1) While in Costa Rica make it a habit to often wash your hands with water and soap.

2) To be safe, only drink bottled water; completely avoid tap water, ice cubes, and even fountain drinks. If this is not possible, you may make water safer by utilizing 1-micron or less filter and placing iodine tablets into your filtered water.

3) Practice eating totally cooked food, fruits, and vegetables which you have peeled.

4) Protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites by attending to your mosquito protection from sunrise to sunset; this is the most active time of a certain mosquito whose bite can pass on malaria.

5) Try to wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and a hat whenever you go outside to keep from catching diseases that are carried by insects.

6) Apply insect repellent to your exposed skin. Do not to breathe it in, swallow it, or get it into your eyes.

7) If you are not staying in an air-conditioned hotel room, buy a bed net that has been pretreated with the insecticide deltamethrin or permethrin.

8) To keep yourself from getting parasitic and fungal infections, make it a point of keeping your feet clean and dry; never walk around barefooted.

9) Never eat food from street vendors.

10) Shun diary products that have not been pasteurized.

11) Never share needles with a stranger.

12) Never handle animals such as cats, dogs, and monkeys in order to shun bites and dangerous diseases.

13) Do not swim in fresh water.

14) Bring with you sunblock and sunglasses.

15) Bring with you enough prescription medications to last your entire trip. It can't hurt also to bring a copy of your prescription.

16) Consider using a local tour specialist. A tour specialist can save you up to 40% as compared to booking the same eact vacation on your own.

17) During off-season seach for deals to Costa Rica; you'll have a better chance of finding a more cost effective travel package.

18) If you are taking the whole family along, consider an all inclusive tour to Costa Rica. You'll know how much money you will spend, plus all meals, activities, sports, entertainment, and accommodations are usually included in one price.

19) If you are traveling as part of a group, keep in mind that double rooms in hotels are often less expensive than one room.

20) Protect your cameras and batteries by carrying them in plastic bags; humidity of the rainforest may penetrate electronic items.