Have you visited both Thailand AND Costa Rica?

[Fettuccinecarbonara]

If you have, which country did you prefer, and why?

[secretllama]

I have been to both, completely different styles of holiday as I went to Thailand for 2 weeks with a friend and partied a lot (although sightseeing too!) and Costa Rica I went for my Honeymoon.

Thailand: Went in May, travelled around Bangkok, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. AMAZING food, really friendly people, easy to travel around from place to place and lots of places to party or relax depending on what you're looking for. We skipped phuket as I heard it was sleazy.

Costa Rica: If you want to see wildlife then CR wins hands down. Everywhere is teeming with wildlife, we visited Arenal, Monteverde and then the coast at Guanacaste. The food is fine, nothing amazing like Thailand but the people are also great. Took a day trip over the border to Nicaragua which was fab, saw lava in the mouth of a volcano.

Both are really humid, I was a sweaty mess the entire time!

[Linguaphile]

I have been to both, several months each. Depends on what you are looking for! If you want surf, wildlife and volcanoes, CR is your place. The cloud forest zip lining is one experience not to be missed. The beaches are great for surfing. I have happy memories as a teenager on holiday galloping down the beach at Manuel Antonio on a horse. Arenal volcano and the Tabacon hot springs are also well worth seeing. Personally though I don’t think the beaches are as pretty as Thailand in terms of the colour of the water and the limestone formations jutting out of the sea (like at Railay Beach, for example). If I had to choose, I’d go Thailand. I think that what tips it to for me is 1) the food, and 2) the culture and architecture (so many interesting temples, and the dinner theatre shows for example where you eat whilst watching dancing are an amazing experience). CR has amazing natural beauty but nothing like the culture-oriented offerings in Thailand.

[Wellwhatalovelyday]

Costa Rica - best wildlife ridiculously easy to spot, happy people, average food. Or less than average!

Thailand - best food!! Nice people. Less wildlife but more culture.

Loved both, but the wildlife in CR was just incredible.

[SarBear1980]

Absolutely loved both but had very different holidays. Thailand I’ve done a few times as a stop in or out of other countries in that area and as a big 6 week trip. It was a party trip and cultural/chilled out with amazing food, cheap beer and temples/markets/spas/rainforest. Costa Rica did as a self drive and covered the whole country...we absolutely loved it - adventure, nature and wildlife and cheap beer. The hot natural spas were amazing...

I don’t love beaches so prefer Costa Rica as hotels had lovely pools and natural spas but food and cultural sights in Thailand were better.

You’ll love either trip I reckon!