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Costa Rica white faced capuchin monkey

Best Activities for Children in Costa Rica

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Question:

Wendy,

My siblings and I are considering a family vacation to Costa Rica during spring break next April. There may be 8 to 12 children, ranging in age from 6 to 18, and we’d probably go for 7 to 8 nights.

There seems to be so much to do in Costa Rica. Do you have any suggestions that won’t break the bank for this animal- and nature-loving group?

—Priscilla O.

 

Answer:

Costa Rica is a popular destination for families, packed as it is with outdoor adventures that work for a variety of ages. Sadly, I haven’t made it there with my own kids yet. So, to get an answer for you, I turned to the Costa Rica experts from my WOW List, who have plenty of advice for large family groups. A first and foremost tip for this family in particular, but that will ring true for many travelers: Go to fewer places and spend more time in each place. Travel within Costa Rica is expensive—unless you take public transportation, which most Americans find too challenging. Furthermore, packing up and moving is a hassle. Twelve kids and, say, 6 to 8 adults: That’s 18 to 20 chances to leave something important in the last place you stayed. Also, the longer you stay in one place, the more you can get to know the locals.

Here are suggested activities for large family groups:

 

Costa Rica kids getting ready for white water rafting

Courtesy Costa Rica Expeditions

Whitewater rafting

Costa Rica is a narrow country just 10 degrees north of the equator, with a spine of mountains down the middle. This makes for world-class rivers for all ages and levels of difficulty, with dramatic tropical scenery and warm water. Rafting in general is a wonderful activity for kids. You learn teamwork, and how to overcome obstacles and challenges, yet there is very little danger. Costa Rica’s ideal conditions make it even better.

 

Looking for monkeys in the rainforest

Monkeys are hard enough to find in the forest that everyone will be excited when you see your first ones. There are four species of monkeys in Costa Rica: howler, spider, squirrel, and white-faced capuchin. Visitors who want to see monkeys and are willing to keep looking almost always see at least one species, though few visitors see all four. No matter how many species you see, learn about them all. What are the differences in their personalities, their families, their diets?

 

Surfing

Advances in surfboard design have made learning to surf much easier and safer than it used to be. Costa Rica has ideal waves for learning and good instructors all along the Pacific Coast. My favorite surf spots for kids are Nosara and Playa Grande. Another reason that Costa Rica is a great place to learn to surf is, as with rafting, warm water. There is something about friendly water that makes learning swift water sports a lot more pleasant.

 

Watching turtles nesting on the beaches of Tortuguero National Park

Visitors can actually stand a few feet from a 300-pound Green Sea Turtle while she lays 80 to 100 eggs, covers up her nest, perhaps digs a false nest to throw off predators, and, finally, after more than an hour, returns to the sea. No one ever forgets the experience. The season is June through October. During the peak months of July and August you have about an 85% chance of observing such nesting.

 

Helping local kids learn English

For children on vacation, nothing is as potentially valuable for them as consciously contributing to the places they visit. We have a program at Tortuga Lodge called the Word Adventure, in which guests help local kids learn English.

 

Zip-lining

Almost without fail, parents who are planning a family vacation want to include a zip line in their itinerary. There are a few things to keep in mind:

  • When determining which children can go, it’s more about weight than age. We use the guideline of minimum 70lbs but that is not always right, because the harness has to fit properly on the child. So if the harness doesn’t fit, they can’t do the zip line.
  • When kids are small and light, even when the harness fits properly, they usually will have to go in tandem with a guide. Parents often insist that they want to be the ones to zip with their child, but that’s not a good idea; their child is much safer with a guide.
  • As with any adventure sport, it’s a good idea to check a company’s safety record or their recommendations beforehand. (Neither is easy to do). Of the hundreds of zip lines available in Costa Rica, we only work with a handful. They were approved because they were built correctly and they are operated to safety standards by their guides.

 

Have a travel question for Wendy? Send it to her here.

