Award-winner: The Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo, in Costa Rica. My recent listing of some of the most award-winning Mexico hotels got so many hits that I decided it’s time to cast our admiring gaze toward Central and South America. After scouring the lists of hotels that have consistently won awards from the…
Category: Costa Rica
New Latin America Travel Options for 2012, from Smithsonian Journeys
The Smithsonian Institute is known for its broad array of museums and collections, and its travel program, called Smithsonian Journeys, follows suit with a diverse travel portfolio for 2012. “We are thrilled to branch out to different styles and modes of travel to serve our clientele while maintaining what Smithsonian is best known for: lively and engaging educational content….
BOOK REVIEW: Tales from the Jungle — A Rainforest Reader
REVIEW BY MELISSA RUTTANAI First published in 1995, Tales from the Jungle: A Rainforest Reader is an explorer’s diary. The book is a compilation of fiction and non-fiction, all set in the wilderness and artfully layered with sensory details that stimulate the reader’s mind. Thirty-five stories are divvied into five themes or chapters: Explorers, Observations, Adventure…
Act Fast for All-inclusive Savings at Latin America Resorts
All-inclusive: The Westin in Costa Rica is among the resorts offering summer deals. BY MARK CHESNUTOn the Orbitz business travel blog, I recently wrote about how all-inclusive resorts around the hemisphere are serving the needs of business travelers. Now, I’ve rounded up a few sample vacation resort packages in Latin America, for those gearing up…
The Top 3 Thermal Resorts in Arenal, Costa Rica
Healing Waters: The Springs Resort and Spa is one of Costa Rica’s top thermal resorts. BY MELISSA RUTTANAI Fuchsia orchids perfume the air. Steam rises from thermal pools, the water clouded with minerals. A crisp breeze sweeps through what seems to be the Garden of Eden or perhaps a lush desert oasis. Miles below Arenal Volcano,…
Costa Rica’s Finca Rosa Blanca Wins the Green
The Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit organization focused on sustainable farming, forestry and tourism, recently named the 2010 honorees for its annual gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. One of the honorees was Finca Rosa Blanca, a beautiful inn and coffee plantation that I visited not long ago in…
Hilton Goes All-Inclusive in Costa Rica
One of the nicest resorts that I’ve visited in Costa Rica has now gone all-inclusive. The Hilton Papagayo Costa Rica Resort & Spa, which is tucked scenically into lush hills overlooking the Gulf of Papagayo in the popular vacation area known as Guanacaste, is an upscale retreat with amenities galore. As of May 1, this…