Visit Costa Rica – A Heaven on Earth

Costa Rica with its variety of wildlife, amazing beaches, forests, active volcanoes and mountains attracts over a million visitors every year. The Caribbean coast and the lovely beaches of Manuel Antonio will certainly keep your family busy for an entire week. To help you completely explore Costa Rica in a few days, here is a sample travel plan.

manuel antonio costa rica

Day 1 of your trip to Costa Rica you’ll arrive in San Jose. Spend your first day getting used to the surroundings and settling in.

Day 2 and Day 3 can be spent exploring the Sarapiqui Region which is known for its world-class white water rafting and kayaking adventures. The region is named for the beautiful river that flows through it. Tirimbina Rainforest is also located in this area which is a biological reserve excellent for educational purposes. Other beautiful locations include a butterfly farm, botanical gardens and a museum. Your kids are going to love this vacation.

Two worth-mentioning activities are a visit to La Paz Waterfall Gardens and White Water Rafting. La Paz Waterfall Gardens are located in Varablanca, Costa Rica. Here you will explore beautiful butterflies, hummingbirds, snakes, frogs and colorful birds. Breathtaking views can be found here for photography consisting of marvelous waterfalls and lakes. White water rafting in the waters of the Sarapiqui River is enormously enjoyable.

Day 4 and Day 5 can be spent by visiting Tortuguero in the Caribbean Coast. Here you will be able to visit the white sand beaches loved by tourists all over the world. Tortuguero National Park is also located in the Caribbean Coast where activities like fishing and bird watching are very popular. Animals like crocodiles, lizards, toucans, sea turtles, and howler monkeys are found in abundance in this area. The park contains different habitats including swamps, rain forests, lagoons and beaches.

You can enjoy a Jungle Boat Expedition and Kayaking during your stay on the coast. A motorized boat will take you and your family to explore the river with fascinating wildlife and amazing scenery along the way. If you find time from these activities you can also relax at the Tortuguero’s Buddah Café to view the beach from a distance. Around 2,200 species of plants can be found in Tortuguero.

Day 6, Day 7 and Day 8 – will be spent in Manuel Antonio, Pacific Coast. The Zipline Canopy Tour and Manuel Antonio National Park are the main attractions in this area. People who visit Costa Rica never miss the dense rain forests where scarce animals like squirrel monkey can be easily spotted. Children especially love the visits to the rain forests. Manuel Antonio National Park is home to around 109 species of mammals and 184 species of beautiful birds. The wildlife along with amazing views of the beaches and the rain forests is something you will never forget.

Day 9 you’ll start your journey back home. You will get a chance to shoot tons of breathtaking photos during your stay in Costa Rica including animals and beautiful plants and trees. Get ready for the most amazing vacation of your life.

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Belize: A Tropical Vacation Wonderland

If you thought Dorothy had an interesting time in OZ, you’ve obviously never traveled to Belize; this country of about 240,000 is famous for its jungles, Mayan ruins and caves.

This is just one possible itinerary when vacationing in Belize, the tropical wonderland:

* Once you arrive, you may want to pay a visit to The Belize Zoo or you could choose to just relax while you look forward to all of the adventure which awaits you at your scheduled stops.

ABC Nightline – The Belize Zoo – video powered by Metacafe

*The next morning, you’ll start with a river cave exploration, combining tubing through a cave river and hiking in the main chamber of the cave and in the higher chambers. You’ll see Mayan artifacts and learn about the people who used to live here, along with some information about Mayan ceremonies practiced here.

* The third day is when you’ll begin an overnight cave expedition. You’ll have an hour and a half hike through the jungle, which will take you to a 300 foot deep sinkhole, known locally as the Black Hole. Local guides will teach you how to rappel into the Black Hole. You’ll set up camp near the entrance to a nearby cave after lunch. You can choose to explore the cave, or just sit by the campfire and listen to the guides as they regale you with stories from past trips and of the Mayans who once inhabited the area.

Mayan Temple in Caracol, Belize

* On day four, you’ll enjoy a waterfall cave expedition. You’ll go on a short hike to the entrance of the cave and then see the waterfalls inside.

* Day five offers an excursion to the Blue Hole Horse Trails. This branch of the Banana Bank grand equestrian lodge offers the chance to see the jungle on horseback, something which is a truly unique experience.

* Day six will be a day of Sibun River kayaking. This river is one of the most unspoiled in the world. The river flows through jungle, mountains and rainforests in the Sibun watershed. You’ll see colorful tropical birds and other animals, hear howler monkeys and if you’re lucky, maybe even a jaguar.

Belize has a lifestyle and culture which is similar to other countries in the Caribbean. There is a diverse population; the people of Belize are of ethnicities including Mayan, Spanish, Creole, British, Mennonite and Garifuna. This makes a Belize vacation a very interesting journey.

With more than 500 Mayan ruins to explore in Belize, there is so much to see that you’ll want to come back again and again.

Learn a little about the country and the various tour packages available before you plan your trip – in any case, a vacation in Belize offers both recreation and learning and will always be a fond memory for you and your family.

Check out the Belize Tourism Board  for places to see and things to do.

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