Sheraton Waikiki, Hawaii

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When opportunity presents itself to dip in the pool of luxury travel, we tend to get a good grip and dive in. Sheraton Waikiki, located next to the upscale shopping district and nestled on the beach right behind Diamond Head, has everything a visitor can expect from a luxury resort in the capital of the state.

An extremely busy property, right at the heart of the hustle-bustle of Waikiki and attracts a lot of tourists. This is a joint property of Sheraton and Royal Hawaiian (which is owned by SPG now). We drove in and right from the parking valets, to the greeters, and the front desk staff, we were up for a nice ride.
Even though valet was ~$10 they waived it off. We even got some goodie-bags to fill in the gift shop. The front desk staff were well versed and open to allow any requests. We were upgraded to their Malia suite (which was huge with two balconies overlooking the pool and the ocean). Beautiful room with upscale amenities.
The lobby was full of tourists because of the boutique shops and the fancy restaurants. So people watching is an option from the lobby. Good enough shopping district inside the hotel too. Good for shopaholics. 🙂

The pool (and staff) were courteous enough, but the drinks (as expected in a poolside) were below par. Good amenities for families with interesting light and sound shows in the pool after dark. We enjoyed that from the balcony a couple of times.

Extremely conveniently located to the designer shops and a variety of food options. Again, I never had a bad experience in an SPG property worldwide; this was not an exception, if not they surpassed my expectations.

P.S. Highlight of this property is the 30th floor Club lounge for elite members – provides stunning views of the waikiki beach. You can watch sunrise from here, and sunset from the pool. But food (breakfast 6-10am and hors d’oeuvres 4-8pm) is good; you can also network with other guests or soak in the views.

Room Tip: 30 story building, but lower floors with pool/beach view are the best

 

Westin in US Virgin Islands

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Nestled within a cove in the southwest coast of St. John, conveniently located, this upscale resort has it all you’d need to make your relaxing Caribbean vacation worthwhile. Right from the time we checked in, we appreciated the warm welcoming reception from the staff. The appreciation for our SPG Elite got even better when we got upgraded to a beach front spacious room with an expansive view of the cove.

The huge property required golf carts to be transported to the room, and sometimes to get to some of the restaurants. This is also part of the starwood vacation ownership villas, which puts a different vibe inside the resort with the grocery store (The Market), drug store and liqueur store. Being family friendly, sometimes the pool areas become crowded with kids running around. But there are adult only areas serving tropical cocktails and upscale food.

In terms of the things to do within the property, water activities, beach access aside, you can rent watersports equipment (Scuba, snorkel equipment, paddleboard, kayaks), and go out to the water. It even has rental car counter to help with a day trip around the island and explore the marine life.

But we found the resort to be alive right after dark, with the torches lit up along the beach, tiki style food, and a chic restaurant in the property. For a couple like ourselves, it was a relaxing and rejuvenating experience just to sit back and enjoy the experience. You could potentially rent a boat and go to UKVI, but reserve early as the supply in the tiny island is limited.

Essential Virgin Islands Tips

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Before you embark on your journey to the Virgin Islands, please make sure to read the following for a survival guide in the islands.

Visa Situation

For US Citizens, you’d not need a visa but carry the passport. For an Indian living/working in the US with a valid US visa, you do not need a visa as it is an US territory. This applies to B1, F1, H1, L1, J1, and other common visa categories.

Language and Currency

English is the primary language and all USD currency bills are accepted.

