Eco Holidays

posted by Catherine on Jul 21

Why buy one car to suit all your needs – chop and change whenever you can!

Just like buying that house with a spare room just incase a friend comes to stay, or keeping that extensive wine cellar just incase you throw a party – or even buying that hat for just one wedding – why do we need to buy something so short term?

To help save resources and to make sure that you always have exactly what you need only when you need it – hire it instead – and that is a very eco friendly choice, wouldn’t you say?

Well, the same can be said of cars; why have a variety of vehicles for the family that you have to use for everything that you need, when you could hire a more suitable car when you need it.

Flexible Hire Cars:
We all still need our family car for shopping and school runs, but do we need the spare ‘nice’ car when we want something less ‘family’. And why compromise on a more economical vehicle in luie of those odd holidays; I mean why drive around in a spacious 7-seater every day just so that during the school holidays you can get the scooters and suitcases in the boot!

Hiring cars is no longer such a hoo-haa, and there are varying prices, vehicles and hire periods these days that can help you make the most of different vehicles for your changing needs.

So if you are looking for long term car hire – why not consider all the options – and get the exact car you need whenever you need one.

Why Change?
Well, a sports car doesn’t do the same thing as a camper van. One is perfect for that romantic fast-paced get-a-way but isn’t really suitable for pulling over in a field and making a bacon sandwich! However the other is perfect for that impromtu lunch and life at a slower pace.

Yet you wouldn’t want both sitting on your drive all year waiting for that break!

So just like hiring your wedding dress, a holiday cottage or even a carpet cleaner – hiring a car to suit your needs is the perfect eco friendly alternative – and why not?

photo credit: Land Rover Our Planet

We can’t all afford a minibus, 2-seater or off-roader – yet these might be the perfect vehicle for our short-term needs. And if driven properly and to full capacity, they could be the most eco friendly choice for your needs.

So if you need a vehicle for more than a month and for a specific purpose – consider a hire vehicle which fits the bill perfectly and make the most of your trip or business needs.

No need to stretch your family car to the limit doing something it’s not suited to!

posted by Catherine on May 31

Why take your safari in the same place as everybody else if you don’t have to?

Kenya, South Africa and Botswana get all the coverage with the big names for Safaris – but there is plenty to see in less visited countries – so don’t overlook places like Uganda and Rwanda too fast.

Not to name drop but you would be missing out on Bwindi Inpenetrable National Park and it’s mountain gorillas; both the Congo and the Nile rivers; the Great Rift Valley; and Lake Victoria.

When you are choosing an African adventure, make sure you give the less well known companies and countries their fair share of your attention and subsequently your funding. If we want to show countries that it is worth them keeping something – then we have to pay them in return.

And that is what your eco friendly travel plans should consider – what benefit does your vacation have on the people you spend it with – and those people you don’t spend it with?

So, here is a little bit of information on these 2 countries to show that there is plenty of Africa to see without sitting in a coach filled with 30 other tourists all looking at the same sleeping lion or baby elephant!

Uganda:
Home to an estimated 50% of the World’s mountain gorillas as well as chimpanzees, 120 species of mammals, 250+ species of butterflies and 360 species of birds in the Bwindi alone – making this site one of the richest and most diverse wildlife site in East Africa (beating Kenya hands down!).

photo credit: Kabacchi

It also has over 200 species of tree, 100+ ferns and 86 species of orchid! A plant lovers dream location too then!

In total there are 9 National Parks in Uganda – so you won’t be short of a wildlife adventure or two for your efforts.

There are a variety of habitats including wetlands, marshes, mountains and cloud forests to explore as well as 40 different languages to discover amongst the 4 main areas of the country.

And due to its high altitude and rings of mountains it is cooler than other countries on the equator – as well as being less prone to tropical diseases than many of it’s neighbours – always a bonus for the traveller!

Rwanda:
After being in the news for everything but it’s wildlife and culture – why not take a look at the eco adventures on offer in this less visited country. After all, gorilla safaris are this countries leading tourist attraction!

There are habitats here ranging from active volcanos in the Virunga mountains, through rolling hills, savannah, plains and swamps as well as all the lakes that fill this part of the Great Rift Valley.

There are only 3 National Parks here – but you won’t be disappointed with the wildlife: gorillas, giraffes, forest elephants, 14 species of primate and over 700 species of bird.

