - spot your favorite rain forest dwellers - scarlet macaws, caimans and more - with our expert-written color wildlife section GAPS ON THE MAP - lose yourself in the seldom-visited corners of this ecological powerhouse with informed do-it-yourself content and more than 80 maps CHARGE IT! - surf the world's longest left at Pavones, hike through rain forest in Corcovado or drop into roaring rapids with our Adventure Travel chapter

Customer Reviews:

Lonely Planet Costa Rica - need a magnifying glass!.......2007-10-18

The Lonely Planet Costa Rica has a lot of great information on visiting Costa Rica along with history of the country. The only problem with this book is that the print is so small that sometimes I have to get out a magnifying glass to read the print without straining my eyes. I do wear corrective lenses and normally I do not have any trouble reading the type in books. I wish they Lonely Planet books would increase the print size. I may not buy another one of their books based on the small print that are currently in the books.

Lonely Planet Costa Rica.......2007-10-04

As always, Lonley Planet doesn't disappoint. All the information you need to plan your trip is here. It is presented precisely and with humor.

Great Book.......2007-09-29

This book was such a useful resource to have while traveling through Costa Rica. The information was very helpful and I would strongly recommend it.

Cean Colcord

Conflicted author may depress you.......2007-07-11

While I agree with the conservationist spirit and general distaste for overrun tourist traps expressed throughout this guidebook by Matthew Firestone (one of the book's two authors), I found his relentlessly negative tone to be extremely off-putting. While the sections written by the other author (Mara Vorhees) are more neutral, informative and generally reflect the high quality I've come to expect from the Lonely Planet series of guidebooks, Matthew Firestone's sections have fully succeeded in dampening my enthusiasm for a trip to Costa Rica before the trip has even begun.

While it may be that the beach at Playa Tamarindo "is full of blubbery North American and European holidaymakers who spend most of their time frying in the sun like beached whales" turning their complexion "from a pasty white to a rosy shade of skin cancer," and while that description does indeed sound like a scene I would rather avoid, I find the author's consistent haughty tone and overriding negativity to be out of place and offensive in a book that is intended for - after all - tourists.

I am still planning what I fully expect to be an exciting and fun vacation in Costa Rica, but now I have to do so in spite of the author of this book's overbearing negativity. It's true, I'm sure, that Costa Rica was once better to visit than it is today, but this book is not for people who knew and loved the country years ago. It's intended for people who have never been there before, and since Mr. Firestone couldn't put aside his sour gripes and focus on what's great about the place rather than bemoaning what's been lost, his words and advice won't be making the trip with me.

This book has been my first disappointment in the Lonely Planet series.

Lonely Planet Rocks.......2007-07-05

In my travels I have come to rely on Lonely Planet for sound advise - they've never led me astray. Prior to travel I always check out their website as the feedback from other travels that is posted there is also outstanding.

Average customer rating:

must have!!!
Put this book among History Books!
The perfect companion for a Costa Rica trip
This is a lucky book.
Outdated, sorely lacking, get Tico Times in-country

Lonely Planet Costa Rica
Carolina A. Miranda , and Paige Penland
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1740597753

Amazon.com

Many Costa Rica guides provide hotel, restaurant, and arrival information, but Lonely Planet's stands out from the pack. Written by Rob Rachowiecki, an award-winning travel writer and naturalist, this guide delves into Costa Rica's flora, fauna, and nature reserves like no other. Rachowiecki's Costa Rica includes a 36-page color wildlife guide, contacts, and details on outdoor activities from kayaking to scuba diving, and bird watching to surfing. There are 54 maps of cities, towns, regions, and parks, plus a comprehensive e-mail and Web site directory, and scads of eating and accommodations options, from budget to upscale. With its rainforests, wildlife, volcanoes, and beaches, Costa Rica is among the most beautiful destinations, and Rachowiecki's guide prepares you to explore and enjoy.

Book Description

Stroll through pristine cloud forests and peer into simmering volcanoes, catch the perfect turquoise wave and howl back at howler monkeys, gaze at the waters of the Caribbean and the Pacific from the top of Mt Chirripo - Costa Rica is an adventurer's dream. Packed with expert advice on making the most of your trip, our authoritative guide will help you discover your own paradise in the land of pura vida.