 

 

Forbidden City Beijing China Red Door

Beijing Airport Layovers: The Best Way to Spend Them

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An airport layover doesn’t have to mean that you’re stuck in the airport. In this series, local experts in the world’s most popular hub cities recommend sightseeing itineraries for every time frame.

 

The great thing about an airport layover in China is that the country now offers 72-hour, visa-free layovers so that you can get out of the airport and into a few major cities for short sightseeing stints. Since Beijing is where many travelers to Asia first touch down, we talked to Context Travel’s Beijing experts to find out how to make the most of a PEK airport layover, no matter how short it is. Turns out that even just a few hours can give you the chance to check out Beijing’s art scene, food offerings, or historic attractions.

 

The Basics

How to exit the airport: Beijing immigration has a lane set aside for 72-hour, visa-free stopovers. When you arrive at immigration, be sure to have the boarding pass from your first flight and an onward plane ticket to (or airline confirmation for) a third destination—not the place from which you just came.

Taxi: Beijing traffic is notoriously terrible, but gridlock isn’t too bad outside of rush hour (7:30–9am, 5–7pm), especially coming in from the airport. Expect to queue for a cab for 15 to 20 minutes; the ride to the city center can take 40 to 50 minutes. Expect to pay around ¥70–¥80 (approximately US$11–$13) outside of rush hour; during rush-hour, the ride can take up to 80 minutes and cost up to ¥150 or so (about US$25). For your return to the airport, if you’re staying overnight and in a quiet area, have your hotel call a cab ahead of time.

Train: The Airport Express runs from Beijing Capital Airport to downtown Dongzhimen station in about 20 to30 minutes. You can find a train schedule here. Tickets are ¥25 each, and you’ll need to hang on to them to swipe out of the station. If you have an overnight layover and your hotel is walking distance from Dongzhimen or from a line 2 or 13 metro station, this is a quick and inexpensive way to get downtown. If you have heavy baggage, suffer from claustrophobia, or are not staying near Dongzhimen or metro lines 2 and 13, you’d do better to take a cab—even in rush hour. If you take the train to Dongzhimen during rush hour, you are unlikely to be able to find a cab once you exit the station.

Private tour: Context Travel has introduced a Beijing layover package. The five-hour package includes a scholar-led walking tour of both the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square and lunch at a local restaurant with one of Context’s docents—all Beijing residents and experts in their academic fields. The price includes round-trip airport transfers, but you’ll still need five hours plus travel time to and from the airport. If your inbound flight is delayed, Context will do its best to adjust your tour schedule accordingly. Contact Context through Wendy’s WOW List to ensure VIP treatment and get the best possible experience.

What to do with your luggage: Stow your luggage either by checking it through with your airline company or leaving it at the Left Luggage service between T1 to T2 (¥20-¥50 per bag/day depending on the size).

 

If You Have a 6-Hour Layover

Save time and a headache by taking a cab to the 798 Art Zone. This pedestrian-only complex of former military factories-turned-galleries is only a 20-minute drive from the airport (about ¥25–¥30). For the return leg, be sure to leave yourself 20 extra minutes to flag down a cab on the main road outside the entrance to 798. Peruse the dozens of art studios and galleries, making sure to stop at Long March Space (4 Jiuxianqiao Lu; +86-10-5978-9768) and at Ullens Center (UCCA) (4 Jiuxianqiao Lu; +86-10-5780-0200) for its exhibitions and fantastic gift shop. Browse the books and grab a bite at Timezone 8 (4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, directly across from UCCA), tuck into vegetarian Chinese dishes at the delightful Buddha’s Bite (798 Art District, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu 2 Jinxiangqiao Lu; 86-10-5762-6193), or kick back with a glass of wine in the courtyard of boutique hotel Grace Beijing (798 Art District, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, 706 Houjie; +86-10-6436-1818).

