Costa Rica/Cocos Island July 29-August 9th 2006
- Thread starter HilaryRN71
- Start date
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OP
Scuba65, the trip was like $3600 or something. Tack on another $550 for airfare from Miami and $200 for hotel and food for 2 nights. It's an expensive trip. I have had it booked for 18 months...I've always dreamed of diving Cocos...so hopefully it's worth it.
I'm pretty into doing trip reports so I'll post one on here after I return. I am taking books but suspect that I will have alot of time on the crossing back to d/l pics and trip report text, then will post them when I return! :blinking:
I'm pretty into doing trip reports so I'll post one on here after I return. I am taking books but suspect that I will have alot of time on the crossing back to d/l pics and trip report text, then will post them when I return! :blinking:
Hi Hilary,
Have a good trip, I'm booked on Dec 8th to 18th, can't wait, I'm taking my rebreather.
I look forward to your report.
Warm regards,
Andy
Have a good trip, I'm booked on Dec 8th to 18th, can't wait, I'm taking my rebreather.
I look forward to your report.
Warm regards,
Andy
ChrisM
Contributor
Taxgeek:
No, AA (who kindly decided to cancel their LAX - SJO direct flight leaving me with a 5 hour layover and missing a day in Arenal...If I change my plans they charge me $100 or more, if they change their plans they should give me $100).... but thanks for the warning.
Any other advice? do the cocos island land tour? tevas ok for that?
OP
I hate AA...but not alot of options if flying from Miami. They stranded me at LAX overnight once...I didn't fly them for 3 years. Was flying back to SJO when I lived there, they routed me thru Miami after cancelling my flight (spent the night in Bradley..scary!!!!ChrisM:
then of course was delayed in Miami for weather. I was 7 months pregnant, it was a quick flight from LAX to SJO that turned into a 27 hour ordeal. THEN they lost my luggage. I hated them for YEARS.
Chris,
They did that to me too. I called them up and said "No Thanks" and they gave me my money back, and I switched to TACA, who has a virtually identical redeye to SJO. They ought to do the same for you, if you're willing to fly TACA/Lacsa. I'd rather put up with the baggage nazis than extend my flight time that much.
As far as land tours, I did two: Did the "all day" Rainforest Canopy Tour offered through the hotel (Grano de Oro - nice, worth the $, make sure your room has A/C if you run hot. Most dont', but it's not THAT humid there, or atleast it wasn't in April.)
The canopy tour was pretty fun, but not like super amazing. You tended to get herded around a bit (there were like 10 of us), so I didn't have much time for photography. It was also raining, and I didn't think to take my housing along on the land tour . . .
I also took the "4 in1" tour (after we got back the last day). It was more interesting, but still pretty "not in depth". That one is written up in guidebooks. The hotel/boat can arrange them for you.
The best thing to do would be to rent a car and drive yourself around - costa rica is easy (well, it looked easy to me, but I wasn't driving). Then you can stay at the Butterfly Farm (great!) as long as you want, instead of "hurry hurry, it's time to go to the volcano". And the active volcano is pretty interesting too, but not so interesting that I still remember its name. The little jungle river boat ride was . . uh . . . pretty quick. We did see a real live Crocadile in the wild though, that was cool.
I would say, rent a car and drive to the big rainforest canopy national park. Take the zip line, take the canopy tour in the little tram (with a guide), go on a hike there. If you have more time, hit some other stuff near there.
Oh, you said Cocos Island land tour. oops. Well, I'll leave that other stuff up anyway. I wouldn't do it if you have to skip diving. Maybe if they offer it on a beautiful sunny day, dunno. The park rangers don't let you hike to the waterfall with the diving pool anymore, so the trip to the beach was kinda soso. They did it on one of our surface intervals though, so it was good. Tevas are probably fine if you're comfortable walking up to maybe half mile in them. I just hung around the "beach" (it's rocky and dirty). I think most people wore their dive booties.
