On day 4 we left Tortuga Lodge for our 3 night stay at the MonteverdeLodge & Gardens. After breakfast we boated across the river to the airstrip to catch our flight to San Jose – there were quite a few of us leaving Tortuga the same day so CRE had chartered 3 planes for us. There was only one other couple going to Monteverde (the couple I mentioned earlier) so we had a plane to ourselves. After a 35 minute flight, we were met in San Jose by yet another excellent CRE guide (who also happened ...

Our CRE tour included all meals except for lunch the 1st day in Monteverde, all transportation – van, boat and plane, 2 tours at Tortuga and 2 tours and a visit to the butterfly farm in Monteverde.
In the March 2012 issue of Travel & Leisure, CRE was rated #2 of tour and safari operators and all my initial emails to Nadia in CRE’s San Jose main office and mostly good reviews on TripAdvisor gave me high expectations for this tour. I communicated with CRE’s main office quite a few times ...

Xandari Resort & Spa, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Xandari is a true tropical paradise consisting of 23 individually designed villas on 45 acres overlooking the central valley of Costa Rica. The resort is conveniently located around 20 minutes from San Jose International airport and around a 10 minute ride to the colonial city of Alajuela (Costa Rica's 2nd largest city).

The resort features trails with 5 beautiful waterfalls, fantastic gardens, 3 pools and jacuzzis, a ...

Our first visit to the property dates backs to when was originally operated as the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel Hollywood Beach Resort. Over the years, it was sold once or twice, eventually undergoing a major renovation and re-branded as the Marriott Hollywood Beach Hotel.



The first few years after the renovation and re-opening, management was first rate and the service was top notch. Even though the rooms were still somewhat cramped ...

Back in September 2004, we drove through Vero Beach, Florida and observed the carnage two back to back hurricanes had delivered. We wondered how long it would take for the community to recover and rebuild the numerous destroyed hotels and business structures in this very special place.

Amazing what a $50 million dollar infusion, plus the vision and inspiration of a power couple like Gloria and Emilio Estefan, can do for a small devastated hotel on a lovely stretch of Florida beach. ...