If we loved Hawaii and Costa Rica, where to go next?

[Anonymous]

Go back to HI, particularly Kauai and Maui.

Skip the beach and visit southern Colorado/Sante Fe. We flew into Albuquerque and drove up to Durango, by way of Santa Fe. Awesome trip for teens! Day trips to Telluride and Mesa Verde National Park. It’s beautiful, there are the American Indian and “old west” culture components, and lots of activities. We did a high ropes course, hiked, rode a glass sided train through the mountains, and went white water rafting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been to Hawaii and Costa Rica plus a ton of Carribean islands. My top: St Croix, Bermuda.

Aruba was too hot and super windy. Bahamas / Dominican Republic was not my vibe. Puerto Rico has terrible beaches. Belize was fine but the beaches / water were not that nice.

Did you go to Vieques?

[Anonymous]

Thailand, Belize (although Costa Rica is better) , southern utah

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been to Hawaii and Costa Rica plus a ton of Carribean islands. My top: St Croix, Bermuda.

Aruba was too hot and super windy. Bahamas / Dominican Republic was not my vibe. Puerto Rico has terrible beaches. Belize was fine but the beaches / water were not that nice.

Did you go to Vieques?

No that's harder to get to

[Anonymous]

French Polynesia? But it is pricey and far.

Also, Moorea and Bota Bora are much nicer than the main island of Tahiti (i.e.,where Papeete is, stay elsewhere).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Puerto Rico, Colombia, or really most places in the Caribbean.

Disagree. I love a Caribbean vacation, but many islands are not at all like Hawaii or Costa Rica - many are quite flat and scrubby. Gorgeous beaches, crystal clear water and great snorkeling, but if you are looking for hiking, adventure stuff and lush jungle, you have to be very picky - St. Lucia sort of, St. Barth's has some nice hiking and is French so a little bit of a cultural difference.

The Caribbean is fairly easy to get to from the East Coast especially factoring in time zones, but if you are interested in a jungle adventure, this isn't it.

[Anonymous]

I think the Mexico poster was onto something. Riviera Maya or further down the Yucatán coast could be great. Culture, food, beaches. Convenient. Really pretty safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been to Hawaii and Costa Rica plus a ton of Carribean islands. My top: St Croix, Bermuda.

Aruba was too hot and super windy. Bahamas / Dominican Republic was not my vibe. Puerto Rico has terrible beaches. Belize was fine but the beaches / water were not that nice.

Did you go to Vieques?

No that's harder to get to

Did you leave San Juan at all? PR beaches are very nice and it has more than 200 hundred beaches, I doubt that you visited all of them. Best beaches are in the southwest, unless you want to surf and they are in the northwest. Tons of small islands with excellent beaches too (Culebra, Culebrita, Vieques, Icacos, Mata la gata, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St Lucia actually in terms of adventures. They have more than a beach and a lot of history there. Foods amazing, it's easy to tour entire island and beautiful.

+ 1 for St. Lucia . It’s different than many of the carribean islands we’ve visited

[Anonymous]

St. Barths

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Puerto Rico, Colombia, or really most places in the Caribbean.

No one is taking their family to Colombia for vacation, too dangerous.

If you did go with your family and children, please provide your itinerary and where you stayed (lodging).

Very cool hotel in Cartagena backpackers area, bus to Santa Marta, hostel in Santa Marta, then 3 nights in bunks/hammocks while hiking to the lost city, bus back to cartegena and 2 more nights in another cool place in the fancy area of Cartegena.

This was a month after I stayed a week at Four Seasons CR. I wouldn’t recommend Colombia to people who choose the Four Seasons ever!!! It is a full different experience any way you cut it. I find that those who prefer FS like to stay within the brand. Check out Punta Mita.

Side question - did you find you had enough to do at the 4S? A week seems like a really long to base yourself in that one area of Costa Rica but curious your thoughts after doing this?

Great question. I actually spend a lot of time there, and honestly, a week is too much for me. But I’m not a huge resort person. It is fully remote from all other places in Costa Rica. It takes an hour to fully get off the property it seems. I usually take a yoga class in the morning, then hit the hot tubs, then play cards for a couple hours by the pool breaking for wave jumping and do one activity such as kayaking, spear fishing, catamaran trip etc in the afternoon and then it is dinner and bed.

For me, it is a little slow. But we spend it with family, so it is good family time. My favorite trip that included the FS started with a couple days rafting in Turrialba, then a couple near Arenal and then a couple at the FS. It really isn’t advisable to plan to go off property while at the FS; it is just too remote. But we have many family members who prefer to relax there for longer, so I think it is really personal preference. It is an amazing, beautiful resort, but there is nothing particularly Costa Rican about it; I haven’t even seen Linzano sauce there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Puerto Rico, Colombia, or really most places in the Caribbean.

No one is taking their family to Colombia for vacation, too dangerous[b].

If you did go with your family and children, please provide your itinerary and where you stayed (lodging).

Um, it’s 2023, not 1995. Columbia is an incredible travel destination.

Np: We have fiends from Colombia and they have kidnapping insurance. I would not go. Due to my husband’s job we have been advised to not go to Mexico, Columbia and some other countries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Puerto Rico, Colombia, or really most places in the Caribbean.

No one is taking their family to Colombia for vacation, too dangerous[b].

If you did go with your family and children, please provide your itinerary and where you stayed (lodging).

Um, it’s 2023, not 1995. Columbia is an incredible travel destination.

Np: We have fiends from Colombia and they have kidnapping insurance. I would not go. Due to my husband’s job we have been advised to not go to Mexico, Columbia and some other countries.

From state department website:
Colombia Travel Advisory

Travel Advisory
May 11, 2023Colombia - Level 3: Reconsider Travel
Reissued with updates to high-risk areas.

Reconsider travel due to crime and terrorism. Exercise increased caution due to civil unrest and kidnapping. Some areas have increased risk.

[Anonymous]

Iceland…not for tropical but for outdoor adventure.

[Anonymous]

There's nothing really like CR nor Hawaii. Caribbeans are island with nice beaches very few offer the opp for outdoor adventures other than PR.

I would continue going to the former 2 countries to do different things - CR is huge as are Hawaii with various islands.

Iceland, Alaska are outdoorsy but no beach while Greek Islands offer adventure and beach though. You'd have to look Europe but it's easier to do CR/Hawaii. I'm not sure it's about one and done there!!

Believe me I've looked a lot and considered other destinations! Mexico is the other possibility but it's less that amazing outdoor feel. Bend OR is really cool though as are W state resorts like Rush Creek in CA and Jackson Hole Rustic Inn. Because a lot if national parks are right there these resorts are able to combine pool fun and outdoor stuff in a way that makes the resorts around here laughable.