Costa Rica is a popular vacation spot for Americans and Europeans – most of the travelers I met came from Germany or France – as this tropical gem offers natural wonders ranging from volcanoes and hot springs to cloud forests and beaches, as well as adventurous activities like white-water rafting, canyoning, and ziplining. The best time to visit is between December and April when the weather is the driest, but it also comes with thriving tourism which goes hand in hand with heftier price tags of park entrance fees, tours, and transportation compared to other Central American countries.

Before I dive into my travel story, here’s the highlight of my itinerary, visiting five major destinations in ten days.

• Day 1 Arriving in San Jose
• Day 2 La Fortuna
• Day 3 La Fortuna (Full Day Tour – Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna Waterfall & Hot springs)
• Day 4 La Fortuna (Whitewater Rafting)
• Day 5 Monteverde (La Riaz, Night Walk Tour)
• Day 6 Monteverde (Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, Selvatura Park – Treetop Walkways)
• Day 7 Monteverde (Extremo Park – Ziplining/Tarzan Swing, Coffee & Chocolate Tour)
• Day 8 Quepos
• Day 9 Manuel Antonio (National Park, El Avion Restaurant)
• Day 10 San Jose

From Hong Kong, I took a 15-hour flight to New York before flying five hours to Panama, and then three more hours into San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. Getting into the city center takes around 45 mins during rush hour by Uber, which is cheaper than a taxi and keeps you away from the stress to haggle over the price.

I spent the night at Chillout Escalante, a cozy hostel situated in a trendy and quiet neighborhood. Other than forgoing some privacy, staying in a hostel is cost-effective and interesting as it opens the opportunity to meet like-minded travelers from around the world. A German girl was asking about the transportation to La Fortuna when I was on my way out for dinner. As we’re heading in the same direction the next morning, I suggested sharing an Uber to the bus terminal and keeping each other company on the four-hour ride.

There’re four main types of transportation to travel from San Jose to La Fortuna. The one I took is a public bus, which is the cheapest way of transfer. The hostel staff recommended that we reserved our tickets on mibus.cr to guarantee a seat, which costs around USD9. You can also purchase it at the terminal, which is a bit cheaper. The drawback is that you have to get there very early as the tickets are sold on a first-come-first-serve basis. For those who value comfort and convenience most, booking a shared shuttle, which carries six to eight travelers, is around USD60, while a private shuttle can charge USD100 or more. Driving is also an option but the road in Costa Rica is rough and not easy to navigate.

To my surprise, our bus had air conditioning and was fitted with comfortable seats. It also provided a washroom/snack break in the middle of the journey. It was around 1 pm when I arrived at the town center of La Fortuna, which is built around Parque de La Fortuna, a charming, peaceful park with a beautiful fountain and a catholic church. A slew of souvenir shops and restaurants line the main streets as if it’s a town specifically created for tourists who came here to see the imposing Arenal Volcano.

After settling into Rio Danta Hostel and sated my hunger with a rather soggy chocolate croissant, I made my way to the sloth-watching trail recommended by the staff who got my hopes up about catching a glimpse of the sluggish tree-dwellers. After a 30-min stroll, I’d given up on my sloth-searching mission as it was way more challenging than I thought; instead, I shifted my focus on tiny, cheerful birds that darted around the meadow.

The sun was beginning to set on my way back and turned the sky into an enticing reddish orange. While I was trying to capture the last of the day’s light before it was devoured by the darkness, someone ahead of me was also pointing his camera in the same direction. He was standing at a perfect vantage point on the raised sidewalk.

“Come here,” He noticed my existence and beckoned me over. “You can take better photos from here.” He took a step to his right and made room for me. “Is that the Arenal Volcano?” I asked. “Yes! It’s beautiful.” He replied, taking pride in the natural heritage of his homeland. “Have you ever climbed up to it?” I wondered. “Never, it’s not for climbing. We respect it from afar.”