International Archives – Page 3 of 14

Trail of 1968

June 24th, 2023admin0 Comments

Our final stop on our combination tour with Canoa Aventura was the Trail of 1968. Named after the huge eruption of Arenal Volcano in 1968, this trail runs along the hardened lava flows and offers amazing views of the volcano itself. The trail is only 1.2 kilometers but does include some steep uphill sections. From the parking lot, we got another postcard perfect view of the volcano. After taking in the views, one of our guides told us the history of the volcano and gave a wonderful explanation of the eruption of 1968. It was fascinating to learn that Arenal …

La Fortuna Waterfall

June 24th, 2023admin0 Comments

The second stop on our combination tour with Canoa Aventura was La Fortuna Waterfall. This impressive waterfall emerges through an opening in the jungle and plunges 200 feet to a pool below. You can reach the base of the waterfall by taking the stairs down – all 530 of them. (Remember of course that you’ll have to take them back up!) There is a viewpoint before the stairs begin, as well as a restaurant, souvenir shop, and bathrooms with showers and changing areas. The stairs are challenging (both up and down!) but worth it. Once you reach the bottom, there …

Mistico Hanging Bridges

June 24th, 2023admin0 Comments

Our first day in Arenal was jam-packed with activities. We did an 8 hour combination tour with Canoa Aventura that included Mistico Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, and the Trail of 1968. Mistico Park and the Arenal Hanging Bridges was our first stop. While the main attraction of the park is its hanging bridges, the views of the volcano are stunning from the moment you step out of the parking lot. We were extremely fortunate to be there on a clear day. Our guides must have told us a dozen times that we were so lucky because the volcano is …

Costa Rica Trip Planning

June 23rd, 2023admin0 Comments

I love trip planning – almost as much as taking the trip itself. I’ve planned trips for our family of 4, for my extended family of 14, and for vacations with one another family. But a trip with 4 families of friends was unchartered territory. 16 people ranging in age from 8 to 48 with differing interests, activity levels, and budgets was a whole new ball game. The travel logistics alone were daunting. Since we all wanted to still be friends at the end of the trip, it seemed best to bring in a travel agent to help us decide …

Seven Stars Resort & Spa Review

March 19th, 2023admin0 Comments

After our group selected Turks and Caicos for our girls trip, we pretty quickly narrowed in on Grace Bay as the ideal resort location for our stay. We narrowed it down to three or four options, including one splurge – Seven Stars Resort & Spa. Although the price point was definitely higher than we initially planned on, its location and amenities quickly won us over. Seven Stars has three seven-story buildings, two of which are considered ocean-front and the third ocean-view. We were in a first floor oceanfront room in the Alhena Building. I had mixed feelings about being on …

Grace Bay

March 19th, 2023admin0 Comments

Consistently ranked as one of the top beaches in the world, Grace Bay is a 3 mile stretch of coastline located on the north shore of Providenciales. The sand is white, soft, and always cool to the touch. The water is warm, clean, calm and an impossibly turquoise blue. If there is a nicer beach in the world, I certainly haven’t seen it. The barrier reef that is found about a mile offshore is the world’s third largest and typically keeps the waters of Grace Bay very calm. From a slightly elevated vantage point, you can see where the waves …

Mangrove Clear Kayak Tour

March 18th, 2023admin0 Comments

We knew we wanted to get out on the water while we were in Turks and Caicos but weren’t particularly interested in snorkeling or an open water boat trip. Kayaking seemed more our speed and the mangroves seemed like the perfect location. A quick internet search brought up a lot of options for clear kayaks. Although it seemed gimmicky to me at first, the waters are so crystal clear that it made sense to make the boats clear so that you can see what is swimming underneath you. There were a lot of companies with great reviews and we narrowed …

Love Buggy Island Tour

March 17th, 2023admin0 Comments

While some of our group wanted to spend our first full day in TCI relaxing at the resort, others wanted to get out and explore. Guess which group I was in! My friend and I thought it would be a great idea to get out and see the island and get the lay of the land. We chose the Love Buggy Island Tour because it looked like a really fun way to explore. And it was! Island Style Tours TCI picked us up from our hotel and took us to their location, where we got a brief (but hilarious) lesson …

Le Petit Hôtel

July 24th, 2022admin0 Comments

Le Petit Hôtel is a charming hotel in Old Montréal. Centrally located on St Paul Street in Old Montréal, the hotel is easy walking distance to almost everything in the city. Each of its 28 rooms are unique and has its own character from the different architectural features throughout the building. The historic 19th century building was originally a warehouse and retail space for a leather business starting in the mid 1860s. Almost a century later in the late 1950s it was taken over by an importer of toys and decorative accessories, who occupied the space until 2005. In 2007 …

Old Port

July 24th, 2022admin0 Comments

Running parallel to the St Lawrence River for over 2km, Vieux-Port is a popular destination for its historical landmarks, cultural attractions, and huge variety of activities and entertainment. There is something for everyone at Montréal’s Old Port. We headed down to the Old Port after dinner on our second evening in Montréal. L’International des Feux Loto-Québec was running on most Saturdays and Wednesdays from the end of June to the beginning of August, lighting up the night sky with internationally themed firework displays. The week we were there, the international theme was… Canada! The Myths and Legends of Canada fireworks show …