Tag Archives: beaches

Lipa Lodge~ The Perfect Spot to Stay on the Quiet Side of Koh Samui

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I turned the corner and immediately knew I was in heaven. This was it. This was the reason I love the tropics so much. Well, at least one of them!

Fresh fruit juice

We wandered to the breakfast buffet to find the most stunning display of freshly squeezed juice. Their colors were a reflection of the stunning scene awaiting us on the deck. The bright yellow sunlight glistened on the turquoise water in the bay. Soft green palm trees swayed in the breeze above the white sand beach. The orange shades promises of the sunset to come.

Orange. Pineapple. Guava. Mango. Which juice would accompany breakfast this morning?

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The Quiet Side of Koh Samui

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The birds rustled in the trees as the water lapped quietly along the shore. Life was good on the quiet side of Koh Samui.

Lipa Noi Koh Samui

Our last trip to the island found us staying on the very busy and chaotic Chewang Beach, absolutely the party side of the island.

With our return to Thailand, we were researching islands, and we originally looked in another direction. Koh Chang. Koh Lanta. Koh Lipe. So.Many.Options.

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Thai Akha Cooking Class Chiang Mai

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My mouth began to water as the spicy aroma of frying egg rolls filled the air at Thai Akha Cooking Class. Everyone gathered around, grouping closer, as our fearless leader showed us the correct direction to roll the wraps in the hot oil. With absolute certainty, I knew this would be an afternoon to remember.

After our amazing street food tours in Bangkok, we knew we wanted to do a cooking class in Chiang Mai, and the Thai Akha Cooking Class was our pick. What a fantastic choice!

Thai appetizer

Having taken over a dozen cooking classes in the past, I can wholeheartedly verify this was easily the best I’ve ever experienced.

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Spotting Wildlife at Manual Antonio National Park

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One of our prime reasons for choosing Costa Rica is because it’s one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world and spotting wildlife at Manual Antonio National Park was high on our to-do list.

iguana

We’d already hit the Caribbean at Tortuguero, and the highlands of Orosi, but we had high hopes for spotting even more species as we headed to Manual Antonio National Park on the Pacific side, one of the country’s premier parks. Camera in hand, we drove an hour or so south of our AirBnB to reach the park right as it opened in a mostly failed attempt to avoid the crowds.

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The Pacific Ocean Was Calling

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Costa Rica’s highlands were magical but after a few days, the Pacific Ocean was Calling.

We headed south from Orosi along the Pan-American Highway. This section of the highway reaches over 10,000′ in elevation before winding its way down to San Isidro de el General as Jim & I dreamed of continuing south to complete our journey started several years ago. Instead, we took a hard right and headed towards the Pacific Ocean.

Wine glasses at sunset
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Casa Pelican in Tortuguero, Costa Rica ~ Guesthouse Review

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If a stop in Tortuguero is on your Costa Rica itinerary, and it should be, one of the first questions will be where to stay. Our choice was the delightful Casa Pelican.

Although there are dozens of lodging options both in and around town, we think your best bet to truly immerse yourself in the culture is to choose one of the centrally located guest houses available. You can stay in a standard bland hotel anywhere…on a tropical holiday why not venture on the local side?

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How to Get to Tortuguero Village Costa Rica

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An intriguing stop on our trip around Costa Rica was Tortuguero Village and during the planning stages, the main question was how the heck do we get there? We gained some excellent tips from sites such as TwoWeeksinCostaRica and MyTanFeet, but a few details have changed recently so here we offer all of the updated information to get you to this magical destination.

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Costa Rica’s Capital in Photos

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We have to be honest, San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, didn’t win our hearts but did lend itself to some intriguing photos. We did appreciate the pleasant climate combined with the color and vitality that is so evident in Latin American cultures. It’s easy enough to make a list of things to see and do in San Jose but we’re going to simply share our favorite moments in photos to inspire you to head to this stunning country and find your own magic.

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