• GET WILD - our full-color wildlife guide gets you in touch with the swingers, the swimmers and the slitherers • GO NATURAL - an expert ecologist gives you the scoop on Costa Rica's stunning national parks in our environment chapter • TAKE IT OUTSIDE - our adventure travel chapter has you covered, from hiking and surfing to rafting and kayaking • GET AROUND - 77 user-friendly maps, more than any other guidebook to Costa Rica • REST EASY - from treehouse hammocks to luxury ecolodges, accommodations to please every style and budget

Customer Reviews:

must have!!!.......2007-09-21

This is a great book and highly useful if you are travelling throughout Costa Rica. Much of the information is highly accurate and the guides for day trips, etc are practical.

Put this book among History Books!.......2007-02-13

Although the overall impression of the book is positive (so the 3 stars...) I could not find ANY hotel still close to the price range listed for them, not to say that some of them are now defunct (restaurants included). But what I found worse were the low-planning content of the proposed routes (I eventually started one of them and had to remodel it on-the-fly for the loss of time it would cause me) and the misguided information on some attractions (take Las Baulas National Park for example: it has NO touristic structure besides the beach itself, being mostly a scientific facility for the preservation of turtles, but is currently being sold - in a unethical way, with thousand of unfulfilled promises - by local guides who in fact make you pay USD28 for just a night on the beach. The books says something about dozens of turtles coming EVERY NIGHT to the beach, which is totally false if not impossible, providing free-but-wrong advertising for those unethical guides and not helping at all the buyer of the book).

The perfect companion for a Costa Rica trip.......2006-12-17

Once again, Lonely Planet delivers a thorough guide for travellers heading into an unknown destination. The book covers popular destinations as well as providing the history of the country and highlighting wildlife that is unique to the region. The book is broken up by region so it is easy to reference as you travel throughout the country. The restaurant guide is so thorough it included a bakery that we saw at a remote village in the jungle only accessible by boat. And the review was right on! I will definitely keep this for my next trip and look to Lonely Planet when venturing somewhere new.

This is a lucky book........2006-10-02

My friend said he has loaned this book to six people, all of whom have returned from Costa Rica, ecstatic and safe. This book is good luck... I said write to the author to tell him, and he said, "No, this is a really popular book, he gets hundreds of emails every week." I thought I'd try anyway.

Outdated, sorely lacking, get Tico Times in-country.......2006-06-02

I bought this book for my Costa Rica trip (8 weeks w/ a class, 3 weeks w/o), and replaced it within the first week. Most of the hotels are priced above what is listed, if they even exist anymore. Same with the restaurants. Also, LP over-emphasized many extreme tourist hotspots without giving enough info about smaller towns (don't miss Cauhita!), lesser-known forests (check out the Children's Eternal Rainforest), getting around by bus, super-budget hotels or border crossings. My advice: wait until you get into Costa Rica, then get the Tico Times guidebook, updated EVERY YEAR, written by the local english newspaper. It's easy to find and so much more relevant, with maps of every town, bus schedules, local festivals (where and when), border information, updated hotel + restaurant info, and how to find the information you can't find anywhere else.

Costa Rican Spanish: Lonely Planet Phrasebook

Average customer rating:

Its Cute and Small and I guess handy
Some improvements
Inferior to previous edition

Costa Rican Spanish: Lonely Planet Phrasebook
Thomas Kohnstamm , and Lonely Planet Phrasebooks
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1740591194

Book Description

Lounging around in a resort will make great use of your English. You could, however, grab this phrasebook and trade tiquismos with the Ticos, chase the best beach break, track down a toucan and go home knowing youÂ've had an all-round pura vida time.

Customer Reviews:

Its Cute and Small and I guess handy.......2007-07-20

We bought this as a "just in case" backup in case all communication skills broke down and we had to resort to language. Luckily that never happened so we never actually used the book. Usually you can get your point across with your hands and facial expressions (including getting out of a ticket because you did an 'illegal' U turn in front of a cop - show me the sign, there was no sign).

