DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Costa Rica

Eyewitness Travel Guides

by Christopher P. Baker

Recognized the world over by frequent flyers and armchair travelers alike, Eyewitness Travel Guides are the most colorful and comprehensive guides on the market. With beautifully commissioned photographs and spectacular 3-D aerial views revealing the charm of each destination, these amazing travel guides show what others only tell.

Genres: Travel, Reference, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 1994

About the author

Christopher Paul Baker (born in Yorkshire, England, on 15 June 1955) is a travel writer and photographer currently specializing in the Caribbean and Central America. He is a contributor to magazines and other publications worldwide, and is the author of travel guidebooks (for publishers such as Lonely Planet and Moon Publications) and a literary travelog.

Baker was educated at Rastrick Grammar School, in Brighouse, Yorkshire. In 1976 he received a BA (Honours) in Geography from University College London, during which time he participated in a university exchange program at Krakow, Poland; and in two Sahara research expeditions. The following year he attended the graduate Centre for Latin American Studies, at the University of Liverpool, where he received a Masters. He returned to the University of London, received a teaching diploma from the Institute of Education in 1978, and spent brief periods teaching at schools in London between periods of travel in Europe and North America. His first travel article appeared in the Brighouse Echo as dispatches from the United States.

The Lowell Thomas Award 2008 ‘Travel Journalist of the Year,' Christopher P. Baker is one of the world's foremost authorities on Costa Rica and Cuba. He has authored and photographed guidebooks to Costa Rica, Cuba, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Panama in the National Geographic Traveler series, as well as five other guidebooks on Costa Rica and Panama, plus the Costa Rica Pura Vida! travel app. He is also the author of the award-winning Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba, published by National Geographic Adventure Press. His more than 20 other books include the coffee-table book Cuba Classics: A Celebration of Vintage American Automobiles. He has also written and photographed for more than 200 publications, from National Geographic Traveler to Newsweek, and has given talks about Cuba at National Geographic headquarters, the National Press Club, and the World Affairs Council, among other prestigious organizations. Christopher has been profiled in USA Today and featured on the National Geographic Channel, NPR, and dozens of other radio and TV outlets.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very excited to travel out of the country! Usually I'm a compulsive planner, but I'm not sure how to do that for this trip. The driving situation seems a little precarious. Looking forward to some beach time, seeing a ton of wildlife and doing some thrill seeking with cloud walks and zip lines.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

DK travel books are great for figuring out the locations you want to visit and the general activities you want to do. I always do a deeper research on the internet as I read the book. I prefer doing my own research for places to stay and restaurants, so the smaller number of recommendations in this book doesn’t bother me. I enjoyed the section about the
various animals and where to spot them in Costa Rica.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might want to go to Costa Rica, but I don’t really know what’s there. This book is a good resource before you ever leave your couch or curious web search. It is not full of actually itinerary-building stats and contacts, but it gives you pretty pictures and oversights of the different regions and sights to check out.

[CJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

some lovely pictures and a nice overview of costa rica, brief history, and intro to the different regions. i would've liked more detailed commentary, though, on outfitters, hotels, restuarants, intra-country travel options, etc. it's less colorful, but for detailed content, i'm liking the moon guide better.

[Maribel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to Costa Rica! This book has great pictures of all areas of the country. I hope the info is accurate :=0

[Jeff]

eyewitness is my fav. type of travel book, they have a whole series of them.

[Dhaivyd Hilgendorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice graphics and photos. The accommodations descriptions are lacking, but otherwise, this is a great travel guide.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely visual overview of the main sights of Costa Rica. I will need to go somewhere else for restaurant and accommodation tips though.

[Iain Goodfellow · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one of the least helpful DK eyewitness books

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful for planning, AND I'm enjoying it more now that my vacation is over