www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I was looking at doing the trip below and wanted to know if anyone else had done this. I was quoted $250 per person booking through SL. Is this a good deal? Is the Carmela a decent hotel?

Here is what I get for $250 per person.

Guide
Transportation (round trip)
Visit to Grecia
Visit to Sarchí
Lunch and dinner
Breakfast the next day
Stay at Carmela Hotel 1 night

Thanks
T-70

Is that $250/pp double occupancy or $250/pp with each person getting their own room(i.e. with no sgl suppl. fee)? If the former than having to pay $500 for you and your chica to share a room for one night would be really outrageous. If there is a "single supplement" for going alone and having a private room, then it really all depends on how high that supplement would be. But if it is the latter with a flat $250 being charged for you traveling there by yourself with your own private room and personal guide to show you around, then it might be a really good deal.

Here are links to the Hotel Carmela website and reviews for it on TripAdvisor:
http://www.hotelarenalcarmela.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g309226-d1015436
The average TA rating is 4 out of 5 stars, but weirdly enough that only places it at 54 out of 62 hotels for that area . The hotel itself is located in downtown Fortuna (making it a convenient place to stay and get around from even if you didn't have your own driver) and their normal rates are $60/sgl or $70/dbl including taxes and breakfast. Figure lunch and dinner for your trip would probably run you $20-25 (I'm certain you could eat for even less but for the quality level they probably provide on this trip it probably wouldn't run you much more than that if even that much). So, IF you're NOT also paying another $250 for your "bunkmate's" booking or any single supplement fee, that would leave $165-70 to pay for your private guide and driver, which doesn't sound too bad for what those guys normally charge. OTOH, if you're paying $250 EACH for you and your chica to share a hotel room, then that would actually total nearly $400 for the driver/guide part, which IMHO would be completely outrageous.

And they haven't even clearly specified whether that driver/guide is actually private or whether you'd be sharing the ride and his guide services with whatever other participants signed up for the tour. If this is actually a group tour, then you'd be much better off going on one of those Arenal Day Tours leaving from SJ and running $100-125/pp. Those normally return in the evening but you can bring your luggage and stay over to return with a different group the next night. Of course, you'd have to pay for your own hotel room but that tour also includes admission into one of the hot springs (which is not included with the package the SL was offering). Say that is worth only $40 (if you go on the tour that includes Tabacon it would actually cost you much more than that independently), then your total package with the day tour and overnight hotel would run you $160 ($100+$60) vs. $290 ($250+$40) for the SL package with the hot springs added. Clearly, IF you're going to be sharing driver and guide services with other people any way, the former is the much better value.

So you REALLY need to find out more. Is there a single supplement if you travel solo and aren't sharing a hotel room with a companion who is also paying $250? And would you possibly be travelling with other people who sign up for the tour and sharing your transportation and guide services with them or would you be getting a completely private guide and driver?

Thanks. good questions. Sounds like I need to find out more info.

thanks again

Another question to ask is how much time do you get in Grecia and more so (if you want souvenirs), Sartchi.
La Fortuna is a nice small town and that hotel is right there. Their Website has a nice short video. There's a pool hall on the main drag and on the other side of the park (down 2 blocks) is a fine little tack shop for your cowboy needs--they sell saddles, hats, all that kind of stuff.
All the comments on TA about Hotel Arenal Carmela on TA were complimentary--I'm as befuddled as Brother Prolijo about their low ranking.
As Volcan Arenal is best seen at night, I'd make it an overnight--and get there on my own (Interbus is $39 each + taxes, each way but deals may be available).

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

I agree that he should make it an overnight and normally I wouldn't recommend to anyone to take the 1 day tour from SJ EXCEPT for one important thing - you don't HAVE to return with the rest of the group that SAME evening. They WILL allow you to bring your luggage (which in this case need not be more than a few extra items stuffed into a large day pack or overnight bag) and then return with them on a later date (or even return to SJ or head on to somewhere else on your own). Of course you could also do it with Interbus ($39 ea way or 5% less if booked thru http://www.shuttlebuscr.com) or Grayline ($35 each way), but those shuttles don't stop in Grecia and Sarchi. And, if you went with the day tour, for only about $10-40 more than what you'd pay for those r/t shuttle tickets (depending on which tour and which hot spring) you'd get admission to a hot spring that you'd probably be paying to visit anyway (Tabacon's cheapest package is now $70/pp and Baldi is $42/pp, though discounts may be available), lunch and dinner (although 1 of those is already included with those hot spring prices) and usually some stopover time at those sightseeing spots along the way.