 

If You Have an 8-Hour Layover

Start off at the Temple of Heaven, which dates back to 1420. Surrounded by an enormous park, this is a good place to stretch your legs and get some fresh air. Particularly in the early morning, Temple of Heaven Park is a hive of activity, and you’ll see locals exercising and practicing tai chi. In the afternoons, you’ll find more locals dancing, singing, playing chess, and flying kites. From the Temple of Heaven, it’s an hour’s walk north to the Forbidden City (the subway takes almost as long; a cab will take 15 minutes). Spend an hour or so in the Forbidden City—more and you’re likely to fall asleep on one of the benches—and then get a bite to eat before heading back to the airport. The restaurants within walking distance of the Forbidden City are upscale; there’s continental cuisine at Capital M (3/F No. 2 Qianmen Street, Pedestrian Area; +86-10-6702-2727)—whose terrace view includes the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square—and at Brian McKenna @ The Courtyard (95 Donghuamen Daji; +86-10-6526-8883), where McKenna dabbles in molecular gastronomy. If you have enough time and energy, walk 30 minutes along high street Wangfujing to Peking Duck purveyor Da Dong (5/F, 88 Jinbaojie). It’d be a shame to pass through China without eating its national dish, and this could be your only chance.

 

If You Have a 9-Hour Layover or More

After the Forbidden City, head to Gulou (literally, the drum tower) and meander through Beijing’s hutongs. These ancient narrow alleyways, between courtyard houses, have been heavily gentrified over the last few years, saving them from certain destruction. Though they remain charmingly local, the hutongs are now dotted with boutiques, cafes, restaurants, bars, and even a boutique hotel—The Orchid (65 Baochao Hutong; +86-10-8404-4818). Go for dumplings at Mr. Shi’s(74 Baochao Hutong; +86-010-8405-0399), a craft beer at Great Leap Brewing (6 Doujiao Hutong; +86-10-5717-1399), and then retire to Zigzag (52 Wudaoying Hutong; +86-10-8404-0020) for a much-needed foot massage.

 

If You Don’t Have Time to Leave The Airport

Take advantage of the facilities at one of the nearby airport hotels. The Hilton (Terminal 3, 1 Sanjing Road; +86-10-6458-8888) can be reached on foot. It has a spa, indoor pool, gym, and Chinese and Western restaurants—significantly better than the few options you’ll find inside the airport. The restaurants are open to the public, and if you make an appointment at the spa you’ll have access to the pool and gym too. Depending on availability, the Hilton also offers day packages that allow you to check into a room between flights. A less expensive alternative, though one that requires catching a shuttle, is the Ibis (No. 2 Tianzhu ; +86-10-6456-7799), which has rooms for around $30; it doesn’t offer day packages, but early check-in and late check-out are possible. The Ibis has few entertaining amenities, but there’s free Wi-Fi in the lobby and hourly airport shuttles (the roads right around the airport are traffic-heavy and not ideal for pedestrians).

 

More Layover Solutions:

Amsterdam Airport Layovers: How to Make the Most of Them

Barcelona Airport Layovers: How to Make the Most of Them

Great Paris Hotels for an Airport Layover at Charles de Gaulle

London Heathrow Layover: Great Hotels for a Stopover at LHR

Madrid Airport Layovers: How to Make the Most of Them

Tokyo Airport Layovers: The Best Way to Spend Them

 

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

The Larder at Tavern restaurant in LAX

Best Ways to Spend Your Connection in 10 U.S. Airports

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As the storm season approaches and we brace ourselves for the flight delays and cancellations due to occur, we have a choice: We can either grumble about the time we waste stuck in airports, or we can turn them into new destinations to explore. You’d be surprised how many boring U.S. hubs have spas, museums, pools, legendary local restaurants, even golf. So the next time you’re connecting in an airport you hate to connect in, make the most of it with these suggestions:

 

Atlanta airport ATL Mini Suite

Minute Suites at ATL offer five private, noise-neutralized rooms where you can nap for $34/hour.  Photo Courtesy Minute Suites

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL)

See: A 31-foot-long Yangchuanosaurus dinosaur skeleton stands in the central atrium, a few steps from the security station. It’s on loan from the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

Eat: One Flew South serves much-buzzed-about “Southernational” cuisine, from shrimp and grits to pulled duck sandwiches to kamikaze rolls (Concourse E). If you’re craving fast comfort food, though, try The Varsity, an outpost of the famed local institution dating from 1928 and serving chili cheese dogs and Frosted Oranges (Terminal F).

