TRAVEL (1057)

9008891657?profile=originalRight behind Sweden and Norway as the top Green Countries in the World, is the little Central American nation of Costa Rica.

 

According to the recently released 2014 Global Green Economy Index™ (GGEI), Costa Rica is the third best Green Country in the World.

 

The Global Green Economy Index™ (GGEI) measures the green economic performance of 60 countries and 70 cities in the world. The GGEI also assesses the public’s perception of a nation’s green performance. The fourth edition of the GGEI, publish

Read more…

New flight to Costa Rica Caribbean Coast opens

9296592454?profile=originalNow getting to the South Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica will be easier than ever with a new 30-minute flight between San Jose and Limon on Nature Air.

 

Starting Dec. 1, travelers to Costa Rica can fly from San Jose and the Central Valley to the Caribbean port city of Limon on daily flights with the Costa Rican airline Nature Air. Flights depart from the Juan Santamaria International Airport by San Jose at 5:50 a.m., and arrive to the Limon airport at 6:20 a.m. Return flights depart Limon daily at

Read more…

The buzz for the next Inca Trail hiking season is underway.  Permits for 2015 season will go on sale in early January.  (the9008891252?profile=original exact opening day for the permit office is not known.  They open when they're ready!)  Last year, permits for hikes in the month of May sold out first.  Most of the month of May sold out opening day. 

It's recommended that people planning to hike the easy 1-day hike or the strenuous 4-day hike to Machu Picchu should reserve their dates now for April, May and June.  And any

Read more…

 

Death.

It's finite. It's tragic no matter when, where, how. And when it comes to the loss of a parent who lives in another city or country, it comes with an even heavier weight of guilt, of non-closure and logistics.

But we all deal with death - it's part of life really. And we often leave our home towns before or after college and head to places with better or more unique career opportunities. Sometimes we meet our life partners while away at school or elsewhere and we end up living in their cit

Read more…

9008887899?profile=originalThis time of year as chilly winter weather freezes the northern countries, heading into Christmas, you are not alone if you start to daydream about a tropical beach holiday.

 

Keep on dreaming because there is a 7-day Costa Rica beach vacation ready to turn your dreams into reality.

 

Horizontes travel agency has combined two outstanding Costa Rica beach destinations for their Quiet Ocean Gateway Costa Rica tropical beach holiday.

 

9008888077?profile=originalTo start, you should fly into the Daniel Oduber International Airport

Read more…

7 Things I Learned While in Australia

5181426733_4da5468dc9_z.jpg

Image source: https://flic.kr/p/8TSaDF

Before traveling abroad I tried to read travel guides, many books and journals to get knowledge about Australia, in order not to seem impolite or ignorant. So, I carefully examined information and was ready to start my exciting trip.

When I arrived to a town near Sydney, and the first situation which happened to me showed that the real life here is quite different than I imagined. That’s why I want to share my experience and useful tips about culture and life

Read more…

Does eco-tourism really exist in Costa Rica?

9008873474?profile=originalWhat does eco-tourism and being sustainable really mean? Is that just recycling the trash or turning off a few lights?

 

9008873680?profile=originalAt Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica, sustainability means much more. The Costa Rica rainforest lodge is one of only three dozen hotels in Costa Rica that have received the highest rating of Five Leaves in the Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program (CST).

 

Created by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT), the CST program rates and certifies tourism businesses base

Read more…

Trails-Playa-Nicuesa-1-225x300.jpg?width=225There is a lot of talk in travel about eco-tourism and being sustainable. But what does that really mean? Is that simply turning off a few lights, not wasting water and recycling the trash?

According to the United Nations, sustainability is “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Costa Rica pioneered sustainable tourism over the past decade through its Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program (CST), validated as a glo

Read more…

http://bit.ly/1o9jU41

If you would like to do the things you just saw in the video below I leave you some information.

Where to Stay:

To have the true Mayan experience I suggest you stay at Casa KAN BALAM, a bed and breakfast in Playa del Carmen. Make the reservations on Airbnb. The owner has converted her house into like a boutique hotel with first class service. As soon as you walk in the door you feel like you’re in a Mayan Jungle.  Also, the breakfasts are home cooked, healthy and delicious.

Fir

Read more…

9008858689?profile=originalFor families, Costa Rica is a fun, safe and easy family vacation destination. Costa Rica was even voted this year’s most recommended travel hotspot!

 

Located in Central America, Costa Rica is easily accessible from North America and Europe with numerous daily flights to two international airports. It is one of the safest countries in the region, is affordable, focused on tourism, and English is widely spoken.