http://www.grayline.com/Grayline/destinations/latinamerica/costarica.go?mode=activityDetail&apid=1961&sid=570 $109/pp no mention of stops along the way but does specify Tabacon

http://www.cupotico.com/coupons/activity/activity29/activity29.html $120/pp no mention of Grecia or Sarchi stops but does mention Zarcero and Tabacon

http://www.costaricatours.com/oneday/oneday05.html $130/pp no intermediate stops but a mid-morning departure, Tabacon AND a canopy zip-line tour

Based on pricing and descriptions, these last 3 are probably all the same tour (w/2 hot springs to choose from depending on how much you want to spend) just being advertised by different tour agencies:

http://www.costaricantrails.com/tours/san-jose/arenal-volcano-by-night2.html $89/pp for Baldi and $114/pp for Tabacon with stop in Sarchi along the way there

http://www.viator.com/tours/San-Jose/Arenal-Volcano-and-Hot-Springs-Day-Trip-from-San-Jose/d793-4100AVHS $89/pp no specific mention of stops or springs but a "souvenir stop" (probably Sarchi) was mentioned in one of the reviews, as was both Baldi and Tabacon.

http://www.rainforesttours.com/sjoneday/arenal_tabacon.htm $114/pp Tabacon & Sarchi specified

Of course, like I said before, you'd have to pay for a hotel room in addition to the day tour fee but that still should come out much less than the $250 PLUS seperate hot spring admissions.

La Fortuna is a nice small town (particular for those visiting w/o their own car) and Volcan Arenal is best seen at night, HOWEVER the town is NOT the best location for night time volcano viewing since the lava has been flowing on the other side of the mountain and the rainy season is not the best time for lava flow viewing anyway. OTOH, Arenal should STILL be seen as an overnight trip if for no other reason that there are so many OTHER things worth seeing and doing there and because it is such a long trip from SJ.

As for how much time you need in Grecia and Sarchi. IMHO, unless you're also stopping there for lunch, Grecia need not take more than a half hour if that since the metal church is the main thing to see and the town probably comes too soon along the way for lunch and Sarchi could take longer depending on how much of a shopaholic you are but shouldn't require more than a hour or maybe 2 if you include lunch. I'd imagine the shuttles if they stop in those towns at all, it would only be VERY briefly but even with the day tour the stops are probably not much longer. Also, again IMHO, both of those places can easily visited independently and you don't really need a guide to appreciate either of them.

Personally, I wouldn't do this with either SL, a day tour or use any of the shuttle companies. Taking public buses to/from Fortuna is pretty straightforward and well under $10 each way. And even if you want to do stops in Grecia or Sarchi you could easily do that by bus. Buses to Grecia leave every half hour, take an hour to get there and cost only a buck or two. Buses from there Naranjo stopping in Sarchi leave every 25 minutes and take another 40 minutes to get to Sarchi for even less. And, if you plan your departure time from Sarchi correctly, with a quick change of buses in Naranjo you can be in Fortuna 3 hours after that, for a total transit time not much longer than what it would take you to drive that route yourself (e.g. SJ>Grecia 8AM-9AM, 40 minutes in Grecia, Grecia>Sarchi 9:45-10:25, 2hrs in Sarchi including lunch, Sarchi>Fortuna 12:30-3:30PM or you could hit those towns on the way back the next day)

Yet one more thing I often recommend people consider is to combine travel to/from Arenal with a rafting tour that was probably on your agenda anyway. If you go with https://www.exploradoresoutdoors.com/, you can get picked up in one location and dropped in another for no extra charge over the regular $99/pp you'd pay for a Pacuare trip anyway. You could do this heading out instead of the day tour I suggested earlier (and then take either the shuttle or bus back, hopping off the bus in those towns if you want to). OR you could travel TO Arenal by day tour, shuttle or bus and RETURN to SJ using the rafting tour (in the case of the day tour that would mean giving up your "free" return ticket, thus negating some of the cost advantage I mentioned earlier).

