Visit Costa Rica

Information about Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a special jewel of Central America. This beautiful country is famous for being an oasis of calm among its turbulent neighbors. But Costa Rica offers much more than economic, political and social stability: the natural wonders of the country, wildlife and reputation for focusing on the conservation of biodiversity attract tourists from all over the world. The efforts of their governments has kept the country's image as a haven of ecotourism, making Costa Rica one of the best places to experience the natural beauty of the tropics with minimal environmental impact.

Overview:
Full name: Republic of Costa Rica
Area: 51,100 km² (19,929 mi2)
Population: 3.8 million
Capital: San José (pop 340,000.)
Population: 96% of Spanish origin, 2% of origin
African, 1% Amerindian origin,
1% of Chinese origin
Religion: 85% Catholic, 14% Protestant
Government: Democratic
Time: GMT / UTC least 6 houras
Electricity: 110V, 60 Hz
Weights / Measures: Metric
Major industries: tourism, electronics, coffee, bananas,
sugar, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
Major trading partners: USA, Germany,
Italy, Japan, Guatemala, Mexico

 

Requirements for visa:
The visa requirements for Costa Rica change rapidly, so it is advisable to consult your consulate before travel. Currently citizens of the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, Panama, Romania, South Korea, Uruguay, UK, France and most other Western European countries do not need a visa for a stay of 90 days. Citizens of Australia, Ireland, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Vatican City and most of Eastern Europe and Latin America can stay 30 days without a visa. If you need a visa, it will cost approximately $ 20 in a Costa Rican consulate.

Security:
Tourists are encouraged to use the same level of caution as they would in any major city or tourist area worldwide. Travellers should avoid those urban areas known to have high crime rates and abandoned properties or undeveloped places. Should also be accompanied and avoid responding to any kind of verbal harassment. It is also important to note that the areas popular with foreign tourists are also common places for criminal activity.
Vaccinations:
There is no vaccination required for travel to Costa Rica, although in some provinces there is a risk of malaria according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of Diseases, whose

A walking tour full of natural treasures of Costa Rica: Tortuguero, instead of nesting green turtles, the Arenal Volcano with its hot springs, Monteverde with its hanging bridges and habitat of the quetzal and the tropical forest with white sand beaches of Manuel Antonio.
Day 1 Spain / San Jose

Departure flight to San Jose, capital of Costa Rica. Accommodation.
Day 2 San José / Tortuguero National Park

Full board. We left very early to Tortuguero National Park. Breakfast typical route. Follow road to the pier, where we will cruise boat about 2 hours to get to our hostel. Lunch. In the afternoon visit the village of Tortuguero. Dinner Party.
Day 3 Tortuguero National Park

Full board. After breakfast, enjoy a tour of the paths of the hotel. Lunch. Afternoon boat explore the incredible set of natural channels offered this national park. Dinner Party.
Day 4 Tortuguero / Arenal Volcano National Park

Half pension. Departure to Guápiles, where we had lunch en route. Continue to the Arenal Volcano.
Day 5 Arenal Volcano

Breakfast. Free day to enjoy the Arenal Volcano.
Day 6 Volcano Arenal / Monteverde Biological Reserve

Breakfast. Departure to the wonderful area of ​​Monteverde.
Day 7 Monteverde Biological Reserve

Breakfast. Day off. In this book are more than 2,500 species of plants, including 420 varieties of orchids.
Day 8 R. B. Monteverde / Manuel Antonio National Park

Breakfast. Departure to Manuel Antonio area. The park boasts white sand and green vegetation.
9 and 10 Manuel Antonio National Park

                       

Breakfast. Available free days. The park has white sand beaches, cliffs, rivers, forests and varied fauna.
Day 11 Manuel Antonio National Park / San Jose

Breakfast. Free morning. At the proper time, drive to San José.
Day 12 San Jose / Spain

Breakfast. Departure flight back to Spain. Overnight on board.
Day 13 Spain

Arrival.
Extension P. N. Corcovado

Departures: Daily.
Day 11 P. N. Manuel Antonio / P. N. of Corcovado

Breakfast. Departure to the airport for the flight from Quepos to Palmar Sur. Arrival, then to the Sierpe River and boat transfer to Casa Corcovado Lodge. Dinner at the lodge.
Day 12 P. N. Corcovado

Full board. Departure by boat to San Pedrillo Biological Station. . Picnic lunch on the beach. In the afternoon return to the lodge and dinner.
Day 13 P. N. Corcovado

Full board. We ventured into 1 hour journey by boat to Caño Island. Here the guide will take you to the indigenous remains. Picnic lunch on the beach. Afternoon free to swim or dive among the coral and fish. Dinner at the lodge.
Day 14 P. N. Corcovado / San José

Breakfast. Return to the airport for the flight back to San Jose.
Day 15 San Jose / Spain

Breakfast. Departure flight back to Spain. Overnight on board.
Day 16 Spain

Arrival.

thailand travel guide

Thailand and tourism are two words that go hand in hand for many years and only alienate times when the country goes through a phase of political instability. In the first months of 2014 there have been occupying parts of Bangkok protesters peacefully. Tourists who have decided to come despite the protests have not had problems. At present there is no problem in traveling around Thailand.

