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What are the shared
bathrooms like? |
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In the tentalow area there are two sets of bathrooms.
Each set has two showers and two toilets. The shared bathrooms are
set in lush gardens, are very attractive and are conveniently nearby.
The bathrooms for the standard rooms are also shared. There are two
toilets and showers here, too. These bathrooms are quite lovely,
have ceramic tile floors and are mere steps from the standard rooms. |
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How far are
the shared bathrooms? |
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In the tentalow area the bathrooms are between 10
and 40 meters away depending on which tent you are in. The standard
room bathrooms are only a few meters from the rooms.
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How many people
share the shared bathrooms? |
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The maximum amount of people sharing
the 4 chalet tent bathrooms would be 24. For the standard rooms
the maximum would be 8 people for 2 bathrooms.
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Do
men and woman use the same bathroom? |
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Yes, the shared bathrooms are all unisex. Of course,
each toilet and shower stall is individual with locking doors. |
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Are there
refrigerators in the rooms? |
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Except for the Pagoda, none of our accommodations
are equipped with refrigerators.
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Do
you have heat and air conditioning? |
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The ambient temperature at Pura Vida is about ideal.
We get the warmth of the tropics combined with the mountain freshness
of being at almost 5,000 ft. elevation. Thus, none of our rooms or
facilities has air conditioning or heating. The year round temperature
is 70 to 80 degrees during the day with mild nights.
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What
do the standard rooms look like? |
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The standard rooms are simple but comfortable. They
can be arranged with two single beds or one king size bed. They have
ceramic tile floors, coffee makers and a space to hang clothes. The
four standard rooms are set in our lovely gardens and have shared
bathrooms only a few steps away.
Click here for more images of our facility.
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Are
there beds in the tentalows? |
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Yes, all the tentalows can be arranged with two
single beds or one king size bed. The mattresses are very comfortable
and are the same as we use in our other accommodations. Click
here for more images of our facility.
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Do
your rooms have locks? |
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All our rooms, except for the tentalows, have doors
that lock. We have a very secure property and have no problem with
theft from guest rooms. Additionally, we have a safe in our office
in which you can store your valuables like cash, credit cards, passports,
etc. |
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Do
the Vistas and the A-Frames have the same view? |
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The Vistas, A-Frames and all our other rooms (except
the tentalows and standard rooms) have the same view; a gorgeous
vista of the Central Valley and mountain ranges beyond.
Click here for more images of our
facility.
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Do
you serve meat? |
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The meals at Pura Vida are largely vegetarian but
either fish or chicken is served at every lunch and dinner.
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How far are
you from the ocean? |
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The closest beaches to Pura Vida are about 2 hours
away on the Pacific coast. |
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Are there a lot
of bugs? |
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No, we don't have a lot of bugs
at Pura Vida. Being in the tropics, there is a lot of insect life
in general in Costa Rica. However, our elevation keeps this issue
at a minimum and our guests find it remarkably bug-free here.
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Is
there snorkeling, surfing, deep-sea fishing, golfing nearby? |
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There is snorkeling, surfing and deep-sea fishing
at many beach areas in Costa Rica on both the Pacific and Caribbean
coasts. Golf is more difficult in that the golf courses here are
mostly connected with big hotels or private clubs and are generally
not open to visitors. There is one golf course open to the public
about 45 minutes from Pura Vida. |
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What
types of massages do you offer? |
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We have a huge variety of massage and spa treatments
available. Please click here for further
details and information.
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Can
I register for spa and trips before I go? |
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Because the spa treatments we offer change somewhat
from week to week (depending on which therapists are here), we ask
that you wait until arrival to arrange appointments at the Wellness
Center. Once you arrive you will also have a schedule for your week
and will better know what times work better for you to arrange appointments.
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Do
you accept U.S. Dollars? |
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Yes, we accept U.S. Dollars and traveler's checks
at Pura Vida. |
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Do
I need to exchange U.S. Dollars for Colones (Costa Rican currency)
before I come? |
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No it is not necessary to get Colones prior to
arrival. Pura Vida, and almost all other businesses in Costa Rica,
accepts U.S. currency. If you should want or need Colones, we can
exchange small amounts here at Pura Vida or you can go to many
local banks to exchange larger amounts.