Now if Brother Prolijo wouldn't mind putting all this voluminous information on a grid for us poor mortals to make sense of...His IF, THEN, ELSE Boolean logic format can be a bit confusing

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Thanks for all the great info. I will do some more research from the links provided. Seems like taking off on my own might be a good idea. I remember when I was at the sl in april I found an overnight tour for about 130 per person including all transportation and hotel. So I was not expecting the 250pp quote received from sl on the tour. I need to find that tour pamplet again. Just need to find where I hid it lol.

This time of year, you can simply go to LaFortuna find a place you like to stay and negotiate with the local tour providers (all have offices right on the main street of LaFortuna).

BKTUNA/Boyd
I am never going home

_________________
BKTUNA/Boyd
I am never going home

To make it less confusing, I'll just summarize it so you get the gist of it.

Gridbox #1
---------------
| The $250 tour MIGHT only be worthwhile IF:
| a) it isn't based on double occupancy (ie NO single supplement or having to pay $500 to share a room with your chica)
| b) it is a PRIVATE tour where you have your own PERSONAL driver/guide and transportation rather than sharing those with
| anyone else who signs up for the tour
----------------

Gridbox #2
---------------
| IF you're going to be sharing the ride and guide with others ANYWAY, then it would be much cheaper to use a shuttle and
| especially much cheaper to use the public bus. In the case of the shuttle, you'll probably be giving up stopping, or at least
| stopping for very long, at any of the intermediate stops, but with so many OTHER things to do AT your destination IMHO this is
| really NOT that big a sacrifice.
---------------

Gridbox #3
---------------
| IF you're going to be visiting one of the Arenal area's hot springs OR planning to be taking a rafting trip at some other point
| during your CR trip (and one or both of those are probably the case), then you might want to utilize the One Day Arenal Tour
| out of SJ and/or combine your transportation with the One Day Pacuare Rafting Trip, as these might ultimately save you money
| over even traveling independently using the shuttles when you add up how much the shuttles and the hot springs or
| rafting would have cost you seperately.
-----------

Gridbox #4
-----------
| IF you're feeling adventurous and really want to save money you could do this trip INCLUDING stops at places along the
| way AND hot springs by traveling by bus and the ENTIRE trip might wind up costing you not much more than $125
| ($60 for hotel incl. bkfst + $5 for lunch @ a soda in Sarchi + $42 for Baldi incl dinner + $18 for various busfares).
| Throw in a canopy tour the next morning before returning to SJ or use the rafting trip to get back to SJ instead of the
| bus and you'd STILL wind up spending much less than $250 and have a really action packed trip.
----------

Gotta love Prolijo's analytical bent.

He much more eloquently made my argument in #4.

BKTUNA/Boyd
I am never going home

_________________
BKTUNA/Boyd
I am never going home

**Update**

Found a decent tour to Arenal. 2 days one night, round trip transportation from SL.

Day1 travel to the City of Sacuri to explore the town, then on to hotel Arenal Inn, have lunch (included) then head out to the hot springs. Dinner(included) at hotel (named Arenal Spings Inn) and drinks while watching the volcano erupt from an observation deck at hotel or in the hot springs at the hotel.
Day 2 breakfast (included) then we go to a local river (don't recall the name) and take a raft and float down the river with a guide covering all the aspects of the rain forest (plants, animals etc.). The lunch (included) at some local farm and finally transportation back to SL. Tour company said driver could stop anytime if something of interest was found along the way. Total agreed upon was $412 USD for myself and the lucky chica going with me.

The company was called www.toursarenal.com
They allowed me to customize the trip to get the schedule and activities that I wanted.

I am doing the trip on June 5&6 so I will report back as to the true quality of the tour/guide as well as if there were any hidden charges other then perhaps tips for good service.

T-70

Arenal trip, Hot Springs with Chica required.

Yep, now I need to make sure the chica gets me to erupt each time the volcano does

trip was good. just as that promised. weather was bad and prevented us from doing the raft trip on Sunday. Got an email from the tour company saying to expect a credit for that portion of the tour back on my CC. I was going to ask for a credit but they beat me to it so i have to give the company a thumbs up and would use them again for a future trip.

Just to update...although it did take about three weeks to happen, they tour group did in fact issue a credit as promised. So I would use them again on a future trip.