7. Personal interpreter
Your guide with Costa Rica Family Holidays will be completely fluent in English. We absolutely had no problem understanding Diego. You’ll find many Ticos (that’s how Costa Ricans refer to themselves) in urban areas do speak English. Also, folks that you encounter in hotels and at tourist attractions also speak English.
However, we found that older Ticos and those who live in more rural areas are less likely to speak English. That’s when your guide’s interpretive skills become invaluable.
8. Impromptu roadside stops
When you travel with a local guide, you have the opportunity to be flexible. If your guide sees something along the road that he thinks will interest your family, he’ll stop.
Our guide Diego knew that he had a group of foodies on our tour, so he stopped at a local roadside stand on our way to La Fortuna. Why? Because here, we could see and taste fruits and vegetables that we’d never seen before: peaches of palm, sour guavas, malay apples, taros, and cherimoyas, to name a few. It’s something that – with a language barrier – you’d probably be unlikely to do on your own.
9. Best food experiences
Speaking of food, if your family enjoys culinary experiences, Costa Rica Family Holidays will hook you up. Want to taste one of the best strawberry shakes in Costa Rica? (The country is a big strawberry producer.) Diego will book lunch at Freddo Fresas while you’re exploring the area around San José. Have a sweet tooth? Diego knows the go-to bakery for traditional pastries in Sarchí. Want to sample nuevo cuisine, Costa Rican-style. Then you need to dine at Don Rufino Restaurante in La Fortuna, hands-down the best meal that I ate in Costa Rica.
KidTripster Tip: Generally speaking, Costa Rican food is nothing to write home about. The staples at every meal are rice and beans. I also found the food to be fairly bland compared to our Latin cuisines like Mexican or Peruvian. (That could be an advantage if you have fussy eater.) I think that’s why it’s even more important to have Costa Rica Family Holidays handpick the most interesting places to dine.
KidTripster Tip: When planning your vacation, ask to avoid buffet-style restaurants, especially those in hotels.
I’d also highly suggest having Costa Rica Family Holidays arrange a visit and family cooking class at Arenal Vida Campesina, a small organic farm. It’s a real farm-to-fork experience where you and your kids tour the gardens and then help cook the meal – from making fresh tortillas to chopping just-picked vegetables for a traditional chayote salad.
10. Insider experience that you may not be able to easily arrange on your own
In my travels, I’ve found that some of the most authentic experiences are those that you can’t book on the internet. That’s where Emilio and Stephanie’s local expertise comes into play, again.
On our trip, we stopped in Sarchí, the handicraft capital of Costa Rica. It’s also the place where traditional ox cart painting originated. The ox cart is the national symbol of Costa Rica and harkens back to the days when these carts were used to transport the harvest on coffee plantations. Today, Costa Rican families still proudly display these vibrantly-colored carts in their homes. While here, we took a painting class from 64-year-old William Valverde Arias who’s worked as an artist since age 18. While our “art” wasn’t comparable to his, it was a memorable, hands-on experience. Watch our teacher here.
KidTripster Tip: While in Sarchí, we stopped at Fabrica de Carretas Eloy Alfaro, a traditional ox cart factory and gift shop. While I appreciated knowing the history of the ox cart, I was disappointed by the tour from the on-site guide – not our personal guide, Diego. The whole experience felt rushed and very touristy, as it’s a favorite stop for large tour buses. It wouldn’t be a kid favorite. Instead, I’d opt to have your guide explain the history and simply stop at Fábrica de Carretas Chaverri that offers the classes. That location is the best spot to buy well-priced souvenirs.
Emilio and Stephanie also can arrange for your family to spend the day at a local school, interacting with children who are the same age as your kids. Often this experience can be coupled with some kind of community service work. Again, it’s a teaching opportunity that likely would prove difficult to arrange on your own.
11. Emphasis on sustainability
The country of Costa Rica was one of the early pioneers in ecotourism. It’s more than a catch phrase here; sustainability is a way of life. To drive this point home, every Costa Rica Family Holiday trip ends with each person planting a tree to offset his or her carbon footprint during the vacation.
12. Extra touches
Lastly, there are all those little, extra touches that make a vacation with Costa Rica Family Holidays more personal. Every night in your hotel room, you’ll find a postcard outlining what to expect the following day and what you should wear. You’ll also find gifts: lip balm with sunscreen, rainforest playing cards, and stuffed animals of species that you’ve seen on the trip – coatis, sloths, and turtles. In addition to the treasure chest of mementoes, your guide will present you with a scrapbook of photos so that you can relive your favorite moments from your Costa Rican adventure.
Want more? Read the 10 random things that you should know before visiting Costa Rica.
This writer received a complimentary tour for the purposes of this review. However, all opinions expressed are solely her own.
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