Thailand is a very safe, accessible and easy for the traveler country. It is a country that satisfied both he who comes seeking quiet beaches or unfrequented places far from the tourist crowds, and the more eager backpacking holiday.

Overview of Thailand
Map TailandiaCapital: Bangkok
Population: 65,000,000
Area: 514,000 km2 (slightly more than Spain)
Currency: Bath (43B for 1 € to date 04/2014)
Economy: $ 8,000 GDP per capita (higher in Bangkok)
Other information:
- First rice exporter in the world
- Doi Inthanon 2565m. is the highest mountain
- The King live longest (60 years in power)
- The only country in Southeast Asia that was not colonized
- Here began the drink Red Bull
- More trivia about Thailand here

Prices in Thailand
Sleep: In Bangkok you can have a clean room in a Guest House by a 300-600 THB (7-14 €) and less so in other parts of the country. Many Guest House near parks in the north or in islands offer cabins at a great price. An air conditioner is around 500 THB (12.5 €). The hotels have rates from 700 THB (18.5 €). 4 Star Hotels normalitos typically cost about 2000-3000 THB night (50-75 €). More info in 15 of the best hostels to stay in Bangkok.

Food: The food in Thailand is very cheap. On the street you can eat a plate of fried rice, for example, only 40 THB (€ 1). An iced coffee on the street costs about 35 THB (€ 0.90), a Starbucks 120 THB (€ 3). A plate in a good Thai restaurant round the 120-400 THB (3-10 €). Considered the third best restaurant in Asia by Asia's 50 Best Restaurants List 2014, Gaggan Bangkok restaurant has a menu for about 3000 THB (75 €).

Travel: A bill MRT (subway) or BTS Skytrain (elevated train) in Bangkok costs between 15 and 60 THB (0.35 to 1.5 €). The bus is around 10 THB (0.25 €) but it is very slow. Rarely pay more than 80 THB (€ 2) if you take a taxi in the city (when they put the meter, according the going price to pay more). A taxi from the airport to the hotel Bangkok usually costs about 300-450 THB (7.5-11 €). Forget the tuk tuk in Bangkok, unless you do grace, since there are metered and charge what you want as a tourist (the normal price would be about 40-80 THB per way). In other parts of the country tuk tuk are very useful. A train ticket from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, 16 hours in bed, costs about 600-1000 THB (1-25 €). Boats to the islands between 300 and 1000 THB (7.5 to 25 €). If you're flying within the country or Nok Air Airasia look at yourself and find flights from 50-150 €. You can also find my article on how to find cheap flights.

Shopping: Buying clothes is highly recommended because, for example, a hippie shirt in a tourist market cost between 80 and 300 THB (2 to 7.5 €), depending on your haggling art (see article on how to haggle if you've never done). There are hundreds of markets across the country, as the Chatuchak Market, which make the weekend in Bangkok. The technology is worth as much or more than in Europe.


Going to the doctor: There are private hospitals (some discounts and other extremely expensive) and very cheap public hospitals but where the wait can be infinite. I recommend the Christian Hospital in Bangkok as the price is reasonable and the staff is good. Dentists are good and cheaper than in many countries there are people who come to Thailand just to straighten his teeth.


See more on prices in Southeast Asia

Main attractions for travelers
• Bangkok: The Capital of Thailand is a point of arrival and departure of backpackers and tourists constantly. That happens at the situation of the city, in the heart of Southeast Asia, and the size of the airport. Bangkok may therefore seem a crossing but actually has a lot to offer. It is a city that can scare at first because of the traffic, noise and odors, but you learn to appreciate. Seize to discover the Thai culture in palaces, temples, with thousands of restaurants, food on the streets, museums, markets, massages, muay thai and the most modern part of the city where there are Most malls and skyscrapers. If you are going to come here do not forget to read the article: 10 ideas about things to do and see in Bangkok.

• Chiang Mai: The old city of Chiang Mai is a good place to start traveling through northern Thailand. From there many trekking tours are organized courses of all kinds are made: meditation, massage, Thai cooking and even muay thai. In the evening make a market that will satisfy anyone looking for clothes and souvenirs to take home. I recommend renting a scooter and explore the city and its surroundings (always carefully), and arrive at Doi Inthanon nearby park to do some hiking. More info about Chiang Mai.