Local Guides/Driving
Driving in USVI is interesting as you drive on the left (opposite of that in the USA) but the cars mostly are US made and therefore the steering wheel is on the left. Offline apps with travel guides and maps are useful here as data coverage can be tricky. Make sure your GPS has Virgin Islands maps loaded if you plan to drive here. Although navigating the roads is easy as there is only one main road that circles each island.
Getting Around
We always prefer to rent cars because of the flexibility and impulsive journeys we frequently partake. Driving in Virgin Islands though has its drawbacks. Rental companies do not allow their cars to be taken on the barges to hop between islands. If St. Thomas (STT) Airport is the port of entry,  you can rent a car there if you intend to stay in STT. Then return the car and go to St. John and rent another. It is best to get the four wheelers as the roads are sometimes steep and not paved in some cases. You will see the Jeep Wranglers everywhere. Always buy the liability insurance unless your credit card covers loss and damage protection.
If you do not intend on driving, there are taxis in all the islands, and there is a ferry between islands (St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix) with convenient timings and affordable fares. There are cab-pool rides as well if you can get one from the hotel, but due to lack of cellular reception in parts of the island, it is way more convenient to rent a car.

Food and Nightlife

We love trying out local restaurants and bars everywhere we go, and have had a ton of fun finding local joints, street food, even food from roadside huts in the trip. Since it being a touristy area, the food prices can get expensive unless you find good local places. Yelp and Tripadvisor works pretty well in the islands.We tried out a few caribbean joints for late night drinks and food and were not disappointed in most cases. We will talk about the restaurants in related posts/pages.

Safety wise, we found St. John to be much safer than St. Thomas, since STT is a major commercial port and tourists are susceptible to crimes. Like other locals, dress appropriately while walking around. A swimsuit is not appropriate outside the beaches even if it may be convenient sometimes.

 

Shopping

Last but not the least, shopping for gifts and memorabilia is an inseparable part of the adventures. Although the Virgin Islands is a US territory, the memorabilia from here might resemble what you find in mainland. Plus lack of rich artsy culture means you wont find decorative items related to art or history. Coffee and rum are probably the most popular items to buy for home. Some woodwork, masks, flavorful spices are the stuff you can bring as gifts.

The port area near St. Thomas has several duty free shops along the water. Be sure to take a stroll in Charlotte Amalie along Veterans drive to check out the shops and bars/restaurants. But these are not quite your local shops and instead are really touristy because of the cruise ships that dock here.

Tortuguero National Park

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This is one of the parks where a small canoe is the best option to roam around and catch wildlife, compared to walking. We spent the entire day in the park and village, yet seemed too less in terms of a wholly immersive time. Our tour guide (Jessica and Francisco), who we found miraculously, were amazing. Starting from their hospitality, timeliness, and care to make sure we got the best experience possible. Read more about them and their reviews in Tripadvisor.

Here are the highlights of our day in the park –

By Canoe

We started our tour around 8-30am, which is by far the best time to spot wildlife after the park opens around 8am. Francisco took the two of us around the canals in his little canoe and on the way pointing towards the numerous herons, iguanas, migratory birds, turtles, snakes, monkeys, and other interesting plants and trees that adapted for survival in these harsh environments. We even went within a foot of a Caiman waiting for its prey. It rained for a little bit and we took shelter under a tree that acted as a natural umbrella. With insects and animals all around us, danger lurking right below our little canoe, snakes hissing from the wood next to us, our voyage through the narrow (sometimes less than 6 feet wide) canals and passage ways was truly a humbling experience.

 Walking during the day

In the afternoon, we hiked in the park. With one ticket, you can reenter the park multiple times. In the hike, make sure to get boots. We got them from Tanya next door, and the prices were reasonable. During the hike, Francisco made sure we saw many animals, and unlike other tour guides we had in CR, he was especially keen in giving us a fantastic experience. We saw pit vipers, howler monkeys, beautiful toucans, and several other unique insects. Spotting toucans were by far the most elusive as they hovered in the top most branches of the canopied forest and apart from their sharp voice, it is impossible even to know of their presence. At one point, in our quest for the bird, we stumbled upon a beautiful eyelash pit viper. A tiny golden hued coil camouflaged within yellow-green leaves of a bamboo tree lurked apparent danger. We also spotted some other colorful insects that made the journey through the forest enjoyable.

