Rating: 
Summary: In-depth personable guide to Costa Rica
Review: I recently obtained a copy of Harry Pariser's guide to Costa Rica. I was very excited about reading his book. A couple of years ago I spent over six months travelling through Costa Rica and had happened upon an earlier guidebook by Mr. Pariser at a hotel I stayed at in the Osa Peninsula. I enjoyed it immensely. So, as I opened my copy of 'Costa Rica Complete', I anticipated thorough research and genuine enthusiasm to be displayed in the book. I was not in the least disappointed. It is refreshing to feel the writer's personality shine through the text and he does a thorough job of detailing the information a fellow traveller needs to make his or her trip a fantastic one. I highly recommend this book!
Rating: 
Summary: Limited Use
Review: I was deeply disappointed with this travel book. It is merely a list of hotel and restaurant options (with a few activities thrown in) that does little to help you separate and decide what is worthwhile. The overall organization is terrible as is the index.
In the section on sports there is nothing on hiking tours and hiking is not in the index.
You will do much better with Lonely Planet!
Rating: 
Summary: Yellow (only) Pages for multi-colored country
Review: I was deeply disappointed with this travel book. It is merely a list of hotel and restaurant options (with a few activities thrown in) that does little to help you separate and decide what is worthwhile. The overall organization is terrible as is the index.
In the section on sports there is nothing on hiking tours and hiking is not in the index.
You will do much better with Lonely Planet!
Rating: 
Summary: Boring & Pedantic
Review: If I'd wanted a lecture on an author's opinions of ecology, I'd have been better off buying a textbook. The nuts and bolts of what a guidebook should provide -- descriptions and details of hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions are presented in a shopping list style that is less useful than the yellow pages.
I want my money back!
Rating:
Summary: Limited Use
Review: Let me start with this disclaimer: I only traveled to San Jose and the north central mountains. I have no idea how salient the book is to other parts of CR.I found the book in dire need of proofreading, containing numerous typographical errors and omissions. The quality of the binding is also poor, though that may be of limited interest to the readers of these reviews. OTOH, the book fell apart by the end of the first week, a large section from the front of the book seperating from the rest. A minor stressor when traveling. The costs listed (including those in US dollars) were very dated and inaccurate. There were many things of interest available to do in CR which are simply not in the book. A trip we took down a rainforest river (best thing we did) and the central market in San Jose spring to mind. Maps are woefully absent as well. On the plus side, we stayed at a hotel in San Jose, which garnered a positive review that was wholly accurate. We stopped at several museums and one shop listed in Pariser's book which we may well have missed without the book. There is a conservation thread which runs throughout the book that parallels our beliefs and priorities. This was the only CR travel guide we looked at, based upon the 4 1/2 star review here at Amazon. Therefore, I cannot compare it to any other guides. I *would* suggest you look at other guides before you buy this one.
Rating:
Summary: About this book
Review: Some of the reviews concerning this book do not reference the fact that supplements are available online on our website for purchasers of the book. These include PDF files, as well as a photo essay and an itinerary finder. Please send us your suggestions for improvements directly, so that future editions of this guide may be even better.
Rating:
Summary: An Eco-friendly Guidebook
Review: The focus of this book underlines Costa Rica's status as the ecotourism capital of Latin America, and almost a quarter of the main introduction is devoted to the country's flora and fauna. Pariser is of the school that believes that selling the environment as a tourist attraction will contribute to its preservation in a commercial world. Minimum impact is an obvious consideration as he guides visitors gently through the rainforests or along the coral reefs. However, conventional city trippers won't be disappointed by Harry's 21 pages of detailed accommodations listings for San Jose, and it's significant that pricewise he starts at the top and works down. Smaller numbers of upscale visitors will leave fewer footprints than backpacking masses from Lonely Planet. Harry's eco-friendly values are also reflected in his detailed six-page chart of public bus services. Sightseeing from behind the wheel of a polluting vehicle is not his way. The food, festivals, and sports and recreation sections of this book are also very good, and you'll even find a precise guide to the local radio stations and detailed tips on volunteering. This book has an individual flair but it's as professional as they come. It's a welcome change from the stale consumerism of Frommer and Fodor. END
Rating:
Summary: If you buy only one book on Costa Rica, buy this one.
Review: This book is the most thorough I've seen on Costa Rica. I'm a frequent traveller, and I've used Pariser's other books and found them invaluable. If you want to really "explore" Costa Rica--as the title suggests, then you need this book. It won't steer you wrong... I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book - Full of Hidden Gems
Review: This is a wonderful introduction to Costa Rica. My girlfriend and I journeyed there and, with the help of this book, had a wonderful time. It has a lot of information on the less-frequented spots of the many beautiful national parks, good maps, and the way it is organized and indexed really makes things easy as you move from town to town (and beach to beach!). Recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: This is an innovative guide to Costa Rica!
Review: We are proud to publish Explore Costa Rica. Explore Costa Rica includes: ® 528 information-packed pages ® Maps and numerous color and black and white photos ® All ranges and types of accommodation including nature lodges ® Whitwater rafting, surfing, horseback riding, snorkeling, and scuba ® Birdwatching, hiking, whale watching, canopy climbing, and ballooning ® Complete background information ® Volunteer opportunities, language schools, environmental organizations ® Car rental, buses, plane travel, and ferries ® Thousands of web sites, e-mails, phone numbers, and fax numbers Explore Costa Rica is the most useful and current guide to the nation on the market.
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