Shower: The Club at ATL provides showers, TVs, Wi-Fi, work stations, food, and drinks for $35 for a day pass (Terminal F).

Sleep: Minute Suites offer five private, noise-neutralized rooms where you can nap for $34/hour (Concourse B, near Gate B16).

 

 

Chicago airport's O'Hare Hilton Hotel

Chicago’s O’Hare Hilton sells day passes to its health club for $20.  Photo Courtesy O’Hare Hilton

Chicago O’Hare (ORD)

Exercise: The O’Hare Hilton sells day passes to its health club (with an indoor pool reopening August 15) for $20 (Terminal 1).

Relax: Three Terminal Getaway Spa locations offer a menu of massages, from 10 to 90 minutes long (Terminal 3, near Gate H1; Terminal 1, near Gate B12; H/K Corridor, near the American Airlines Admirals Club).

Eat: There are three outposts of local celebrity chef Rick Bayless’s Tortas Frontera, where you can order up hand-crafted tortas and fresh guacamole made from top-quality ingredients from nearby farms (Terminal 1, near Gate B11; Terminal 3, near Gate K4; Terminal 5, near Gate M12).

Play: Kids on the Fly is a huge children’s-museum-slash-playground where parents can accomplish their pre-flight mission: exhausting their offspring (Terminal 2).

 

 

DFW Airport's Junior Flyers Club

DFW has three Junior Flyers Clubs, where toddlers can burn off energy climbing on mini cars and planes.  Photo Courtesy DFW International Airport

Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)

Drink: Grab a Fig Fizz or an Isaac’s Apple in Grand Hyatt DFW’s Grand Met Lounge cocktail bar, home also to the airport’s only sushi bar.

See: Founders’ Plaza has telescopes and an Observation Area where you can watch aircraft take off and land.

Play: Run your toddlers in one of three Junior Flyers Club playgrounds (the largest is in Terminal B at Gate 12).

Relax: The Centurion Lounge offers showers, food, drinks, Wi-Fi, and a family room to American Express cardholders for $50/day and to AmEx Platinum cardholders for free (Concourse D opposite Gate D17).

Golf (yes, golf): The Bear Creek Golf Club is adjacent to the airport, just a five-minute cab ride away. Tee times are open to the public; you can even book online.

 

 

Denver International Airport pedestrian bridge

At Denver International Airport, you can stand on a pedestrian bridge and watch planes pass right underneath.  Photo Courtesy Denver International Airport

Denver International (DEN)

Eat: Denver chef Justin Cucci’s popular field-to-fork restaurant Root Down has an outpost at DIA (C Gates). Don’t have that kind of time? Grab handmade potato chips at Randy Petersen’s favorite DIA hangout, Lefty’s (B Gates, Near Gate B48).

Marvel: The pedestrian bridge that connects the terminal with the concourse passes right over the tops of planes as they taxi. Look down and be awed by the giant flying machines.

Detoxify: Choose from a range of massages and treatments, starting at just 15 minutes long, at XpresSpa (Concourse C, Center Core).

 

Centurion Lounge in Las Vegas McCarran Airport

American Express cardholders can grab food, Wi-Fi, or even a shower at the Centurion Lounge at LAS.  Photo Courtesy Centurion Lounge

Las Vegas McCarran (LAS)

See: The Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum depicts a slice of aviation history (Level 2, above baggage claim).