Night walk

It felt like we could never get enough of the rainforest, be it in the day or in pitch black darkness. A 2-3 hour walk after dark in a small group started from the La Pavona pier area. With flashlights, opulent bugspray and rubber hiking boots, we walked around the park through the bushes and along barely used trails. On our way, we spotted night frogs, spiders, and other scary looking insects. In a quest to spot some sloths and bats, we encountered some raccoons and smaller mammals hidden in the bushes too.

NYE 2015 in Costa Rica

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They say that the morning shows the day, and if you draw parallels, the things that happen in New Years’ Eve and January 1st are the things that are going to decide your fate for the entire year. Having that semi-superstitious thought-process drive the decision making for the NYE, we struggle every year to make any solid plans for the evening. Should we spend the evening drinking and splurging in lavish night clubs, or the evening be spent in the country-side watching stars glimmer, or even invite friends over and have quite a ball while watching the ‘ball’ drop at the stroke of midnight?

Well, even in a tight yet well planned schedule in Costa Rica, we failed to come to a decision about NYE until the time finally came to drop the mic. Costa Ricans typically spend NYE with their families and therefore most restaurants and pubs stay closed for the evening. The handful of bars serving mostly foreign tourists and some upscale young folk, require reservations and a hefty fee to get on their list (which requires advanced planning which we did not have, which meant we were out of options).

Our hotel, Sheraton Escazu, were having a couple of events in the premises involving buffet dinners, traditional rituals, and some bar stuff. The party at the rooftop with an expansive view of the valley would have been a great option, but the price-point at $180 p.p. and our early morning agendas, hindered the needle to leaning that way. To be honest, the lounge setting upstairs with additional incentives for SPG Elites was alluring. But after a palatial dinner in a local Indian Restaurant (which was also a precious commodity in the country), we settled for something we had never done in a NYE.

It was T-1 hour. We grabbed a couple of wine bottles and glasses from the restaurant!

And the night got started by turning off the lights (wait this is all censored content) in the room and sitting by the 8th floor french windows looking over the central valley with the volcanic mountains in the far background. There were stars whose lights were gleaming off-focus and started getting blurry every minute. Was it the wine? Slumber?

No, we realized, it was the fireworks that got started by some rampant teenager at the upper valleys that broke the romance of stargazing. It was way before midnight and we were not even through the first bottle of the Chilean Malbec. We didn’t even have our thoughts and wishes ready for welcoming the new year yet. In the last two weeks, we went from expensive boutique hotels, five star dining, romantic spas to minimalistic eco-lodges, roadside sodas and rustic public transport. It takes a lifetime to cover this gamut. Let’s get the mind straightened coming out of the fond memories here, we told ourselves, and focus on what we want to achieve in 2016. More gym, less carb, longer focus, fewer smokes and other over-the-top wishes later, some bell tower nearby announced its first strike of the new year.

First there was just one palm exploding in the dark sky painting an effervescent palm tree. Then there were five. Then it was a hundred or more aerial fireworks bursting into spheres, colored sparks, shining trails, clusters, horsetails, all around the valley. Even the tiny villages up in the hills chimed in. We pointed each other to look at a multitude of directions lest they missed out on the best pyrotechniques on display.

Excited and overwhelmed each of us looked for a shooting-star far out in the sky above the ghostly mountains, to say the last minute wishes silently, probably wishing for a good health and prosperity in the entire year to come. The clock started moving slower as the fireworks tired, and the smoky haze rose up to fill the valley. Two hands clasped together in desperation to make the wish, and darkness slowly creeped back in. The empty wine bottle tumbled to ground. The silhouette of two figures casted a thin shadow on the floor-to-ceiling window. And they kissed! Welcome 2016.

