Lounging in the pool, staring out into the darkening tropical jungle, I contemplated my difficult choices. A drink before dinner, or stay in the pool? Decisions, decisions. On a small group tour, that was about the toughest one I had to make.
I consider myself an independent traveler. From my first trip as an adult, backpacking across Asia and Australia, to current jaunts with my family, I like to do it myself. But a recent trip to Costa Rica reminded me of the pleasures and advantages of small group tours.
I was in Costa Rica for business, so was traveling alone. I had an open weekend, but only the weekend – I had to be back in San Jose on Monday morning. I decided to maximize my time by signing up for a tour to Tortuguero National Park. And I, super independent traveler, had a fantastic time.
A massive magnitude 8.9 earthquake rocked the Japan coast this morning (Friday, March 11th), triggering tsunami warnings for twenty countries, including the coasts of Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. While it appears that the tsunami will have minimal effect on Central America, Ecuador and [...]
You announce you are going to Latin America by yourself, and your mother promptly faints. After you revive her, she begins issuing dire warnings of all the terrible things that will happen to a woman traveling along in South America. Take a deep breath. The world has changed. Solo women travelers are no longer bizarre [...]
Many countries in Latin America require a payment at the airport prior to departure. Often times you have to pay this amount in cash (usually either local currency or US Dollars). Argentina: (Buenos Aires EZE) $18 to be paid in USD upon checking in for international flight from Argentina. El Calafate: $18 to be paid [...]
It’s the same challenge for most groups: How to find a group airfare option that fits the total budget, without having to pay in full right away, or otherwise risk paying more later, as the fare, taxes and/or fuel charges continue to skyrocket? In the current airfare market, there is an inherent risk of paying [...]