The people of Rwanda all belong to one ethnic group and so share a common history and culture, including dance, music and story-telling – as well as shared and local arts and crafts.

Eco Adventures:
These 2 countries border each other (as well as Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo) so you could easily travel between them all on an overland tour – either with an organised group or independently depending on your needs (overland tour buses don’t usually have toilets!).

So when you are planning your Safari Holidays - don’t look to the same old same old – think of something new and you might just have the best safari ever!

Following your heart – not the tour bus rules……

posted by Catherine on Jan 6

Your empty car could cause charities to lose money and reduce visitor numbers!

Thinking about what your car can do when you aren’t using it is one of the first step towards eco friendly living and the right attitude.

Anything that limits the chances of other people enjoying their day or makes them have to try twice as hard to get to where they want to go – isn’t very eco friendly.

And in the case of your car – your decisions can make all the difference.

Let’s say that you parked your car in a local viewpoint car park – but you only noticed that you were taking up just over 1 space after you had got out the car. There weren’t many other people in the car park, so would you leave it there or would you move it?

If you aren’t going to be there long, you might be inclined to leave it there – but how do you know what might happen while you are away? What if you are longer than expected or it suddenly fills up. You are preventing someone else from parking where you are.

photo credit: Blyzz

You might be having a lovely walk out there – or a delightful picnic with friends – but there could be a whole family wanting to do the same – but instead they are left in the car park staring at three-quarters of a parking space and no doubt a little bit annoyed as well!

Long Term Effects:
Yeah, that might only be a one off for you as you live close by and go there all the time – but what if that person you prevented from parking had come a long way to see your local coastline or woodlands – and they never got to see it because of your actions.

What if they were going to spend their holiday money in the area – your area? But instead they drove off to a town further down the way and spent it there. Their loss or yours?

What if the car park was a pay and display car park funding the very location you love to visit – and you just lost them some money as well – paying once but using 2 spaces and driving of another customer to boot!

And do you think those people would recommend your viewpoint to their friends back home who are planning a road trip or will they just say ‘there wasn’t enough parking’. How can they tell them about the beautiful countryside near you if they didn’t get to see it – they will just have to say how wonderful the other place they went to was instead.

Your loss again I think!

posted by Catherine on Dec 31

When booking your vaccinations – make sure you turn up on time!

Everyone needs to have their vaccinations for foreign travel – as it prevents expensive treatments and days or months or illness.  And of course, if you don’t catch these viruses or diseases – then you can’t pass them on to others at greater risk than yourself.

However, you will be amazed how many people don’t bother to turn up for their appointments – creating a delay in others receiving their boosters and protection.

Vaccinations:

Many vaccinations for travel need a certain amount of time to work in the body before you are 100% protected – so ideally you need to get these in advance of your travel – however, sometimes you just don’t get that much notice.

But what if when you went to book your appointment – they didn’t have any spaces?

Many appointments are left to run empty by people who fail to call ahead to cancel.  It only takes a second to do it – but multiplies up into a huge delay for all those people waiting afterwards.

I know my surgery only offer travel vaccinations 1 afternoon a week with only a handful of appointments each time – so around 15 in total for the month.

Your Jabs:

Now say you were travelling in a few weeks and were told that you had to wait 3 weeks for a space – even though unbeknown to you the first appointment tomorrow is going to be missed on purpose because the person had changed their mind and didn’t think it was important to call as they weren’t going to be charged for it anyway.

photo credit: Daniel Paquet

Of course the surgery can’t be expected to call you at a moments notice and offer the appointment to you instead – so you will have to wait until your appointment even though the nurse won’t be doing anything for that 15 minutes.

There is, unfortunately, no way that the receptionist on the day you called, leave all your details out for the different receptionist working tomorrow morning with a note to say that if anyone doesn’t turn up to call you immediately as you are only working around the corner.

Needless to say, even if you were available at short notice there is no way that ‘notes’ can be left around the surgery ‘just incase’ something happens. 

I mean if they took a note for you – they would have to do it for everyone – and as you can imagine, if everyone thinks that they are a priority the reception would be covered in notes and they would need a whole other receptionist just to be in charge of sorting out all these notes and then calling them all up as and when!

Best Prevention:

Obviously, keeping you jabs up to date in the first place is a great way to prevent these last minute worries – but please be considerate when you are the one unable to get to your appointment.

Just because you are in no hurry to get things done yourself – it doesn’t mean that there isn’t someone else working to a tight schedule at the same time and who could really appreciate you making a decision either way.