Whitewater Rafting in Rio de Savegre

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If hiking through the wetlands of the rain-forest or soaking in the mist of the cloud forest was not enough to live the tropical life, floating through the rapids nestled within the secluded canyons typically covers the full range. Watersports typically attract us the most if we have to choose among adventure options. Whitewater rafting, even when sounds fairly scary, was something on our cards from so long ago.

Near Manuel Antonio, there are a couple of river courses that has rapids ranging from II to V, but being first timers we chose the Rio de Savegre for being slightly on the mellower side. Our chosen operator, Amigos del Rio were the perfect partners to have us dip (literally) in the river water while having a fun time paddling through some of the nerve-wrenching rapids there can be.

We got picked up early in the morning followed by some healthy and hearty breakfast before leaving for the raft launch area. The journey itself started prepping us for what to img_0105expect and the fun stories (sometimes scary, but that is the point right?) that the driver and tour guides told us. As we drove up the mountain in unpaved, curvy, and sometimes alarming passageways, we started getting glimpses of the Savegre river. It seemed fairly mellow from that far up, but everything looks so sorted out from that far up anyway, right?

Well, a group of about 10 boats with 5-6 passengers and a guide hopped on to the rafts with their paddles, life-vest, action cameras, and all the courage they could gather. The first few minutes were to kill the ‘butterflies in the stomach’, and to prepare for whats

there to come. First rapid is always the hardest, after that even if it gets tougher, the fun never subsides. We paddled in sync, helped other raft-mates, joked around, took fun videos, dipped in the river waters, and probably made friends faster than in a bar.

Rapids were scary and sometimes spine-chilling when a sudden drop followed by a whiplash of water soaked the swimsuits. But we could not stop looking around to see the serenity and the placid beauty the canyons through rainforest covered hills had to offer. We spotted a vast array of plants, vegetation and wildlife during the quiet times in the river. We went through about 15 rapids of various difficulty but it felt like we belonged here. The connection we developed with the forest and mother nature just in this little journey seemed to be for a lifetime. What else coalesces the adventurer’s soul with the heart of mother Earth, and plants a seed to protect the environment for a lifetime in the heart?

Manuel Antonio National Park

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 Just a small sized park compared to the other gigantic ones around the country, Manuel Antonio National Park is home to hundreds of species of wildlife and is regarded as one of the top bio-diverse parks in the continent. From mammals, reptiles and insects to a wide variety of vegetation and plants are condensed in this park, thereby making it much easier to spot wildlife, even without a guide.

This park though attracts a lot of visitors and because of its size makes it look crowded at times. Unless you have a guide already reserved, the line to get in can be daunting and time consuming. We got a really nice guide, Chelsea, who walked us around, spotted and provided interesting information about each.

The guides talk among themselves on the trips thereby increasing the chances of spotting elusive wildlife. Plus they have high resolution scopes to see the animals up close. You can even take snaps through the scope if situation permits.

On our 2 hour tour, we spotted iguanas, snakes, bats, two and three toed sloths, and a plethora of birds. The highlight was the endangered squirrel monkeys and white faced monkeys. The park has well marked trails and bridges making it easy to walk and explore.

After exploring the trails and experiencing the wild, we hopped on to the beach and dipped our souls in the warm shallow waters off the cove. Overall a fulfilling experience especially made memorable due to the cute and endangered squirrel monkeys.

Tip – The monkeys try to steal food (esp. potato chips, fruits) that are harmful for them. So please do not carry any food inside the park or keep them hidden all the time. We heard and saw monkeys stealing cameras or bags and holding it hostage until you give them the food you are carrying. They were our predecessors so assume that they have some kind of brain that are aware of barter trade.

The park only admits a limited number of visitors every day, so make sure to go early in the morning. Petty theft is also common (by humans not monkeys), so try not to carry valuables with you or keep a close eye. Always.

