Video from 2008 Trip

What to Pack???

Packing Tips Stephanie Williams sent out to travelers prior to last year's trip:

You will be responsible for carrying your own luggage through the airport and from bus to hotel to bus to hotel. . .PACK LIGHT!!!
No more than one suitcase and one carry on bag per person. Seasoned travelers suggest laying out everything you think you need for the trip and then packing half of it. American Airlines has a 50 pound limit per bag you check on and 40 for carry-ons. If you go over the weight, you are charged a fee.


Passport holder
PASSPORT!!!
Parent Authorization form
Spending money

Carry-on bag
Check out this site for new FAA regulations:
http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm – put larger bottles in suitcase to check on
Anything you can’t live without for 24 hours!
Medications (Must be in original bottles) and copies of prescriptions
Camera (batteries, charger, memory stick . . .)
Eyeglasses, contacts (a spare pair) and solution, sunglasses
Change of clothes
Small containers of personal hygiene supplies

Travel basics
Tour itinerary
Alarm clock and watch (Very important for keeping us on schedule!)
Raincoat / poncho / small umbrella
Addresses (for mailing postcards)

Toiletries
Bathroom bag: shampoo, brush, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant. . .
Sun block (at least 20 SPF)
Lotion
Shaving items
Feminine hygiene
Make-up
Tylenol, aspirin . . . (Group leaders will have a supply of emergency stuff, also)
Bug spray (with DEET) &/or Avon Skin So Soft

Clothing - Keep these things in mind when packing:
Packing soft-sided luggage will make travel much easier.
Dress in Costa Rica is very casual, so pack lightly.
Weather is going to range from the high 80’s to mid 70’s in the day and can get into the 50’s at night, depending on which region we are in. We are also going to be getting wet (either from precipitation or perspiration)! Clothes that dry quickly are best! I usually wear pants and take my jacket on the plane. It is generally pretty cool and that way I don’t have to pack my bigger items.

Here’s what you need (I got nearly all of my info from this site. If you want more details, please visit: http://costa-rica-guide.com/pack.htm)
Socks, undergarments
Pajamas
Bathing suit / beach cover-up
Shorts (quick drying nylon?)
1-2 pair nicer cotton shorts
Short sleeved shirts
Some sites recommend 5-8; others say you may go through 2 a day! I think I’ll bring enough to have 1 a day and wash in the sink if I need to.
1-2 pair pants (for the jungle and horseback trip)
1-2 long sleeve shirts
light jacket
“It gets genuinely cold in the cloud forest and on volcano rims. We recommend a lightweight pile jacket, and a water and wind resistant jacket that can be folded into its own pocket. The concern isn't so much the weight as the size. If it's small enough to cram in your fanny pack or pocket, you're much more likely to have it when you need it.”
baseball cap or brimmed hat
Shoes (I survived with a pair of Crocs, Teva sandals and tennis shoes)
Amphibian hikers or river/reef sandals (You’ll need these for the rafting)
Hiking/walking shoes
Beach sandals / flip flops
Medium size towel- backpacker towels that resemble a chamois, work great
I am seeing this often on websites. You carry this small, very absorbent, quickly drying towel in your backpack for drying off after a sudden rain shower or when you are super sweaty! I don’t think this is a necessity, but could come in handy.

What NOT to pack! (http://costa-rica-guide.com/)
Leave signs of affluence at home! Costa Rica is generally safe, but common theft does occur. You do not want to look like a good target!
Valuable jewelry
There is no point in carrying all of your keys.
Wallet contents- If you're going to carry your wallet, you can probably remove ¾ of the contents. Purse-Look at what's in yours to decide if you want to lug it around, and if there is anything you don't need to risk losing.
Copies of your documents. Minimally a Xerox of your passport, driver's license & credit cards. You need to leave a set at home in case of emergency.

Food!

Here are some sites to check out Costa Rican food:

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/costarica/0219020880.html

http://www.costaricahq.org/costa-rican-food/

http://food.incostaricaguide.com/

Traveling Buddies

We will be traveling with 3 high school groups. Two groups come from the same high school in Sycamore, Illinois (one group has 17 and the other 14). There's also a small group from Maryville, Missouri with only five people. I asked about the age range and was told this (including our group):
2 (13-year-olds)
3 (14-year-olds)
4 (15-year-olds)
6 (16-year-olds)
10 (17-year-olds)
5 (18-year-olds)
17 (adults)

Helpful Info from Costa Rican Native

This is information passed along by the 2008 Tour Director, Gerardo Lopez:

1- Please bring an inexpensive towel for our aquatic activities like the visit to the waterfall, kayaking, Hot Springs visit etc.
Hotels do not want us to use theirs in our activities, they get lost, get dirty and sandy. They strongly believe that sand destroys their washing machines, so bring yours. An inexpensive towel is a good idea because maybe at the end of the tour, you will not want to bring it back home.

2-Please bring a small flashlight. Rarely but sometimes we have blackouts, and some gardens at hotels have areas not well illuminated.

3-As part of the itinerary we are going to visit a school. So if you want, you may bring some basic school gift for the kids - a suggestion. Besides that there might be some extra time that day to organize some kind of short activity with the children at school. It would be great if it is connected with your traditions or culture. Local kids will love it and that would be a learning experience for all. They are children from an elementary school and ages go from 6 to 15 or so and they are about 20 in average.

4-Most of our activities are during the day - not much after 6 p.m., so you may want to bring some good reading (adults may appreciate that more than the kids). If you do then bring some kind of inexpensive reading light. Some hotels do not have decent reading lights. For kids - some kind of table games, for them to entretain themselves after dark.

