woman birding alone in CR and safety issues (1 Viewer)

[Nathia]

Hello everybody,

I'm planning a Birding Trip for July August 2016. I couldn't make the choice between Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica, read a lot of threads and finally began to think that Costa Rica would be simpler for a first Neotropical trip, even if it looks very expensive for someone like me on a budget travel and if it looks like this July 2015, the supposed little dry season was very very wet!

But not knowing at all the neotropic, I come with a precise question. I want to take once in a while a guide for the day, as you learn much more, but I can't afford one every day and I really like also birding by myself. It's a different feeling.

I've been birding quite a lot in South east Asia where I was feeling very safe when I was alone, would it be in the middle of the forest, in really lost places or on the side of a road. But I'm not sure if the same would be reasonable in Costa Rica. I don't talk about travelling itself as I have a few friends who love travelling by themselves in Costa Rica. But they go mainly in touristic places where there's always many people around. But when birding, you can be sometimes quite isolated. Would you recommend me Costa Rica? Or Panama, Ecuador or Colombia which is getting safer these days would be a better option for a girl birding alone?

Thanks for your advices....

Nathalie

 

[ManakusCR]

Hi! While I have no experience with Ecuador or Colombia I would like to comment about CR.

CR is a very safe country to travel indeed, just use common sense, naturaly.

Now when it comes to birding itself, you would probably be birding at either private reserves or National parks, the National forest system of CR (SINAC) has done a great job at protecting these areas and making accesible and safe to the visitor.


Most of the famous birding sites are safe e.g La selva, Braulio Carrillo, La fortuna area, Carara NP, Rancho Naturalista, Tapanti NP just to mention a few.

I can only think of avoiding places such as Limon city area which have little or no interest to birders anyways.

That been said, you will find your self safe in CR overall.
Cheers!

 

[Birdingcraft]

Hello everybody,

I'm planning a Birding Trip for July August 2016. I couldn't make the choice between Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica, read a lot of threads and finally began to think that Costa Rica would be simpler for a first Neotropical trip, even if it looks very expensive for someone like me on a budget travel and if it looks like this July 2015, the supposed little dry season was very very wet!

But not knowing at all the neotropic, I come with a precise question. I want to take once in a while a guide for the day, as you learn much more, but I can't afford one every day and I really like also birding by myself. It's a different feeling.

I've been birding quite a lot in South east Asia where I was feeling very safe when I was alone, would it be in the middle of the forest, in really lost places or on the side of a road. But I'm not sure if the same would be reasonable in Costa Rica. I don't talk about travelling itself as I have a few friends who love travelling by themselves in Costa Rica. But they go mainly in touristic places where there's always many people around. But when birding, you can be sometimes quite isolated. Would you recommend me Costa Rica? Or Panama, Ecuador or Colombia which is getting safer these days would be a better option for a girl birding alone?

Thanks for your advices....

Nathalie

I agree with what Johan said. Birding in any of the countries mentioned is safe although as long as you know where you are going. Stick to reserves and national parks and you will be fine. Check the Lonely Planet forums about safety to see where crimes have been reported. In Costa Rica, I am careful about birding in some rural areas along public roads, especially the area from Guapiles to Limon but very little reason to go birding in banana farms anyways. Just use common sense.

Yes, CR has become more expensive than it used to be. Still ways to do it on a budget though- buses go to many places, and there are affordable places to stay near several good birding areas. In terms of being isolated, actually much of the best birding in CR is in places frequented by tourists. Since many birds seem to get used to people in national parks, though, I don't think it affects birding too much (and is never as crowded as various parks in Asia).

I hope that helps.

 

[ebwilderae]

Agree with both above who truly know the area far better than I. Would only add that I would rather bird and wander in Quito than San Jose re safety, food, noise, pollution and such -based on but limited research.
Pat knows the place as well as anyone IMHO so check out his blog for intimate birding info and as he says Thorntree at LP for updates on untoward behavior.

 

[Birdingcraft]

Someone emailed me asking about current safety in Braulio Carrillo National Park as birders had been robbed there during the early 90s.

The ranger station has always been safe and still is. However, it would be ill advised to bird along the highway away from the station. No problems in a while but I am sure because no one does it. With so much transit on that road, too many chances for criminals to see an easy target. But, it's not fun to bird along a busy highway in any case even if it does pass through great habitat.

 

[Nathia]

Great!
Thanks for all your replies. I'll head to costa rica feeling lighter. For sure, common sens is always the best to make your way through a country. But it's true than from a continent to another, you need to re adapt your common sens. Anyway, it looks that there's so many places to go in CR (hard to choose), that it will be easy to avoid Limon area....