New Costa Rica guide offers insight on responsible tourism
New Costa Rica guide offers insight on responsible tourism
mongabay.com
August 4, 2008
Costa Rica is the world’s most popular destination for rainforest tourism thanks to its spectacular biodiversity, relative ease-of-access and safety, and many natural attractions. In 2007 nearly 2 million tourists visited the country, generating almost 2 billion in revenue — more than the combined income from bananas and coffee.
 Explore Costa Rica |
While countless books are available for information this Central American jewel, a newly updated travel guide stands out for its comprehensiveness and ease-of-use.
Explore Costa Rica, written by Harry S. Pariser, provides an excellent introduction to Costa Rica, including coverage of dining, hotels and accommodations; outdoor activities; history and culture; and itinerary suggestions. The 668-page guide offers background on country’s natural attractions, with a special emphasis on tropical rainforests and wildlife, including interesting sidebars on topics ranging from permaculture (p 587) to shark finning (p 531) to selecting a rainforest lodge (p 131).
Particularly helpful is the way Explore Costa Rica is organized. Each section includes “Fast Find” to help readers quickly locate the information of interest, while “Pluses and Minuses” provide a frank lowdown on good and bad. Of special interest to socially-responsible travels is the guide’s highlighting of local eco-friendly cooperatives such as the Talamanca Association for Ecotourism and Conservation and the Köbö Agro-Ecotourism Farm. Explore Costa Rica also includes information for disabled access and special needs travelers as well as sights and attractions for children. Thirty eight maps and a number of color pictures help illustrate the guide.
Explore Costa Rica is available for $22.95 at Manatee Press.
Explore Costa Rica may also be ordered through any bookstore in the US, Canada, and Europe. (ISBN 13 978-1-893643-55-0) It is distributed in Costa Rica through Libreria Internacional.
In an interview with Mongabay.com earlier this year, author Harry S. Pariser offered some tips on rainforest travel: Advice for your first visit to the rainforest