Some improvements.......2007-03-06

This new edition has corrected some of the mistakes I pointed out in a previous review and in an email exchange with the author. As I thumbed through the book I didn't see any "tu" conjugations, only "vos" and "usted". This is much more accurate for Costa Rican Spanish and was a blunder in the first edition. There is also an explanation at the beginning of the book about Costa Rican Spanish, which includes mention of the predominance of the voseo en Costa Rica. Nonetheless, I still give the book one star for two reasons. First the pronunciation section, as Mr. Kohnstamm informed me, was done by someone from Australia (if I remember right). So if you are from the U.S. several of the pronunciations are incorrect. Second, it only took me about a minute of looking through the book to see several mistakes in grammar and translation. Example: "Si vengas a Costa Rica..." should be "Si viene/venis a Costa Rica..." and "Adonde es la sala ejecutiva?" should be "Donde esta la sala ejecutiva?". These types of mistakes really stand out and defeat the purpose of the book, which is to help English-speaking tourists fit in and learn correct phrases for interacting with the locals... at least I think that is the purpose here.

Inferior to previous edition.......2007-02-04

This 2nd edition is more than just a beauty cleanup of the 1st. It completely changes the content, the intent and therefore the usefulness of the book. It is full of pronunciations, painstakingly spelled out as if someone was going to read them preferentially over the Spanish words. It's sort of lame, because Spanish pronunciation is basically invariable (accents aren't, of course) and if you are having trouble with it that is best fixed with a different book. It seems like there is less information, because a big chunk of the page has gone over to pronunciations. It has been scrubbed of most of the sketchier inclusions of the 1st edition, which are fun. The very useful verb endings charts and some of the Tiquismo sidebars are gone. I also find the typeface harder to read in dim light, especially the dictionary. On the plus side, it is prettier, and perhaps better organized and easier to find information.

I had my 1st edition stolen while down there. I hadn't been in a hurry to replace it, but the minute I received this 2nd edition, I scoured the 'net to locate another 1st. You should consider the same.

Lonely Planet Costa Rica Spanish Phrasebook (Phrasebooks)

Average customer rating:

Well organized and useful
This book has phrases for every occasion!
Please add local expressions
Bad mistakes
Grammar and cultural mistakes...

Lonely Planet Costa Rica Spanish Phrasebook (Phrasebooks)
Thomas Kohnstamm
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1864501057

Book Description

In Costa Rica, it's impossible not to get caught up in the feeling of Pura Vida, 'pure life'. So whether selecting from the huge range of traditional dishes, dancing the merenge at a fiesta, or cheering a toro brava, 'fighting bull', this book will help you get into the swing.

join in the crowd at a rodeo, street festival or salsa club
loads of cultural & traveling tips, whether you go by bus, scooter or donkey
sections on diving, hiking and surfing
includes Lim n Creole, the language of Costa Rica's Caribbean coast
music, food, shopping, art & more

Customer Reviews:

Well organized and useful.......2005-08-26

This is a handy phrase book for those who have no knowledge of Spanish and for those situations where you just need to be that much more specific in communicating your needs. It's not too big, so it's relatively easy to travel with.

This book has phrases for every occasion!.......2005-07-21

Tins book will help you in just about every situation; meeting people, getting around, accommodations, food, illegal drugs, Dating, Romance and Intimate phrases, dealing with police, and lots more!

Most people in the tourist areas spoke enough English to get by but I found this book invaluable to brush up on my memories of high school Spanish so that I could communicate in any situation while I was in Costa Rica

Please add local expressions.......2005-06-16

This phrasebook is very well organised. This is its strong point, I think. This is what I told some English people who asked for my advice (I am a Costarican). I also told them that I think it covers all the expected areas of vocabulary, like airport, travelling, food, but it could cater better for local expressions, the voccabulary local people use. This is what I am asking for, perhaps for the next edition.

Bad mistakes.......2005-06-03

Just for the author's attention in the dating and romance section the phrase "sacate" does NOT mean take off your clothes, and it can be taken as a very vulgar remark in Spanish. Just one many mistakes in Spanish that this book has.

Grammar and cultural mistakes..........2005-05-20

I agree with several of the criticisms raised about this book. Imagine if you picked up a phrasebook for your native region and found mistake after mistake about your native language and about how you and your fellow countrymen and women speak the language. Most of the tourists who rate this book excellent probably do so because they don't understand Costa Rican Spanish and because the were able to use some of the phrases and be understood while in Costa Rica. This is fine but they should also know that many of the phrases are incorrect. The point is if you are going to publish something and claim this is the way an entire country of people speak then it should be accurate and at the very least be free of all the grammar mistakes that this book has. It is also true as one reviewer points out that here in Costa Rica we do not use tu but vos or actually usted unless you know the person very well and are being informal. This is a major mistake considering the book is supposed to help foreigners fit in. I could not recommend this book to anyone.

