Costa Rica with a 6 month old

[lydiangel83]

Appreciate this sounds like a bratty post but we have had a very hard early few months with our daughter and really want a relaxing holiday using some inheritance money. Want to go off the beaten path a little bit but still safe health-wise for baby x

Any thoughts / experience of Costa Rica? We want to go on an organised tour, just worried about any bugs etc that she may get.

Any other travel destinations suitable for baby that do not involve loads of screaming kids / kids club would be welcome!

Can we go to an adult only resort with a nanny?

Don't really know where to begin if i am honest! if you go somewhere with kids and a kids club then there will be other kids there and some of them will be screaming! that's it with kids. you either go on non child friendly holidays with no kids clubs or you go where there are other kids and clubs and put up with the parenting of others! Not all resorts with kids clubs will take a child this young you would need to check this out carefully first.

You need to look into what sort of jabs etc you would need for Costa rica. have a look at the NHS website for info on this. Personally, i think you would be better off choosing somewhere in Europe where no jabs/tablets were needed. Off the beaten path takes a lot of planning and why would you with a 6m old.

Adult only resorts - they are for adults only. people that go there don't want to have any children around so no, you cant go with your baby. why do you think this wouldn't disturb or upset people?

You sound like you just need some r and r and a break so go for the easiest possible option - warm, with a kids club that takes tiny babies and has a spa with it.

www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/central-america/costa-rica.aspx

this is the website we always use.

I think it's really difficult to advise with a young baby as that really depends upon parent's attitude to risk. I wouldn't let long haul put me off personally but I would be sticking to highly developed countries with a small baby (Europe/US/Canada/Australia etc).

Check if any tour organiser takes a baby. We looked at Mexico with our 10 year old DD and couldn’t find a decent one who takes a minor under 16 years.

These tours are expensive and I think lots of people won’t be happy paying a lot and having a baby with them. Unless you do a private one.

I would investigate baby friendly high end resorts, private villa on a resort with all the AI extras but lots of privacy.

You might be better looking at Malaysia or Thailand. Fantastic quality hotels, and the locals absolutely adore children. The hotels could probably organise a babysitter for you too.

Costa Rica is lovely but I don’t think suitable for a 6 month old. And with respect I think you are being selfish. You don’t want something with lots of kids but are taking your baby. Think about how your fellow travellers will feel.

You need to find somewhere child friendly but not full of children as you yourself are taking a child. I think the fact that you think an adult only resort with a nanny is suitable means you have not really grasped that.

Some hotels do have adult only pools:areas maybe that will work as well.

Also travel with a six month old is hard you need someonebwelcoming for children for your own sanity!

As a PP mentioned, Thailand is fab with kids, lovely people, super swanky hotels and good healthcare if required.

We went to Costa Rica last summer. Adults only resorts do not take children or babies anywhere. Only option would be if say a grandparent would have child whilst you went on holiday without them.

Costa Rica like a lot of longhaul destinations requires vaccinations, I would definitely check about these before booking anywhere. Personally I wouldn't take a 6 month old baby, also the flight was 10 ish hours. Hotel we went to had lots of children but depends where you go but I would say they are likely to have children or be more couples types resorts where people are trying to escape babies / children.

I would go to a shorthaul destination not requiring a long flight or vaccines. Italy is very child friendly and if you book something yourself you should avoid lots of children, Venice or down the south maybe. We also did Maderia in a hotel appartment which was nice.

We are very keen travellers and formerly lived in Malaysia but decided not to take DS back there or anywhere else that required jabs/anti-malerials before he was a year old.
He’s 17 months now and we’ve just looked at Costa Rica but decided that he was still too young for most of the ‘family friendly’ adventurous stuff but needs entertaining. A 6 month old at least won’t need entertainment but the health risks would put me off.
If our DS had been born when we lived in Malaysia we’d obviously have had to manage it and if the 6 month old is ebf it reduces the risk from food and waterborne diseases but there are a variety of nastiest carried by mosquitos that are very hard to avoid - you don’t particularly want to smother a baby in 100% DEET either so if you don’t need to deal with it, I wouldn’t.

We have been looking at holidays over the weekend. Adult only hotels definitely do not include babies. These places are for people who want to holiday away from small people.

Costa Rica was amazing but I would agree its much better for older children, mine were 10 and 11 and its more that age up - there are lots of very high ziplines and we also had a family of raccoons and a coati regularly approach us at our hotel (also geckos/monkeys etc). Very cute but they need to be at an age were they understand not to touch/grab the animals due to a rabies risk and as they are wild. In the rainforest you are obviously getting bitten by all kinds of things.

I would only go somewhere that doesn't require extra health precautions at that age.

If you are after rainforest something like this might work but its a heck of a journey:

www.booking.com/hotel/au/the-canopy-rainforest-treehouses-wildlife-sanctuary.en-gb.html?aid=357028;label=bin859jc-hotel-XX-au-theNcanopyNrainforestNtreehousesNwildlifeNsanctuary-unspec-gb-com-L%3Aen-O%3Aabn-B%3Aedge-N%3AXX-S%3Abo-U%3AXX-H%3As;sid=c0413ab45f2582175ff0487e57aff891;age=11&age=12&dist=0&group_adults=2&group_children=2&no_rooms=1&sb_price_type=total&type=total&

They take babies, many places like this won't. Its not far from the Great Barrier Reef and zoos with koalas etc. Fly to Cairns in Australia. You apparently get possums on the balcony but a baby could be kept inside.

You've got a six month old baby you can holiday anywhere without lots of screaming kids, because most screaming kids will be there in school holidays only, outside of the school holidays it will be pretty quiet. I'd pick a good 5* resort in Europe with babysitting facilities so you can enjoy the occasional romantic meal. Perhaps look at a family friendly cruise as well

If you are trying to avoid children yes avoid school holidays, also check out local school holidays though doesn't eliminate the 0 to 4s unless they have older siblings. Wherever we have stayed AI has a lot more loud kids than doing your own thing, apartments etc but doesn't bother me, my kids enjoy being with others. We always chose AI though as so much easier but not been to a quiet one.