- Let them have yours and the hotel number
- Watch out for freshwater diseases
- Struggles in eating
- Do not set expectations
- Drowning
- Search for nearby attractions and activities
- Educational tours are only for adults
- Rent a car
- Hire a Guide
- Create your to-do list lightly
- Take cash and credit/debit cards
- Book a hotel with laundry service
- Diaper and wipes are cheaper in Costa Rica
- Pack some medications
- Let your itinerary be flexible
Costa Rica’s panoramic view, sights, and activities cater to everyone from single, couple, friends, family, and even toddlers! Taking a break to another country with your kids will give you a relaxing, fun, and ridiculously exciting journey. However, exploring a different country with toddlers would give you an extra struggle from clothes packing to food and other necessities.
Traveling with kids should not be a burden to you and for the little ones; hence, the best time to visit Costa Rica with the kids is during the dry season, starting from mid-December to April. Although some drops of rain will still be visible, generally, the weather would be sunny, which the kids would love.
If you can handle a little wet vacation, book your flights between May and November, which would also give you the opportunity to roam freely as there will be lesser crowds and cheaper flights.
And so, we have listed some tips for you to lessen your stress while expiring the vacation you’ve waited for.
1. Let them have yours and the hotel phone numbers
Kids can memorize home addresses and phone numbers easily. Once you have all the details, ensure that they have a copy on all the pockets of their clothes, or let them memorize it. Reiterate to them that in case you will be accidentally separated in the airport or any crowded places, the contact details are kept in their pockets.
2. Watch out for freshwater diseases
Advise your toddlers not to dunk their brother or sister in hot springs. A specie called brain-eating amoebas is present in warm freshwater. If these species enter your nose, it goes up to your olfactory nerve to the brain that causes serious brain damage called amoebic meningoencephalitis. If the swelling continues, it may lead to death in a few weeks.
3. Struggles in eating
Exploring other culture’s cuisine is exciting but not for kids. There may be some considerable choices, but it may not be available in the areas of your exploration itinerary. If your little ones have a special dietary food routine, you may have to carry more supplies in your journey. You can pack all the food items in a cooler and separately check it in as a luggage. Ensure though that the food items are tightly closed in a factory sealed packages so it can pass the inspections at customs.
4. Do not set expectations with kids
Travel blogs or feature articles depend on the people who visited a particular place at a particular time and date. What they saw in their journey will be different from your journey today. Don’t give promises to kids that they will see sea turtle nesting or whales. Their disappointment will kill the entire vacation. Costa Rica is not a standardized place for expectations. In case it rains, water activities might be canceled. There are no guarantees.
5. Drowning
Drowning is one of the top causes of fatalities in Costa Rica, referring to travelers. Take extra precautions, especially if your kids don’t know how to swim yet. Ask for additional guides to keep everyone safe. Educate your kids as well about rip currents.
6. Search for nearby attractions and activities
Adults usually prefer the time spent on the road with loud tunes, but kids are different. They get bored sitting for an hour in the car. Costa Rica is not that a big country, but getting from place to place takes a bit of time. In case you have long drives, inform the kids beforehand and take some toys with you so they can get busy while on your journey.
7. Educational Tours are only for adults
Be honest, you are on vacation to at least escape your office works, so you prefer to hike the forests of Costa Rica while walking and listening to mini-lectures from the tour guide. But do not expect the kids to have their vacation with an additional trip to a classroom. There are lots of activities for kids that you can book depending on the ages.
8. Rent a car
It is always recommended to rent a car when visiting a new country with kids. The buses in Costa Rica are really cheap but don’t compromise the price with the comfort of your kids, especially if you have packed a lot for their necessities. If your itinerary involves city hoppy or to just have a stop at any mesmerizing place along the road, you should rent a car.
9. Hire a guide
Adults would take time hiking parks and spotting animals and exotic plants, but kids get excited if they see all the species immediately. A tour guide would be the best option, so your kids’ eyes will be busy scrutinizing leaves and trees in each pathway you’re walking through.
10. Create your to-do-lists lightly
Take every hour slow, especially when you’re with kids. Although the activities for kids in Costa Rica are overwhelming, do not pack all the activities in one day. Ziplining would take a few hours for them to enjoy the moment. They won’t savor the moment when they know they have limited time only. Plan the activities with your kids and let them decide which activities attract the most.
11. Take cash and credit/debit card
Waiting in the bank will let your kids hate you for booking the trip beforehand. There are ATMs in Costa Rica that allows you to cash out dollars or colones instantly. Or exchange your dollars into colones before you step out of the airport so you won’t trouble the kids’ time searching for an ATM and falling in line.
12. Book a hotel with a laundry service
Nobody wants to go on a vacation just to wash dirty clothes. Besides, the humid climate in Costa Rica makes it impossible to dry your clothes for a day. For sure, you wouldn’t also want to bring back a load of dirty clothes in your luggage. So, make sure that while booking your hotel, ask them if they have laundry services.
13. Diapers and wipes are cheaper in Costa Rica
If your toddlers are still using diapers, you do not need to pack diapers and wipes for the whole vacation time. One diaper in any supermarket would cost you USD0.20-USD0.30. The diapers are suitably made for the humid climate in Costa Rica; hence, your toddlers still stay comfortable and fresh. You can even check a diaper store in Costa Rica.
14. Pack some medications
The roads in Costa Rica are joyrides for adults but not for kids. The winding and bumpy road in rural areas may make them dizzy and not enjoy the outing. Even for buses and private cars. The passenger’s back seat can make them feel unpleasant. An anti-sickness medication comes handy when you’re ready. Just ensure that the medication is allowed in the Costa Rican passes.
Additionally, search for the nearest clinic in your accommodation or how to contact a doctor, especially if you have booked for an Airbnb hostel.
15. Let your itinerary be flexible
Although you wanted everything perfect in your to-do-list, some unseen challenges will pop up when you’re already in Costa Rica. Unexpected situations are more likely when you are with kids, so it is a better idea to have options while scheduling. In case you missed an activity, or a heavy rain came up, you need to introduce your emergency activities to keep the kids busy and to keep their momentum at the highest level still.
Conclusion
A vacation on your own, or with your friends and family is completely different when you are taking a vacation with kids. Savor the moment, make amazing memories together, and don’t rush. It is better to have fewer activities that they most enjoyed than having a long list of places and activities with a juggling time.