Jaunted

Honky-Tonk-Surf-Towns

Honky Tonk Surf Towns: Playa Jacó

May 23, 2008 at 10:32 AM | 0 Comments

Sure Costa Rica has plenty of ecotourism and has been known to host Britney and Mel. But it's also got some great places to catch a wave.

Playa Jacó and the nearby Playa Hermosa are only about a two-hour drive from the airport in San Jose, but are a world away from the aggravation of flight delays and new baggage fees. Jacó offers more of a beginner experience and has plenty of dive bars to check out once the sun has gone down. Hermosa is better for the more experienced, but either location provides solid conditions and the surfer lifestyle. If this is your first time, check out Jacó Surf School for some tips.

Each beach offers a chance to take in the surf in a location that hasn't been too, too overrun. (Though Jacó isn't exactly secret.) If you want to wake up, surf, grab a bite to eat and then repeat--this is probably your place. The weather should be fairly stable this summer, as the rainy season doesn't hit until September.

Related Stories:
· Jacó Beach [About.com]
· Jacó Surf School [Official Site]
· Honky Tonk Surf Towns coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: eric.surfdude]

Celeb Travel

Britney Travel: Would You Go on Vacation with Mel Gibson?

May 19, 2008 at 8:45 AM | 3 Comments

Say a crazy guy who disgraced himself on TMZ a few years ago offers you a tropical vacation. Do you take it? Or do you run far, far away?

These are rhetorical questions because we at Jaunted always pick the vacation, so we can understand what would prompt Britney Spears to head to Costa Rica with Mel Gibson and his wife. Apparently the actor and the singer-turned-mess became such good friends after their dinner in March at a Russian restaurant that he offered to take her to his private ranch. (Her agent later joined them, so perhaps a little business was done, too.)

Spears, who recently filmed 2 episodes of "How I Met Your Mother," was spotted riding ATVs, tanning and attempting to surf wearing a bikini that read "Love Kills Slowly."

Related Stories:
· Where Britney Spears Power Lunches [Jaunted]
· Britney Spears Celebrates Freedom from Kids [HC]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Britney Res]

Volunteer Travel

Volunteer Travel: Save the Turtles in Coast Rica

August 15, 2007 at 11:35 AM | 0 Comments

We've been to Costa Rica to surf with Rabbis, find obscure islands and even sleep with sloths. One thing we haven't done is save the sea turtles.

But it turns out that's pretty easy thanks to Cactus Volunteers Abroad. The voluntourism group offers four to 12 week programs for do-gooders who love these gentle giants of the sea.

This hands-on vacation gives travelers a chance to gain experience in marine biology, live in remote villages and get up close and personal with some of the largest turtles in the world. Volunteers spend their evenings tracking leatherback turtles and working with trained biologists on research and data collection. They prepare habitats for nesting season and work in hatcheries.

It may not be as relaxing as lounging on the beach, but we think it's a great way to enjoy the sand and help save some wildlife at the same time.

Related Stories:
· Volunteer Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Travel with a Purpose [Jaunted]
· Cactus Volunteers Abroad [Official Site]

[Photo: electrolito]

Ecotourism

Tourism Board Travel: Costa Rica

August 14, 2007 at 11:43 AM | 0 Comments

In August, Delta Air Lines announced it is increasing the number of flights from New York to Costa Rica from 28 weekly to 35. Delta's decision reflects the growing popularity of the destination.

With ecotourism all the rage, The Costa Rica Tourism Board website is getting more hits than Dave Chappelle's bong. The country is long considered the place for couples in matching khaki cargo shorts to stand beneath the jungle canopy, binoculars in hand, pinpointing the correct toucan species from their guidebook.

Drop-down menus on the tourism board site tell potential visitors how they can find a guide to take them deep into said jungle, with a guide, a car, and a place to sleep that night. It also helps decipher where's the best place to glimpse particular wildlife. It'll even fill you in on lounging at Tabacon Hot Springs--that's it above--if tracking rare birds isn't your thing.