• National Parks and Sanctuaries wildlifes: You did not come to Thailand just for the beaches? Out there are countless parks with incredible forests and great animal fauna. Where you can do hiking, rafting, elephant rides, explore caves, waterfalls, lakes, etc. Some of the many parks are Khao Yai, just 3 hours from Bangkok, Khao Sok, in the south, it is highly recommended, especially its lake. Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain where the country is. And finally one that especially recommend Um Phang Wildlife Sanctuary, about 10h of Bangkok, where you can take a trip or go rafting to the Ler Her Pretty Tee Waterfall, the largest waterfall in the country, knowing the way to Karen, a tribe living between Thailand and Myanmar. You can make excursions on your own or with a guide.

• Islands: Have you ever been on a perfect tropical beach sleeping in a cabin? If the answer is no ... What are you waiting for? There are many in Thailand! Find islands on both sides of the south and in the east near Cambodia. Some are full of tourists and hotels while others are quieter and less developed. Some that I recommend are Ko Chang, Ko Samet, Koh Lipe, Ko Lanta, Koh Tao, Koh Maak, the Similan Islands, Koh Phi Phi (filled excursions for tourists is where the movie The Beach was filmed) and, large, Koh Samui. You have the items on the top 10 best islands and beaches of Thailand miss.


The Full Moon Party is one of the most famous festivals in the world among backpackers. Each month is done once, if lluna full day on the island of Ko Pha-Ngan.


• The history: Sukhothai was the capital of a great empire, the Kingdom of Sukhothai. Today is part of the list of World Heritage sites by UNESCO making it one of the most visited historic sites in the country. There are over 200 ruins spread over 70 km2 of forest. Ayuttahya was the second capital of ancient Thailand and also has many temples to visit. It is only 2 hours from Bangkok so it's a good getaway day.


Want more information? Discover what to visit in Thailand

How the Thai tourist visa work?
The Spanish nationality and most Latin American nationalities do not require visas. Many Latin American nations such as Argentina, receive a stay permit almost three months to enter Thailand. With Spanish nationality permit one month to enter without a visa is received. In the case of Spanish:

• If you arrive by air without a visa you get 30 days of legal stay.
• If you arrive by land without a visa you get 15 days.
• If tramitas in any Thai embassy, ​​tourist visa is for 60 days + 30 days possible extension (paying immigration offices in Thailand).
• If you want to stay for long, it is best to ask for a tourist visa with 2 inputs because you can be almost 6 months. First 60 days + 30 days possible extension (ie 90 days), then you go to the border, you leave the country and re-enter and get 60 more days. Upon completion of these 60 days you can still extend 30 additional days. So 60 + 30 + 60 + 30 = 180 days.

Vist Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires: Argentina's fascinating capital
 

Buenos Aires Travel Guide

Introduction Buenos Aires Buenos Aires City and Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina. It is a city of about 3 million inhabitants, which integrates an urban cluster together with what is known as Greater Buenos Aires that brings together more than 40% of the total population of the country, totaling more than 13 million inhabitants, largest in the country. As such, the Gran Buenos Aires is among the largest urban centers in the world, and is an important center of artistic and intellectual activity. Considered a global city to live up to other major cities such as Madrid and Brussels.

The City of Buenos Aires, is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata. The urban area resembles a range bounded on the south, west and north by the province of Buenos Aires and east by the river. The city is divided into 48 districts that derive from the ancient parishes established in the nineteenth.

Buenos Aires is the second largest urban area in South America and one of the twenty largest cities in the world.
The City of Buenos Aires had two foundations. The first in 1536 by Pedro de Mendoza (which was destroyed by the Indians in 1541), and the second by Juan de Garay in 1580 and on both occasions. The city belonged to the Viceroyalty of Peru Spanish Empire. In 1176 the King of Spain's designated capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.

The city is headquarters of many large firms. The main economic sector of Buenos Aires is the services sector. It is also the primary school in the country. Among its renowned institutions include the Buenos Aires National College and the University of Buenos Aires.

In 2005, she was elected as a UNESCO City of Design. Its skyline is remarkably eclectic. Because of immigration, art deco styles, Art Nouveau, Neo-Gothic and French Bourbon mix.
Off its coast is Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay), and a little further Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital, at 2 pm Tickets are Santiago de Chile and a 3 hour plane Sao Paulo (Brazil) to the other great capital of South America.

The climate is temperate humid throughout the twentieth century temperatures have increased considerably due to the heat island product of urban development, currently being 2 ° C higher than in nearby much less urbanized regions.

Snowfalls are not common. The last one occasion the July 9, 2007, it began as sleet and ended up covering much of the city. In suburban areas came to have a much thicker. It happened as a result of a large polar wind that affected Argentina and Chile. We only know of another significant snowfall in 1918.

The city is divided into 48 districts that derive from the ancient parishes established in the nineteenth century. Although we often speak of the 100 neighborhoods of the city, this is an expression that originated in a popular song and not the actual number of neighborhoods, the song was popularized by the singer Alberto Castillo, a landmark of Buenos Aires popular music.

