Archive for May, 2009

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

“One of the Seven Wonders of Costa Rica”

Monteverde is one of the major tourist destinations in Costa Rica. It literally means the Green Mountain. Monteverde is located in a small town in Puntarenas, Costa Rica with the main tourists are interested to the eco tourism of the place. A lot of them described the spectacular Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve as if like entering an impressive green Cathedral.

Hiking is one the best activities when in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Monteverde National Park has varied trails connecting the two reserves of Santa Elena Cloud Forest and The Monteverde Cloud Forest. This trail is over 20 kilometers long and you will have the opportunity to bird watch with naturalist guides and see the highly diverse flora and fauna.

The protected cove rainforests of Monteverde have old trees with orchids, bromeliads, and ferns hanging on them. With the high biodiversity, it is truly a sight to behold especially in the Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde.

Swamp forests are also part of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Within the swamp forests, there are clear streams and waterfalls that will truly amaze you. The cool and rainy climate had become the home of beautiful flora and fauna with wildlife including Ocelot, Baird´s Tapir, and Jaguar. Moreover, there are also Three-wattled Bellbirds, Bare necked Umbrella bird, and the Resplendent Quetzal.

Just recently, Monteverde has been in the spot light with the title one of the “7 Wonders of Costa Rica.” Even with the difficult access to the area, it has become a major tourist destination because of its rare natural beauty. As of now, there are 250,000 tourists visiting Monteverde annually and 70,000 of these eco tourists visit the Monteverde forest reserves.

Frequent travelers are almost often defeated with the strictly perfect yet intimidating high cost of service in luxury five star hotels and resorts in Costa Rica. Therefore, Costa Rica Rentals like flats and apartments are turning out to be the rage and cheaper alternative for most tourists with each passing day.

Folks and travelers cherish the casual, unstrained feeling of one’s own home when they go to a holiday. Moreover, the nagging thought compelling you that whatever you opt to do, you are going to spend a lot of your money is just ruining your holiday vacation. This is withdrawn if you resolve to try one of the Costa Rica Rentals.

Costa Rica Rentals offer you with ease as if you were in your own home. Apartments and villas are rented from somebody for a certain period of time, so it is as if you are the owner for a period of time. This is perfect for long stays. You can bid bye to the discouraging prices that would be charged to you if you were on a hotel. With rentals, you focus on having a great private holiday as if you were in your own home. In terms of convenience, Costa Rica Rental apartments are usually located in well-planned neighborhoods with facilities so you can make the most of the scenic beach nearby as well as savor the multiplicity of the culture o the country. You can even try Costa Rica fishing with the locals.

Through the years, Costa Rica has become a very hot tourist destination in Central America. It provides a sporty atmosphere with its gorgeous beaches and surfboarding adventures that you can truly enjoy. Backpacking is also a great activity to do here with nature parks and Costa Rica attractions that abound.

Since Costa Rica Rentals are getting very popular, many investors have explored at buying flats and villas in Costa Rica. Their unique aim is to rent them out for tourists. As a result of these foreign interests, a tourist will find a lot of Costa Rica Rental apartments to choose from if they choose to get one. That is great news for you avid traveler to have a cheaper alternative to hotels. Just one of the great Costa Rica travel deals if you ask me.

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Starting a Costa Rica vacation? Here is what I found in getting a Costa Rica rental house of your choice to enjoy your stay.

Costa Rica Villa Rentals- a Wise Choice for your Holidays

Author: Groshan Fabiola

Where do you spend your holidays? If you have not given much thought to this before, let us introduce a country, whose natural beauty will convince you that it is your ideal holiday destination. We are talking about Costa Rica, whose name literally means “Rich Coast, and whose location in Central America (bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the south and west) make it an ideal travel destination.

Although not a large country, being only about the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica has a total of eight hundred and two miles of coast line, and a great reputation for its whitewater rafting and kayaking opportunities. And although most famous for its beaches, these are by no means the only attraction in the country. Tourists to Costa Rica also appreciates Costa Rica’s many islands, of which the Cocos Island and the Calero Island are the best known. This country also has a rich variety of animals and plants, which makes connoisseurs all the more interested in visiting it. More than a quarter of the country’s surface is represented by protected forests and reserves, and visitors to the national parks of Costa Rica can enjoy the sight of abundant wildlife.

Costa Rica vacation rentals are available in a wide range of establishments, such as hotels, villas, and other less expensive facilities. You can opt to stay at a hotel, given the wide variety of hotels, but you should not overlook the fact that many hotels are overpriced, and there are other options. Costa Rica villa rentals are a better choice by far, if you want something that meets both your expectations and your budget.

