Post: #1

I decided to escape the cold weather in Europe and fly for one month to Costa Rica in about 2 weeks.

So far I have found some information in this thread: /thread-3137-post-34569.html , but I'd like to receive some concrete recommendations on locations and surf camps to stay. My three main requirements are:

• Clean room with reliable WiFi so I can get some work done
• Beach in walking distance if possible
• Many tourist girls (yoga students?) since I don't plan to capture the CR flag
  

Drop your knowledge, gentlemen!

Post: #2

malpaissurfcamp.com is a great little spot. its not huge like a resort so there aren't unlimited chicks, and the wifi connection is spotty in the rooms but you can walk to the common area about 20 yards away and pick up the signal. i stayed there for a week and really enjoyed it. if you go to Mal Pais/Santa Teresa you can sort of bounce around between resorts if you like one better then the other.

Post: #3

i was last in CR this past jan. most of the posts are still accurate despite the datedness.

i think the 1st thing on your list would be your budget and need for internet. how critical is that?

i think using an online surf camp will be like some all-inclusive resort -- they take care of your main concerns (as listed) so it won't be a grand issue but you'd also be paying (my guess) at least 2x what you can find for yourself if you put some effort into looking for yourself locally. i speak passable spanish so i don't mind looking around.

when i'm in a place like CR i like to rough it and see how cheap i can go within reason. that said, from what shopping around i've done last time usd$20 for a rental + 1/2 day lesson is an achievable benchmark for jaco. other places may vary but that feels pretty rock bottom to me.

i don't get the beating on jaco. yes the beach is ugly but it's barely a 15 min taxi ride from playa hermosa -- one of the country's best surf beaches. plus it's developed enough to have a night scene if you're up for that.

if you want foreign yoga girls then i'd recommend quepos/manuel antonio at least for a few nights. it's nicely scenic there (but not for surf) with non-surf things to do.

i wouldn't devote more than 3-4 days to any 1 location. that way you can check out different locations.

somebody else may have something to say about tamarindo or other places.

don't forget to tryout a jungle zipline tour or 2!

Post: #4

dotbiz, when are you planning on arriving at CR? I might be going next week if I manage to get bus reservation.

Post: #5

Instead of looking for a resort with reliable wifi, you might be better off investing in a 3G USB Modem like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Huawei-E173-Unlock...B0055310KQ

Once you are in Costa Rica just get a prepaid 3G SIM and pop it in. It should give you high speed internet access where ever you are, whether you are close to wifi or not. This is what I did when I was in India recently and it worked out very well. I am not sure if Costa Rica has the same kind of mobile data coverage, but it might be worth investigating.

Post: #6

Why dont you plan on getting your CR flag?

Post: #7

What do you want to achieve?

With 1 month, you can do one thing:

1. Surf
2. Spanish
3. See shit

Doing more is not recommendable, because if you divert your efforts, you will be successful at none of them.

Consider dropping CR and go to Bocas del Toro in Panama instead. From San Jose it's not that far (by Central American bus-travel standards). It is inexpensive, packed with tourists, and ideal for partying and surfing.

Post: #8

(03-22-2012 10:06 PM)Brian Wrote:  malpaissurfcamp.com is a great little spot. its not huge like a resort so there aren't unlimited chicks, and the wifi connection is spotty in the rooms but you can walk to the common area about 20 yards away and pick up the signal. i stayed there for a week and really enjoyed it. if you go to Mal Pais/Santa Teresa you can sort of bounce around between resorts if you like one better then the other.

sounds great, thanks for the tip!

(03-23-2012 03:44 AM)GunznButta Wrote:  i was last in CR this past jan. most of the posts are still accurate despite the datedness.

i think the 1st thing on your list would be your budget and need for internet. how critical is that?

i think using an online surf camp will be like some all-inclusive resort -- they take care of your main concerns (as listed) so it won't be a grand issue but you'd also be paying (my guess) at least 2x what you can find for yourself if you put some effort into looking for yourself locally. i speak passable spanish so i don't mind looking around.

when i'm in a place like CR i like to rough it and see how cheap i can go within reason. that said, from what shopping around i've done last time usd$20 for a rental + 1/2 day lesson is an achievable benchmark for jaco. other places may vary but that feels pretty rock bottom to me.

i don't get the beating on jaco. yes the beach is ugly but it's barely a 15 min taxi ride from playa hermosa -- one of the country's best surf beaches. plus it's developed enough to have a night scene if you're up for that.

if you want foreign yoga girls then i'd recommend quepos/manuel antonio at least for a few nights. it's nicely scenic there (but not for surf) with non-surf things to do.

i wouldn't devote more than 3-4 days to any 1 location. that way you can check out different locations.

somebody else may have something to say about tamarindo or other places.

don't forget to tryout a jungle zipline tour or 2!

internet is very critical as i need to work a couple of hours everyday. money is not an issue, although not planning to spend $200-300 a night. but definitely not going the cheap route.
also i don't want to travel around. need a clean and nice place to stay and get some work done while taking some surf lessons and meeting some girls.