Walk through the Rainforest

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Bugs, insects, wildlife lurking at every corner while you carefully walk through narrow walking trails under a thick canopy of the rainforest where sunlight is so scarce that you can choose to keep your sunglasses at the hotel room. For the travelers with an avid interest for the environment and the preservation of the wild, the Costa Rican rainforest provides ample opportunity to explore the flora, fauna and wildlife dangerously up close.

In one of the hikes through the canopied rainforest near Arenal, we went through multiple hanging bridges, soaking in the mist and charm of the woods while being far away from the cacophony of urban life. In a 2 mile trail full of excitement, we spotted some of the most exotic creatures and vegetations it had to offer.

Flora and Fauna

Although tiny in terms of landmass, Costa Rica flaunts a heavy percentage of world’s biodiversity. The rainforest itself is a live and dynamic ecosystem with intense competition for survival. Trees grow close to 100 feet tall to get sunlight, while parasitic vines wind around the taller trunks to get their nutrition. Adaptation is the name of the game here with ‘survival of the fittest’ being the mantra. Crowning heights of the canopy trees, bromeliads’ trick of holding rainwater, and thick mosses covering the tree roots are all examples of survival tricks.

Survival instincts flow into the fauna as well, with insects eating leaves, butterflies acting as pollinating agents, Army ants taking down larger prey as well as sweeping the ground clean from dead insects. There are traps everywhere, with spiderwebs catching an unsuspecting moth, Helicopter Damselflies attacking spiders, and arachnids eating plants by camouflaging.

It is also considered the bird watchers paradise, with more than 800 species of birds with their colorful feathers and interesting behavior making way to photographers and bird enthusiasts having a rewarding time. A keen eye and some patience will surely make encounters with a few of the 200 species of reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds and insects possible. Below are some fauna we spotted in the wild across the hikes through the rainforest –

Amphibians – Mostly easy to spot and most are oblivious to humans. Blue-jeans/poison dart frog, red-eyed leaf frog, cane toad, glass frog

Birds and Butterflies – Butterflies are easy to spot but birds are not since they dwell mostly at the top of the treelines. Sometimes viewing from the hanging bridges give you a better look at them flying below your eye level. Even Toucans and Quetzals, having a deluge of colors, are hard to spot in the semi-darkness of the rainforest. Some species we spotted are – Monarch mariposa, Keel-billed Toucan, Bananaquit, Manakin, Owl-eyed mariposa, Cook, Blue morpho, Scarlet Macaw, SResplendent Quetzal, Motmot, Hummingbirds

Insects – These guys are pretty much everywhere, and mostly harmless unless touched. Many varieties exist but some examples of what we saw are – Golden Orb weaver, Beetle, Wolf spider

Mammals – Although harder to spot as these are elusive to humans, some examples of mammals we spotted are: Jaguar, Tapir, Howler Monkey, Bats, Squirrel Monkey, Spider Monkey, Two toed and three toed Sloth, Vampire Bats

Reptiles – Need to approach these with extremely careful footsteps lest they flee or hide or even bite you. Without a guide, casual tourists will easily pass by some of the dangerous snakes (e.g. vipers, boas, vine snake) because of their incredible camouflage. Some lizards and iguanas are easier to spot during the day as they bask in the sun to soak up energy. But in general it is better to stay at a distance to admire their beauty and habitat. Although home to many more species, we spotted a few on our rainforest journeys – Black Ctenosaur (Iguana), Spectacled Caiman, American Crocodile, Yellow pitviper, Eyelash Viper

Ziplining through the rainforest

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Okay, so we are in the rainforest, have walked through the misty wet pathways while trying to spot wildlife. But how about catching glimpses of the forest from a ‘birds-eye’ view? Through the rainforest, cutting across the valleys, with scintillating views of lake Arenal and the mountains looking down, birds and wildlife all around, you are bound to have a time of your lives.

