Costa Rica Travel Packages

Located in southern Central America, Costa Rica is surrounded by three different bodies of water including the Panama Canal on the southeast, the Pacific Ocean on the southwest and west and the Caribbean Ocean on the east. Because of Costa Rica's close proximity to several bodies of water, the country is an ideal stopping point for various cruise ships carrying throngs of adventurous vacationers. Depending on the area of Costa Rica you are in, the climate can differ dramatically. There are cool wet mountain ranges, rain forests, dry tropical forests, cloud forests, the very dry Pacific coast and the damp Caribbean coast. Because of Costa Rica's diverse climate, the country is home to 850 species of birds, 205 species of mammals, 9,000 species of flowering plants, 1,200 species of orchids and 376 species of reptiles and amphibians. For a country that only measures 51,060 square kilometers, this is a wide variety of natural wildlife. Costa Rica strives to maintain the land's natural beauty and wildlife by designating one sixth of the country to national parks and wildlife refuges. Costa Rica is also home to several active volcanoes. Arenal erupts daily every fifteen minutes or so. The locals welcome foreigners with open arms making Costa Rica one of the most desirable vacation and retirement spots in the world. It is for these and other reasons that a Costa Rica vacation cruise should be booked today. The memories will last a lifetime.

An Abundance of Outdoor Recreation: 

Costa Rica is big on water related activities. Wave riders travel from all over the world to test out their expertise in Costa Rica's waters. Both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts offer up some notorious surfing. On the Atlantic Coast, Puerto Viejo's Salsa Brava gets some great breaks during the winter months although this area is often crowded. On the Pacific side, Playa Hermosa is the most consistent place to catch some waves. If these areas are flat, no need to worry, snorkeling and kayaking are always an option. Wind surfers have nothing but praise for Lake Arenal. It is considered one of the world's best wind surfing spots and on good days you can cruise over 25 miles across the lake. There might not be anything more romantic when you're on vacation with the one you love than enjoying a horseback ride. Whether its on the beach or through a National Park, the experience is sure to be memorable. Other popular outdoor activities to be enjoyed while in Costa Rica include hiking, mountain biking, deep sea fishing, bungee jumping, sailing, bird watching and ballooning. More adventurous activities include repelling down through the center of waterfalls, canopy tours through the tropical trees and white water rafting.

A Mecca for Nature Lovers: 

Nature lovers should take advantage of Costa Rica's numerous National Parks and refuges. Crocovado is both a rain forest and black sand beach. The Tabacon Hot Springs is nature's equivalent to the Jacuzzi. Unwind near cascading waterfalls in the various pools and hot springs. A trip to the Monteverde Cloud Forest will almost guarantee a sighting of Costa Rica's most famous bird, the Quetzal. The Rain Forest Aerial Tram is located out of San Jose, the country's capital, and offers a guided canopy tour of the rain forest. Manuel Antonio Park is teeming with monkeys and other wildlife. The Tortuguera is Costa Rica's most famous protected nesting area. If you are not a fan of outdoor activities, don't worry, there is plenty else to do and see. The National Museum traces Costa Rica's colorful history and culture. The museum was founded in 1887 and is located in San Jose. Patrons of the arts should try and catch one of the numerous performance put on at the National Theater. The National Theater offers classical music and opera performances in addition to others. Sarchi is located outside of San Jose and is a great place to visit and admire the country's handicraft.

Colorado travel guide

A Google search of the word ‘Colorado’ reveals a list of websites ranging from the website of the Government of Colorado to the websites of various educational institutions and universities. Among the diverse tourism websites mentioned, the one that catches your eye is visitcolorado4less.com. A click on the link fills your screen with beautiful ice capped peaks of Colorado. A brief overview of the website further assures the browser that he is at the right web link. The website offers exhaustive information about the State which is vaguely situated in Central USA.

The name Colorado traces its genesis to Spanish’ color red. The Centennial State or Colorful Colorado, as it is commonly called, has Denver as its capital.

Colorado is essentially famous for its winter sports, but it seems to cater to everyone’s hobbies. Fishing, skiing, rafting, rock climbing, camping, hiking, museums, historic sites – you find it all here. Apart from its scenic beauty Colorado has much more to offer.

The state has numerous mountains, the highest peak being Mt. Elbert. It is also the home of the Rocky Mountains. Mountaineering becomes especially delightful during spring season when wild flowers are in full bloom. There is also a Colorado Mountain Club which is dedicated solely to the mountain activities. Colorado also has 8000 miles of rivers, offering water activities all over the state. As a result the first water garden society in the world has been founded here. The scenic beauty of Colorado is enhanced by the fact that water is virtually present everywhere. The best way to appreciate this beauty is through camping and horse riding.

