Tag: Just us and the backpacks

Our family itinerary in Costa Rica – San Jose, Tortuguero and La Fortuna with kids

On By CGKIn Caribbean, Costa RicaLeave a comment

This is the first part of our one-month itinerary in Costa Rica. We included our recommendations for family friendly accommodations in Costa Rica as well as the main facilities available in each place. I marked the activities we did with our 2 year old miss and 6 year old mister, for some inspiration in case you plan to visit Tortuguero and La Fortuna with your kids.

Rental car. We booked the car with Adobe, the largest car rental in CR. If you get a chance, book a 4×4 as you will be more relaxed if visiting places like Tenorio NP and Monteverde. We asked the company for a quote directly and also asked a quote from the bloggers at My Tan Feet that have a reduction with Adobe (https://mytanfeet.com/costa-rica-exclusive-benefits-and-discounts/). We got a better deal going though mytanfeet.com plus the car seats, a phone sim card and a cooler. Adobe dropped the car at our first accommodation but  initially forgot the seats when they brought the car but then they went to bring them and all worked out fine. Car was picked up from the last hotel. There is no rental office directly at he airport, with most large car rental companies offering a. shuttle from the terminal to their parkings.


1. San Jose – 3 nights – we arrived very late and could not drive anywhere ourselves. We booked a transfer though Morpho Vans to our hotel. We had booked 2 nights in EL Rodeo Estancia Boutique hotel, close to the airport. They have big rooms and a decent breakfast. They also have a very good steakhouse in case you arrive in San Jose earlier in the day or decide to spend 2 nights. We paid about 80 EUR per night, a very good value given the large rooms, pool and location. We had a tropical storrm alert on the second day in San Jose and could not leave to Tortuguero as initially planned so we booked another night in a different hotel – Mariott Estancia Belem a bigger estate with a very nice pool and views over the Poas Volcano,  but also quite a bit more expensive than El Rodeo. If you are after more pampering and many food options, the Estancia Belem can be a nice place to start of end your trip in Costa Rica. Here is our full experience.


2. Tortuguero National Park– 2 nights – the drive between SJ and the docks of La Pavona where the boat leaves for Tortuguero is about 4 hours (we had road works and heavy traffic, may be less but also more). Boat leaves at set times, once you book your accommodation in Tortuguero, they will send you the timetable. We stayed in Casa Marbella -a simple BnB on the river banks. Boat dropped us directly at he BnB, second stop after the main village. They offer a simple, basic breakfast and the hosts are very kind and can organise several tours. We used the guides that they recommended for a night turtle tour, a canoe Tortuguero National Park tour – our firm favourite – and a NP walking tour. You have to buy your National Park tickets online and they are valid for one day. Once you create your online profile with the National Park authority SINAC, keep in mind the password as you will probably use them again to buy tickets for other national parks (Poas, Irazu, Manuel Antonio). The accommodation can advise on the best time slot depending on the time of the year that you visit Tortuguero.

We enjoyed this tropical corner of Costa Rica even if getting there is a bit of an adventure. If visiting in Summer/green season, the night tour to see the Turtles laying their eggs is a must. Unfortunately no cameras or phones are allowed. We also saw a turtle release by the Tortuguero Conservancy and I can recommend to go around and ask when the next release is planned as it was really memorable for kids.


3. Sarapiqui – 2 nights- about 1 h drive from La Pavona  docks. We stopped here for the whitewater rafting, that me and my husband did in separate days as only kids above 12 can attend. But it was absolutely great if you like water based activities. We stayed in La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge, a lovely rainforest lodge with a pool and eco friendly culture. La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge, in the vicinity of the Sarapiquí River, the Braulio Carrillo National Park and the world wide known La Selva Biological Station, is full of unique flora and fauna. They also. offer a good breakfast choice and options for lunch and dinner. Sarapiqui is well known for being a bit more quiet in terms of tourism so we took the opportunity to do a guided walk in La Selva Biological Reserve, the most peaceful rain forest we visited in Costa Rica. The guide was great and it was the first opportunity to spot and photograph some unique wildlife. Both the rafting and La Selva Biological reserve activities were organised with the help of the lodge. This area of Costa Rica is the top place in the country to see some of the rarest birds in the world so you should stick around for longer if this is your passion..


