Just returned from a fantastic 2 week holiday with FC. Outstanding value for money, but with 25+ empty seats on the plane, the length of travel meaning 3 pilots needed plus fuel cost, it's hardly surprising FC are pulling out.
A really beautiful country, not Third World, but still high levels of relative poverty. The people are so friendly, the scenery stunning.
The range of options for adrenaline junkies are so high I can't understand why more young people don't visit.The "rainy season" possibly is the major deterrent but we didn't find it a problem and had some excellent weather between the downpours.
My top tip would be to hire a car, which we arranged on the internet before travelling. A 4x4 is recommended as, despite the main roads being a pleasure to drive on, tracks leading to many tourist attractions are unmade tracks full of pot holes.Hotel based trips tend to be very expensive IMO.
The one ray of hope is that Thomas Cook had made a recce of our hotel, so who knows, they might just decide to take over the route in the future if FC don't return.

Incidentally, FC are pulling the plug on Cape Verde too .

I've just noticed that Costa Rica is back for 2010 - with Thomson/First Choice.
GREAT!! Hopefully Brazil and the other lost destinations will come back also soon.

I'm thinking of booking Costa Rica for the end of 2010 - but the hotel which they offer solo travellers (Occidental Allegro Papagayo) does seem to have a number of bad reviews on other web sites, including comments that it had been closed down in 2008 for sewerage problems!!
Most of the reviews are of US or Canadian origin - which I've found in the past not always to be a really good guide....
Does anyone on HT have comments about this hotel please?

Ooooh same here... we saw the Costa Rica option in the Thomson brochure while looking where to go for our honeymoon in October... originally we were looking at South Africa, but Costa Rica looks ace.

I'm thinking of booking Costa Rica for the end of 2010 - but the hotel which they offer solo travellers (Occidental Allegro Papagayo) does seem to have a number of bad reviews on other web sites, including comments that it had been closed down in 2008 for sewerage problems!!
Most of the reviews are of US or Canadian origin - which I've found in the past not always to be a really good guide....
Does anyone on HT have comments about this hotel please?

We stayed here and for what we paid thought it was outstanding value for money. The sewage problem wasn't when we were there.
The food was excellent and as well as the buffet they had an excellent Italian and Mexican option you could eat in once per week.
I would warn you though that this hotel is very isolated. They operate a daily boat trip to another beach which makes a change of scene and is good fun but it would be tedious not to leave the hotel. Organised trips were all pretty expensive and my recommendation would be to hire a car for a week. Get a 4x4 too as many roads leading to various places are very farm track like with big pot holes. The main roads are pretty good and the driving is easy. ( Don't be put off by reports by neurotic Americans !).
Costa Rica is a stunning place.Adrenaline junkies will particularly enjoy it !

We stayed here and for what we paid thought it was outstanding value for money. The sewage problem wasn't when we were there.
The food was excellent and as well as the buffet they had an excellent Italian and Mexican option you could eat in once per week.

Thanks DaveWales for the info about the Costa Rica hotel - I've booked it - and I'm going in December. Really looking forward to a completely different country - and the fact that the hotel is isolated is maybe a plus for me with my camera.
Thanks for the driving tip - I'll look into hiring - I'm an off-roading addict here in the UK and I've driven already in some very scary places across the planet (including some scary parts of the USA )
Cheers Bill

We paid about $225 to hire a 4x4 for a week, booked through Vacation City ( if I remember the name correctly), they arranged delivery and pick up from the hotel from Europecar. It was MUCH cheaper than booking one when you got there.
I'm into wild life photography and it was reasonable around the hotel but believe me, you are surrounded by pretty dense jungle which you can't go walk about in. The hotel is on a very steep hill so walking out from the hotel is quite tough too.
Try and take a trip to Arenal. We stayed overnight at the Arenal Observatory where you get fabulous views of the erupting volcano.
I can let you have more info as you wish but you can get a flavour of our holiday from my report on the local bird forum
http://www.northwalesbirding.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1997
cheers Dave

Thanks Dave for the hints and I have to compliment you on the photography - great pictures.
December cannot come soon enough.
One more minor question - maybe one for Dazbo or the other experts - guessing that this is a Thomson 767 and remembering a comment from Darren a long time ago about the old Puerto Vallarta flights needing a re-fuel stop, Costa Rica looks to be a bit further on my map - so is there a stop on the way to Liberia?? (TOM074/ TOM075 are the flights this year)

Hi ukbill ... to attract the attention of our aviation experts, it might be best if you pop over to the THOMSON AIRWAYS topic in our Airlines & Airports forum.

David

When we flew with First Choice ( now Thompsonfly) it was direct and I imagine it still will be.
BA flights go via Florida and take a lot longer !