Anyone been to Costa Rica? Any tips?

[Nifflernancy]

Holiday planned for February. Very excited for nature, wildlife, beaches etc... any advice gratefully received!

If you're worried about snakes and nasties I think hiking boots would be good to wear. We didn't take them but having had a close encounter with a venomous snake on day 1 we probably should have.

I’d really like to go to a few places off the beaten track but I’d be by myself doing that so it would need to be safe for me to travel to etc!

I felt safe everywhere I went in Costa Rica. However the roads can be very bad, so I'd check how long the distances would take if you're doing day trips. We flew in and out of Liberia and never went to San Jose so can't really help with day trips from there.

I went last year to the Manuel Antonio area. It was beautiful and the wildlife was amazing.

My slightly random tips are

The toilets don't flush well. Be aware and flush frequently when having a number two

Exchange money before you go. I was told you can exchange pounds at local banks. You can't and if it hadn't been for my travelling companion I would have been screwed. You can exchange at the airport though in the departures hall if you forget.

Eat at the local places rather than the tourist places. The food is so much better and a lot cheaper. Trip Advisor is your friend here.

Costa Rican people are absolutely lovely. Incredibly warm n helpful and smiley.

It is very very humid. Wear natural fibres where possible.

The road from the Manuel Antonio area to San Jose is very very busy on a Sunday. If you fly back on this day allow a lot of extra time.

Beware of rip tides on the Pacific side.

Have a ball. It's an amazing destination