Costa Rica Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties vs. La Vegas

Does La Vegas have Penthouse Views like this? This one in Jaco is 1/2 the cost on one in Vegas

Las Vegas has always been known as Sin City or “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.” With 24/7 parting, high-energy clubbing, gambling, massive drinking and of course adult entertainment it has always been the best place to have bachelor/bachelorette party. Or is it?

A bachelor/bachelorette party usually involves debauchery activities – often drinking, gambling and going to strip joints or hiring a male/female stripper; a last farewell to adolescent lifestyle of singleness, to that of a "more responsible" marital life.

Las Vegas is known as the party capital of the world, but in a recent article and Press Release by Bachelor Party Bay, their reservations for booking bachelor parties to the tropical paradise of Costa Rica for the first quarter of 2012, tripled than that of the first quarter of 2011.

Does it surprise me? No, it doesn't. We have seen a major increase in emails in the last two years asking about bachelor/bachelorette parties and in in places like Yahoo Answers and other travel blogs and chats.

Why is this? The answer is, “Elementary my dear Dr. Watson” … times have changed!

The "traditional" bachelor/bachelorette party has now become a less raucous and geared towards spending more quality time with friends. Many grooms/brides now prefer to spend those last days with fishing or hunting trips, spa parties, sports events and other male/female bonding oriented activities.

The biggest drawbacks about Vegas, it’s redundant, expensive, lacks recreational activities (unless you like golf) and with its sometimes overbearing heat and very colorless desert environment it forces the partiers to stay indoors. It is a very limited on what one can do. Even at some of the resort pools, space is limited or it cost you a pretty penny to reserve a space.

Does La Vegas have Whitewater Rafting?

However, in Costa Rica the party becomes a friendship bonding atmosphere with its array of adventure, sun, tropical environment, and an unlimited amount of one-day recreational activities, like sport fishing, golfing, surfing, zip lining and white water rafting. And yes, Costa Rica does offer the same adult atmosphere as Vegas does, drinking, gambling and many strip clubs. So it is understandable why Costa Rica is becoming the Ultimate Destination for a bachelor and/or bachelorette party.

Okay, so the big question is, “How Expensive?” – it all depends on, “What do you want for your dollar?” And, “How memorable do you want it?”

Let’s put this in perspective, Las Vegas vs. Costa Rica.

In Las Vegas you arrive on an early Friday night and party/gamble and do some clubbing until the early morning. Saturday mid-morning you maybe play a round of hangover golf, have an expensive dinner and repeat Friday night, but add the strip joint etc. Then on Sunday (with all massive hangovers) have a brunch of blurry memories about the night before etc. and leave. Rough cost 1000 to $2000/pp for a 3day/2 night trip plus transportation costs of getting there and back. Now, does that sound memorable? Or just one big hangover trip?

Fresh Dorado (Mahi Mahi) caught by you that day for dinner - Does Vegas have this?

But in Costa Rica, you spend 8-10 unforgettable days. During that time, you can do several recreational activities (not just one) like sport fish, golf, zipline, and white water rafting. You can even party hard (clubbing with a private driver in a shuttle who will also watch out for your party’s welfare) for a couple of days and have a couple of days chilling with eco-hikes and getting some sun/surf at the local beach. And all during this eat inexpensive fresh food and vine-ripe vegetables and fruit and stay at a hotel right on the beach.

Now add a few hundred dollars extra and get an awesome 3-4 bedroom penthouse that would put many of Vegas penthouses to shame, with a calendar view of the beach. For a bachelorette party, a day at the spa and shopping in place like San Jose Mercado Central or Multiplaza in Escazu, which includes stores like Tiffany, Armani and Lacoste. Rough costs, between $1800-2300/pp plus airfare, plus individual’s shopping spree.

I can pretty much guarantee you; your bachelor/bachelorette trip to Costa Rica will be a hell of a lot more memorable and better bang for the dollar than that of a La Vegas trip.

For more information on bachelor/bachelorette, special events, fishing, eco-tours/vacations, and corporate trips to Costa Rica, contract Mark at Custom Costa Rica Travel and Vacation Packages

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