Related Stories:
· Costa Rica Tourism Board [Official Site]
· Costa Rica Hotels [HotelChatter]

[Photo: Costa Rica Link]

Cosmetic Vacations

Costa Rica Offers Rainforests, Beaches, And Discount Face Lifts

July 24, 2007 at 11:43 AM | 0 Comments

Bourgeois housewives from flyover states across America are jetting down to Central America for some - excuse us - "cut-rate" plastic surgery. On Friday's 20/20, the furry-lipped John Stossel revealed Costa Rica's secret status as the budget-priced nip-and-tuck Mecca.

A booming niche travel industry coordinates transportation to and stays in countries that offer cheaper medical care. Costa Rica Health Escapes and Arriva Costa Rica are CR-specific agencies that send their clients to hospitals/spas like Rosenstock-Lieberman Center and Martino Resort & Spa (pictured above). Other agencies, such as MedRetreat, coordinate travel to other countries with respected but reduced-price surgery, such as Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, and India.

Instead of paying the local price of more than $35,000 for excess skin removal, Lori Brown, of Nashville, scored a thigh lift, a tummy tuck, an arm lift and implants for $7,000, 20/20 reported. When folks back at the office see how rejuvenated Lori looks after her tropical vacation, they're going to be frantically booking their stay at Martino.

Related Stories:
· Plastic Surgery Travel [Jaunted]
· Cut-Rate Plastic Surgery [20/20]

[Photo: jpdobrin]

WTF-Map

WTF is Isla del Coco

May 31, 2007 at 12:26 PM | 0 Comments

Welcome to Where To Find, our growing guide to those little-known places that never seem to show up on the travel radar--until now. We're not saying they're undiscovered, but you may need to look 'em up on our WTF Map.

Even though it's a World Heritage Site, Cocos Island doesn't see many visitors. Maybe that's because you have to take a 300-mile boat trip to reach it?

The best way to get there is with Undersea Hunter. (Before you ask: It's a tour operator, not a classic comic book character.) You'll hop a live aboard dive boat in Puntarenas, on Costa Rica's Pacific coast, and end up floating in Chatham Bay about 36 hours later. Since visitors aren't really allowed on the island--it's a well-guarded National Park--the few voyagers who make the trek are all about the world class diving offshore.

Hammerhead sharks, white tip sharks, eagle rays and the occasional whale shark populate this part of the Pacific and with the area's frequently good visibility, you should have no trouble scoping them. The only thing to be wary of are your fellow divers: Even 300 miles from a dive shop, you know there's gonna be at least one guy prattling on with a bunch of tall tales.

[Photo: jonrawlinson]

Related Stories:
· WTF Map [Jaunted]
· Cocos Island [Official Site]

Animals

Sleeping With Sloths in Costa Rica

March 29, 2007 at 2:30 PM | 1 Comment

Aviarios del Caribe is a nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary near Limon, Costa Rica. What makes the property so special is the fact that it specializes in sloths (not to be confused with lazy backpackers). The Buttercup Center is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of sloths. The Center offers day tours, but to really ensconce yourself in the wonders of slothdom, you'll want to stay overnight.

The on-site lodge is a steal at $65 (+ tax) per night, including breakfast and a Sloth Rescue Center Tour. It's convenient to Cahuita and Puerto Viejo, as well as all the sloths and river otters your heart can handle. We could all learn a lesson from the little guy above. When climbing up the metaphorical cardboard box of life gets tough, simply yawn and pass out.

Related Stories:
· Aviarios del Caribe [Official Site]
· Aviarios del Caribe Lodge reviews [TripAdvisor]

Costa Rica Surfing Camps

Surfing Rabbi on Yom Kippur

October 2, 2006 at 3:18 PM | 0 Comments

In celebration of Yom Kippur, we figured we would introduce you to the Surfing Rabbi.

A former Los Angeles County lifeguard and kibbutz volunteer who now now runs a Kosher Surf camp in Costa Rica.

His "Surf and Soul Kosher Surf Camp" consists of:

·Round Trip Airfare on American Airlines

·7 Nights Mal Pais Surf Camp and Resort--On the beach cabana lodging

·Two surfing lessons each day by our expert instructors

·5-star cuisine by our Master Chef, Bezalel Fleischman

·Daily Beis Midrash available, including Parasha, Mishnayot, Gemora, etc.

·Mock lifeguard competion

Carla Rowland, one of the world's great longboard champions from Malibu Beach, is the camp's head surfing instructor.

We wonder what orthodox women have to wear when surfing, will a wet suit do the trick?