Cuba & Costa Rica blog
About this blog
Written by Cuba and Costa Rica expert Christopher P. Baker, this blog will update readers on life in these two diverse and exciting countries.
Recent Posts
- New air service helps Costa Rica tourism rebound
- Senator Byron Dorgan to address U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit
- Costa Rica's Tourist Board fights disinformation about turtles
- Cuba to require mandatory travel insurance for visitors
- New traffic rules in effect for Costa Rica
- Early 2010 Cuba tourist arrivals fall, prices fall
- Coco Loco Gallery Spotlights Costa Rica's Indigenous Art
- Excellent New Guidebook Serves Cuba Climbers
- Medical Tourism Shows Healthy Growth in Costa Rica
- Cuba's Infotur opens tourist information bureaus across Cuba
- Costa Rica Elects its First Female President
- Costa Ricans Assist Haiti Earthquake Rescue & Relief
- Second U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit Scheduled in Cancun
- National Geographic Expeditions cruise to traverse Panama Canal
- Castro's Guerrilla Headquarters in Cuba open to visitors

Ten Pointers for Ethical Tourism in Costa Rica
1. Travel with a spirit of humility and a genuine desire to meet and talk with local people.
2. Be aware of the feelings of others. Act respectfully and avoid offensive behavior.
3. Cultivate the habit of actively listening and observing rather than merely hearing and seeing. Avoid the temptation to know all the answers.
4. Realize that others may have concepts of time, and attitudes that are different–not inferior–to those you inherited from your own culture.
5. Instead of looking only for the exotic, discover the richness of another culture and way of life. Learn local customs and respect them.
6. Remember that you are only one of many visitors. Do not expect special privileges.
7. When bargaining with merchants don't take advantage of the poor. Pay a fair price.
8. Keep your promises to people you meet. If you cannot, do not make the promise.
9. Spend time each day reflecting on your experiences in order to deepen your understanding. Is your enrichment beneficial for all involved?
10. Be aware of why you are traveling in the first place. If you truly want a home away from home, why travel?
Click here to learn more about Costa Rica travel. You can also buy a copy of my book, Moon Costa Rica.

Thanks for sharing this,
Posted by Harry28 on March 5, 2010 at 9:03 am
Thanks for sharing this, these are the basic rules you need to respect when you go travelling in a country with such a rich wildlife. casino sans telechargement
thank you
Posted by SarahJ on December 2, 2009 at 2:12 pm
...for sharing these tips—I think they are just as meaningful in any country and we would all do well to remember them. I have yet to meet a person who considers being respectful and humble to be cultural faux pas.