| There are many online companies that offer romantic | | | | to translate into American dollars. If an item says |
| honeymoon getaways on both the Pacific and | | | | 5,000 colones, just drop the 3 zeros and multiply the |
| Caribbean coasts of Costa Rica. Having just returned | | | | other number by 2. In other words, 5,000 colones is |
| from Costa Rica myself, I would like to offer some | | | | equal to 10 American dollars. If you need to convert |
| suggestions that you probably will not find online or in | | | | other currency into colones, you can do that online at |
| a guidebook. | | | | (Universal Currency Converter). |
| When we planned our trip, we assumed that most | | | | The rainy season in Costa Rica runs from May |
| people in Costa Rica would understand English fairly | | | | through December. Hotels are cheaper and there are |
| well. At several hotels, the front desk clerks spoke | | | | fewer people on the roads and in the restaurants. My |
| practically no English. The same goes for bus drivers. | | | | husband and I traveled in September, and |
| The staff at the car rental agency spoke the best | | | | experienced rain on only a few days of our trip. It |
| English. They were able to give us needed | | | | would rain heavily for about one hour and then stop |
| recommendation for food and site seeing. I highly | | | | completely. We would spend the time indoors having |
| recommend translating some key Spanish phrases | | | | a lovely Costa Rican lunch, and by the time we |
| before your trip, such as "Where is the bank, | | | | finished the rain was gone. |
| bathroom, hotel?" | | | | Bring a good camera and lots of film. Because of the |
| The Pan American Highway runs through Costa Rica | | | | rain, you will see some of the most beautiful exotic |
| and is a reliable, well-paved road. However, many side | | | | plants and flowers. The volcanoes are breathtaking |
| roads in Costa Rica are very bad and full of deep | | | | and you can even hear the rumbling. The waterfalls |
| potholes. I recommend that when you rent a car, | | | | are located off of the side roads, so drive slowly and |
| take out the full coverage (usually an additional $20 | | | | allow more time. Even in the cities, you will want to |
| per day on top of the regular fee). When you take | | | | photograph the ornate wrought iron that covers all |
| the side roads, you need to allow more time to reach | | | | the windows and patios in Costa Rica. After your |
| your destination. In some cases you may be only | | | | honeymoon, you will want to have some of these |
| going 25 miles per hour. | | | | amazing pictures enlarged to put in your new home. |
| Colones are the national currency and are very easy | | | | |