 

Costa Rica offers you sunny beaches, stunning rainforest, breathtaking volcanoes and mou

Read more…

9008851481?profile=originalRecommended as one of the best places to go in 2014 by CNN and National Geographic, Nosara, Costa Rica is now easier and more affordable to visit than ever. Leading luxury hotel in Nosara, L'acqua Viva Resort & Spa, is currently offering special green season rates to all guests who make direct reservations with the hotel.

 

From now through June 30, 2014, all guests who make direct reservations or online reservations will receive a 25% discount on all room rates.

Come later in the year, and take ad

Read more…

Top five tips for overland travel

Overland expeditions allow you to travel far and wide in Africa, taking in several countries over one or possibly two months.  This means you need to be prepared on the visa, vaccination and passport front, but you might also want to prepare yourself for what lies ahead so you can make the most of the trip.

9008836295?profile=original

  1. If it’s your first time to the continent it’s worth signing up to Twitter and making time for #Africhat, a regular tweet up held every third Wednesday of the month at 4pm GMT (or 12pm ET).  On

Read more…

Tokyo Station shines brightly with its new Japan Rail (JR) Travel Service Center (open 7:30am – 10:30 pm everyday). Here, you can ask anything you want about Japan Railways trains. You can purchase a JR East travel pass (available only to foreigners), by JR train tickets, and exchange your “All Japan” rail pass voucher or “exchange order” (purchased only outside Japan) for the actual 7, 14, or 21-day rail pass.

9008836855?profile=original

You will even find the service center convenient for holding and delivering luggage an

Read more…

9008833059?profile=original

 

I noticed that most every time I  stray outside the narrow range of “Travel on Twitter” topics, I’m unfollowed.

When I question someone’s viewpoint, for example, or offer an alternative way of looking at a travel topic, I get into Twitter trouble.

Recently I raised a question about a traveler’s Tweet which expressed her love of horses and pate.. and how she loved to eat horsemeat pate.

What followed was an aggressive flurry of “mind your own business” comments from the Twitter universe, or “don’

Read more…

9008829497?profile=originalThe impressive Arenal Volcano is at the top of everyone’s list of places to visit in Costa Rica. The spectacular rainforest around the live volcano, the area’s easy accessibility, and huge abundance of outdoor adventures make it a top place to visit in Costa Rica.

 

Costa Rica’s whitewater rafting fame includes the beautiful rivers of the Arenal area – the Balsa, Toro and Penas Blancas rivers. The best thing about whitewater rafting in Costa Rica is that you can do it all year long! In the dry sum

Read more…

5 Steps to Living the Traveling Life

When I was young, I dreamed of getting out of my small town, my dysfunctional family, and cold New England winters to places where palm trees rustled in the wind.


9008823899?profile=original
©2014 Karla Jacobs. Leaving Bora Bora bound for Raiatea

Once I entered the job market my dreams didn't fade a bit, but money was always a problem. The kinds of vacations I yearned for were far beyond my reach.

Not only would they cost many thousands of dollars, but the way I envisioned them, they would also take time. Not just the two we

Read more…

Packing tips for your Costa Rica vacation

9008816473?profile=originalComing to Costa Rica soon on vacation?

Besides planning what you’re going to do, you’re probably already thinking about what to pack.

 

Here are some quick and easy trip tips on what to pack for your Costa Rica vacation. Of course, what you need depends on where you are going and what you will do (check with your travel provider or hotels), but these general guidelines will serve you well.

CLOTHING

  • 9296583692?profile=originalQuick-dry or similar outdoor clothing is the best for Costa Rica’s variable climates. Consider clothes
Read more…

Two top U.S. biology research scientists are coming to Costa Rica in early March to lead a study trip deep in the Costa Rican rainforest on the south Pacific Coast of the Golfo Dulce.

 

9008816284?profile=originalThe scientific tour will be held March 1-7, 2014, at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, a member of Enchanting Hotels & Resorts Costa Rica. Drs. Howard Topoff and Carol Simon of Arizona – both professors emeriti of The City University of New York and Research Associates at the American Museum of Natural History – will

Read more…
More people than ever are relying on just their smart phones when it comes to travel photography. And why not? Our smartphones are slim, portable devices that take up less space and attract far less attention than DSLRs or even compact cameras. And the results we can achieve with our smartphones are remarkable! photo
(click to enlarge)

In the name of research, we spent some time downloading and playing with a few of the most popular free photo apps available to Android and iPhone users. What we learne
Read more…