For this year’s annual fall trip with the hubby, we decided on…(insert drumroll here) Costa Rica! We both had never been and had it on our respective travel lists for awhile so decided now or never! After comparing the pros and cons of flying into Liberia or San Jose, we finally decided on Liberia staying at the Andaz in the Guanacaste region in Papagayo.
Since this trip was planned to be more on the relaxing side (his idea, not mine!), it was mostly spent lounging by the pool, sipping alcoholic beverages, and eating great food (no complaints here!). Although the forecast mentioned rain everyday during our stay, we actually had 4 beautiful days of straight sunshine (again, no complaints here!).
Though we didn’t do too much (since it was supposed to be our “relaxing” vacation), here are a few highlights (and lowlights…is that even a word?) from the trip:
Highlight #1: The ceviche at Ostra restaurant at our resort was one of the best I’ve ever tasted. The downside: the service was absolutely horrific. So bad that we almost left midway through dinner…
Highlight #2: Caracol steakhouse at the Four Seasons…everything (well almost everything) was pure perfection. From the drinks to the mouthwateringly delicious food to the service was impeccable from start to finish. I ordered the coconut and chipotle mussels to start while Will chose the crab cake for an appetizer followed by the rib-eye and duck confit and it was all so delicious. However, there was one downside…the grilled corn was terrible (who knew that you could mess up corn?!) BUT was immediately taken off of the bill, our waiter offered us a free round of drinks, and the chef come out to apologize (and did so profusely) for the corn. Now that is what I call service!
Highlight #3: Guachipelin Adventure Combo Tour at Rincon de La Vieja. Boasting 10 activities in one action packed day, this type of tour was right up my alley and definitely didn’t disappoint. It combined river tubing, zip lining, canyoning, rappelling, rock climbing, tarzan swing, hanging bridges, and volcanic mud bath.
It was my first time horse back riding! I was super excited at first (of course I would be after seeing tons of photos of people riding so gracefully across a white sand beach or galloping gallantly through a perfect forest) but I quickly realized my experience would be far from that. I had the most temperamental horse named “Lady Gaga” that did NOT follow my directions at all. She could care less about barbed wire, trees, rocks, branches, or anything else blocking out path…and I have the bumps, bruises, and mosquito bites to prove it. Needless to say, that was my first AND last time on a horse.
Next up was the river tubing which was exhilarating…probably less so for Will since he suffered a bit of a tumble during one of the bigger rapids.
After breaking for a short lunch at the on-site restaurant (food was standard Costa Rican fare and just average which was to be expected), it was time for zip lining. Although I’ve done zip lining in several countries, this was my first time upside down. It was a bit uncomfortable but soooo much fun (unfortunately didn’t get video of it but I promise I did it!).
This was followed by rappelling, rock climbing, tarzan swing, hanging bridges, and volcanic mud bath.
Highlight #4: My first time stand-up paddleboarding!
Overall, the trip was a great mix of relaxation and adventure so I would call that another success! Until next time…
Toya's Travels 