Think about when someone who isn’t in a rush to get home stops right in the middle of the shop doorway to check their receipt – even though you are rushing about on your lunch break and haven’t got a moment to spare!

You might not think that all your everyday decisions can be so important to other people you don’t even know – but they are.

So think ahead, and you are helping out a lot of other people without even trying!

posted by Catherine on Nov 19

Rather than investing in gold or oil – why not invest in the planet?

When you have some ‘spare’ money – you tend to run to the bank with the best APR or whatever – planning for your future obviously.

But aren’t you forgetting about what ‘investment’ actually means?

If the money at the end of your pension is all you want to invest in – then I hope you don’t mind giving up a few things along the way; like rainforests, rural communities, biodiversity and everything else that we are trying to save at the moment!

What sort of holiday do you think you will be spending all your savings on when you retire in 30 years if the sea levels have risen, all the coral has died, countries are at war over resources and people in the developing world can’t afford to eat?

The Baddies?
Well, that would be you wouldn’t it?  Big ‘Bad’ businesses still need to go on - I mean we still need oil and coal to run just about everything we own at the moment (just think of everything you need that doesn’t need or run on electricity or petrol/diesel)!  So at the minute they are not baddies through choice – but you are.

You can make a decision to spend your money on green and eco investments and technologies – and by doing so you are helping to make the alternatives the new mainstream.  If people want change then businesses will make changes.

We take care to only buy things that we approve of, and check whether it’s sustainable, fair trade or organic – but we seem to forget this all when we use banks! 

Think Ahead:
By asking your bank or financial advisor where your money will be invested – or actually seeking out an eco investment in the first place – you could actually be making your future a whole lot better.

Like with timber schemes.  By using your ‘spare’ money to grow hectares and hectares of young trees for timber you will not only be making a nice return on your investment – you will also be preserving that woodland and the animals and plants that live there and creating a carbon sink (where the growing trees absorb and store CO2 from the environment).  It will also be creating a sustainable and natural supply of building materials as well as a whole host of employment opportunities.

And of course, if you are using this land for wood production – then you don’t need to raid wood from actual forests.  By growing a variety of soft and hardwoods from scratch – you can divert attention away from illegally logging ancient woodlands and raiding pristine forests.

Kerr-ching!

posted by Catherine on Oct 22

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Spring is in the air – and you might not ever have to be again!

One of the largest and most comprehensive adventure travel shows is back on the schedule – and gives you plenty of time to start your own research into your next eco adventure!

If you are thinking about a volunteer Gap Year, a few months independent green travel, starting a career in travel writing or just trying something totally different – then the Outdoor Adventure Travel Show 2011 in London is the place you should really be planning for.

Not only are there travel companies galore to visit, but there are also writing and photography seminars, travel clinics and discount clothing and equipment all waiting in 1 place for you.

Who Can You Ask?
If you are thinking about trying something a little bit ‘new’ or stepping out into the wide world for the first time, then you should really get several opinions on locations, projects and transport from experts.

Not just a travel agent – as they tend to sell package deals and flights only – if you want a real eco adventure or to try out some green travel packages, then you need to speak to the people who specialise in that.

In the same way that a car salesman can’t give you the best advice to drive around the world and an estate agent can only give you a few general tips on how to spot an eco home - a high street travel agent can’t really offer green advice based on experience.

You need to weed out the ‘generalists’ and look for the specialists.

The Plan:
Needless to say – if you just turn up to this event on a whim you will still have a great time and gets lots of great information – but you won’t really be gleaming the best of the best.

As the show isn’t until January 2011 – you have 3 months to get researching yourself.  Find out what possible dates are for travel; which countries or regions you are hoping to travel to – and how you plan to get there.

That way you have a rough plan in mind before you come face to face with the experts!  What if there is a great deal on a trip to Asia – but you hadn’t looked into opportunities in that area before – you might go away feeling like you have to start all over again.

What if you had been thinking about travelling from A to B to C – but then find out that you had the seasons all wrong and it will be the rainy season in the tropics - or the dry season when you arrive at fjords or great waterfalls!

If you have your plan already set out in your head, then you can bend and twist that plan once you have discussed a few things.  If you have no plan at all when you arrive then you could be quite overwhelmed – maybe even coming away from the show with 15 years worth of travel ideas rather than the 6-month trip you were hoping for!

