Costa Rica - Day 3

When recently asked about my trip - well it was more so mentioned and I just oozed information - I think the best advice I gave was....DON'T BUY ANY TRIPS UNTIL YOU GET THERE. I am the ultimate planner and like to purchase all things (especially vacations) in quadruple advance...whatever that means. However, this time, I was more inclined to wait. The main reason was because when I found out where I would be staying, I automatically skipped off to some website like tripadvisor.com to see guest photos. One photo that stood out was of a billboard that was for the adventure booking office on the resort grounds. This is what caused me to WAIT. THIS is where I found and booked the Aquatour that consisted of snorkeling, fishing, a BBQ on a remote beach, and plain 'ol FUN. 

YOU HAVE TO go to TheMoniqueMichelle.com for the entire post and even more pictures. Also, as promised, is an excerpt from my travel journal. 

Costa Rica - Day 2

What can I say? Day 2 of Costa Rica, after what I'm just going to refer to as an entire day of traveling, was my relaxation day. Luckily for me, it turned out to be a FREE day in more ways than one. The hotel happened to have a small location where guests could book tours. It really came in handy as we made more than a couple visits to the office. The best part about it was that the tours/adventures/excursions all left right from the beach of the hotel. What worked out was that as we were looking into a couple excursions, we were told that a little later that day, probably within the hour, a boat was leaving from the island to go to another small beach about a 10 minutes ride away. Now, that 10 minutes definitely felt like a 20-25 minute ride, but I for one wasn't complaining because I enjoyed the ride and it was free. We ate breakfast and got packed to go.

HEAD TO TheMoniqueMichelle.com for the full post, tons more pics, and a journal excerpt from my personal travel journal. 

All I want for my birthday...

          Well, it was months ago, but I've yet to update you on my adventures. I told you that I vowed to never be in the US for my birthday, so 2013 was no different. Cancun was the destination of choice. Now, it wasn't the first choice, but I am so glad that I went. It was gorgeous, everyone was super nice, and the food wasn't half bad.

          Because my big sisters birthday is 2 days after mine, she was my travel partner. We states at the Westin. Because there are actually 2 Westin's on the main hotel strip, ours was called the Westin Regina. We were at the very end of the hotel strip (a lot like my Las Vegas trip, but hey, trial and error, right?) but there were buses that cost about $2 that went to the very end of the hotel zone well into downtown (Walmart etc.). First things first, I was told by a friend that there was no need to convert my money. DO EXCHANGE YOUR CURRENCY. It is well worth it. So many places exchange currency but end up exchanging it for different amounts. Luckily I scoped out a place that offered the most (as far as I knew) and stuck with them. My friend had the luxury of staying at an All Inclusive resort, so she probably didn't realize the value of a peso.

          The hotel was gorgeous with one of the most beautiful private beaches, and my favorite, beachside service. Nothing like having food and drinks brought to you while you are lounging in a beach chair...

          Check out more DO'S and DON'TS over at TheMoniqueMichelle.com under "le damn blog" and ALL my Cancun photos in my "Travel" section. Click the link and enjoy :)