Costa Rica Vacation

costaricafamilyvacation — Sat, 17 May 2008 05:15:22 +0000

For your next Family Vacation consider an Eco Vacation in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is the most biodiverse place on earth with an unsurpassed variety of wildlife. Costa Rica offers an unparalleled array of safe activities for the entire family. Along with its incredible variety of unique experiences, Costa Rica offers an assortment of family oriented resorts to fit any family budget. (Click here for Itinerary Information)

Eco Interactive Vacations (EcoInteractiveTours.com) specializes in family oriented travel to Costa Rica. Eco Interactive Vacations supports the Eco Preservation Society as well as wildlife and conservation projects in Costa Rica, including the Saving Mono Titi documentary.

Another unique feature of the Eco Interactive program is its relationship with Kids Saving the Rainforest.

Through KSTR children develop pen pal relationships with Costa Rican school children and learn about how to create their own conservation programs within their own communities. During your vacation there are educational opportunities through the KSTR program.

In addition, Eco Interactive offers families opportunities for Carbon Neutral Vacation with a personalized family reforestation project at the Rainmaker Conservation Project.

Leave a lasting family legacy during your vacation experience by planting trees that will not only offset your carbon foot print for your vacation, but will help to restore critical habitat in the Costa Rican Rainforest. (Click here for Itinerary Information)

Wonderful Costa Rica

Costa Rica is an ideal location for your next Family Vacation.

Costa Rica is the first country to set the goal of becoming carbon neutral, with the goal of accomplishing this by the year 2021. The government has declared peace with the environment.

There is no other place on earth like Costa Rica. Costa Rica is the most bio-diverse place on the planet. Nearly 6% of the entire world’s species reside in this tiny little country. It is a place with more species of birds than in all of North America, it has more species of butterflies than the entire continent of Africa.

25% of all the lands in Costa Rica are natural parks and protected areas. The variety and the complexity of the habitats provide your family endless opportunities for discovery and adventure. (Click here for Itinerary Information)

Safe, Stable & Peaceful

Costa Rica is a peaceful and stable nation. Known as the Switzerland of the America’s, in 1948 Costa Rica became one of the first countries in the world to abolish their military, Those resources were redirected into education and healthcare.

Costa Rica has an outstanding education system, as the country boosts a higher literacy rate than Canada (94%). In addition, Costa Rica has a healthcare system that the World Health Organization rates ahead of the United States. Contrary to what you might read elsewhere, Costa Rica is not a Third World Country. Costa Rica is a Second World Developing Nation with a vibrant and growing economy. In just fifty years, Costa Rica has gone for being one of the poorest countries in the region to having one of the highest standards of living in all of Latin America.

The Birthplace of Eco Tourism

Eco Tourism was invented in Costa Rica; with more than 15 years as an eco-destination it has an unsurpassed variety of services, facilities and activities. With the diversity of its ecology, the uniqueness of its varied activities and the development of its tourism infrastructure, Cost Rica is a world-class destination ideal for an unparalleled family vacation experience.

Costa Rica truly has something for every family. For the younger children it provides encounters with the natural world that you just won’t find anywhere else. For families with active teens, the array of adventure activities is unsurpassed. (Click here for Itinerary Information)

For more information see:
EcoPreservationSociety.org
EcoInteractiveTours.com
Eco Interactive Vacation Itineraries

costa-rica-family-vacation

Information About Health Care for Travelers to Costa Rica

For more information see:

EcoPreservationSociety.org
EcoInteractiveTours.com
SavingMonoTiti.com

Organizational Alliances:

The Phoenix Zoo
Kids Saving the Rainforest
The Association for the Conservation of Mono Titi
Rainmaker Conservation Project.