Costa Rica rentals like villas are especially recommended to large groups of tourists, whose accommodation at a hotel may prove quite expensive. However, villas are a wise choice for Costa Rica vacation rentals, because no matter how large your group is, the rental price for a villa stays the same. In other words, renting a villa could mean huge savings if you are part of a large group traveling to Costa Rica for their holidays.

Some people may think that there’ s nothing like staying in a hotel, as far as the comfort and quality of services are concerned. Well, they could not be farther from the truth, because Costa Rica villa rentals are once again a better choice. How so? Not only is it cheaper to rent a villa, but the quality of accommodation is the same, or even exceeds that of many expensive hotels. Just think that you have an entire villa at your disposal, with multiple bedrooms, living room, kitchen, dining areas, and even a private pool! If you compare all this to a what a hotel can offer for a moderate price, it’s more than obvious that villas are ideal for your Costa Rica vacation rentals.

Other advantages of renting villas include privacy, the possibility to cook your own meals whenever you want, numerous activity options when the weather is bad, a wide range of choices, from rustic houses to five-star villas, and many more.

Costa Rica vacation rentals are now available online, which is a fast and accessible way to plan your holidays. Back to Costa Rica Travel Deals.

For more resources about Costa rica villa rentals or especially about Costa Rica Vacation rentals please review this link http://www.ricarent.com

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For more resources about Costa rica villa rentals or especially about Costa Rica Vacation rentals please review this link http://www.ricarent.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Costa Rica Villa Rentals- a Wise Choice for your Holidays

So join the bandwagon with Costa Rica rentals, it is a new way of enjoying your stay in Costa Rica in style and luxury that hotels cannot rival.

Getting Costa Rica flights this season is indeed not a problem. With one of the busiest airports in Central America and two international airports in San Jose and Liberia, you surely can have the options with your Costa Rica vacation package.

In case you may ask, flying to Northern Guanacaste region via Liberia is only an hour away from the infamous Costa Rica attractions like Guanacaste beaches of Tamarindo, Conchal, Papagayo, and Flamingo. But most flights are in the Central Valley through San Jose international airport. Central Valley features Costa Rica attractions such as Manuel Antonio, Jaco and Arenal.

In case you are now excited to get that booking now, here is what you need to know before you arrive to Costa Rica.

Coming to Costa Rica? Some things you may need to know:

• The water here IS safe to drink however be aware in the first few days of drinking. Just like a change in diet, your stomach needs to adjust to different water.

• You don’t need malaria tablets. Cases of malaria and Dengue Fever are very rare here and as long as you have a good mosquito repellent containing DEET then you should be fine.

• Costa Rica is only 10 degrees north of the equator and the sun is strong so bring a good sun cream and use it.

• If renting a car here, remember there a few or no street signs so unless you have a good map you can get very lost!

• Costa Rican drivers are very ‘creative’ on the roads and often pay little or no attention to road laws so BE CAREFUL.

• Shopping at stores or restaurants that have no marked prices or prices in dollars will charge you too much and you could end up getting taken for a ride.

• Tell your bank and credit card companies that you are coming to Costa Rica. If they notice withdrawals in a foreign land without you telling them, they can’t get hold of you and may well block your card and accounts.

• Most credit/debit cards are accepted here and ATM machines are widely available.

• Be careful of petty thefts. Costa Rica is not bad for crime but pickpockets are everywhere worldwide.

• Don’t carry your passport on you. Make a copy of the picture page and if needed for identity purposes, take that with you.

• Accept and respect the locals and their culture. Relax. You are here as a foreigner and should comply with the Tico way of life.

• The food here is good and the best places to go to are small restaurants or ‘sodas’ where a Tico will be in the kitchen with knowledge and skill. The big universal restaurants that cater for tourists will not only disappoint but will not give you any insight into Costa Rican cuisine.

• You DO need a passport to enter Costa Rica. To contrary belief, you can’t enter the country with a drivers license or birth certificate!

• Dollars and credit cards are NOT accepted everywhere. Travelers cheques are not widely accepted everywhere either. Outside the central valley, colones are the main form of payment however, ATMs are widely available.

• When you leave Costa Rica there is a departure tax of about $26 which you can pay with credit card, colones or dollars. A great way to get rid of excess currency.

• Always check your bills at restaurants in case of ‘errors’.

Enjoy your stay!

Some excerpt of this post is from an article written by Caroline Wilson, a web consultant for Costa Rica News.

There you have it, in the next posts we will be featuring great ways to book your Costa Rica flights, lowest Costa Rica airfare, and Costa Rica vacation package at the best prices as a way of thanking you. So keep coming back or better yet bookmark this page.

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