4.  La Fortuna and Arenal National Park – 4 nights – about 1h30 drive from Sarapiqui – La Fortuna is a large resort town with many facilities and hotels. It may feel a bit overwhelming as there are a lot of tourists stopping here but I would still not skip it. The shape of the Arenal Volcano on a clear day is a sight you will remember long after leaving the country and the many activities on offer have something for everyone. We spent 4 nights at Arenal Springs Resort and Spa in La Fortuna that had great views of the volcano, its own hot springs and a big breakfast buffet. We found the hotel a bit loud around meal times. We heard other families happy with El Silencio del Campo, in the same region.


Family Activities in La Fortuna: you can spend two weeks here and still have a new activity to try each day. We did: (i) Hike in the Arenal NP lava fields (about 3h30), (ii) visit of the La Fortuna waterfall combined with Mistico Hanging Bridges in a full day tour (you can skip the hanging bridges here if you do the Selvatura Park in Monteverde as they also have hanging bridges ), (iii) Sloth Park – you go with a guide to observe Sloths in the wild  (iv) an evening with dinner at Eco-Termales Hot Springs complex and (v) Don Olivo Chocolate Tour- that is actually a farm tour. We booked most activities directly on the website of the different operators about 2 days in advance. The combined tour Mistico and Waterfall we booked with Canoa Aventura in La Fortuna.

In the same region, there is an animal rescue centre Projecto Asis that is very popular to visit – we waited too long and we did not find tickets for our days. You can also do canyoning (they take children as of 5 yo), ATVs, horseback riding, rafting, water tubing and much more.

Drop us a comment over on YouTube if you have any questions about our trip or recommendations from your visit to Costa Rica. If you consider a visit to Costa rica with kids, do not forget to Subscibe and 👍 as we have more videos and inspiration coming.

Safe travels ❤️,

CGK




Why Seychelles is the perfect babymoon destination – where to base yourself and how to organise your trip

On By CGKIn Africa, Seychelles2 Comments

What should you look for in your baby-moon holiday? For us, it was a balanced mix between discovering a new place and relaxing. Depending on where you are in your pregnancy and how you feel, you can emphasise more one of the two components. For example, you can read about our first baby moon in Sri Lanka and Maldives here. As I was in early second semester, the accent was more on discovering a new place than relaxing at the beach/pool.

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Snapshots of Chile’s lake district – 3 days discovering volcanoes, ancestral cultures and craft beers

On By CGKIn Chile, Latin AmericaLeave a comment

About half way from Santiago to the South of Chile lies the Lake District. This area is connected with Argentina’s Bariloche District through a system of lakes that may be navigated in order to cross the border from one country to the other. Many travellers choose to do just that, usually with the help of a local tourism agency that can book all ferry tickets and bus land transfers in advance.

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A roadtrip showcasing great wineries, medieval fortresses and the Caucasus

On By CGKIn Europe, Georgia, RoadtripsLeave a comment

On our third day in Georgia, we had our Guide/driver ( see here how we found him) waiting for us at the hotel and started our tour of the Eastern part of the country.

First on the list was a visit to the David Gareji monastery. It is located in a semi-desert area in the South East of the country and close to the border with Azerbaijan 🇦🇿. The drive from Tiblisi will take about 2h30. We stopped in the way at Telliani Valley (an important exporter of Georgian wines) for a quick tour of their factory and some wine sampling.

We followed the concrete road for about 50 km East of Tiblisi and an unpaved road after that, all the way South. If you self drive, you should get a good map and clear indications as there are not many signs once you leave the main road. Do pack water and some snaks as this is going to be a long day hiking in the border area and other than a toilet, there is limited access to food or water once you get there. It was only us and a National Geographic vehicle when we arrived but in Summer it should be quite popular.