Eco Interactive Tours offers the ideal family vacation experience in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Health Care Info For Travelers

costaricafamilyvacation — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:40:30 +0000

When traveling abroad with your family, health care should always be part of your planning.The good news is the Costa Rica’s health care is much better than in the United States by just about any measurement. The World Health Organization, infant survivability rates, overall life expectancy and every other measurement shows Costa Rica to be a much healthier place to live than the United States. You’ll have to look up the statistics if you want to compare to another country.What we like most is that you will frequently find doctors right in the pharmacies. Many times, but not always, they speak English. We have found this very helpful as you do not have to make multiple stops to get medical advice and medications. This aspect of the Costa Rican medical system is far superior to what we have in North America. Many travelers report that this is particularly beneficial. There is a free universal access health care system in Costa Rica. Running in parallel to the free health care system is a very low cost and high quality health care system. Most doctors that work for the state sponsored health care system also have private practices in the afternoon in their own offices or in one of the private hospitals. The clinics are excellent and you won’t wait for hours to receive medical attention in an emergency.

Another nice aspect for families is that there are bi-ligual doctors that will make house calls. Typically the cost is less than $100. We have found the doctors to be very professional in general.

I developed a cough during one of my stays and went to a private doctor. The cost was $15 and he thoroughly examined me and gave me several prescriptions. I was apparently alergic to one of the prescriptions and had a bad reaction. I returned to that doctor and received replacement prescriptions. On the way out, I asked for the bill. There wasn’t one. The doctor felt that his first consultation hadn’t worked out for me, so there was no charge for the 2nd consultation.

When could you ever expect to see a doctor for $15 in the United States? When would you ever expect a doctor to take responsibility for the outcome and not charge for a follow-up visit in the United States?

The cough spread to my two children a year old and two years old. I wanted them to be seen by the best doctor in the country. I couldn’t risk an adverse reaction like I had. After asking around, I got an appointment at Clinica Biblica which is one of the private hospitals in Costa Rica.

It was very modern and typical of a United States hospital except that the ceilings were low (Costa Rican’s are shorter on average than U.S. residents). The wait was only 15 minutes. My boys received a very thorough exam and received shots and oral prescriptions. The total cost was $50 each. Try that in the U.S. The treatment worked just fine this time.

Recently my 14 month old who is learning to walk climbed up on the couch arm and took a dive for the tile floor head first. This was the most tramatic need we have had for medical service. We live in Heredia and it is 45 minutes to Clinica Biblica. I was worried about a concussion.

We immediately took a taxi to Clinica Biblica and was seen in 10 minutes in the emergency room. The doctor agreed that we needed xrays to see what was under the 1.5 inch lump on Peter’s forehead. We were in and out of radiology in 20 minutes. The doctor saw us again immediately to review the xray. There was no fracture.

He prescribed pain and inflamation medication for Peter and we went to pay the bill. The bill was less than $100. I paid $100 and received some change. I didn’t notice how much, but I suspect the total bill was about $90. Try that in an emergency room in the United States.

Also, they have no address for us… so we absolutely know there will be no additional bills. In the U.S., you can receive new bills for various services up to a year later. They also have no credit card information. The $90 was it. It’s done and paid for.

An additional benefit to healthcare in Costa Rica is that most things that are prescriptions in the U.S. can be purchased over the counter at any farmacia in Costa Rica. Farmacias are as plentiful as grocery stores and small restaurants here. You just go to the farmacia and tell them what ails you and a qualified pharmacists (who usually studied in the U.S.) will give you what would be a prescription drug in the U.S. You completely bypass the doctor, the associated costs and the waiting. You just get the medication you need. Try that in the U.S.?

Downsides?

All of the major hospitals are in the central valley area. If you wish to live on the coast, you may have a 2-3 hour drive to a major hospital.

The roads are horrible in Costa Rica. In a true emergency, even living close to a hospital can result in being stuck in a traffic jam or trapped by weather.

The ambulance service is reported to be very poor both in terms of response time and in terms of quality of care. They just aren’t as well trained on average as U.S. EMTs and paramedics, nor do they have as much specialized equipment.

As you can imagine… even with those downsides… We love Costa Rica when it comes to healthcare!

