I'm flying to Costa Rica for a destination wedding in two weeks. Flying into Liberia and renting a car. Staying at Paradisus at Playa Conchal and hope to drive to the wedding at Playa Negra. How bad/good are the highways and is transportation at night safe? Also, for one day I would like to do zip lines or visit the cloud forest....what do you recommend?
Best, Kathy
Dear Kathy,
I love Costa Rica, but the roads there are possibly the worst I've ever driven on (and I've driven on some pretty scary roads in India, Indonesia, you name it). I'm talking no signage, potholes as big as bathtubs and roads that can literally get washed out during rainy season (a problem as you'll be traveling during that season). I really DON'T recommend driving them at night, though if you're a confident driver, you should be okay during the day.
Since I'm assuming the wedding is at night (most are), your best course of action might be to either take a taxi or hire a driver for that night. Neither option should be too pricey (perhaps you can split the cost with another guest). If you pick up any good guidebook, it will give you lists of local travel agencies that should be able to hook you up with transportation. They'll also likely be cheaper than booking through the concierge at your hotel.
As for rainforest vs. zipline: you'll likely be able to do both. The country is littered with ziplines and one of the famous is at Monteverde, which is also a famous rain forest. If that's where you're going, you should be able to do both. If you can't, it's a hard decision to make. With a good guide--and make sure you get a good guide for the rainforest trek (again, consult a guidebook for recommendations as many guides in Costa Rica don't have the level of expertise necessary to make the rainforest come alive...and I can say that from personal experience in trying to find the best guides to recommend)--the trek should be a fascinating one and you'll come away having learned a lot. Ziplining, by contrast, is an adrenaline pumper, as thrilling as any amusement park ride and giving you a birds-eye view of Costa Rica that is quite spectacular.
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