The Dates:
Well, the show isn’t until the end of January, so you have plenty of time to get some of your basics together.

Whether it’s toying with a new language, thinking about a route across the globe or worrying about your carbon footprint – start putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) and get some sort of structure to your plan.

Check on the Adventure Show website and see what’s on offer and which lectures or workshops might be of use to you in advance and start to give your eco holiday a backbone.  Maybe even set out a budget in advance and plan to buy the things you need at bargain show prices!

posted by Catherine on Oct 7

Nobody likes paying for a car park – but you aren’t paying for the parking bay!

We seem to get so annoyed about paying a few pounds for a parking space – particularly if we aren’t going to be a long time there – but we should turn this thing on it’s head if we want to be eco about it!

Don’t forget – there is a car park right where you are becasue there is a reason you want to be right where you are – and usually so do a whole load of other people.

It is usually a beauty spot, close to a historic building, the coast, a river, a church, museum, or some other natural or man-made feature which you want to visit.

However, why is that feature still there and so beautiful and clean – and why is that car park there and litter-free?

The Car Park:
Needless to say the car park is there because of the nearby feature – having possibly evolved over time from a grass verge, to a layby, to a proper carpark – and no doubt has been ‘taken over’ by a local group or national company or charity.

So, why do you think it is still there today?

Because someone has been looking after it!  Most likely somebody or some group have been keeping it tidy and litter-free, mowing the grass, removing trees or large hedges to keep this space clear for cars. 

They may well have altered the road-side entrance to prevent car damage on high kerbs or to eliminate congestion or to reduce the risk of dangerous parking on the road or near junctions, etc.

Now, don’t you think that they should be paid for their efforts?  They have made sure that you can easily park close to the castle you want to visit; they have helped keep clear land close to the footpath you want to use to get to the beach; they have put up signs to inform you of the local amenities and historic landmarks. 

They may well have made it accessible for wheelchairs and prams for example – or put in raised walkways, sign posts and even something as basic as footpaths.

Sometimes they are only asking for 50p or a £1 for their efforts.  But for some of the larger sites this could be £2 or more for the whole day as there is more to do there.

The Thing You Went To See:
Now, say that these people didn’t bother to create you a nearby parking space.  You would have to park some distance away from that church or castle, or there is nowhere close by to park at all and so you will not be able to visit where ever you are hoping to go without enduring a really long walk or bus ride instead!

And, some of these beauty spots don’t even need to be open to the public at all!  They may well be on private land where the landowners have granted permission for visitors to park there on the premise that they pay a small fee for the privilege to help maintain the gardens/house/landmark etc.

Basically the reason you want to park here is because there is something close by that interests you and makes you drive all the way to the car park in the first place.

So what harm is there is paying for your experience?  If you want this beauty spot to be here every time you come here – then surely someone has got to pay for it to be maintained and staffed as necessary.

You can’t afford to pay for the whole thing yourself – or look after it yourself – so why not pay a small contribution towards a company or charity that can.

That way – everytime you come here – you get to see something beautiful.

It Was Free Before!
I know we seem to have to pay for everything these days – but that is because we now realise the damage we were doing before by NOT doing anything.

Erosion of land by inappropriate or non-existant footpaths; plant damage by over-grazing – or not grazing at all; damage to buildings or structures where no guidelines or safety information were in place; and all manner of things that were ‘fine’ 20 years ago are no longer deemed so.

And installing footpaths, lighting, information, safety wardens, flocks of livestock, car park attendants, information kiosks, litter bins, blah, blah, blah – they cannot possibly be done for free.

So you may well have been ‘coming here for 35 years’ – but now we are improving the site and correcting the damage from people like you who have been using the site for the past 35 years – possibly without a care for the future.

We Are All Individuals!
Now I’m not saying that everyone who goes anywhere is going to deliberately cause damage – but 35 years ago, no-one in their right mind would even think about picking up their dog poop in the countryside!

Infact even today – when people are paying for the honour of parking so close to a natural landscape like a river or steep valley – they still think it is OK to drop litter!

It amazes me that people still drop litter anywhere anyway – let alone drive all the way to a delightful countryside carpark near something amazing to drop it there.

But then I suppose if they brought a ticket – at least they are paying someone to pick it up for them afterwards!

posted by Catherine on Oct 1

Your dad may well have got something right on those old family road trips!

You know the story – waiting for hours while your dad planned out everything, checked the car over and generally (from your side anyway) delayed the whole ‘leaving’ thing.