Even having done ziplining before, we had our hearts pounding but the staff at Sky Adventures made it easy to get into the groove with professional instructions with light hearted humor. The tour starts with a open air gondola from the ground to the heights beyond the treetops stretching across the canyons. With 7 lines connected to adjacent mountains, completing a circuit to return back at ground level. Our favorite ones were the first and the last one (“Big Daddy”) for being long and fast with breathtaking views.
We bought the combo tour with ziplining and walk tours scheduled for an entire day of activities. For ziplining, there are steps that they take you through and if you can follow their easy instructions, you will have a fun filled day. The staff knows that you are shivering from the fear of height and what not, so they take good care of you. For small scratches and cuts, they have first aid readily available.

Overall, it was a good day out, but be advised of the touristy nature of the activities. So the feeling of getting real close to nature yet not quite there always looms.

TIPS – Carry a action cam like GoPro, you won’t regret. Their helmets have the GoPro groove for you to fix your camera to. Check out a montage of the rainforest through our GoPro lens in our channel.
They take still photos for you to pick up later but don’t trust those as it can misfire. For the combo tour, they offer a paid buffet lunch, but it was not that great. So if possible, carry sandwiches etc. You won’t be able to carry any items with you so need to use their lockers which are safe.

Cloud Forest Diary

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Absence of real rain, even with a moist and swampy feeling can only be observed in a cloud forest. While rain forests are common, cloud forests are not simply because of the requirement of a certain altitude and formation of clouds through rainshadow regions. There are a few privately owned and maintained parks in Monteverde, that encapsulates the extreme biodiversity along with the geographical intricacies.

The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve are two prime parks in the area where you can experience the diverse species of animals and vegetation. We explored the two parks starting early morning when the opportunity to see some of the more elusive animals are more. Most efficient and effective way of seeing the parks are with guides simply because of their experience of spotting camouflaged animals. In most cases, the trails are well maintained and directed.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Address: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 55-5655, Costa Rica

This is one of the oldest reserves and has quite a few trails around the park. Without guide but with a slow walking pace keeping eyes and ears open for cues, it took us 5 hours mostly because of the sudden elevation gains. We took the Cloud Forest Trail, El Camino, Swamp Trail along the continental divide, Shining Trail that leads to La Ventana with an overlook to both sides of the divide (you can easily tell the difference between the two sides of the rainshadow region from here), and Suspended Bridge with a spectacular view of the canopy and some more wildlife.

Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve

Address: 6 km (4 mi) north of Santa Elena, Costa Rica (+506 2645 5390)

This park requires reservations and a shuttle ($2 per person) picks up visitors from their hotels. Located north of the town, next to the Selvatura Adventure Park, it has a couple of easy trails (e.g. Cano Negro). In the easy paced trail, there are a few lookouts to the Arenal Volcano, but visibility is often going to hinder any views. A nice quiet park to enjoy the tranquility but for the admission fee of $14 per person, and with other options available, we thought this park can easily be skipped.

Night walk in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Probably one of our best experiences in spending time in the forests, to book a night walk trip in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. We booked through Anywhere Costa Rica. Priced at $50 per person, they pick you up from the hotel before dark and drive up to the entrance of the park. A scary gondola ride through the dense fog as darkness sets in, is followed by a walk around the park through the suspension bridges trying to spot nocturnal animals. We spotted several nocturnal frogs, a tarantula, owls and birds. But we heard that on other days you can spot many more creatures albeit with flashlights.

Curi Cancha Reserve

Address: 300 meters west of the Monteverde Cheese Factory, 60109, Costa Rica

Not one of the most advertised places, therefore sort of off-the-beaten-path, the Curi Cancha reserve is located near the Monteverde Cloud F0rest Reserve and is also a privately owned park. They have knowledgeable local guides and photographers who can guide you through the park and a large network of them make it easier to spot elusive species of mammals, birds and reptiles. We found this to be the most underrated parks to spot wildlife in Monteverde. Takes about 3 hours to complete but again to maximize your chances of spotting wildlife, go as early as possible.

 

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