Relaxation at its Best!

Costa Rica is known for its ecotourism and nature adventures. Since I am more of a spa and sit by the pool type of girl, I was hoping to see another side of this beautiful country during my visit. I chose the Pacific Coast because I heard about the small beach communities and yoga properties throughout the Guanacaste Province. I ended up choosing a small boutique hotel called the Harmony Hotel.

The property is set within the natural landscape of Nosara, a small beach community a few hours drive from the Liberia Airport. It is the perfect escape from the daily grind of city life. The hotel focuses on sustainable tourism and environmental practices and works to make guests more aware of the environmental impacts of travel. They offer a daily sustainability tour where guests can see the inner workings of the property to support their environmental initiatives. They recycle, have a salt water pool rather than chlorine, and use organic products and food throughout the property. If that wasn’t enough, they also sponsor beach clean-ups and allow guests to off-set their stay by donating to a tree planting organization.

But this doesn’t even begin to cover the stay at the property. I had one of the most restful nights in months my first night at the hotel. The bed linens are super comfy and even though there is no television, the bed instantly makes you relax and fall asleep. It is also the perfect place to catch up on your “me” time with a good book on your own personal patio. Rest on the hammock and read that latest novel you never have the time to read.

Still not relaxed? Why not get a massage at the Healing Centre. Once again the property provides the best in services. Using natural products the masseuse will work away every tension imaginable with their signature spa. Once it is over you should be ready to take on the rest of the vacation. The Healing Centre is also the place to get centered with daily yoga. It is also a great place to interact with members of the Nosara community. Harmony Hotel offers the only spanish language yoga in the city, allowing locals and guests to interact.

Of course you must be hungry by now. The restaurant on the property will keep you well fed and truly satisfied all day long. From the juice bar with its cold food and natural smoothies and juices, to the fish dishes, sandwiches and breakfast items in the main restaurant. Even dessert provides mouth watering choices. There is a bar on the property so you can also mix the wonderful drinks with the cocktail of your choice. The Tamarind Fizz, a mix of ginger, lime, sugar and tamarind was a staple throughout my entire stay. With the open lobby area and free wi-fi you also can enjoy the refreshing juice drink while chatting and emailing your very jealous friends back home.

For a day at the beach it is just a short walk steps from the hotel. With beautiful sunshine this beach is a great place for surfing and sunning. Another way to relax in this beautiful area.

Needless to say I ended my few days at this lovely hotel rejuvenated and very relaxed. Sad to go home I was energized from my time to face my life back home. But I will definitely return to this oasis of tranquility near the sea.

Harmony Hotel
www.harmonynosara.com

Earth Friendly Airport Transportation

So you  are coming to New York and need transportation to and from the airport. You have several options…You could (A) take a cab (B) take the train (C) Use a car or transfer service. The best option for our environment would be of course using public transportation but if you are like me and haven’t mastered the art of packing light, the lack of elevators and escalators in the NYC subway system will make you regret you decided to visit the city.

For about 20 dollars more than a cab you can use a car service that has the earth in mind. NYC Green Car uses a fleet of only hybrid vehicles (mostly Toyota Camry’s and Lexus sedans) to drive you to any destination in the continental US. Read more

Good Eats in Aruba

The restaurants in Oranjestaad is very diverse. They have everything from Indian, to Dutch, to Spanish, and even Chinese. There are also several Italian places on the island and in the city. The first night we were there we ate at Casa Tua which is an Italian place that specializes in brick oven pizza. Being a New Yorker, I am very particular about my pizza, but this was actually really tasty. Not at all like NY slices, but the crust was good and the ingredients were fresh and good. We had a caesar salad and a caprese salad to start and then shared the pizza with pancetta, arugula, and goat cheese. It was yummy. We also had a carafe of chianti. Honestly, I really liked the vibe of Casa Tua. It was open and had high ceilings and you could sit out on the terrace if you wanted. The staff were all young women and they were really nice and helpful. The service was nothing special, but they were super friendly which is all I wanted. Read more

Shoe Lovers Dream

I admit that I am an addict. I LOVE shoes. I am a true shopaholic and one of the things I am always in search of are cute and comfortable shoes. In most cases one wins out; either they are cute (high heels, strappy sandals, peep toe pumps) or comfortable ( sneakers, flats and Havianas). But occasionally these two worlds meet and you get the shoe girls dream. When walking down Florida in Buenos Aires Argentina we happened upon a leather shoe store named Praga. It was a little bit of heaven. Pick a color, any color, and pick a style of shoe and this is what this store was like. From gladiator sandals in champagne, to red high heel stilleto boots, purple strappy heels, to blue loafers every color and style under the rainbow was there. When you add the exchange rate of the dollar and the high quality Argentinean leather, I may have just found my own vision of heaven.

After several hours working with Isolina to find just the perfect shoes in every color imaginable, we left overjoyed with our purchases. When traveling to Argentina it is adviseable to bring an empty carry on since we found several places with shoes, bags and clothes we loved. If you like shoes then head down to Florida and our friends at Praga.

Praga
Shoes, Bags and Jackets
Florida 586
4328-6112
www.calzadospraga.es.mn

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