Lonely Planet Costa Rica (Lonely Planet. (Spanish Guides))

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet Costa Rica (Lonely Planet. (Spanish Guides))
Mara Vorhees , and Matthew Firestone
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Lonely Planet Costa Rica (Lonely Planet Costa Rica (Spanish))

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet Costa Rica (Lonely Planet Costa Rica (Spanish))
Carolina A. Miranda
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Lonely Planet: Costa Rica

Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications - Italian editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 8870636283

Diving & Snorkeling Guide to Cocos Island (Lonely Planet Diving & Snorkeling Great Barrier Reef)

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Diving & Snorkeling Guide to Cocos Island (Lonely Planet Diving & Snorkeling Great Barrier Reef)
Lucy Agace
Manufacturer: Gulf Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1559920920

Book Description

12 dive sites around Costa Rica's Cocos Island. Dive highlights: Sharks, sharks, sharks (hammerheads, silky, whitetip, whale).

Average customer rating:

* * * a 5 star book for paradise * * *

Lonely Planet Costa Rica Pack

Manufacturer: Lonely Planet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1740590554

Book Description

The Lonely Planet Costa Rica Pack includes the Costa Rica guidebook and Costa Rica Spanish phrasebook. Peer into the crater of a smoking volcano, spot rare birds from high above the rainforest canopy and raft some of the most thrilling white eater in the tropics. Whether you aim to observe endangered sea turtles in Tortuguero or unwind on the warm sands of Playa Tamarindo, this award-winning guide is your essential travel companion.

Customer Reviews:

* * * a 5 star book for paradise * * *.......2001-04-10

A friend and I had made a choice to travel abroad but just weren't sure where to go or what first steps we should take in choosing a destination we both agreed upon. Pondering upon pondering we both agreed and concluded that we wanted a place that was different, 3rd world, and tropical with a history of having a warm climate. So with this main clue, we headed for the nearest BORDERS bookstore and rummaged up and down the travel section reading everything and anything and educating ourselves on different tropical locations. Considering our budget and activities interests and scenic interests, we decided COSTA RICA would be the place to meet our most enjoyable and worthwhile needs. Upon choosing the book, it was a toss up between 3 (one being the Lonely Planet guide)... We chose "Lonely Planet" to be our book guide morely due to its hip nature and background and its cool entourage of excitement seeking followers, travelers and backpackers who own at least on of these unique line of travel guides. Within the trip, we found that no other book had ever been so accurate. From places to go, venues to eat, places to stay, activities to do, discounts to look out for and people to meet; no other travel book we've owned has ever been so accurate. Also we had the chance to learn a great deal of history about the country from the book before we went; could be an excellent pasttime activity on the plane. (Found out that we knew more about the country then the occupants who lived there.) The book is in most, "detail-accurate." The book even survived the humid drenches of the rainforest of Manuel Antonio (a must see). The book is still in an acceptable condition (thanks to its improved binding! I display it on my room shelf along with the souvenirs and pictures of my trip. A shrine would be a good way to describe it. An EXCELLENT book, an EXCELLENT trip, full of EXCELLENT memories!!!!! I've also purchased the LONELY PLANET guide to MORROCCO. and YES i have made that trip... but that is another travel story on it's own full that is also full of more exciting memories!!! I have constructed a shrine for that as well. haha

Book Description

Fourth book in a coming-of-age series in which high school senior Glen Sauten learns what it really means to be a Christian as he participates in a lively small group, helps friends deal with injury and emotional pain, struggles against a bully, has his first serious relationship with a girl, makes difficult decisions about what God has in mind for his future. Discussion questions are included for all four books.

Customer Reviews:

Grand finale for a grand teen series.......2006-03-30

This is the fourth, and final book in this Circle of Friends series. What I really like about this book is that there are discussion questions in the back of the book--which opens the door to discussing pertinent issues in a Christian teen's life. For example, "Nicole's parents refuse to allow her to date someone who is not a Christian. Do you think that this is fair?" Parents, youth group leaders, may want to read these books along with their teen(s,) so they can talk about these issues that come up in the relationships in the book. In this way teens can safely apply the questions and consequences in their own relationships. Buy the whole series for a teen in your life.

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