Costa Rica

If you have not yet been to Costa Rica, it is an absolute MUST to add to your list of places to travel to! Over the course of my holiday, I stayed in several different locations throughout the country, including San José, Tortuguero, Pacuare and Xandari Alajuela, where we stayed in Jalapas (palm-thatched bungalows) with hammocks. The flora and fauna ranges from vibrant hibiscus flowers to exotic toucans and blue morpho butterflies with huge wingspans.

We had an exhilarating experience white-water rafting, went hiking in the jungle, zip-lining like Tarzan, rappelling, swam under tumbling picturesque waterfalls and went on a boat trip through the narrow river channels of the flooded forest to view the wildlife, including troops of spider-monkeys, green iguanas, three-toed sloths and black river turtles, as well as some rarer species such as the great green macaw, boat-billed herons and emerald toucans. 

We had the chance to explore the lush, dense forest which had an abundant collection of bromeliads and orchids, among other vegetation, whilst listening to the sounds of the rainforest such as the the chirp of a forest frog and the occasional roar of a howler monkey.

Of course, we also had plenty of time to relax with a book whilst sunbathing or swimming in the infinity-pool. 

It is worth mentioning that the food there is delicious. A typical breakfast includes scrambled eggs, fried sweet plantains, muesli, fresh guava, watermelon, papaya and "Casado" - the most common Costa Rican dish consisting of rice, black pinto beans, salad and meat.

On top of everything, I made use of this opportunity to practice my conversational Spanish with the warm and friendly locals. Below are some extracts from my travel-diary, which I write in religiously every day that I am on holiday, no matter where I go!

As the Costa Ricans say: "Pura Vida!"