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10 Tips For Selecting The Perfect Costa Rica Vacation Rental
By Paul Orr, Thu Dec 8th
Planning a Tropical vacation full of lush jungles, secludedbeaches, and friendly people but not too expensive? Costa Ricais the place to go! But where do you stay, a resort or a privatevilla? Do you want long lines, crowded pools, kids running upand down the corridors? I think not. Selecting the best vacation rental can be thedifference between a great vacation and one where you feel likeyou are ‘doing without’. Many vacationers consider the vacation rental as‘just somewhere to stay’ since most of your time will be spentin or on the water, or enjoying local attractions. Don’t makethat mistake. There is no reason to settle for less when, with alittle planning, you can find a great vacation rentalthat you’ll enjoy as much or more than the other parts of yourvacation. (Article continued below)
Remember, your vacation home is where you’ll be sleeping, wakingup, having many of your meals, and resting. If it rains or is unseasonably hot outside, you may end upstretched out reading a book to while away the day or wanting towatch one of your favorite movies on the DVD – assuming there isa comfortable sofa. And when you meet new friends, you’ll wantsomeplace nice for entertaining. Shouldn’t your vacation rentalbe a pleasant get-away with the amenities that make vacations areal treat? “A home away from home” Here are 10 tips to for selecting the perfect Costa Ricavacation rental: 1. The single most important factor is whether or not you can“see” actual recent photos of the interior and exterior of thevacation rental. It’s one thing to read a great description –and some of them are quite ‘complimentary’ (sometimes overly so)- but you need to see what you are getting. With the Internet, a website is the quickest most convenient wayfor you to get information on prospective vacationrentals. If there are no pictures, you’ll know right away tokeep looking. Brochures, books and guides are nice, but may haveout-dated information. 2. List the amenities that are important to you, the oneswithout which you will feel incomplete. Next, jot down thosethat are nice to have, but not deal-breakers if not available. With these lists as a guide, you’ll be able to quickly eliminatethose rentals that won’t meet your needs. Your list mightinclude proximity to the water, the number of bedrooms andbathrooms, type kitchen (full versus fridge and microwave),outdoor amenities such as decks and BBQ grills, ocean views,private pools, outdoor eating areas, tennis courts and otheritems important to you. On your secondary list, you might have things like a hammock forlazing about, or pool waterfall for the relaxing sounds.Exterior stereo speakers, to enjoy your favorite music aroundthe pool. Ice makers to mix your favorite drinks, especially inthe heat of the day. 3. List the activities that you want to be able to enjoy whileon vacation. A morning activity like scuba diving, snorkeling orcanopy tour then coming back to the villa to relax may be a highpriority for you. You also need to consider how close thevacation rental is to the airport. It is very important to knowhow far the rental is from your arrival airport. Some rentalscan take a half a day’s drive and after your flight even anhour’s drive can seem an eternity. Your travel time back to theairport at departure can also frustrate your entire vacation.Enjoying your last morning of your vacation by a private poolinstead of traveling for hours to the airport can be veryimportant to you. For vacation rentals that are only20 minutes from the Liberia International airport visithttp://www.costarica-vacation-getawy.com. This will help you inselecting a general location. You also need to consider how close you want your vacationrental to be to the attractions. Some people feel that a great vacation is being able to walk orbicycle everywhere. Others don’t mind a short drive, and stillothers think nothing of getting on a freeway to enjoyattractions. If you prefer a vacation without the hassles of traffic, parkingproblems, crowds and long lines, select a villa located in thequaint waterfront town of Playa Panama, Costa Rica. Visithttp://www.costarica-vacation-getaway.com to learn more. 4. Identify your first, second and third choice of dates forrenting the villa. With several dates, you’ll save time whenmaking arrangements. If you find a villa that you really want and you have someflexibility in scheduling, having alternate dates ready allowsyou to book right then, saving yourself the time and hassle ofhaving to re-check everyone’s schedule and call back – andrisking losing those dates in the interim. 5. Call the telephone numbers for the vacation rentals that seemto meet your needs and speak directly with either the owners orthe person who is handling the property. Be prepared with a list of questions. This allows you to compareapples to apples, and keeps you from forgetting somethingimportant during the conversation. It also gives you a feel for the person who will be your contactshould you rent the villa and then encounter a problem. If youdon’t get a warm, friendly welcome to your inquiries, don’texpect anything different when you have a problem. 6. Ask what amenities are included. You may learn of somethingthat’s not on your list but is perfect for your plans. Does therental have maid service? Last thing you want to do is make thebeds or clean the dishes, even if there is a dishwasher. Doesthe rental have a washer and dryer? If so, you will not have totake as many cloths with you. Will the maid wash your clothsbefore your departure? Coming home with a suitcase full of cleancloths is certainly a benefit. Other things to consider: Is there a welcome basket? Will theowner have essential items in the refrigerator for you, beforeyour arrival? Can you make arrangements for tours? Are thereplates, utensils, pots, pans and other essentials for eating andmeal preparation – or will you have to bring your own? Does therental have air condition or do you have to depend on the windsto comfort you? 7. Inquire about restaurants, events and activities and otherforms of local entertainment that are close by. Here’s whereyour list of preferred activities comes in handy. You should beable to find links to local attractions, calendars andrestaurants on the website of your vacation rental. 8. Are the owners local or do they have a management teamhelping 24/7? Owners are a wealth of information about the areaand can give you tips on great out-of-the-way places that aren’tin the guidebooks. They also care about your enjoyment andcomfort while at their villa. This can make a huge difference; especially should somethingneed immediate attention in the villa. There’s nothing worsethan calling the rental company about a stopped-up toilet andgetting somebody’s bored teenager who’s manning the phones forthe summer. 9. How long has the owner been renting vacation rentals? If theowner has worked with rental properties, they know what tenantsexpect and how to get things done. If this is a new venture, beware. The owner may be in it for“fun” and have no idea how to prepare the villa so that you canhave a great vacation. 10. And last, when you look at the pictures, can you seeyourself having a great time there? If the pictures make you want to go right now, and the answersto the questions above meet your satisfaction, you’ve foundyourself a great vacation rental! About the author:Paul has been traveling to since 2001. Purchasedproperty 2001 and built a villa in 2002. Handles villa rentalsfor five additional villas. Two, three, four and five bedroomvilla's available. www.costarica-vacation-getaway.com info@costarica-vacation-getaway.com | 