However, he could actually have been saving you a whole bunch of time and been protecting the environment along the way?

Planning ahead can really make all the difference to a smooth and eco friendly road trip – and avoid unnecessary waste!

So, maybe it’s time to take a leaf out of his book!

The Journey:
Getting yourself a good map of the main roads from your home to the places you hope to visit is the best starting point.

Not only can you see the quickest route between any 2 points on the main roads, but you can also see any beauty spots or trouble spots before you even think about the journey.

Driving during rush hour also needs to be avoided – but not at the cost of country lanes and the associated extra mileage, gear changes and potential hazards.  Maybe plan the time you travel rather than just the route!

photo credit: YayAdrian

Even knowing where the main services are can save resources.  If you know how much fuel you use over a certain distance than plan to find a services in advance.  If you leave it to low and get caught in traffic or have to follow a diversion – you could then have to divert again and stress yourself out looking for a fill-up!

The Vehicle:
Find out your best driving speed in your chosen vehicle to make sure that you reduce the cost of fuel and add stress to your journey by worrying about be overtaken all the time.  By setting yourself a target speed – you can focus on the journey itself rather than the hi-speed politics of the road.

Also, by distributing the weight in and on your vehicle to best suit the car you can reduce friction and drag on the vehicle making your car move more efficiently and safely in adverse weather or high speeds. 

Find out whether a roof rack is better or worse for bikes than a rear-mounted fixture, or whether luggage is better situated inside the car – like an extra person – crammed in the boot, or spread out over the top of the car in an ergonomic rook box.

If you only have a small vehicle and a long journey ahead of you – then hiring larger equipment when you arrive may actually be more eco friendly than carrying the extra weight of your own things for miles only to use them once!

The People:
By making sure that everyone has a part to play in the journey can make the whole thing easier on everyone.

If you plan to avoid sitting in traffic (or know alternative routes incase) and plan and tell everyone about regular toilet breaks and food stops – then there is no need for that ‘emergency’ diversion looking for services.

Make sure that younger travellers have plenty of things to keep them occupied – or travel at night to avoid added problems.  Ideally keep and adult in the back too; not only can they help with any kiddie-related problems without the driver having to take their eyes off the road or pull over – but you can keep the kids apart for the ride – reducing squabbles!

Also, make sure that whatever helps the driver to stay awake (regular stops, loud music, sugary food) is planned in to the journey and everyone is accepting of that need.  That way the driver won’t feel guilty about stopping and risk going that bit too far between breaks or driving faster to make up time!

The End!

posted by Catherine on Sep 25

Rather than plan to drive to a cute English village, or rural retreat - hop on a train!

You might have read my previous article about getting by without a car – it wasn’t a happy ending!  However, I have found a great reason to leave the car at home:

Rail Travel.

Instead of just using the train to get to work along with a few hundred other commuters early in the morning – I used the train to go to Paris for the weekend!

When you take into account the environmental cost of driving myself for miles across the countryside on windy stop-start lanes to an out of the way cottage – it was better to hop on a train which was already going the way I wanted!

To Paris We Went!
Well, lets be honest – the train was leaving the main Ebbsfleet International Station with or without me – so I wasn’t really costing the Earth any more carbon than it was already going to create on its short journey under the Channel!

photo credit: Whiternoise<

I know that a full train uses more electricity than an empty train – but still not as much energy as with everyone driving on their own.  And anyway; if you could ever find those 4 more people to share your car journey to that little secluded hotel for your break to save emissions – then it won’t be a secluded little hotel anymore!  It would be virtually full!

And, this little trip was so fast, that I arrived in France in no longer than it would have taken me to get from home down to the West Country to that hidden village – and it was more comfortable – and there was no traffic to sit in!

I still got to see all the rolling countryside of both the UK and abroad without having to worry about which side of the road I was on or whether there were any speed bumps in the road!  I just enjoyed the ride!

Be Eco Civilised:
So, maybe public transport for my shorter journeys was a complete disaster – but for longer trips it really gets the thumbs up!  I mean, you can hop on a train close to home and get just about anywhere!

Whether you arrive at the Caledonian Sleeper platform at Kings Cross to stay in a highland castle, or depart from the St Pancras Europe platform for a vineyard chateau – you won’t be disappointed.

