If you are serious about having a wonderful time when planning a vacation trip to Costa Rica, read the tips I have listed. 1 Wash your hands with water and soap often. 2 Make it a good habit of drinking only bottled water; totally avoid tap water, ice cubes, and fountain drinks. If you can t do this, you can make water safer by using an absolute 1-micron or less filter and adding iodine tablets to your filtered water. 3 Make it a practice of eating completely cooked food, fruits, and vegetables that you personally have peeled. 4 Safeguard yourself against mosquito bites by paying keen attention to your mosquito protection from sunrise to sunset; this is the most active time of a certain mosquito whose bite can pass on malaria. 5 Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and a hat whenever you go outside to prevent catching diseases carried by insects. 6 Always make it a habit of applying insect repellent to your exposed skin. Be careful not to breathe it in, swallow it, or get it into your eyes. 7 If you are not staying in an air-conditioned hotel room, buy a bed net that has been pretreated with the insecticide deltamethrin or permethrin. 8 To keep yourself from getting parasitic and fungal infections, make it a point of keeping your feet clean and dry; never walk around barefooted. 9 Avoid eating food that are available for sale from street vendors. 10 Avoid diary products that have not been pasteurized. 11 Under any circumstance share needles with anybody. 12 Never handle animals such as cats, dogs, and monkeys in order to shun bites and dangerous diseases. 13 Do not swim in fresh water. 14 Bring with you sunblock and sunglasses. 15 Bring with you enough prescription medications to last your entire trip. It can t hurt also to bring a copy of your prescription. 16 Consider using a local tour specialist. A tour specialist can save you up to 40 as compared to booking the same vacation on your own. 17 During off-season search for deals to Costa Rica; you ll have a better chance of finding a more cost effective travel package. 18 If you are taking the whole family along, consider an all inclusive tour to Costa Rica. You ll know how much money you will spend, plus all meals, activities, sports, entertainment, and accommodations are usually included in one price. 19 If you are traveling as part of a group, keep in mind that double rooms in hotels are often less expensive than one room. 20 Protect your cameras and batteries by carrying them in plastic bags; humidity of the rainforest may penetrate electronic items.