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Is
there an ATM? |
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We do not have an ATM here on the property of Pura
Vida but there are numerous ones available in the nearby town of
Alajuela. |
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Do
I need a passport? |
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Citizens of the U.S. and Canada may enter Costa Rica
with a valid passport. Please note that Costa Rican law requires
your passport be valid for at least 90 days after the date you enter
the country. This means that if your passport will expire within
the next 90 days, you must renew it before your trip. Check with
your airline or travel agent for more information.
Citizens of other countries should check with the applicable
Costa Rican Consulate in your country about rules governing entrance
into
Costa Rica.
You are required to carry your passport with you at all times.
If you are stopped by officials, a photocopy with your photo,
passport number and entry stamp will usually suffice and is recommended.
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Do
I need shots? |
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No shots or vaccinations are needed for visits to
Costa Rica. |
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Do you have Malaria? |
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Malaria is all but non-existent in Costa Rica and
is isolated to certain lowland areas. The vast majority of travelers
to Costa Rica should have no concern about contracting this disease.
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Do the people
at the resort speak English? |
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Everyone in office, the yoga teachers and the massage
therapists all speak English. |
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What
types of eco-excursions do you offer? |
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We have many tour options available to you. Please
see the information on the tour page for more details. |
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Can
I use my cell phone? |
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It has been our experience that cell phones brought
from outside the country do not work here in Costa Rica. |
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Can
I use my laptop? |
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Yes, you are welcome to bring your laptop with you,
the campus has wireless service around the pool and office area. |
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Where
is the nearest internet café? |
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There are a number of internet cafés in
the nearby town of Alajuela. This is about a 15 minute ride away
by taxi.
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Do
you offer a laundry service? |
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Yes, we offer a laundry service to our guests. The
charge is $5 per load to wash, dry and fold. |
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How
do I get into town? |
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The easiest way to get to town is by taxi. We can
usually have a taxi for you in 15 minutes or less. The cost to downtown
Alajuela is about $5 per taxi. There is also a public bus route that
picks up near Pura Vida and goes to downtown Alajuela once per hour.
The cost is less than 50 cents per person. |
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Can
I rent a car? |
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Yes, it is easy to rent a car if you wish. You can
either arrange it with the major car rental companies before you
come or we can help arrange it once you are here. There are several
companies that will drop off your rental car to you here at Pura
Vida. You will need a valid driver's license, passport and credit
card. |
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How much is a cab? |
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Taxicab rates depend, of course, on the distance you
want to travel. Taxis in Costa Rica charge by the trip, not per person.
So, sharing taxis can really cut down on the cost. Generally taxis
can accommodate up to 4 people. A trip to downtown Alajuela is about
$5 each way, to the airport is $10 each way, to downtown San José is
around $20 each way, and to Jacó (the nearest beach) is about
$75 each way. |
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Is the water
safe to drink? |
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Yes, the water at Pura Vida is safe to drink from
every faucet on the property. We filter our water on the premises
with both a 1-micron filter and a UV filter. Countrywide, water quality
standards in Costa Rica are generally quite high and visitors normally
do not have any problems. |
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What is your
elevation? |
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Pura Vida is at almost 5,000 feet elevation.
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How
long has Pura Vida been around? |
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Pura Vida has been in business for about 5 years. |
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What
is the resort's policy on children? What can they do while they're
there? |
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Children are welcome are Pura Vida. While here,
they can use our pool and hot tub. There is also a guest lounge
with a television, VCR and modest video library as well as a couple
of board games, magazines and books. Children really enjoy our
eco-excursions, too. (Please note that some tours have age minimums.)
Childcare can be arranged in advance if you would like.
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Is
Pura Vida a safe place for single women to visit? |
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Yes, our property is very secure. The area around
Pura Vida is also safe to walk around in and many people (male and
female) enjoy a walk or run in the surrounding neighborhood and coffee
fields.
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Do
mostly singles or couples come to PV? |
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A rough guess would be about 80 to 90 percent come
alone (either they are single or are married and are here alone)
and the rest come as couples. |
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Is
Costa Rica safe? |
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Generally, Costa Rica is quite safe. Like any place,
normal precautions and care should be taken depending upon where
you are visiting. Violent crime is rare in Costa Rica while theft
of personal property (from automobiles and hotel rooms) is more
common. Big cities, beach areas and anyplace with a concentration
of tourists is more likely to draw thieves and such.
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