The SH boats have kayaks, one guy made alot of use of those during the (long) SIs. The rest of us just fiddled with our cameras.
I didn't take one nap, and I did three dives a day deeper than 90 feet, pretty much every day. I love nitrox!
So what else?
They did that to me too. I called them up and said "No Thanks" and they gave me my money back, and I switched to TACA, who has a virtually identical redeye to SJO. They ought to do the same for you, if you're willing to fly TACA/Lacsa. I'd rather put up with the baggage nazis than extend my flight time that much.
As far as land tours, I did two: Did the "all day" Rainforest Canopy Tour offered through the hotel (Grano de Oro - nice, worth the $, make sure your room has A/C if you run hot. Most dont', but it's not THAT humid there, or atleast it wasn't in April.)
The canopy tour was pretty fun, but not like super amazing. You tended to get herded around a bit (there were like 10 of us), so I didn't have much time for photography. It was also raining, and I didn't think to take my housing along on the land tour . . .
I also took the "4 in1" tour (after we got back the last day). It was more interesting, but still pretty "not in depth". That one is written up in guidebooks. The hotel/boat can arrange them for you.
The best thing to do would be to rent a car and drive yourself around - costa rica is easy (well, it looked easy to me, but I wasn't driving). Then you can stay at the Butterfly Farm (great!) as long as you want, instead of "hurry hurry, it's time to go to the volcano". And the active volcano is pretty interesting too, but not so interesting that I still remember its name. The little jungle river boat ride was . . uh . . . pretty quick. We did see a real live Crocadile in the wild though, that was cool.
I would say, rent a car and drive to the big rainforest canopy national park. Take the zip line, take the canopy tour in the little tram (with a guide), go on a hike there. If you have more time, hit some other stuff near there.
Oh, you said Cocos Island land tour. oops. Well, I'll leave that other stuff up anyway. I wouldn't do it if you have to skip diving. Maybe if they offer it on a beautiful sunny day, dunno. The park rangers don't let you hike to the waterfall with the diving pool anymore, so the trip to the beach was kinda soso. They did it on one of our surface intervals though, so it was good. Tevas are probably fine if you're comfortable walking up to maybe half mile in them. I just hung around the "beach" (it's rocky and dirty). I think most people wore their dive booties.
The SH boats have kayaks, one guy made alot of use of those during the (long) SIs. The rest of us just fiddled with our cameras.
I didn't take one nap, and I did three dives a day deeper than 90 feet, pretty much every day. I love nitrox!
So what else?
I agree - If you only do the land tour that involves wandering around the beach by the ranger's station - then its not worth it. Its also hotter on the island for some reason - not as much breeze and direct sun, I guess - so I spent almost the entire time standing in a tiny little cool freshwater stream running down from the mountain into the ocean. The little hermit crabs were the fastest I've ever seen - but don't miss a dive for the land tour. I had more fun sitting on the boat deck in the shade watching the sea turtles bob around or the baby rays jump out of the water and do sommersaults. Even the birds are entertaining - we almost always had some follow us as soon as we surfaced - then they would fly a foot or so over the back of the panga, whether it was moving or not. We thought we had targets over our heads, but as far as I know, they didn't make any deposits on anyone!
I did 3-4 dives a day, but unlike Taxgeek - I napped a lot - but I'm a born napper, so thats not unusual for me
I did 3-4 dives a day, but unlike Taxgeek - I napped a lot - but I'm a born napper, so thats not unusual for me
leadweight
Contributor
Andy-
A rebreather and Hammerheads, what a combination. You will get a lot closer than the rest of us, lucky dog.
When i was there last year the Hammerheads would swim by in schools of 30 to 50. It was amazing.
A rebreather and Hammerheads, what a combination. You will get a lot closer than the rest of us, lucky dog.
When i was there last year the Hammerheads would swim by in schools of 30 to 50. It was amazing.
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