-James D. Brausch

Costa Rica with Kids – Touring the Central Pacific Coast

costaricafamilyvacation — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 02:28:58 +0000

Traveling with Children in Costa Rica – Central Pacific Coast

On the Pacific Ocean side, Costa Rica has plenty to offer for kids – mangrove forests to explore, really wet, tropical rain forests, pristine warm water beaches, and fabulous places to see spectacular wildlife, such as the endangered scarlet macaws, two-toed and three-toed sloths, toucans, ocelots and tapirs, plus marine mammals, dolphins, and humpback whales.

Manuel Antonio National Park (Quepos) – Manuel Antonio National Park (Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio), one of Costa Rica’s most popular parks, is quite easy to get to from San Jose. Right on the ocean, Manual Antonio is a dry-ish rain forest with mangroves and swimming beaches.

The trails through the park are easy, mostly level walking trails, and you can explore on your own. From the entrance, a good route to take is to walk along Playa Espadilla, swim at Playa Manuel Antonio (Manuel Antonio Beach), and walk back along Sendero El Perezoso.

At the entrance to the park, it’s a good idea to hire a naturalist guide to help you see all the marvelous wildlife in the park. The guides have spotting scopes, and most importantly, know where to find all those beautifully camouflaged animals (we stood with an iguana practically right under our feet, and didn’t see it until our guide pointed it out).

We saw common tent bats, tiny little proboscis bats, howler monkeys making lots of noise, a mother and baby three-toed sloth and a two-toed sloth snoozing in the trees, black iguanas (which are really black and ochre colored, and hard to spot on the rain forest floor), a basilisk iguana with a big fin down the back, toucans, iridescent hummingbirds, and squirrel monkeys. We spent some time just watching a (non-poisonous) golden silk spider hypnotically spinning a shimmering golden web.

Bring swim suits to swim at Manuel Antonio Beach – the beach is a sheltered cove with wide sandy beach, turquoise waters, plus picnic tables, bathrooms and showers to rinse off after your swim.

Because it’s so popular, Manuel Antonio can get crowded. The high season is December/January to April. Late May or June is a good time to come, as it isn’t all that crowded, and it’s just the beginning of the rainy season (October is the rainiest month).

Tip: Manuel Antonio National Park is closed on Monday

Drake Bay (Bahia Drake) – Drake Bay is named after that intrepid explorer, Sir Francis Drake, who stopped here in 1579. And it’s still somewhat remote, 45 min. by plane or seven hours by road from San Jose, but Bahia Drake is well worth the trip. It’s one of those places where the wonders of the natural world are so extraordinary and the rain forest environment is endlessly fascinating. You might have seen poison dart frogs or scarlet macaws in the zoo, but it’s completely different so see these animals in their rain forest home.

The beach at Drake Bay is a huge crescent, a black sand beach, perfect for combing for shells and driftwood at low tide (at high tide, the beach more or less disappears). Surrounding the beach is lush, dense tropical vegetation and flowering plants (it gets plenty of rain here). In the trees along the beach, look for colorful scarlet macaws in the wild almond trees.

Rain forest hikes – There are paths along the beach that go from the little town of Agujitas, toward La Paloma, through the forest, across a small suspension bridge, to the beach of San Josecito, where there’s good snorkeling.

To really see the rich and wonderful wildlife, hire an experienced naturalist guide. We took a two hour hike, perfect for kids, to look for poison dart frogs. You’d think these bright red and green frogs would be easy to spot, but you need to know where they live. Our guide led us way into the rain forest and started turning over leaves and branches – out jumped the tiny poison dart frogs. On our hike, we also saw scarlet macaws, two toucans high in the trees calling to each other, blue morpho butterflies, monkeys, a crocodile in a shallow river, and if you’re lucky, you might spot an ocelot also. Corcovado Expeditions has excellent guides and kid-oriented hike itineraries.

Tip: These are wet, wet rainforests, and you often wade in the streams on your hike, so wear good sturdy sandals like Tevas, not flip flops. Also, bring binoculars to spot the birds in the trees high up.

Dolphin and whale watching – Go out for half-day a cruise around the bay where you can look for whales and dolphins year round – humpback whales, orcas, bottlenose dolphins.

