Costa Rica (random / specific questions)

[Anonymous]

We are going to CR for Spring Break and pretty much have our plans sorted (3 nights Papagayo, 3 nights Arenal). Just a couple random questions in case anyone has been:

1. Did you need/use an eSim provider? We will be at resorts, not air bnbs.

2. Do you recommend a particular water shoe? We will be doing waterfall hiking / rappelling and horseback riding so need a closed toe water shoe. There's a bunch on Amazon but interested if any recommendations.

3. This is neurotic, but one of the Costa Rica travel FB groups I joined has a bunch of people absolutely flipping out about brain-eating ameobas in the hot springs. Easy enough to not dunk your head in a waterfall or whatever, but we are staying at a property that has private pools for each room that are fed by hot springs. From the hotel: "The plunge pool is filled with natural hot springs and we completely refill and clean the pools between each stay because there’s no chlorine in it." Sooo ... does that mean I have to tell my kids not to put their heads underwater in our pool?!

4. Also neurotic (I know, it's a theme) but our tour provider talked us into a "Safari River Float" on the day we transfer between properties. Should we be worried about crocodiles?

TY!!

[Anonymous]

Oh Dear God.

[Anonymous]

You will have access to WiFi at resorts. No eSIM needed.

Any water shoe is fine.

I have no idea how to answer this one.

No.

[Anonymous]

There are crocs in the rivers. We did a safari river float. But didn't see any. Not an issue. You won't be getting in the water.

Keens are idea water/walking sandals.

Wifi at resorts is fine. My ATT prepaid also has a 7 day international add on for $35. My DD just got back from CR spring break, and she did not need an estimate to use the international add on from ATT.

As for amoebas...it's really a matter of your risk level. I'm sure many people are submersible and doing just fine.

[Anonymous]

Don't worry about the amoebas lol we went to Arenal and I briefly got paranoid but we did the springs circuit and all was well it's hard to imagine you're gonna go so wild you'll get sick. Also keep in mind these are natural springs so it's not like it's totally comfy. I think my expectations may have been too high - they were fine but not all that.

[Anonymous]

I went to CR and did not end up with a brain eating amoeba or attacked by a croc. YMMV.

As for shoes, keens are classic for this stuff for a reason. They’re comfortable, they stay on, they protect the foot. It’s not a fashion show - it’s adventure travel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to CR and did not end up with a brain eating amoeba or attacked by a croc. YMMV.

As for shoes, keens are classic for this stuff for a reason. They’re comfortable, they stay on, they protect the foot. It’s not a fashion show - it’s adventure travel.

This was going to be my exact response. Keens lasted me three trips to costa rica, and I never got brain eaten.

[Anonymous]

My husband is a very fact based, data driven guy and recommended we keep our kids from putting their head in the hot springs. We still had a ton of fun, it wasn’t a big deal to avoid submerging heads. A plunge pool is more for relaxing than like splashing around anyway.