Relax: The Centurion Lounge offers showers, food, drink, Wi-Fi, and a family room to American Express cardholders for $50/day and to AmEx Platinum cardholders for free (Concourse D, opposite Gate D1). No AmEx card? Buy a day pass to The Club at LAS for $35 (Terminal 1, D Gates; Terminal 3, across from Gate E2).

Relax some more: There are two XpresSpas here, offering manicures, pedicures, waxing, foot, neck, and back massages—the works (Terminal 1, near Gate D32, and Terminal 3).

 

 

The Larder at Tavern at LAX

The Larder at Tavern at LAX

Los Angeles International (LAX)

Gorge: Tom Bradley International Terminal now includes outposts of Top Chef winner Michael Voltaggio’s ink.sack; James Beard Award-winning chef Suzanne Goin’s Larder at Tavern; a Petrossian in case you’re craving caviar, blinis, or any of 20 types of vodka; and an Umami Burger that’s even open for breakfast.

Learn: Traveling with kids or model-aircraft nuts? The Flight Path Learning Center is a museum devoted to the history of aviation in SoCal (LAX Imperial Terminal; open Tues-Sat from 10-3; admission free).

Chill: There’s an XpresSpa in Terminal 5 as well as in the Tom Bradley International Terminal (between gates 154-156).

 

 

Miami Airport Training Dog Casey

Soothe pre-flight jitters by spending time with Casey, Miami airport’s therapy dog.  Photo Courtesy Miami International Airport

Miami International (MIA)

Drink: Grab a mojito with a panoramic view at Top of the Port, the rooftop bar and restaurant at the Miami International Airport Hotel (Terminal E).

Eat: Versailles, the Little Havana landmark that calls itself “The World’s Most Famous Cuban Restaurant,” has outposts in Terminal D.

Shop: It’s worth a stroll to the colorful Romero Britto concept store in Terminal D.

Snuggle: Casey, the therapy dog, is a trained golden retriever who wanders the airport delivering stress relief and smiles.

Golf: A 10-minute cab ride away, the Trump National Doral Miami’s golf course has tee times open to the public.

 

 

Metropolitan Museum of Art Store at Newark Airport

Find elegant last-minute gifts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store in Newark Airport.  Photo Courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Newark Liberty (EWR)

Ride: When my kids were smaller I could entertain them for hours simply riding the AirTrain from terminal to terminal. At sunset on clear nights the ride yields colorful views of the tarmac and the Manhattan skyline; keep your camera ready.

Dine: The outposts of two legendary Manhattan eateries, Gallagher’s steak house and the Grand Central Oyster Bar, may lack the ambience of their flagships but serve great grub nonetheless (Terminal C).

Shop: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store is the go-to boutique for elegant yet affordable gifts (Terminal C).

 

 

Yoga Room at San Francisco International Airport

SFO’s Yoga Room, the first ever in an airport, lets you get in a good stretch before you board your flight.  Photo Courtesy San Francisco International Airport

San Francisco International (SFO):

See: There are serious art exhibitions throughout, as well as an Aviation Museum in the International Terminal dedicated to preserving the history of commercial flight.

Meditate: Make the world’s first Yoga Room in an airport your zen zone (Terminal 2).

Play: There’s a scavenger-hunt-style self-guided tour for children of all ages. It takes only half an hour, and you even get a prize at the end (Terminal 2). For younger ones, there are three Kids’ Spots for unleashing pent-up energy (Terminal 3, Boarding Area E near Gates 60 and 62; Terminal 3, Boarding Area F near Gate 87A).

Eat: My own kids can’t pass through SFO without steering me toward their favorite airport eatery, Fung Lum, for noodles, dim sum, and won ton soup (Terminals 1 and 3 food courts and International Terminal food court).