On the long distance trains you get to buy your tickets in advance and choose your seating – and there is plenty of legroom!  There is no need to stand in the doorways either holding onto a post for dear life – it is like stepping into a hotel to some extent.

You are greeted at the desk or on boarding; your seats are clean, buffet cart is as standard – and sometimes meals are even included.  There are power points onboard, toilets are clean and the windows are huge!

There is no 2 hour check-in and security checks at every turn – and there is no need to stop for petrol or oil checks – and there is no chance at all of getting lost!

All that time and effort saved or reduced compared to other forms of transport only highlights train travel as the most eco friendly long-distance overland travel option.

What Else?
Well, due to the demands of many – there can be a certain commercial aspect surrounding the whole experience – but this doesn’t have to count against it.

For example, taking Ashford International Station as an example, these large commuter areas have started to cater for your every need – including huge shopping centres. Ashford has a huge shopping complex attached to the rail link with food, clothes and all sorts of consumables that shoppers demand in such places.  And you just need to glance at the St Pancras website (stpancras-international.co.uk) to see the terminal facilities you can use while waiting for your train!

And without these large commercial buildings – some eco friendly projects just wouldn’t get the money for their developments.  Without the financial input of large companies paying rent to these places – they just wouldn’t get built!  So go easy on the fast food chain next time you are passing, or buy your book for the journey from inside the station – as it is these companies that are funding your exciting journey!

Bon Voyage!

posted by Catherine on Sep 16

Travelling around Costa Rica on your next eco adventures couldn’t be easier!

Forget internal flights when you are visiting this amazing country (or any other country in Central or South America) – you need to be on the ground to see the best bits first-hand.

Seeing the top of a cloud forest from way up in the sky or a winding river out the corner of a window is no way to really get a feel for this luscious, verdant and wildlife-filled location. You need to be on the (probably bumpy) road or floating on a murky alligator-filled lake or river – interacting with the landscape!

From Experience:
Having spent a month travelling around this amazing country myself (can you tell I loved it?) I have decided that not only is ground transportation more eco-friendly anyway – but it gets you more involved with the country you are visiting in the first place and can lead to some one-off experiences.

Rather than the immediate (and cocooned) straight from A to B; indirect travel brought me the following:

1) Stopping off to find 6 semi-tame macaws in the trees above us,
2) Watching a boa constrictor eating a huge green iguana,
3) Finding a ginormous Leaf-Cutter Ant’s nest the size of my kitchen!
4) Viewing a grumbling volcano while powering across a huge man-made lake,
5) Having to ask for directions to a hotel in bad French (I asked a tourist by mistake),
6) Stopping to watch a family of 6 coatis (take their time) crossing the road,
7) Getting to eat roadside snacks and fruit from the fields whenever we felt like it!

Long Or Short:
It’s not just the short journeys that can be taken by road, rail or river – longer rides can be organised too.  Many buses head out of Costa Rica into Nicaragua and Panama – as well as the long-haul buses that start and end in Mexico.

You can choose local transport with every else crammed on with you – including local people, animals and other tourists (which are very reliable considering the roads and numbers of people using them) – however, if they are full when they arrive at your stop (and I mean full to bursting) – you won’t get a ride.  And some buses only come through once or twice a day!

However, we mostly opted for the semi-private buses (which varied from giant trucks to personal taxis) to get around.  Not only did these ‘buses’ collect you virtually from your accommodation, but they collected other people too and generally stopped at main hubs all over the place for food and sights.

We were crammed on a minibus from San Jose, but on arriving at a half-way stop for yummy local food, we were divided up and we alone got onto a truck all the way up to the mountains.  The others headed off in their directions in other versions of transport.  On the way down 2 weeks later, we were with about 6 others, in the oldest mini-bus I’ve ever seen - but on splitting up at the side of the road (somewhere deserted), we got in the back of a lovely air-conditioned taxi all the way to Samara beach: perfect! 

Costa Rica Vacations:
In general, any trip to Costa Rica should be a travelling holiday!  It would be such a waste to just arrive in one location and stay there the whole time before heading home!

There are so many different landscapes and climates in this varied country that you need to move about a bit to see them all!  We had a month and visited 3 different regions – but we need to go back!

We don’t like name-dropping trips though (“I’ve been to A,B and C yesterday and whizzing through D and E tomorrow”) – we like to savour the moment – so “2 weeks in A, 10 Days in B and staying in C for a week” is more our preferred conversation.  D and E will just have to wait!

Hopefully not too long!