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If you enjoy nature and good wine, you will fall in love with Georgia – first impressions

On By CGKIn Europe, Georgia1 Comment

In Summer 2017, we were looking for a destination that was not yet firmly on the travel radar of Western Europeans to satisfy our thirst for off-the-beaten-track adventure. It was a trip for me and Mr only, so we were ready to step up the physical activites, be less picky about hotel  accomodation as well as cover more ground in a shorter time. As we only had a week of holiday available, we focused the search on the Middle East and Central Asia. Georgia seemed to tick all the right boxes. So, even before we saw Lonely Planet’s list with the top countries to visit in 2018, we had bought plane tickets to Tbilisi.

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The Bump, the Temples and the Beach – our babymoon in Sri Lanka and the Maldives

On By CGKIn Maldives, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka2 Comments

In the beginning of 2015 we found out that our family was getting bigger. We were very happy that we will soon get to introduce him to the world and show him all the amazing places out there. But before that, we were ready to enjoy a few more trips together. During my pregnancy we went to a few places in Europe and I also took a girls trip to Israel and the Czech Republic but we wanted something a bit more ‘special’. I was very curious about Sri Lanka after my trip to India in 2014 but my husband was there already so we added Maldives to the mix.

Given my ‘situation’, this trip was planned a bit more in detail throughout. After buying the plane tickets (Brussels -Doha – Colombo, Colombo-Mahe and Mahe-Doha-Brussels) with Qatar Airlines, I looked for a driver/guide to accompany us in out tour. I already had a good idea of what we wanted to visit but still needed somebody with local experience to make sure the trip was doable in terms of distance and road conditions as well as weather. There are plenty of local travel companies on Trip advisor. I wrote to a few and asked a quote for the tour I had in mind. We went with Sri Lanka Personal Drivers and were very happy.

We had 8 days in Sri Lanka and 6 in the Maldives. As we had planned some beach time at the end of the trip, we focused our time in Sri Lanka on visiting temples and the natural scenery in the country.

If you are considering Sri Lanka as a destination, have a look at our itinerary packed with great sightseeing opportunities:

Day 1: arrived in Sri Lanka and arranged with our accommodation for a transfer from the airport. We decided to stay outside Colombo as we wanted to have the opportunity to relax as we arrived. We were based in Kotugoda, about 20 min from the airport. We stayed at the Wallawwa, a small hotel set in a restored colonial manor with a beautiful 3 acres garden that provided much needed respite after our travel. Highly recommended for couples and if you are looking for a secluded retreat.

Day 2, we started early and our driver was waiting for us at the reception. We went for a quick trip through Colombo and continued on to Kandy, in the Hill Country, our base for the next 3 days. We also stopped at the Millenium Elephant Foundation to see rescued elephants. They were offering rides but we didn’ t enjoy seeing the elephants ferrying visitors around and did not take the ride.

Day 3: Kandy. We kicked off the day with a visit to the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden. They are renowned for their collection of orchids and a great collection of indigenous plants. The afternoon we spent visiting the city. Our driver/guide took up up the hill above the city where we had the best panorama of this green city and the lake in the middle. In the evening, we saw a traditional dancing show at the atmospheric Red Cross building. After the show we visited the Temple of the Tooth Relic. It houses the country’s most important religious relic, the tooth of Buddha. We were in time for the evening ceremony or Puja which involved a lot of drumming and excitement. At the end of the ceremony, the relic is open to the public. It was a great experience!

Day 4: We explored more of the city, we walked the shopping streets leading to the lake, visited the old railway station and central market. Our hotel, the Kandy House was a great treat. Breakfast was brought to the patio in front of our room and they did a great cake for my husband’s birthday. Their dinners we superb as well. I never knew there were so many types of curry. Absolutely delicious!

Day 5: We left Kandy for Sigiriya. We stopped at the Dambulla Cave Complex on the way, about 3h away from Kandy. The caves are located on top of a hill and are more than 2000 year old. The are crammed with statues and murals of Buddha. On a clear day, you can see Sigiriya rock from the hill top. Our accommodation in the Cultural triangle was at the Wild Grass Nature Resort. This place is set amidst the forests of Sigiriya. We had a spacious villas with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a great way to enjoy the sunset.