Corcovado National Park (Parque Nacional Corcovado) – From Drake Bay, take an unforgettable day trip to Corcovado National Park, fabulous rain forest, with lots of opportunities to see unique wildlife. It’s only a 20 min. boat ride to the park, then hike the trails with a naturalist guide, including a trail to a waterfall, and a cooling dip. (This is a trip you’ll definitely want to do with a guide, so contact your hotel or Corcovado Expeditions).

Terraba Mangrove Forest – Some places are only accessible by boat, and this is the way to explore the maze of channels, lined with mangrove trees, and home to all sorts of birds, caimans, crocodiles, river turtles, boas and basilisk iguanas (they walk on the water). A day trip through the mangrove forests of the Rio Sierpe feels like your own “Lost World” adventure.

Family Vacation Tips Part 1 – Traveling Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast with Kids
Family Vacation Tips Part 2 – Traveling Costa Rica’s Northern Zone

Originally Published by Travel For Kids:

Costa Rica Family Vacations

costaricafamilyvacation — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 23:35:32 +0000

Eco Interactive (EcoInteractiveTours.com) specializes in family oriented travel to Costa Rica. 85% of all profits from Eco Interactive go to the Eco Preservation Society (EcoPreservationSociety.org) and supports wildlife and conservation projects in Costa Rica, including the Saving Mono Titi documentary

Another unique feature of the Eco Interactive program is its relationship with Kids Saving the Rainforest. Through KSTR children develop pen pal relationships with Costa Rican school children and learn about how to create their own conservation programs within their own communities. During your vacation there are educational opportunities through the KSTR program.

In addition, Eco Interactive offers families opportunities for Carbon Neutral Vacation with a personalized family reforestation project at the Rainmaker Conservation Project. Leave a lasting family legacy during your vacation experience by planting trees that will not only offset your carbon foot print for your vacation, but will help to restore critical habitat in the Costa Rican Rainforest.

Wonderful Costa Rica

Costa Rica is an ideal location for your next Family Vacation.

Costa Rica is the first country to set the goal of becoming carbon neutral, with the goal of accomplishing this by the year 2021. The government has declared peace with the environment.

25% of all the lands in Costa Rica are natural parks and protected areas. The variety and the complexity of the habitats provide your family endless opportunities for discovery and adventure.

Safe, Stable & Peaceful

The Birthplace of Eco Tourism

For more information see:

EcoPreservationSociety.org
EcoInteractiveTours.com
SavingMonoTiti.com

Organizational Alliances:

The Phoenix Zoo
Kids Saving the Rainforest
The Association for the Conservation of Mono Titi
Rainmaker Conservation Project.

Eco Interactive Tours offers the ideal family vacation experience in Costa Rica.

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La Fortuna Costa Rica Reforestation Project

costaricafamilyvacation — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:24:05 +0000

Reforestation project seems to be a big hit with visitors

EDITOR’S NOTE: A reforestation project near La Fortuna has received international recognition in environmental circles. The story below first appeared at www.ecoworld.com and it is printed here with permission.

Special to A.M. Costa Rica

Just over a year ago, Steve and Debbie Legg, owners of Leaves and Lizards Arenal Volcano Cabin Retreat, purchased a 26-acre dairy farm in Monterrey, Costa Rica. They built three cabins and opened to guests in January 2007. A vacation at Leaves and Lizards is an ecological and cultural experience. Guests may learn about the Meso-American Biological Corridor, the consequences of deforestation, spend the day with a Costa Rica family, become informed about the circle of life in the rainforest by their expert guides and eat food cooked with methane gas produced from the manure of their pigs and cows.

Many of the guests inquire about reforesting opportunities. Some have even purchased farms in need of reforesting. Others just want to do something to help reverse deforestation.

Proper reforestation takes planning and follow through. These are the steps necessary for a successful reforestation plan:

1. Clean-up and soil preparation — if the farm has natural grass, clean-up is done once before planting. If the farm has exotic grasses like Brazilian or gigante, it will take several clean-ups. These invasive grasses have been planted as pasture grass on cattle farms. They choke out and kill baby trees or other native grasses and plants.

