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Likes:
 | The Costa Rican people are very friendly toward tourists...they can't do enough for you. |
| Weather in San Jose and the surrounding Central Valley is moderate, which allows
tourists to acclimatize more easily than other tropical destinations. |
| Fair US$ exchange to colones is available at all hotel front desks. No need to deal with
banks or private money changers. |
| Costa Rica is a small country, so travel distances are short between destinations. |
| Costa Rica has a reliable, low cost health care system, should you need it. |
| Costa Rica has reliable telephone links with the rest of the world, and
most major telecom companies offer direct access numbers. |
| Cellular telephone coverage is excellent, so providing you use GSM
frequencies with your carrier at home, you should be able to use your
cellular telephone most places you travel in the country. |
| Internet access is widespread through the country, and is often free or
low cost. |
| Tipping really is optional, and normally not expected (restaurants excepted - see
below). |
| Sansa and Nature Air provide excellent local air service
between many locations throughout the country at reasonable fares. This is a
fast and efficient way to travel between locales and avoid road traffic. |
Dislikes:
| Restaurants charge 10% service charge whether you think the service deserves it or not.
Additionally, they also charge 12% tax, so factor that total of 22% into your budget when
you look over the menu prices. |
| Lack of safety regulations and enforcement means vehicles, boats and buildings would not
come up to U.S./Canada safety and fire standards. |
| Downtown San Jose is not safe for tourists, unless you are particularly brave (or fool
hardy!). |
| Although Costa Rica doesn't have a standing army, there are four police forces - all
heavily armed. |
| Security guards are everywhere, and they all pack guns. This is particularly un-nerving
for Canadian tourists such as myself, since we have strict gun control within our own
country, so we are not used to seeing armed guards. |
| The roads and bridges in Costa Rica are narrow and not in good repair,
except the main highways around San Jose. |
| Traffic congestion is common, and can add significantly to your travel
time. |
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