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Destination: Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
What airport do I fly into? San Jose, Costa Rica or Liberia, Costa Rica
When does the retreat begin and end?
The retreat starts at noon on Sunday 16th. The retreat ends after breakfast on Saturday. If you are only able to take an early morning flight, Pranamar will send breakfast with you to the airport.
We strongly advice you to arrive on the 15th, be mindful that this night in not included in the retreat price.
How do I get to the retreat?
You will fly into (SJO) Juan Santamaria airport in San Jose, Costa Rica. From there, you will take a small domestic flight to Tambor (Sansa or Green Air – information located below). We will have shuttles waiting to pick you up in Tambor and take you to Pranamar.
Some Travel Options:
– You will want to fly into Costa Rica the night before and stay the night in San Jose and fly to Tambor the morning of the retreat. We recommend staying at the Hampton Inn at the San Jose Airport as they have a free airport shuttle. You can book online using Hotels.com
– You will want to fly into Costa Rica earlier the day before the retreat and take a flight to Tambor the same day and stay the night in Santa Teresa. We usually have availability at Pranamar and there are numerous other great hotels to stay at as well. If you will not be staying at Pranamar, please make sure you have booked a shuttle to your hotel from the Tambor airport through your hotel.
-You can also arrive the morning of the retreat in San Jose and take an early flight to Tambor. If you choose this option, make sure you are arriving at Tambor before noon.
Flight to Tambor
Take a scenic 25 minute flight to Tambor. Reservations with Sansa; www.flysansa.com. Reservations with Green; https://costaricagreenair.com/. Book your flight ASAP because there is limited seating.
Shuttle from Tambor to the Retreat (Santa Teresa)
Women’s Quest will arrange for shuttles to and from the Tambor Airport. We will just need to know your Sansa or Nature Air flight information!
Airport Tax
There are two airport taxes you will have to pay in Costa Rica. When you arrive in Tambor, there is a tax of $2.25 (both for arrival and departure). Please travel with small bills for this tax. The departure tax out of San Jose when you leave after the retreat will be $29 and can be paid either cash or charge. Most airlines are including this tax in the airline price and you can check your ticket for confirmation of that.
Is there any other way to get from San Jose to Playa Hermosa?
If you are interested in taking a van to Santa Teresa, we can help you hire a private ride. The van will pick you up at the airport. This trip is long, but interesting. You will be driving for about an hour and a half to the water taxi. You will be on the water for about 2 hours and then return to your van for another hour and a half ride to Santa Teresa. The van for up to 5 passengers is $239 USD and the van for up to 9 passengers is $269 USD so you will want to share with other Questers who are coming in early.
A direct bus leaves from the Coca-Cola Bus Station at 6 am and 2 pm daily. It takes approximately 6 hours. To get back to SJO, the direct bus leaves Santa Teresa at the same times. Bus-Ferry-Bus. Cost is $12. Taking the bus requires a bit more travel savvy.
There is a water taxi that can get you there as well: https://zumatours.rezgo.com/
PASSPORT! Now would be a good time to check your passport! You must have at least six months left on your passport from your time of departure! If not, visit the State Department’s website
(http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html) or visit your local post office for your renewal. You do not need a visa for your stay.
Cancellation Policy
Payment policy:
For all 2021 and 2022 retreats, a 3% fee will be added to full and balance due payments made using PayPal or Venmo. Retreat deposits will not have the additional charge applied.
Cancellation policy:
• If you must cancel, your $500 deposit for domestic retreats, $1000 deposit for international retreats are NOT REFUNDABLE*
• Full refund, less deposit, will be given with at least 91 days notice for international retreats prior to departure.*
• Within 90 days of your retreat, sorry but absolutely no refund will be given
*No exceptions will be granted to the above policy.*
We reserve the right to cancel retreats with inadequate participant interest. Women’s Quest IS NOT to be held responsible for any personal expenses, such as airline tickets due to changes in itineraries or tour cancellations.
Covid-19 Policy – Cancellations by Women’s Quest
As a small company Women’s Quest is unfortunately not able to provide refunds of payments for retreats cancelled by Women’s Quest due to the COVID pandemic. This is primarily due to our financial commitments with the various retreat venues. As a result, in the event Women’s Quest cancels a retreat due to Covid-19 the Women’s Quest policy for such cancellations is to apply all payments to the following year’s retreat or to any other Women’s Quest retreat of your choosing through the end of 2022. For those facing financial hardship as a result of the virus outbreak, we will work with you to find a solution that works for both you and our venues. Because of the unforeseen and unprecedented circumstances of the outbreak, this policy supersedes earlier policies.
Any cancellations by individuals due to Covid-19 or other reasons are subject to the Cancellation Policy above. This is why we urge everyone to purchase travel insurance when signing up.
Covid Waiver and Release
Additional Waiver, Release and Responsibilities (signed when you signed up)
This waiver, release and acknowledgement of responsibilities is unfortunately necessary during this unique time of the Covid 19 pandemic. By signing up for and or attending any Women’s Quest retreat you agree to be bound by the terms of this document. We understand these times are challenging, however, these provisions are necessary to protect all attendees and staff members of Women’s Quest.