2. Designing the new forest, ordering and careful transport of trees to the planting location. The design includes a variety of native trees. Teak, not native to Costa Rica, is commonly used as the pioneer forest. It grows rapidly, has large leaves that provide shade that the native trees need to grow. The teak can be harvested later to provide additional funding for future projects.

3. Making sticks for tree supports, digging holes, planting and organic fertilizing of trees. In the San Carlos area of Costa Rica tree planting season is in May and November. These are the rainiest months.

4. Eliminating weed competition and pruning once a month for the next 24 months. It is possible to just let the land go back to nature, however, that takes longer and the new forest will have less biodiversity.

Biodiversity is short for biological + diversity, defined as the number of organisms in an ecosystem, region or environment. Rainforests are highly biodiverse; they cover only about 2 percent of the land mass on the earth, but contain 50 percent of all life on the planet. In 2.5 acres of primary rainforest there may be as many as 480 different species of trees. Brazil has the highest level of biodiversity in the world with 59,851 known different species of plants and animals. Sadly, they also have the world’s highest deforestation rate. Brazil is responsible for 27 percent of the earth’s yearly deforestation. The earth suffers 80,000 acres of deforestation daily.

A good reforestation plan includes ways for the new forest to support itself. For example, two trees are growing side by side, but in nature only one of those trees will reach old age. The less dominate one will eventually be crowded out by the larger tree. The smaller tree can be harvested and the wood used to provide funding for the farm upkeep, and further reforestation projects. Another tree is planted in its place. This is growing what Fred Morgan at Finca Leola (www.fincaleola.com) calls a perpetual forest.

The reforestation project at Leaves and Lizards offers people a chance to buy trees for reforestation as a gift, memorial or as part of a vacation package. One package gives the supporter the opportunity to plant and care for the baby trees. Supporters receive yearly photographs, documenting the growth of the trees they sponsored. The Legg’s work with Hector Ramirez from Reforest Costa Rica (www.reforestcostarica.com).

His knowledge and expertise of the local flora and fauna, as well as the connections he has in the community, prove to make this program a great success. Local farmers trust him and he is educating farmers about the need to protect their remaining forests and reforest to protect water sources.

As an ecologically and socially responsible resort, community involvement is the philosophy of Leaves and Lizards. Monterrey is a tiny, close knit community, perched in the mountains above La Fortuna. La Fortuna sits in the shadow of the Arenal Volcano and has experienced rapid growth as numerous tourists flock to the area hoping to get a glimpse of one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The community of Monterrey has watched Fortuna outgrow its resources and since the opening of Leaves and Lizards, Monterrey has looked to the Leggs for guidance in planning for future tourism.

Steve and Debbie Legg believe tourism should be a support to the community, remain in the background and not take over the community. Local leaders are taking proactive measures to ensure the preservation and continuation of the quality of life in this tranquil hamlet. The first meeting of the city association took place in February. The association facilitates community improvements including road repair, handling of garbage, recycling and water usage.

Many of the tours offered at Leaves and Lizards promote rural tourism. Farmers and other locals show off their farms, waterfalls and forests to the guests at Leaves and Lizards.

Residents of Monterrey have helped plant native trees and plants that produce fruit to attract wildlife to the resort for guests to enjoy.

Funds raised by Leaves and Lizards will help pay for farmers and individuals who are buying land to reforest to plant trees. This program may indeed be the seed of a thousand forests.

For more information Contact Eco Interactive Tours

Manuel Antonio Family Eco Vacation

costaricafamilyvacation — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 08:28:11 +0000

Wonderful Costa Rica

Costa Rica is an ideal location for your next Family Vacation.

Costa Rica is the first country to set the goal of becoming carbon neutral, with the goal of accomplishing this by the year 2021. The government has declared peace with the environment.

25% of all the lands in Costa Rica are natural parks and protected areas. The variety and the complexity of the habitats provide your family endless opportunities for discovery and adventure.

