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Good, but way overpriced
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We had a great time in CR. Especially the hotel Arenal Manoa had an awesome view of Volcan Arenal, and it was only $160 a night. Manuel
Antonio was great because of all the wildlife, but it's quite touristy. There are tons of American tourists there, and there are a lot of
aggressive locals hawking anything from beach chairs to paid parking and bottled water.
Comparison shop before you choose this agency!!!! Here's the breakdown of what we were charged for 2 people. This includes 7 nights stay at a
hotel.
Date Description Qty Rate Rate + Tax
26-May-2012 SJO Meet and Greet Service (CRV), Meet & Greet 1 $165.00 $165.00
26-May-2012 SJO Airport - Arenal Zone 1 (Del Bosque), 1-4 People 1 $268.00 $268.00
26-May-2012 Arenal Manoa Hotel, Junior Suite Double 1 $640.00 $640.00
27-May-2012 Arenal Manoa Hotel, Junior Suite Double 1 $0.00 $0.00
28-May-2012 Canopy Ecoglide Tour (Aventuras Arenal), Adult 2 $90.00 $90.00
28-May-2012 Arenal Manoa Hotel, Junior Suite Double 1 $0.00 $0.00
29-May-2012 Lost Canyon Adventure Canyoneering (Desafio), Adult 2 $180.00 $180.00
29-May-2012 Arenal Manoa Hotel, Junior Suite Double 1 $0.00 $0.00
30-May-2012 Arenal - Manuel Antonio (Green Country) (2012), 1-4 People 1 $350.67 $350.67
30-May-2012 The Falls at Manuel Antonio Resort, Double Queen Room (Garden View) 1 $390.00 $430.56
31-May-2012 The Falls at Manuel Antonio Resort, Double Queen Room (Garden View) 1 $0.00 $0.00
1-Jun-2012 White Water Rafting Naranjo River Class III-IV(MA)(Iguana Tours), Adult 2 $130.00 $130.00
1-Jun-2012 The Falls at Manuel Antonio Resort, Double Queen Room (Garden View) 1 $0.00 $0.00
2-Jun-2012 Manuel Antonio - SJO Airport (El Aguila Mayor), 1-4 People 1 $246.67 $246.67
2-Jun-2012 Administration Fee, Itinerary Value $2,000 - $2,999 1 $95.00 $95.00
TOTALS: $2,555.34 $2,595.90
The hotel prices were exactly what was listed online at each of the hotel's web sites. Same for the activities--the zip lining tour with
EcoGlide was the same price listed at the hotel of $45 per person.
The big things that stick out are this:
26-May-2012 SJO Meet and Greet Service (CRV), Meet & Greet 1 $165.00 $165.00
A lady met us/greeted us at the airport and escorted us through customs and immigration. Nice, but not $165 nice if you know what I mean.
After all, there are airport staff who could answer our questions if we had any.
Private shuttle transport was super expensive:
26-May-2012 SJO Airport - Arenal Zone 1 (Del Bosque), 1-4 People 1 $268.00 $268.00
30-May-2012 Arenal - Manuel Antonio (Green Country) (2012), 1-4 People 1 $350.67 $350.67
2-Jun-2012 Manuel Antonio - SJO Airport (El Aguila Mayor), 1-4 People 1 $246.67 $246.67
Yeah, if you get a shared van, it might take longer to go to everybody's hotel, and your trip might be longer. But $864 seems pretty steep for
shuttle service. A roommate of mine says if you're adventurous enough, you can get a bus for $10 across the country. After all, you're not
going to Europe. What's the point of going to CR if you're going to be escorted everywhere? Also, from my impression of the shared shuttles,
they are might have maybe 6 people (3 pairs of travelers) in the van. Not extreme, but much cheaper. A young couple we met from New York paid
around $900 for a similar trip with activities--this would have been more in line with my expectations.
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