Blogs

Most people when laid off from their job, especially a high-powered dot-com career, don’t do what Tierza Eichner did. Instead of polishing her resume and job hunting, Eichner took off on an eight-month surfing vacation to Central America, Hawaii and Mexico.

At the time, in 2001, the northern California native had only been surfing about a year. She had tried surfing in her early 20s. It didn’t go well – pummeled by waves, bashed by the board, and leg muscles ripped. Then, in her early 30s, Eichne

Legend tells that when God made the world, after he finished painting the sky a brilliant pastel blue, he washed his brushes in a beautiful Costa Rican river, coloring the river the same intense sky blue.

Rio Celeste (Sky Blue River) is still revered as a sacred site by the indigenous Maleku tribe who live in this Northern Costa Rica region near the Tenorio Volcano. The river begins its journey as crystal clear water tumbling and flowing down the lush rainforest of Tenorio Volcano National Park;

After a big day of hiking, zip-lining, horseback riding or other adventure tours in Costa Rica, there is nearly nothing better than soaking in steamy thermal springs so hot they make you tingle all over. Your tired muscles are soon relaxed into spaghetti-like existence and the cares of the world melt away.

Mineral-rich hot springs have rejuvenating and therapeutic properties treasured for centuries by people all over the world. Travelers pay big bucks to visit famous spas with mineral springs. A

Just outside San Jose, Costa Rica is one of my favorite cloud forests. Drive an hour-and-a-half out of the Capital-metropolitan area and you’re in another world – a world of rolling green hills, black and white and brown dairy cows, rich rust red earth, plants with giant leaves, dripping ferns and shifting mist. It reminds me of England, with a decidedly tropical twist.

These are Costa Rica’s Central Highlands and the 2,000-acre Los Angeles Private Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, one of the coun

The fun-loving beach town of Jacó lights up as “beach party central” on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast. Just an hour from the San Jose metropolitan area on the Route 27 and Costanera Sur highways, Jacó is one of the country’s most developed beach towns.

Jacó spreads out in front of a low green mountain range along an azure horseshoe bay and features hotels, funky restaurants, souvenir and surf shops, bars, discos, casinos, and a wide beach. Just before Jacó is Playa Herradura, home to the ren

Two Bunch Palms is an eco-spa situated in Palm Springs that offers a peaceful sanctuary of sacred spaces, natural mineral spring pools, fountains and waterfalls. There is also a tranquil lake, the shores of which are inhabited by exotic birds, natural wildlife and (my favourite) a family of turtles that bathe in the late day sun. The grottoes are the unquestionable highlight of this relaxed environment, while the lithium-rich pool is so soporific that you will notice the healing qualities immedi