Day 6: Visiting the Sigiriya rock and museum. Maybe the most impressive site of Sri Lanka, this is going to take the best part of a day and involve some serious climbing for about 1h. I took it easy, as I soon became out of breath and there are many things to see in the extensive gardens. Do not miss the museum explaining the history of the place and the original settlements. The rock is better climbed in the cool of the morning.

Day 7: We went for a safari in the Minneriya Natural Park part of the ‘elephant corridor’. We did not see that many elephants but it a nice experience reminding us of our African safari. In the afternoon, we went for an Ayurveda treatment in a village nearby : -Thrimal Ayurvedic Treatment Centre. The massage was great. However, you should count on smelled like curry spices for a few days.

Day 8: we started early to catch our plane from Colombo to Mahe. Once we arrived in Mahe, a resort representative was waiting for us at the airport and we boarded a small boat that would take us to our island.

The place we stayed at was called Baros Resort and it was probably the priciest hotel in all our travels around the world. It was also the most amazing, secluded escape with morning yoga and a house reef that you could access from the beach. Everything was top notch from service to the pregancy massage I got at the spa. I could not dive on that occasion but my husband went and he was quite impressed. I went on a couple of snorkelling trips and a night snorkelling trip. Do give night snorkelling a try! They have special lights that reflect on the colours of the marine life. It was surreal to swim in the black water, with a sky full of stars above and plenty of little fishes swimming on the bottom. I do hope we will go back one day.

If you consider the Maldives, do not be put off by the Summer in the islands. The climate in July and August are very similar in the Maldives. Humidity and rain do increase over these months, but as the islands are so low-lying, rain clouds blow over very quickly so rain will only be short lived. There are also usually less travellers during these months so that is a plus. We still had plenty of sunshine.

Happy Travels!

September is the best time to visit Southern Italy – Top 5 things to do in Apulia

On By CGKIn Europe, Italy, Nature, Unesco World Heritage Site2 Comments

If you are still in search for some sun bathing opportunities and warm weather in September head to the South of Italy, in Apulia region! You will love the food, relax in the true ‘Dolce vita’ style on the Adriatic coast and most importantly, pay half the price of a holiday in August.

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Just back from a road tripping week-end in the North of France – Le Touquet, Hardelot-Plage and Boulogne-sur-Mer

On By CGKIn Europe, France, NatureLeave a comment

Against my own best advice as regards travelling in August, the weather in Belgium just managed to chase us out of the country once more. This time direction France, Nord-pas-de-Calais region. Now, this is not exactly the European South so we did not expect 30 + degrees and warm seas but we did want some sun and a change from the grey Brussels scenery.

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Blast from the past – how we spent 5 days in Malta in 2012

On By CGKIn Europe, Islands, MaltaLeave a comment

Most of my friends travel in August. I am doing everything possible to avoid travelling in August which is the European peak season and corresponds to traffic jams spanning from Spain to Greece (ok, a bit of an exaggeration but you get the picture) and airports testing their passenger capacity limits. My shoulder season preference is however often broken by family and friends visits that, on most occasions, require both a car and plane ride. So, week-end trips aside, I try to stand by the “No travel in August!” rule.

To fill the current ‘non-travelling’ time, I am compensating with some travel writing and travel planning. As I was recently sorting photos, I came across a few nice ones from Malta, so here is a short post of our tour there from a couple of years ago.

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A chill out August break in Copenhagen 

On By CGKIn Castles, Denmark, Europe, Urban landscape1 Comment

This week-end we visited friends living in Copenhagen. For us, visiting people living around the world is the best way to combine our two favourite things: travel and spending time with friends. Also it has the perk that you do go out with a local which is often much more interactive and informative than going out with the Lonely Planet guide. So, we try to do this quite often, especially around Europe.

Going back to Copenhagen, Continue reading “A chill out August break in Copenhagen “ →