Topic Wiki

List of TR's:
Fan Of Dan, BrooklynCPA, momo Part 1, momo Part 2, lechaim2life, eliteflyer, Pbaruch, Rcarentals (Guanacaste)

Bringing food/meat through the airports:
  • San Jose Airport SJO - customs are known to be ruthless here with meat. There are many stories in the forums and online of people having all their meats or kosher travel meals seized at customs.
  • Liberia LIR - Recent experiences were that LIR customs didn't check anyone at all.
The general advice which is the only method that seems to consistently work, is bringing in specifically USDA certified products. For example most hotdogs will have an actual USDA certification printed on the hotdog packet. Some companies like Teva, Agri in various supermarkets and most manufacturers have the USDA certification and approval number printed on the label. This is rarely the case for supermarkets who repackage and butcher things themselves and do not have a USDA-certified processing room.
There have been reports of stickers like the USDA organic stickers regularly used to label meats in supermarkets working as well if they look like THIS
In the most ideal world, your food has a clear description of: The product, the nutrition, and a USDA label on the manufacturer packaging.

In a worst case, food can be airshipped to anywhere for a fee - for example from one of the SJO kosher suppliers to Liberia for example the JW Marriott for around $400.

Kosher Food/ Restaurants:
  • SKCR/Super Kosher has takeout under the local Chabad rabbi.
  • The Israeli restaurant in Jaco may not be acceptable for many.  It is my understanding that while they get some meat/chicken from Chabad, they have no hashgacha.
  • Supermarket Automercado has pas yisroel bagels in the freezer per the Chabad rabbi in tamarindo - may or may not be tamarindo specific.
  • Walmart is 6 minutes from Liberia airport, and has tons of American, kosher products and snacks.

Synagogue:

Things to Do:

West side/Liberia

Hotels:
The JW Marriott Guanacaste has amazing suites. If you book there, it's worth speaking to the reservations department before or after to see if you can negotiate an upgrade for a small fee. They offered off the base room, an upgrade of $175 a night for a suite, or $200 for a suite with ocean view, and plunge pool.

Getting Around:
A 4 Wheel drive here is mandatory. Not just because the humidity and rain create muddy and slippery roads, but mainly because the potholes here, are really huge and bad, and your car needs clearance to drive... The roads in costa rica are absolutely terribly maintained. they are completely manageable with a SUV - but expect a ton of bumps and thousands of potholes - almost the entire country is made up of 2 lane roads including highways. All overtaking is done in the direction of opposing traffic. cars here are seriously used and abused - so when you pick up your car.. it's worth going for one with as low mileage as possible.


Notes:

ALL CAR COMPANIES CHARGE MANDATORY LIABILITY INSURANCE. This seems to be one of the biggest complaints from tourists who don't know and consider this a tourist trap - like Israel.
CDW here often REQUIRES the letter - more than Israel.. so have that prepared.


Author Topic: Costa Rica Master Thread  (Read 176627 times)

Offline Hlnsa

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #100 on: November 10, 2014, 12:29:27 AM »
My husband and I will be staying at the andaz for 10 days beginning 1/1/15. Any advice would be helpful especially the email and number of the manager. Thanks to all who wrote long great reviews. I have Akready contacted the guide and the horseback riding place.

Offline Moishebatchy

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #101 on: November 10, 2014, 07:09:42 AM »
Near Liberia????

Not the Ebola one. :P

Offline aarony

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #102 on: December 03, 2014, 12:52:39 PM »
has anyone looked into these guys?

http://www.koshercasas.com/

Offline David R

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #103 on: December 08, 2014, 02:16:21 PM »
If a US citizen travels as a tourist to Costa Rica, does the US passport have to be valid for any duration beyond the return date?

Offline yoshapman

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #104 on: December 16, 2014, 09:35:58 PM »
Going to Guanacaste area next week for 4 days, any issues with closed packaged food that one would buy in any supermarket (meat, cheese, labriut meals). Won't have a car so can't take any chances.

Offline wonderlust

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #105 on: January 04, 2015, 02:14:53 AM »
Anyone have any info on the JW in guencaste? When I went to cr 2 yrs ago it just opened & now I would love to go stay there.

Offline eliteflyer

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #106 on: February 02, 2015, 11:19:34 PM »
My husband and I will be staying at the andaz for 10 days beginning 1/1/15. Any advice would be helpful especially the email and number of the manager. Thanks to all who wrote long great reviews. I have Akready contacted the guide and the horseback riding place.
any highlights to share from your experience?

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #107 on: February 08, 2015, 05:03:15 PM »
Which miles are people using to fly into LIR? Direct routing from NY?
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline Cw3323

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #108 on: February 08, 2015, 05:09:18 PM »
I used UA  the only other airline flying direct is jet blue

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #109 on: February 08, 2015, 05:19:14 PM »
I used UA  the only other airline flying direct is jet blue
Thanks.
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Offline eliteflyer

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #110 on: February 08, 2015, 08:33:49 PM »
I'm leaning towards a JetBlue paid ticket over the 17,500 each way for UA. Also worth noting, JetBlue only charges the  $17 in taxes for a lap child from New York to Costa Rica. UA was more.

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #111 on: February 08, 2015, 08:36:29 PM »
I'm leaning towards a JetBlue paid ticket over the 17,500 each way for UA. Also worth noting, JetBlue only charges the  $17 in taxes for a lap child from New York to Costa Rica. UA was more.
I'm having trouble finding saver space direct. With only one flight a day, anything this month seems to be booked already.
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Offline eliteflyer

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #112 on: February 08, 2015, 08:38:37 PM »
Did you look for XN? Haven't looked in February, but in march there were several days with expanded availability for cardholders.
Agree, it's a tough one to snag. Some days there are two flights.

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #113 on: February 08, 2015, 08:44:21 PM »
Did you look for XN? Haven't looked in February, but in march there were several days with expanded availability for cardholders.
Agree, it's a tough one to snag. Some days there are two flights.
Truthfully, am only really looking to for fly this or next weekend. I understand i most likely will not get the saver rate if i am going to go.
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Offline Cw3323

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #114 on: February 09, 2015, 12:33:11 AM »
I'm flying in to SJO and flying out from LIR .
LIR is hard to find saver, SJO has a lot availability.

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #115 on: February 09, 2015, 07:50:01 AM »
I'm flying in to SJO and flying out from LIR .
LIR is hard to find saver, SJO has a lot availability.
Where are you staying?
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Offline Cw3323

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #116 on: February 09, 2015, 07:57:12 AM »
1 night at the royal corin arenal the rest at the andaz

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #117 on: February 09, 2015, 08:04:34 AM »
1 night at the royal corin arenal the rest at the andaz
How far is the drive from SJO to the Hyatt? Seems like it is pretty far.
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Offline Cw3323

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #118 on: February 09, 2015, 09:38:57 AM »
It's like 4 hours. But I'm going first to the arenal area. And that's little closer from SJO 

Offline gavhaller

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Re: Costa Rica Master Thread
« Reply #119 on: February 24, 2015, 11:05:10 AM »
Going for July 4th weekend to Andaz Papagayo.
Whats the story with the weather that time of year- I keep reading mixed reports.
Also, is it busy that time of year? I feel like most folks fly to Miami or the Caribbean. Hoping it won't be packed.