Leaving out the adventurers, Colorado offers a lot to the historians and the philosophers. There is a Colorado Shakespeare Festival organized annually in which hundreds of people gather together to produce the various Shakespeare classics. Dotted with ghost towns and mining sites, the state has enough history available to satisfy everyone’s intellectual appetite. Other attractions include the Colorado Brewer’s Festivals and numerous happening casinos.

If one is on a holiday with the entire family, he may visit the Butterfly Pavilion and Insect Center which is an artificial shelter of numerous insects like centipedes and beautiful butterflies. Other venues can be the Cave of Winds in which one can see the stalactite and stalagmite formation, Colorado Gators which homes alligators, Krabloonik – a kennel of sled dogs and Rock Canyon Water Slide which is a mini water park.. Tiny Town and Railroad are especially liked by children. Started in 1915, this children attraction includes 100 of miniature buildings which includes a toy store, a bank and a church. An open steam train gives a tour of this Tiny Town.

Shopping is the ultimate activity which completes a holiday. And so we have Denver and Aspen the shopping hubs of Colorado. While both are known for its antiques, there are other avenues to indulge in as well.

Colorado is also saturated with boarding houses and lodges, each famous for its own experiences. Accommodation is available of every cost, class and style. The Cottonwood Cove ranch is a cozy niche that offers a variety of outdoor activities and is good for fishing. Snowmass Village is a world class ski resort which offers plenty of summer activities as well. Another unique experience is the Vista Verde which is set in wilderness.

With all these activities to do teamed with a comfortable stay, Colorado is the decisive destination where you should head to.

Cheap Travel Secrets

There are two ways to save money traveling. The first way is to get the best deals on the specific things you want. There  is a limitation to this type of approach though. If , for example, you find the lowest price on the best hotel in Honolulu at the height of the season, you will save money, but still have a very expensive vacation. Trying to get exactly what you want, or what you think you want, will generally be an expensive proposition, in travel and in life.


Be A Travel Opportunist

The other approach is to be a true opportunist. This will be difficult for some of you, and entirely unacceptable to others. Nonetheless, the travelers who get to travel the most, go to the widest variety of places, learn the most and do the most, are the opportunists. This will be true until you are so wealthy that you have no monetary limits.

The first time I went to Ecuador, I went there because it was cheap. If it wasn't, I would have had a great time - somewhere else. The trip lasted a month, and cost $1045, which included airfare and even the $130 fee for a guide to take me to the top of glacier-covered Mount Chimborazo.

I cut the cost by taking a bus from my home in Michigan to Miami, and back again when I returned from Ecuador. The round-trip ticket cost $158. The round-trip flight to Quito from Miami was only $256, because it was a courier flight, which meant I signed for some luggage (car parts), and could only take carry-on luggage.

Never did I feel deprived, or bored. I had a great time, eating wherever it was cheap and clean, doing all sorts of inexpensive, but interesting things, and traveling across the country to climb Chimborazo.

How To Become An Opportunist Traveler

Can you drink rum at a dollar per bottle, instead of your favorite beer? Can you eat chicken instead of steak? How about visiting the free sights first, and dancing in the street festival instead of the disco?

Being an opportunist means you'll have just as much variety, and probably almost everything you want - eventually. You just have to stop trying to get exactly what you want exactly when you want it. If the guide that took me up Chimborazo hadn't dropped his price from $200 to $130, I would have spent $2 for a bus and gone hiking on El Altar, another great Andean mountain. That would have left me with enough money for several other minor adventures.

More Secrets Of Cheap Travel

Plane Tickets: I were planning a trip to visit family in Ecuador. The cheapest airfare from Traverse City, Michigan to Quito, was $1720. Out of curiosity, I checked Miami to Quito, and it was only $404. Airfare from Traverse City to Miami was $300. Book two separate flights and save more than $2000! The discount sites aren't set up to search in this way (yet), so you have to do this on your own. By the way, the whole six-week trip, which we took in 2004, cost $2400, including losing $100, and being robbed of
$174.


Food: Whether traveling here or in other countries, it is usually cheaper to buy some healthy snacks in a
grocery store, rather than eat every meal in a restaurant. When you do eat in restaurants, it can be cheaper to to order individual items on the menu from the list of appetizers or side dishes. You also may get more variety in that way.

Accomodations: For a long trip, you may want to rent an apartment in an interesting city. We did this for two months in Tucson, for about $600 less per month, compared to even the cheaper motels. Watch for hotel coupon-books in gas stations. The coupons will often save you $10 on a room you would have stayed in anyhow. If you have a conversion van or RV, you can camp a couple nights a week, like we do, to save
on motels. We love the hotsprings we've stayed at, for a $3 fee to the BLM, instead of $40 for the cheapest motel in the area.

Travel Expenses: Do more and travel less. It is often the traveling part that costs the most, due to the cost of gas, convenient fast food, and expensive hotels you are forced to pay for when you just can't drive any further. So if you find a place with a reasonable motel, and a lot to do in the area - stay for a while!