1. You’ve Googled “Costa Rica or Central America Vacation,” and came up with 14.8 million responses. Need a little real-world help those choices?

2. Remember when you used that obscure but nice looking website to book your hotel but when you arrived you found your room overlooking the hotels truck and service delivery area?

3. How many hours were you on hold with the airlines when your flight was cancelled due to a strike or snowstorm?

4. Did you really mean to spend your honeymoon at that resort you found online whose one tiny pool was filled all day with 12 screaming, pool peeing children?

5. Who knew that when you booked that villa in Tuscany it would be a small room with a kitchenette and NO AIR for your summer vacation? Funny, it looked so inviting on your computer screen.

6. No one explained to you that in October, its Costa Rica’s rainy season, and so you showed up with nothing but T-Shirts, shorts and swimwear. There are times we recommend rain gear and closed shoes too.

7. How about showing up at the airport for your vacation only to be turned away by the air carrier because you did not have the proper identification to enter the country with your minor children.

8. Yes, I guess that hotel must have used a fisheye lens when they took a picture of the guest rooms.

9. The Internet Tour Operator you booked with did not disclose their regulatory status, maybe because they had none and well, they bought groceries with your deposit money.

10. Things don’t always need to suck so bad. Use a recognized Costa Rica Expert that has been there and done that specific activity or tour. There is no substitute for personal experience; don’t get yours at your own expense.

11. Don’t buy the Myth that travel agents cost more. It’s not not true of Vida Travel . If you find the same item cheaper, we’ll credit you a price match with that supplier. Honestly, we don’t think it would ever come to that because we’re pretty savvy ourselves by spending all day on destination rate charts. It’s our job, not yours. We get really stoked when we can find you a better deal!