Safe, Stable & Peaceful

The Birthplace of Eco Tourism

For more information see:

EcoPreservationSociety.org
EcoInteractiveTours.com
SavingMonoTiti.com

Organizational Alliances:

The Phoenix Zoo
Kids Saving the Rainforest
The Association for the Conservation of Mono Titi
Rainmaker Conservation Project.

Eco Interactive Tours offers the ideal family vacation experience in Costa Rica.

Manuel Antonio Eco Vacation

costaricafamilyvacation — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 08:27:03 +0000

Wonderful Costa Rica

Costa Rica is an ideal location for your next Family Vacation.

Costa Rica is the first country to set the goal of becoming carbon neutral, with the goal of accomplishing this by the year 2021. The government has declared peace with the environment.

25% of all the lands in Costa Rica are natural parks and protected areas. The variety and the complexity of the habitats provide your family endless opportunities for discovery and adventure.

Safe, Stable & Peaceful

The Birthplace of Eco Tourism

For more information see:

EcoPreservationSociety.org
EcoInteractiveTours.com
SavingMonoTiti.com

Organizational Alliances:

The Phoenix Zoo
Kids Saving the Rainforest
The Association for the Conservation of Mono Titi
Rainmaker Conservation Project.

Eco Interactive Tours offers the ideal family vacation experience in Costa Rica.

Manuel Antonio Vacation

costaricafamilyvacation — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 08:25:11 +0000

Wonderful Costa Rica

Costa Rica is an ideal location for your next Family Vacation.

Costa Rica is the first country to set the goal of becoming carbon neutral, with the goal of accomplishing this by the year 2021. The government has declared peace with the environment.

25% of all the lands in Costa Rica are natural parks and protected areas. The variety and the complexity of the habitats provide your family endless opportunities for discovery and adventure.

Safe, Stable & Peaceful

The Birthplace of Eco Tourism

For more information see:

EcoPreservationSociety.org
EcoInteractiveTours.com
SavingMonoTiti.com

Organizational Alliances:

The Phoenix Zoo
Kids Saving the Rainforest
The Association for the Conservation of Mono Titi
Rainmaker Conservation Project.

Eco Interactive Tours offers the ideal family vacation experience in Costa Rica.

Kauai Vacation

costaricafamilyvacation — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 07:55:37 +0000

Wonderful Costa Rica

Costa Rica is an ideal location for your next Family Vacation.

Costa Rica is the first country to set the goal of becoming carbon neutral, with the goal of accomplishing this by the year 2021. The government has declared peace with the environment.

25% of all the lands in Costa Rica are natural parks and protected areas. The variety and the complexity of the habitats provide your family endless opportunities for discovery and adventure.

Safe, Stable & Peaceful

The Birthplace of Eco Tourism

For more information see:

EcoPreservationSociety.org
EcoInteractiveTours.com
SavingMonoTiti.com

Organizational Alliances:

The Phoenix Zoo
Kids Saving the Rainforest
The Association for the Conservation of Mono Titi
Rainmaker Conservation Project.

Eco Interactive Tours offers the ideal family vacation experience in Costa Rica.

Big Island Vacation

costaricafamilyvacation — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 07:54:59 +0000

Wonderful Costa Rica

Costa Rica is an ideal location for your next Family Vacation.

Costa Rica is the first country to set the goal of becoming carbon neutral, with the goal of accomplishing this by the year 2021. The government has declared peace with the environment.

25% of all the lands in Costa Rica are natural parks and protected areas. The variety and the complexity of the habitats provide your family endless opportunities for discovery and adventure.

Safe, Stable & Peaceful

The Birthplace of Eco Tourism

For more information see:

EcoPreservationSociety.org
EcoInteractiveTours.com
SavingMonoTiti.com

Organizational Alliances:

The Phoenix Zoo
Kids Saving the Rainforest
The Association for the Conservation of Mono Titi
Rainmaker Conservation Project.

Eco Interactive Tours offers the ideal family vacation experience in Costa Rica.