(03-23-2012 08:22 PM)FretDancer Wrote:  dotbiz, when are you planning on arriving at CR? I might be going next week if I manage to get bus reservation.

begin of april. how long do u plan to stay?

Post: #9

A week plus a few more days. It is possible I might extend that but not likely. I'll be back around April 9th.

Post: #10

(03-23-2012 09:59 PM)ManAbout Wrote:  Instead of looking for a resort with reliable wifi, you might be better off investing in a 3G USB Modem like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Huawei-E173-Unlock...B0055310KQ

Once you are in Costa Rica just get a prepaid 3G SIM and pop it in. It should give you high speed internet access where ever you are, whether you are close to wifi or not. This is what I did when I was in India recently and it worked out very well. I am not sure if Costa Rica has the same kind of mobile data coverage, but it might be worth investigating.

Great tip, will look into this! Anybody has an idea how much a prepaid 3G SIM will cost in CR?

(03-24-2012 12:08 PM)Cr33pin Wrote:  Why dont you plan on getting your CR flag?

- I don't speak Spanish.
- Local girls at tourist places have already seen it all. Either it's going to be a bitch or gold digger.

(03-24-2012 12:38 PM)ElJefe Wrote:  What do you want to achieve?

With 1 month, you can do one thing:

1. Surf
2. Spanish
3. See shit

Doing more is not recommendable, because if you divert your efforts, you will be successful at none of them.

Consider dropping CR and go to Bocas del Toro in Panama instead. From San Jose it's not that far (by Central American bus-travel standards). It is inexpensive, packed with tourists, and ideal for partying and surfing.

1. Get some work done in a warm and sunny environment
2. Learn some very basic surfing
3. Having fun and getting laid

Sightseeing isn't on my list, nor is learning Spanish. But I'll learn the basics beforehand so I can come up with some word chunks and be polite.

Post: #11

If you are surfing on the Pacific coast, watch your ass. The riptide is legendary and has killed many.

Also, you can "get your CR flag" for about 40 bucks. I think if I flew there from Europe, I'd get it, one way or another.

Post: #12

(03-23-2012 09:59 PM)ManAbout Wrote:  Instead of looking for a resort with reliable wifi, you might be better off investing in a 3G USB Modem like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Huawei-E173-Unlock...B0055310KQ

Once you are in Costa Rica just get a prepaid 3G SIM and pop it in. It should give you high speed internet access where ever you are, whether you are close to wifi or not. This is what I did when I was in India recently and it worked out very well. I am not sure if Costa Rica has the same kind of mobile data coverage, but it might be worth investigating.

I often need to make serious business calls on Skype so internet speed/quality is super important to me.

I ruled out a trip to Goa recently because the internet is particularly bad in India,most people rely on USB modems, the research I did suggested the quality was poor.

On http://www.netindex.com Costa Rica comes a lowly 130/174 for Download speed.

Post: #13

(04-05-2012 02:33 PM)Deb Auchery Wrote:  I often need to make serious business calls on Skype so internet speed/quality is super important to me.

I ruled out a trip to Goa recently because the internet is particularly bad in India,most people rely on USB modems, the research I did suggested the quality was poor.

Yes and no. Depends where you are and depends on the ISP. I was calling Canada on Skype almost daily.

If you are in the high traffic tourist areas, you will not have any problem at all. If you go to a more remote beach, yes you will find the internet access spotty.

Also, there are only a couple of ISPs that will give you give good coverage in Goa. Vodafone is one and Reliance is another. I had a Reliance Netconnect modem which gave me good speed about 80% of the time. Airtel on the other hand which is really good in Delhi, does not work very well in Goa. With some trial and error, you can get what you need.

Post: #14

Quote:I often need to make serious business calls on Skype so internet speed/quality is super important to me.

I ruled out a trip to Goa recently because the internet is particularly bad in India,most people rely on USB modems, the research I did suggested the quality was poor.

Latin America presents its own set of challenges. As well as internet stability, you have to consider ambient noise.

Living somewhere informal like a surf camp, you'll get noise filtering through to your room. Like loud music, or people laughing.

On days when you have an important voice call, your minimum spend is probably going to be a mid to high end apartment or hotel.

Quote:Also, you can "get your CR flag" for about 40 bucks. I think if I flew there from Europe, I'd get it, one way or another.

It's not "getting a flag" if you just rented a ho. Sure, you've experienced the local women, but P4P disqualifies you for flag purposes.