Testing For and Symptoms of Covid 19. If more than 2 weeks have passed since your final Covid 19 vaccination you do not need to have a negative Covid 19 test to attend the retreat, however, please bring your vaccination card or a photo of it with you. If you have not been fully vaccinated (no vaccinations or less than 2 weeks have passed since your final vaccination) you must provide a negative test for Covid 19 within 3 days of the first day of the retreat. Also, irrespective of your vaccination status, you agree you will not attend the retreat if you have any symptoms of Covid 19 immediately prior to the beginning of the trip. These symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea (these, along with symptoms outline in the following link and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control shall be collectively referred to as the “Symptoms”.) More information on symptoms of Covid 19 can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
Symptoms During the Retreat. In the event you develop any Symptoms during the retreat you must immediately leave the retreat and follow protocols outlined by the Centers for Disease Control. We understand this may result in you incurring significant expenses associated with separate accommodation and travel, however, you understand these expenses are not the responsibility of Women’s Quest and must be incurred by you. You agree to be fully honest with Women’s Quest staff in regard to any Symptoms you may develop and agree to comply with a request by Women’s Quest staff to depart as determined by Women’s Quest staff in their sole discretion. As provided below, this is why we strongly urge everyone to get travel insurance covering these and other expenses prior to departure.
Procedures During the Retreat. During the retreat Women’s Quest may, but need not, endeavor to practice social distancing and wearing of masks when traveling in close proximity. You agree to comply with all requests of Women’s Quest staff during the retreat related to these procedures. Any such procedures implemented by Women’s Quest are not a guaranty you will not be exposed to Covid 19 and you understand you are responsible for taking any precautions you deem necessary and providing your own personal protective equipment during the retreat. You also agree to comply with any reasonable requests by other attendees to respect their social distancing and other protective measures (“Participant Requests”.) Notwithstanding the foregoing, you are responsible to comply with all laws and regulations of the locality visited relating to protections against Covid 19.
Waiver of Coronavirus Related Illness; Indemnification. You understand that irrespective of protective measures that Women’s Quest or you may or may not take, you may be exposed to Covid 19 by another retreat attendee, a Women’s Quest staff member and or an individual to whom you may be exposed during, or traveling to or from the retreat. You agree to waive and release Women’s Quest, its officers, directors, staff, employees, contractors, and partners from any claims, liabilities or damages you may incur in the event you contract Covid 19 at any time during travel to, attending or after attending the retreat. You further agree to indemnify and hold harmless Women’s Quest, its officers, directors, staff, employees, contractors, and partners from any loss, liability or damages as a result of your failure to receive a negative test for Covid 19 one week or sooner prior to the retreat, attending the retreat with any Symptoms, not respecting Participant Requests and not immediately departing the retreat if you develop any Symptoms.
Cancellation. In the unfortunate event you need to cancel your trip, cannot attend due to contracting Covid 19 or developing Symptoms prior to the retreat, or must leave the retreat due to contracting Covid 19 or developing Symptoms, Women’s Quest cannot provide any refund of any amounts you paid.
Travel Insurance. As provided in this document you could incur significant personal expense in the event you contract Covid 19 or develop any Symptoms during the retreat. As such, you are strongly urged to obtain travel insurance that provides adequate protections against these risks.
Additional Waiver. This waiver is incorporated into and made a part of other waivers you agreed to in connection with signing up for the retreat. In the event of a conflict between these terms and the terms of any other waiver, this waiver shall govern.
Purchasing Travel Insurance
We highly encourage you to purchase travel insurance. It is important to note that there are a variety of options available and there is no one size fits all.
With the onset of Covid19 many travel insurance companies are denying coverage for Covid related losses while others companies are honoring claims for Covid so be sure to verify the company you sign up with does provide Covid related coverage.
When signing up for trip insurance make sure you have coverage for both trip cancellation and trip interruption. Trip cancellation provides reimbursement for losses in the event you cannot attend a trip and trip interruption covers losses in the event you have to leave the trip due to illness. You may want other travel insurance coverage for medical, travel delays, lost luggage, etc.
The most comprehensive travel insurance we have discovered at this time is Cancel for Any Reason Travel insurance (CFAR). Cancel For Any Reason allows you to cancel for a reason that is not otherwise covered by your policy. This is a time-sensitive upgrade. Most policies with Cancel For Any Reason can only be purchased within 14-21 days of the first trip payment.
Suggested steps to find the best travel insurance for you:
- Determine what you are looking for in an insurance provider.
- Check with your credit card to see what they offer for travel purchases made with your card.
- Be sure to understand the options offered by the airline you are travelling with.
- Use Squaremouth to compare travel insurance policies and access valuable resources to determine which policy is best for you. They also feature a SUPER INFORMATIVE FAQ on CoVid and Travel Insurance.
- When opting for an additional travel insurance plan, be sure to review all their policies. We recommend speaking directly with whomever you choose for travel insurance to ensure the coverage will reimburse you in the unfortunate event you get Covid 19 either before or during the trip.
- Make sure to read the fine print on when you must enroll for travel insurance in relation to when you book your trip in order to receive coverage.
- We highly recommend you call any insurance provider you are considering and speak with a representative to ensure you fully understand what is covered and if the policy meets your needs.