So you want to visit Thailand. That’s cool. It’s a great place to travel to. Got your guidebook yet? Have you noticed all those ‘Must see’ destinations, and the ‘Hidden Gems’?
Well guess what. They aren’t so hidden any more.
You can expect that “deserted beach with powder soft white sand and turquoise blue water” to be full of fat Australians with tribal tattoos drinking buckets of watered down expensive alcohol. That “charming little village with smiling locals and cheap phad thai” is now a backpacker slum bursting with tattoo parlors and crazy Germans on scooters, oh and those locals aren’t exactly smiling because of you, though they are pretty happy to see your baht.
Also referred to as canopy tours, zip lining entails putting on a harness and attaching to a series of cables strung throughout the trees. These tours are everywhere throughout Costa Rica and run between $50-100 depending on the location and amount of runs you get. Between 8-12 runs seems to be average. High in both adrenaline and excitement! As scary as it sounds, it’s actually very safe and the most difficult part is usually walking between the cables.
Costa Rica is littered with volcanoes. Some are active, like the popular Arenal which offers visitors views of red falling lava at night and constant rumbles throughout the day. Most volcanoes are located on federally reserved national park land and offer great hikes with amazing views. The Poás Volcano is a popular day trip from the San Jose area and a big tourist draw.
Who doesn’t love monkeys? They are everywhere in Costa Rica swinging from trees or digging through restaurant’s trash cans (please don’t feed the monkeys). National parks like Manuel Antonio provide great opportunities for hikers to see capuchin monkeys swinging overhead or even sharing the trail with them. Other areas like the Arenal Volcano are filled with Howler monkeys who can nearly deafen nearby visitors with their calls.
What better way to start your day than enjoying some Costa Rican coffee. Stop by a grocery store and pick up a bag to take back home. Not only does it taste better than anything you can find back home–it’s a lot cheaper!
Climbing and rappelling a waterfall is an extremely fun and exciting activity in Costa Rica. There are tour operators all over the country that offer waterfall rappels, but if you find yourself in the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area, give 