Archive

Posts Tagged ‘Resort’

Costa Rica Eco Resort – Pozo Azul Tent Suites

May 7th, 2009 No comments

Hacienda Pozo Azul is known as the adventure destination in Costa Rica. It is located 70 Km North of San Jose. Pozo Azul is located in the Sarapiqui valley. It is the perfect place to stay when on a Costa Rica adventure vacation.

There are 30 tent suits available at this Costa Rico Eco Resort. Each is equipped with two queen size beds or one king size bed. Rooms are very reasonably priced. A single room is $82 and a double room is only $94.16. Each additional person is $23.80 more. Children 5 years old or younger stay for free. Six year olds up to twelve year olds are only half price, $ 17.98. The bathrooms are comfortable and have hot water. There is a furnished private deck as well. Fans are in the rooms and on the decks. Each suite has a telephone and free WIFI internet.

Most people visit this Costa Rico Eco Resort for the tours and activities. There are extensive nature tours offered at Hacienda Pozo Azul. Several educational workshops dealing with biodiversity, as well as birds, amphibious and reptiles are available. For a relaxing day there is the Butterfly Farm and Garden to visit.

White water rafting on the Sarapiqui is extremely popular activity on a Costa Rica adventure vacation. There is a beginner white water rafting tour on class 2 and 3 rapids. This adventure is suitable for those 9 years and up. The intermediate tour is dealing with class 4 rapids. It is suitable for those 14 years and up.

The Hacienda Pozo Azul Safari Combination is a unique Costa Rica nature tour. It is suitable for 6 year olds and up. It is a full day on or around the Sarapiqui rain forest. It takes about 7 1/2 hours. It involves 2 hour horse ride in the jungle. The jungle guided walk. The walk includes crossing a 400ft long hanging bridge. Lunch is at the Pozo Azul restaurant. It ends with a 2 hour raft ride with a naturalist guide. It is a genital raft ride mainly just a relaxed floating down the river with time to enjoy the rainforest on this Costa Rica nature tour.

This Costa Rica Eco Resort offers canopy tours, which involves zipping through the tree top canopy from observation platforms. This gives great opportunity to have a unique view of the forest. Rappelling down a 90 foot Sarapiqui river canyon wall should not be missed when on a Costa Rica adventure vacation. This location provides an amazing view of the beautiful Sarapiqui river.

Challenging hiking and mountain bike tours are also very popular adventures. Horseback riding is a way of life at Hacienda Pozo Azul. Horse rides are Hacienda Pozo Azuls specialty. They breed their own horses. A Costa Rica nature tour on horseback is relaxing and enjoyable.

Hacienda Pozo Azul offers distinctive nature adventures. They have something for everyone. Nature tours to enjoy and explore scenic Costa Rica. Exceptional adrenalin pumping adventure tours. It is a place to have a combination of irreplaceable adventures and relaxation as well.

About the Author:

Costa Rica Family Adventure – Tico Style

March 19th, 2009 No comments

Costa Rica is a great vacation destination for a wide variety of reasons and a wide variety of travelers. This intimate country boasts stunning tropical weather, abundant flora and fauna, an incredible national park system, amazing beaches, stunning mountains, a vast array of activities, diversity of ecosystems in a compact area, strong relative value, huge range of accommodations from exotic luxury options to nature-based ecolodges, etcetera! However, what really stands out to me after over 6 years of traveling to this country and living here for the last 4 and a half years, is what an incredible haven this is for family travel.

The Costa Rican people, affectionately known as ticos, love families and babies and generously express a special touch for the young, old and in-between. You will hear estoy para servirle often, which means I am here to serve you. As long as your behavior is gracious, it will be completely sincere. From the moment you arrive at Juan Santa Maria Airport in San Jose and proceed through customs, this will be apparent. There is a special line for families with young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and anyone with medical or special needs. Our first visit was when my youngest daughter was a tender 6 weeks old, and as soon as they saw me and my bundle, older daughter of 3, and husband, we were whisked into the expedited line and sent right through. Genuine hospitality will find you, whether you are with family, children, or not. However, when you are with children and/or elders, there is a wonderful extra effort made and the sincere desire to go above and beyond to accommodate will impress you. I cant think of a more enjoyable country for any family trip; there are activities to delight any age group and any fitness level.

A Costa Rica family adventure is such a great opportunity for you and yours to bond in a unique way, away from the crazy daily races that most of us participate in. I love the process: you have a clear planning stage, beginning, middle, end, and the post-travel memories and experiences that can last a lifetime. To top it off, there is a common goal all can work toward together: to have a great time! Start by narrowing down destinations and activities. Even if you have various priorities and opinions, you will likely be able to cover it all in Costa Rica. We have cloud forests, rainforests, Pacific beaches, Caribbean beaches, surf camps, snorkeling, whitewater rafting, hiking, horse back riding, camping, all-inclusives, you name it! Engage your kids to help in the planning and execution however they can contribute. Encourage them to document the trip by keeping a journal, taking pictures, and collecting memorabilia. Pick out some travel books together. There are beautifully illustrated field guides of flora and fauna to identify the numerous amazing creatures you see here in Costa Rica. The airports here have a nice selection, but if you do this in your hometown it could be a helpful part of the planning stage. Your son or daughter might decide they have a burning desire to see a Tapir, so you would then need to choose the right area near the appropriate National Park. A Costa Rica family adventure is not only a great time together; it can be super educational as well.