5- Bring an inexpensive poncho for the rain besides the regular rain gear (jacket). Remember that our rainy season starts in April. It may rain any time, trust me. It rains mostly during afternoons.

6-Carry with you in your day pack (not inside the big suitcase) some extra DRY CLOTHING (such as pants, blouse, shirt, socks, shoes, underwear etc). Let me explain: Big suitcases go stuffed all together in the lower compartment on bus transfers. And THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE, it could happen that we do an activity "on transfer," (horseback riding for example or hiking), and if it rains you will need some dry clothing. Believe me, if you are in that situation you will be badly be needing some dry clothing, so please have some extra clothing in the hand bags or back packs the entire trip.

7- DAY PACK:It should include: regular rain jacket, a poncho, sunglasses, bug spray, sun block, extra dry clothing, some water, camera.

8- About water: you can buy a bottle here; water is potable everywhere, right from the faucet, but bottles are more convenient because you can carry them on hikes. And you guys need more water in the tropics. For that you can buy a bottle of water here and refill it any time at hotels or places we stop.

9- Bring an inexpensive alarm clock (for them to wake up and be on time). Some hotels don't have a telephone in the room, only at reception, so there are no wake up calls.

10- For your calls home, it is better that you buy a $10.00 telephone card in Costa Rica, that will give you 15 minutes. Because SPRINT and other cards including E.F. telephone cards, sometimes DO NOT WORK. If not, inform your relatives that you will be doing collect calls because long distance calls made from hotels in Costa Rica are very (obscene) expensive...

11- Bring inexpensive water shoes. NO FLIP FLOPS at all. Any kind of untied sandals are not safe for most of the activities; those ones are good for taking a shower only. Well tied water shoes or similar will be perfect for hot springs, kayaking, beach, extra shoes in case of a pair of soaked shoes after the downpour etc. Bring some regular sandals if you want but bring also WATER SHOES or Sandals that are tied somehow. Tevas style is an example.

12- Bring a hat for head protection, and bring some serious sun block. Here it could be cloudy but still you could get a severe sunburn. Do not forget that you are coming to the tropics, and here the sun will burn your (most of times) white and pale American skin.

13- Money: Most Credit Cards are accepted at any place. So it is cash dollars, but it is very important that you bring small denominations. The biggest is $20.00 because here people are afraid of accepting bigger bills. YOU DO NOT NEED TO EXCHANGE DOLLARS INTO COLONES at the airport or so. NO NEED, because as soon as you pay something along the trip with your dollars it is very likely they will give you change in COLONES. Besides that, you would like to get out of the airport A.S.A.P. when you arrive to Costa Rica. Rate of exchange: 1 US dollar equals 520 of our devaluated currency the "colones".

Info from EF Tours

Passport and visa requirements
Passports are required for all U.S. and Canadian citizens. No visas are required for U.S./Canadian citizens. All Non-U.S./Canadian citizens are advised to contact your appropriate embassy. Travelers under the age of eighteen will require a notarized parental authorization form to enter Costa Rica.

Vaccinations and health precautions
No vaccinations are required for entry. Consult your physician with any questions or concerns.

Climate
The climate in Costa Rica is tropical with two seasons. The wet season begins in May and lasts through November, and the dry season begins in December and lasts through April. Temperatures remain fairly constant throughout the year. Humidity is very high at the lower altitudes.

Packing
It is advisable to bring the following items: a light jacket or windbreaker, rain gear, comfortable walking shoes, sandals, hat or cap, sunscreen, insect repellent, cotton clothing, binoculars, and a camera. As with most tours,we advise packing as light as possible to ensure that all bags will fit in the storage compartments on your tour bus.

Food and water
Costa Rican food is flavorful but not too spicy. Typical dishes include: rice and beans, plantains,vegetables, beef, chicken, pork or fish, and fresh fruit. Water is chlorinated throughout
the country and safe to drink,however some people can be sensitive to this and may choose to use bottled water.

Transfers
Almost every transfer on your Costa Rica tour may take between two and four hours, depending on road conditions. The country’s topography includes curved roads and many hills. Those prone to motion sickness may consider bringing medication. All buses are modern with air conditioning.

Safety
Costa Rica experiences some of the same socioeconomic issues as many other developing countries. Petty theft and pickpocketing incidents have been known to occur in areas frequented
by tourists. As a precaution, we recommend that you refrain from carrying large amounts of cash or wearing jewelry, and that you keep your valuables in your hotel safe box. Do not
leave your bags, cameras, backpacks, or other belongings unattended. Always inform your guide of and and all plans away from the group. Check with your tour director about any unsafe areas in the cities or towns you are visiting.

Accommodations
While you are in Costa Rica you will stay in tourist class hotels or mountain lodges which are simple, but clean and comfortable. Be aware that tropical conditions in Costa Rica make
insects and other small animals (such as ants, mosquitoes, lizards, spiders, frogs) more prevalent.

Photography
The country’s natural beauty and scenic views make for exquisite photographs, so we encourage you to carry a camera. Film is available at supermarkets, some hotels, and souvenir shops.

Voltage and electricity
The voltage is 110 V. The standard is 2 pin plugs, as in North America.

Tipping
It is customary to tip all service people. It is also customary to tip your tour director and bus driver. We recommend $2-$3 US per person per day for your driver and $4-$5 US per person per day for your tour director, as this is part of their expected earnings.