43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Least helpful travel book I've ever used, Jan 18 2006
By E. Moore "T. Nuhole" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Lonely Planet Costa Rica (Paperback)
I bought this book before a trip to Costa Rica, based on the "Lonely Planet" name alone. Lonely Planet usually publishes the best travel books, but not in this case. We found that the directions to many of the establishments were incorrect, as were the descriptions. Some of the locals even pointed out parts of the book that were blatantly incorrect, such as certain restaurants or bars that were in a different part of town than stated in the book. This particular book could have used a better fact-checker. I will not be taking it with me on my next trip to Costa Rica.
33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Outdated, sorely lacking, get Tico Times in-country, Jun 1 2006
By D. Bedoll "Zeut" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Lonely Planet Costa Rica (Paperback)
I bought this book for my Costa Rica trip (8 weeks w/ a class, 3 weeks w/o), and replaced it within the first week. Most of the hotels are priced above what is listed, if they even exist anymore. Same with the restaurants. Also, LP over-emphasized many extreme tourist hotspots without giving enough info about smaller towns (don't miss Cauhita!), lesser-known forests (check out the Children's Eternal Rainforest), getting around by bus, super-budget hotels or border crossings. My advice: wait until you get into Costa Rica, then get the Tico Times guidebook, updated EVERY YEAR, written by the local english newspaper. It's easy to find and so much more relevant, with maps of every town, bus schedules, local festivals (where and when), border information, updated hotel + restaurant info, and how to find the information you can't find anywhere else.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
O.K., but runs second to Fodor's Costa Rica Guide, Sep 25 2005
By Joseph O. Barda - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Lonely Planet Costa Rica (Paperback)
We purchased Fodor's Guide at the same time we purchased Lonely Planet Costa Rica. Both my wife and I agree that Fodor's is the book we'll take with us to Costa Rica. This book is a bit more tedious to read. Needs layout work.