I am consistently impressed with tours in Costa Rica. Just because you are relaxing at a beach destination doesnt mean you cant enjoy an estuary trip, or volcano excursion, or a zip-line through the cloud forest. From all destinations there are half-day and day trips for all kinds of tours. When deciding on tours, I recommend always choosing the guided option. Generally the guides here are college educated, super friendly, and take great pride in their unique knowledge which really makes the experience an excellent added value. My husband and I took our girls for a guided waterfall hike at Lapa Rios in the Osa and if it werent for the terrific guide we would have missed out on so much. He knew just where to find a bat in a furled leaf, the dust-like spores of a fern that left perfect imprints on our clothing, cup-like mushrooms, frogs, and so much more. The two big highlights for us were when he scraped some sap from what he called a kerosene tree, placed it on the end of a walking stick and lit it up like a lantern and when he stopped to show us the clever spider that intentionally weaves in small twigs into its web which happens to match the body color of the spider. The spider leaves a small gap between the twigs where he can hide, making the appearance of one continuous twig-amazing! We were so enthralled that we waited to see if the spider would retreat to the camouflaged position, and sure enough we were able to see it! I have been so happy to have had the guides on every guided tour that I have taken in Costa Rica. I have found that they are also sensitive to ages and abilities which will make a big difference for your group as well.

Some of my favorite places to go with my family:

1. Lapa Rios Eco Lodge in the Osa Peninsula: For up close and personal nature, a truly sustainable experience, great food, views, excellent service, and luxury in the jungle, adventure. This lodge really is best for outdoorsy, somewhat adventurous families and kids 5 and older. It is my gold standard for eco-lodges.

2. Punta Islita on the Pacific Coast: They have tours, services, and even spa treatments geared for families. The spacious villas can accommodate families beautifully. The cuisine, service and views are wonderful; kids of all ages will love it. The tiny local community is a treat.

3. Harmony Hotel in Nosara: Very elegant, sustainable, healthy cuisine. Yoga for all levels. Great beach for boogie boarding, swimming and surfing. The locals and the clientele have relaxed international flair. Kids of all ages will do well; baby/toddler friendly pool.

4. Hotel Capitan Suizo in Tamarindo: This is a Swiss-run charmer on one of my favorite beaches ever. The pool and restaurant are totally family-friendly. You have the benefit of a bustling community with lots of services, amenities, and restaurants, however when you stay at Capitan Suizo you are in your own lovely little world. The beach is one of the best Ive experienced for kids of all ages where you all can swim, surf, and boogie-board. The staff is great. There are several local surf schools that are fantastic for all levels.

Travel is good food for the soul. I dont think there is a better way for a family to refresh, bond and create memorable experiences together. If you choose Costa Rica for your family adventure you will have memories to cherish; you will be delighted. In my experience, those that visit enjoy themselves so much they return because there is so much here to savor!

Costa Rica Family Adventures – Tico Style By Lisa Khajavi

About the Author:

How To Deal With Kids When Traveling

February 17th, 2009 No comments

Bringing along kids during a trip abroad could be more demanding for parents compared to the challenges often met at home. For one thing, most kids are usually excited with the prospect that they are in a foreign place for the first time. They will most likely ask you to tour around the new place and try out interesting spots like theme parks. They might also demand”whether directly or indirectly”that you stay in one of the good and most of the time expensive hotels they often see advertised in television.

You actually have a choice, whether youll choose to give in to their pleas or seek a compromise. If you have enough money to stay in the hotel they want to stay in, then youll most likely give in to them. But if you want to stay somewhere that is reasonable, then seeking a compromise with your kids is the way to go.

The challenges met when appeasing children is huge, and it usually gets bigger when both of you are in a foreign place. Here are some tips that you might want to consider when you meet this dilemma:

1. Explain to them why you cant stay in the kids resort they want. Plainly saying that you cant afford to stay in the hotel of their choice is not enough. You have to tell them why you cant by explaining it to them, in terms which kids can fully understand. If they get to see clearly why you cant then they will most likely understand. When it comes to amounts and measurements, telling them the exact figure doesnt help them understand.

2. Offer a reason that is believable. If you want to maximize the use of your money for checking the place out and shopping for things that can only be found in the place you are staying in for a short time, then tell the kids exactly that.

3. Offer something else. This is connected with the second tip. After telling the kids that you want to set aside more money so that they can truly enjoy their stay, offer them something which will benefit them as well. You might want to tell them that you are planning to buy a souvenir which your kids can use and will also help them remember that they were able to go to such place.

4. Keep your promise. Kids tend to remember very well what you promised to them. Forgetting your little deal with them will make them restless throughout the entire duration of the trip, and will most likely get at your nerves.

Seeking a balance with what you want and what the kids want is hard, but when done successfully, the trip is sure to be stress free for parents and enjoyable.

About the Author: