Celebrating biodiversity in Costa Rica

By GAIL LOWE

ARENAL, COSTA RICA — At any moment, a provoked crocodile could have attacked the rubber raft we paddled along the Penas Blanca River in the middle of a rain forest only 30 minutes from La Fortuna, a town next to Costa Rica's Arenal volcano.

Arenal Volcano as seen from the grounds of Hotel Lomas Del Vol 

Fortunately for us, the crocodiles apparently had already had lunch. But others have not been as fortunate. There have been reports of sawed off legs, arms and heads. While on our river safari, our guide told us that in one case a crocodile was euthanized and in its gut a man’s entire remains were found. What a gruesome image!

We were taken through a region where howler monkeys swung through the trees, sloths peacefully napped in thick vegetation, venomous snakes slithered along the embankments and toucans flitted across the water. Now and then, we’d spot a neon green lizard sunning itself on a rock. This, we agreed, was the forest primeval.

Our guide used a laser pointer to bring these creatures to our attention as we glided along. “We” included my husband and I and a mother and son from New Jersey sharing space in the little raft.

Costa Rica — the rich coast — is known for its biodiversity and natural resources. Because of the country’s geographical placement near the equator, it is blessed with numerous species of birds, wildlife, flowers, spices, hot springs and majestic beauty. Along the east coast, there is the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. On the west coast, there is the Pacific. Both coasts are lined with beautiful beaches.

Our first night of a seven-night adventure in the spring of 2017 was spent in San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital. Hotel Balmoral was smack in the middle of downtown and an easy walk to restaurants, shops and museums. The inner city reminded us of Downtown Crossing in Boston where only foot traffic is allowed. We found it safe for an early evening stroll to a restaurant, and no one pushed us to buy souvenirs or other wares. The hotel itself was clean and adequate for our needs, which is to say we needed a place to sleep. The bed, however, was rock hard and so were the pillows. Hotel management: Please do something about this if you want more positive reviews. To make up for it, the room rate included a full breakfast, and we filled up with coffee, juice, fresh fruit, toast, egg dishes and various meats before setting off for Arenal in our all-wheel drive rented Jimmy Suzuki.

The two hours to La Fortuna (Arenal) might have frightened some—we had been warned that there are no guard rails—but we braved the switchback roads with ease and found that there were indeed guard rails to protect drivers. We arrived in La Fortuna a few hours later and after driving through the small Latino town we found our lodging for the next two nights. Hotel Lomas Del Volcan, a quasi gated community, was built on a long incline to the base of the Arenal volcano, which is covered in thick green vegetation. At first sight, it just about takes your breath away, it’s so majestic. White smoke curled out of the volcano’s cauldron, and yes it remains active to this day. At night, there is viewing from the Arenal Observatory Lodge, only a short drive from the hotel.

We loved this area, including the hotel, for a lot of reasons and would highly recommend it to anyone. First, every guest is given a detached wood-frame bungalow for the duration of their stay and breakfast is included if you book through a tour operator like Gate1travel.com. Some bungalows feature a bedroom, bathroom and front and rear porches for relaxing. Other bungalows are big enough to accommodate large families and come with sitting rooms in addition to bedrooms and bath. The grounds are immaculate and are a profusion of lovely plants and flowers. Since just the two of us were traveling, we stayed in a smaller bungalow, but our every need was met, from shampoo, soap and blow dryer to a fully stocked mini refrigerator. I’m happy, also, to report that the beds were far nicer than what Hotel Balmoral offered.

Management at this hotel was friendly, warm and welcoming. People manning the front desk helped us select the best tour options suitable for us. Instead of zip-lining through the jungle, we opted instead for a river safari through a rain forest, which included a stop at an authentic Costa Rican farmhouse owned by two elderly women. While there, we sampled food grown on their farmland. Following a short rest, we climbed down the embankment and hopped aboard our rubber raft, picked up our paddles and went on our way.

There were a number of hot springs near our hotel, including one inside a resort called Baldi Hot Springs Hotel and Spa. Though the springs are not in a natural setting, the grounds are inspiring, beautiful and well worth visiting.

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean from Si Como No Hotel

Our Costa Rican adventure allowed only two days in the Arenal area, so we also chose to walk two miles on a narrow dirt path to the anterior side of the volcano, also the site of a small lava field. Entering the 

  

walkway cost $15 per person. It is here that the Kodak blue Arenal Lake can be viewed from a distance. The pathway was narrow and a bit tight, as many other tourists wanted to see the volcano close up. This walk is for people who are fit and active, as the path is on a slight incline and rocky in some places.  Along the way, we found fascinating natural formations. For instance, a tree grew in such a way that it took on the appearance of a giraffe. We also came across a beehive and an army of fire ants, which we stayed clear of. A better

Tree along Arenal pathway looks like a giraffe

choice might have been a drive to Arenal Observatory Lodge where, at night, you can view the volcano in spectacular color.

After checking out following a two-night stay in Arenal, we drove another three hours to Manuel Antonio on the southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Our hotel, Si Como No (translated “Yes, of course!”) was built into the side of a mountain overlooking the Pacific. Each room boasted a commanding ocean view and private patio for viewing wildlife, including howler monkeys that would awaken us in the morning with their loud grunts.

If you book at Si Como No, know ahead of time that room access might be difficult. For instance, to access room 19, which was our first assignment, we had to walk down 48 stairs, which meant another 48 steps to get back up to street level. For those who aren’t quite fit or suffer any kind of physical ailment (such as arthritic knees), this could present a problem. The staff at reception is more than accommodating, however, so not to worry. If you’re not satisfied with your room assignment, ask for another. They’re all lovely, quiet and clean, by the way, and well equipped with everything you might need. The beach at Si Como No also does not have easy access but can be reached by a hotel shuttle bus that runs on the hour.

Our stay at Si Como No also included breakfast at an outdoor restaurant and an adults-only pool that we appreciated for relaxing. Tours in this area also include zip-lining and other adventure activities, but we decided to skip the adventure, including a visit to Manuel Antonio National Park which, we were told by other tourists, was like a bad day at the zoo — overcrowded with people and overrun by animals.

Instead, we opted for a catamaran cruise and visit to a spice farm about a half hour’s drive from our hotel. The catamaran cruise took place during the afternoon and lasted three hours. A newlywed couple and their wedding guests were aboard, and when we stopped for snorkeling many went to the top deck and jumped into the warm water for swimming and snorkeling. While cruising along the coastline, dinner was being prepared — delicious fish, macaroni salad, vegetables and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The afternoon turned out to be a festive, fun experience.

The spice farm visit was also held during the afternoon and proved to be a bit uncomfortable due to the humidity, as the farm is inland. Our guide, however, was knowledgeable and taught us about vanilla and chocolate making, and demonstrated how cinnamon is shaved from the branch of a tree. At the end of the tour, we were treated to a half dozen delicacies made with vanilla and chocolate and bought a bottle of vanilla and white and dark chocolate beans, plus cinnamon, to use at home.

 

Dinner  was served in the shape of a volcano.

There’s no shortage of good restaurants in every region of Costa Rica. We expected the cuisine to resemble Mexican food, either hot and spicy or mild. But Costa Rican food, we discovered, is quite bland in comparison. This doesn’t mean that it lacked flavor. Anything but. What we were served was fresh and every bit organic.

Costa Rica had been on our bucket list for quite some time, and we’re both glad we chose this destination for our annual winter trip. If we return, we’ll look for a package deal that focuses on

Liberia in Guanacaste. We’re told the beaches there are absolutely gorgeous.

Visit www.gate1travel.com to view tours.

Viva Wyndham Maya, Mexican Riviera a good fit for families

By GAIL LOWE

Confession: I love Mexican people. They’re warm, friendly, hard-working and are grateful for even the meager tips Americans, Canadians and Europeans are willing to pass out. It’s a major reason why, as an older couple, my husband and I have chosen Riviera Maya as a winter vacation site in the past few years. Because we’ve been to Mexico (the Mayan Riviera) multiple times, we have solid evidence when it comes to comparing resorts.

 

At Hacienda Don Diego's authentic Mexican restaurant right at the resort. 

For instance, by far, the beach at the Wyndham Viva Maya wins hands down for its beauty over three other resorts we stayed at in Puerta Aventura and Cancun. When people talk about the "beautiful beach" at the Viva Wyndham Maya, what they're really saying is that the sand is a creamy beige and pillow soft, the water is a stunning Kodak turquoise and the wave action on a windy day is both playful and rough but not dangerous with rip currents. It's excellent for body surfing or simply jumping the waves, and I must say the water temperature, instead of being bathtub warm, is refreshing on a hot, humid tropical day. As winter turns into spring and into summer, the water (and) air temperatures climb. We would return in a heartbeat for the beach alone. In fact, in our opinion, the beach is the Viva Maya's best asset.

If first impressions count, then our first impression of the Viva Maya was "ho-hum." There is nothing that suggests any kind of luxury or dazzle when you walk into the hotel’s lobby. A reception counter is to your left and across from that are a pair of guest services desks. We thought there might be a welcome drink, but nothing was offered. The curious thing, though, is that on another day, a waiter passed through the lobby with a tray of drinks and they were offered to people checking in. I don't know why we were overlooked when we checked in, but the same thing happened when a guest services rep approached on check-in day to orient us to the resort, only to disappear a few minutes later. We never did get an orientation, but it didn’t really matter because the resort is small enough that you can walk from the rear of the resort to the beach in a few minutes. And everything is easy to find — swimming pools, entertainment area, buffet restaurant, specialty restaurants, gift shop and gym.

We arrived at the resort at about noon and had to wait three hours to be assigned a room in the 1100 block at the front left side of the resort. There are no exceptions to this 3 p.m. check-in rule. Of course, we were free to use the amenities, including lunch at the buffet or snack bar, and that's what we did. We ate. Still, we were hot and tired after leaving Boston before sun-up and there were no air conditioned spaces at the hotel where we could cool off. The buffet restaurant, for instance, only has ceiling fans to cool guests.

The lobby/check-in area opens to a central courtyard where tables and chairs are set up. This is where most people access WiFi, but even after paying $35 for the week service was slow and weak. Chalk this up to so many people using their smartphones to check e-mail, headlines and the Dow. This area also attracts smokers. When we sat there a few times, we had to keep moving from table to table to escape the fumes. (I also found it odd that we had to pay $14 for the room safe, but we didn’t want to leave any valuables unattended.)

When we finally were assigned our room, we were given one that had a king bed, small fridge and soap and shampoo (some rooms have no soap or shampoo so we brought our own just in case). But unlike other guests, no one stocked the fridge with water or soda or anything else. The room was adequate for our needs, however, and was kept nice and clean every day. On days six and seven of our stay, something strange happened. We were not given bath towels. We asked the front desk on day six about it but still were not given any. We had two choices: Make a fuss or make do with blue beach towels we were given at the beach shack. We made do until, on day seven, the towels were delivered.

Still, there's a lot to like about this resort, starting with the adult only pool located at the back of the property near the 3000 block of rooms. Though food is unavailable at this pool, drinks are. It's a quiet space away from the hustle-bustle at the front of the resort, which is near the "all ages" pool and beach. For people who crave action, piped in music, crowd-pleasing games, dance lessons, yoga, water aerobics and even classes to learn the art of trapeze, there's no shortage of things to do. At the beach, there’s volley ball, a catamaran and jet skis. We also saw parasailers high in the sky. But if you enjoy quieter activities, like reading a novel or writing a book, then stay away from the “all ages” pool and action area. It can be noisy, especially if there are a lot of kids around — or people who've had too much to drink.

About the food: Other guests who have written reviews have given thumbs down on the food offered at the resort's buffet. Well, maybe they're gourmands, but if anyone went away hungry, it's their own fault. The variety was excellent. A sample buffet menu is this (and more): A bread station that included all kinds of croissants, breads and rolls; two soup stations; a half dozen chafing dishes filled with authentic Mexican fare; a pasta station that included three our four pasta choices; salad fixings;, chili; salsa; guacamole; assorted cheese; pizza; vegetable and meat dishes and fresh fruit (including mango, my favorite). Drinks included wine and beer, lemonade, iced tea and purified water. If this isn't enough, there was sorbet and gelato for dessert (absolutely yummy), flans, cakes iced with coconut frosting, fruit-filled pastry, Jell-O molds and more. Service at the buffet was friendly and quick. The snack bar near the "all ages" pool was a diluted version of the buffet. This menu included hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, salsa and chips, guacamole, pizza, soup, fresh fruit and desserts, all sufficient for a hearty lunch. Breakfast also hit the mark with two omelet stations, breads and sweet rolls and croissants, fresh fruit, cereal (including oatmeal), yogurt, bacon, breakfast sausages, French toast, pancakes and on and on. There’s also a smoothie station, which many people enjoyed.

As for additional amenities, a comment about the gym. I used it once to walk two miles on the treadmill but would not go back. Why? No air conditioning. If any one space inside the resort should have had AC instead of ceiling fans, it’s the gym.

On this trip, we decided to forgo day excursions (we had already been to Tulum and Xcaret) and opted instead for Cirque du Soleil's Joya nighttime show. Oh, my, what a treat. We bought the champagne package (a little expensive at more than $250 per couple but worth every penny). A lovely Joya bus picked us up in front of Starbucks across from the resort and brought us to the Joya pavilion, a truly splendid venue surrounded by a lazy lagoon. The theater was small enough so that no matter where you sat, the view was excellent. The price included round trip transportation, a bottle of champagne and appetizers enough for two and tickets to the performance, which was spectacular. A trio of musicians, including an awesome fiddler, opened the show.

At the resort, entertainment starts at 9:30 p.m. and continues for about an hour. We could have done without the disco show, but the Latin show featuring snazzy, sexy costumes and awesome dance moves was quite good.

The resort grounds were well kept, and workers were always seen sweeping, trimming, polishing and serving. Kudos to them! They do a great job and deserve every penny in salary and tips. In the center of the resort are palapa walkways that lead to rooms on either side as well as restaurants Don Diego’s and Portofino (both serve delicious cuisine served by excellent wait staff. Our third choice was Bamboo at Azteca, another great restaurant).

All told, this is a resort that would delight families and people in their 20s and 30s looking for an economical vacation. For older couples, it’s not quite a good fit because most of us like a more sedate and quiet getaway. What makes up for the missing frills and uneven service can be found in what the resort has to offer and the people who work there — not to mention, of course, that beautiful beach!