Each neighborhood has its own characteristics and history that print color, style and unique customs; and are a reflection of the cultural diversity that underlies the city. Some of these have been around for decades, but there are other newly identified. Such is the case of Chas Park, Puerto Madero, etc. However, there was always a lot of unofficial names for parts of the city such as Barrio Parque or El Abasto, neighborhoods that exist only in the popular tradition, originated only for purely commercial reasons.

The north and northwest suburbs have become the center of wealth, with unique shops and several residential areas of the upper class as Recoleta, Palermo, Belgrano and Puerto Madero, south of the city and the last to be officially declared.

South of the city are the most popular neighborhoods such as barracks, Pompeii, La Boca, etc. The southern area is what holds the lower socio-economic indicators of the city.

The city is on a good geographical support: its territory is vast and flat and does not suffer complications of extreme temperatures, winds, snow and earthquakes. It has a very good source of freshwater and is the Rio de La Plata.
The layout of the city is very regular. The historical and business center of the city has perfectly square blocks, extended from north to south and from east to west, as its founder Garay the establishment. This layout of perpendicular streets (called "checkerboard") largely spread to the rest of the city.

Buenos Aires is fertile in areas of urban and architectural quality. It has several public places including highlights the Bosques de Palermo, the Almirante Brown Park Ecological Reserve in Costanera Sur.

A feature of the city is the diversity of trees and colorful flowers of these. In large part this is due to the work of Carlos Thays, French landscape, creator inter alia Botanical Garden where he introduced as tipas trees, jacarandas and lapachos.

Another prominent feature of the city are the copings in domes, towers and attics that have many buildings. They are the result of European influence in the port architecture, especially the work of French architects, Italians and Germans, who designed the buildings between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as a replacement to the colonial architecture. At first it was a symbolic architectural element. But then they were chosen as a symbol of the magnificence of the Argentina bourgeoisie. Perhaps the main feature of these is the variety: there shaped half orange, pineapple, onion-and many others.

The central area of ​​the city is very congested automobile traffic and also during non-working days is very uninhabited, causing some uncertainty.

Buenos Aires has four motorway links, in addition to the large amount of existing accesses, either bridges or avenues that cross the Av. General Paz. The motorway links are Highway Buenos Aires-La Plata, Ricchieri Highway, West and North Access or Access Av. Panamericana. These highways provide quick access from the Gran Buenos Aires, unlike the rest of the accesses where traffic tends to be somewhat fluid from the end of business hours.

The transport of greater use are called groups, with more than 135 lines in service not only allows you to connect different parts of the city but also reaches different points of Gran Buenos Aires.
The other mass medium used to access the city is the train which has in Buenos Aires a clear hub node. Some of these lines have connection to the subway, allowing a relatively fluid transfer from Buenos Aires suburbs to different areas of the city. Trains are also used by the locals as a means of rapid movement within the city.

Buenos Aires has six subway lines, lines A, B, C, D, E and H with over 40 km route. In addition, under construction the second leg of the H line, which now connects the neighborhoods of Parque Patricios and Balvanera under the Av. Jujuy, and finally join the south of the city from the neighborhood of Pompeii with the Retirement terminal. Also in expanding line A to the neighborhood of Flores and B from the terminal to the neighborhood of Villa Urquiza. It is planned to build three other branches (F, G and I), with lines running come to nine. Line A (opened in 1913) is also a tourist attraction, having been the first subway line in the southern hemisphere (and Latin America) and to keep the trains that were used in the early twentieth century.

The country's largest port, is Buenos Aires and traditionally was the main maritime gateway of Argentina. Currently handles 70% of Argentine imports concentrating approximately 40% of total foreign trade.

Buenos Aires has two commercial airports, three soldiers and a private one. The two commercials are the Ministro Pistarini International Airport or Ezeiza Airport, about 35 Kms. From the city, and Aeroparque Jorge Newbery.

From Ezeiza Airport there are flights to South America, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It is the only Latin America with flights arriving at 5 continents. In 2009 they passed by nearly 8 million passengers. From the Jorge Newbery Airport (commonly called Aeroparque), there are domestic flights only, with the exception of flights to Montevideo (Uruguay) and Asuncion (Paraguay).

The City of Buenos Aires offers more than 200 hotels with 36,000 beds available. These hotels are installed mostly in the downtown area of ​​the city with easy access to major tourist sites.
There are also many lodgings and accommodation alternative for those looking for something cheaper. These establishments are usually located in more remote districts, but the transport system allows the transfer in an easy and economical way.

As the city is a university center, there is a lot of hostels and accessible to students from both within the country and from neighboring countries dorms.

We recommend hiring a personal travel insurance that covers medical expenses as foreign healthcare is not free and involves high costs.