 

 

Max & Erma restaurant's Garbage Burger

You won’t go hungry during your flight if you fill up on Max & Erma’s Garbage Burger, topped with smoked bacon, cheddar, Swiss, American, mozzarella, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, guacamole, and marinara.  Photo Courtesy Max & Erma’s

Washington Dulles (IAD):

 Shop: The Smithsonian Store is like a mini-trip to the various collections that comprise the Smithsonian, including the National Zoo (Terminal B, Gate B37).

Eat: Max & Erma’s serves up an outrageous selection of gourmet burgers, including the “garbage burger that started it all.” There’s even an All-You-Can-Eat Sundae Bar (B Concourse).

Marvel: Just south of the airport sits a massive and thrilling branch of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, where you can easily spend a day ogling everything from vintage aircraft to the Enola Gay to the space shuttle. You can reach the museum in about ten minutes either by cab or by the new direct bus service from the airport which starts July 26 (bus fare $1.75 each way). Forget that ice cream sundae and just go!

 

What’s your favorite U.S. airport find? Share it with us!

 

Be a smarter traveler: Follow Wendy Perrin on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know. 

Maia Luxury Resort, Anse Louis Beach, Seychelles

Secrets to a Better Hotel Stay

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When TripAdvisor published its list of the ten hotels in the world with the best service, and I noticed that most of them are reasonably priced, I wrote How to Get Five-Star Service Without Paying Five-Star Prices and asked my friends on Facebook (frequent travelers, of course) this question: How do you get better service at hotels? When a problem crops up, how do you get it fixed, pronto?  I thought I’d share their strategies, as well as my own:

* “Tip the bellboy who delivers your bags to your room generously, and the rest of the hotel staff will hear about it in no time at all. That first tip with a big smile is the key.”  — Joe Yudin, WOW List Trusted Travel Expert for Israel

* “Make sure you speak to a person who can resolve the issue, and that varies from property to property.” — Sandy Ferguson,WOW List Trusted Travel Expert for Southeast Asia

* “Call the front desk, or the executive concierge (if you are on an executive floor), and explain the problem in a calm, respectful way. If that does not generate prompt attention, ask to speak with the hotel duty manager.” — Toby Saltzman, travelterrific

* “First rule: You get more bees with sugar than with vinegar. Keep your cool. Second rule: Be prepared to state what will make you happy. Know what you want in any negotiation.” — Charles Wolfe, Hurley Travel Experts

 

And here are my own tried-and-true tips:

* Book through a travel agent or destination specialist who has a close relationship with the hotel and sends it a lot of business. A travel agent who is tight with the hotel’s general manager and sits on the hotel company’s travel agent advisory board, for example, gets priority treatment (and extra perks) for his/her guests.  Should a problem arise, the hotel’s manager will likely rush to rectify it (for fear that the hotel could lose the travel firm’s business); if the problem doesn’t get rectified, the travel agent can intervene on your behalf.  (If you’re in need of the right travel specialist for a trip you have in mind and you’d like a recommendation, you may ask me here.

* Get a name to email. Look up the hotel on TripAdvisor, note the name of the manager or other employee who is replying to the negative reviews, grab his or her email address off TripAdvisor or from the front desk, and send him or her an email. Say that you’re at the hotel and are apprising him of your complaint so that he has a chance to rectify it before you get home and write your review.

* Take to Twitter.  Tweeting directly to the hotel—like this—can be the fastest way to get a problem solved, as hotels want to nip consumer complaints in the bud before bad publicity goes viral. Particularly helpful are @HyattConcierge, @Marriott, @SheratonHotels, @WaldorfAstoria, and @WHotels.

* Post photos to Instagram.  Some hotels—Four Seasons properties, for instance—monitor geo-tagged Instagram posts. If they note a guest is unhappy, they’ll take action to resolve the problem.

Rosewood Mayakoba resort butler

When you have a butler (like this one at Rosewood Mayakoba), it’s easy to get problems fixed. But what about when you don’t?

What are your strategies for getting better hotel service? Please share them below.