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Costa Rica During the Holiday Season

We are back from our second trip to Costa Rica. I should say we have been back from our second trip for about a year now, but I'm finally getting around to write about it! This one was 10 days during the holiday season (dry season). We visited Monteverde, Manual Antonio, and the Osa Peninsula.

Well, traveling during the holiday season certainly was different. Can't say we'd do it again. One thing that is nice is that you do have very cooperative (non-rainy) weather, so it makes doing outdoor things less messy. However, for us, that is probably the only good thing.

We did not enjoy the crowds, especially in Monteverde and Manual Antonio, that accompany the peak season. It made driving difficult; you needed reservations for popular tours; and it just felt like you weren't really on vacation. (The Osa Peninsula's remoteness pretty much insulates you from the crowds, so if we had no choice but to go during the holiday season again, we'd just go to the Osa.) Furthermore, things are more expensive, and they say you can see more animals during the rainy season (which is not to say we still didn't see lots of animals).

Posts for this trip journal will include Monteverde: Hidden Canopy Treehouse, Monteverde Bat Jungle II, Santa Elena's Canopy Tour; Manuel Antonio: Villas Nicolas II, Mangrove Forest Tour; Osa Peninsula: Bosque del Cabo, Sunset Tour, Bats at Bosque, Matapalo Trail, Equinas River Tour, Golfo Dulce Dolphin Watch, Silvestre Wildlife Sanctuary, Kayaking in the Golfo Dulce, Jungle/Beach Horseback Riding...
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