Starting Dec 3, 2014, Costa Rica’s airport exit tax will be added to airline ticket prices. The exit tax, currently $29 USD per person, has been in place since 2003. Travelers had to stand in an additional line to pay the tax prior to going to airline check-in lines. This additional step added time, and […]
Read PostGaucho Mosco – A Traveler’s Poem
Earlier this year, we helped coordinate a scouting trip to Argentina for a professor at a local college in Denver. The goal of her trip was to develop a new study abroad experience for her students studying tourism. These study abroad trips always have themes that highlight a destination’s local culture. Upon her return, Ms. […]
Read PostTips on Tipping While Traveling
Who should I tip? How much should I tip? Does it matter what country I’m visiting? We’re asked questions about tipping more than any other topic during the travel planning stages for clients. It shouldn’t be so hard, but tipping tends to be one of the most difficult aspects of travel to navigate. The information […]
Read PostThe Best Swimming Holes in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula
Throughout Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, you can find a wide variety of cenotes, natural swimming holes created by the collapse of limestone rock. Cenotes range from open-air pools surrounded by lush vegetation to cave pools hidden underground. On a recent trip to Mexico, we had the opportunity to visit Seven Cenotes, a ranch in the process […]
Read PostCosta Rica – Newest International Destination for Southwest Airlines
In March 2015, Southwest Airlines will begin service to Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in Costa Rica. This marks the airlines’ expansion beyond Mexico and the Caribbean. Daily round-trip flights between SJO and Baltimore/ Washington International (BWI) begin on March 7 and tickets will be available for purchase as soon as the necessary Department of […]
Read PostMayan Ruins at Uxmal – Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Mayan archaeological sites can be found throughout the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico with Chichen Itza being the most famous and most visited. Last month, a trip to Merida provided easy access to Uxmal. It’s about a 75-minute drive from Merida to Uxmal. We arrived at 7:45 am so were the first ones into the site […]
Read PostSwimming with Whale Sharks – Key to their Conservation?
Last month, we traveled to Mexico for Reefs to Rockies’ annual whale shark adventure. Now in its fifth year, this annual trip remains one of our favorites. Every year, humans kill as many as 100 million sharks. We believe that sharks are worth far more alive than dead and swimming with sharks just may be […]
Read PostEarthquake Near Quito Causes Damage to Pan-American Highway
On August 12th, 2014, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake shook Ecuador’s capital city and surrounding areas. The earthquake caused damage to slopes along the Pan-American Highway and the government has decided to close the highway near the damaged sites for the next six months. There is only one other highway that provides access to Otavalo in northern […]
Read PostSeeing Sea Turtles – Akumal Bay, Mexico
In summer, visitors to Akumal, Mexico have the opportunity to observe the complete life cycle of sea turtles from hatching to nesting. During a recent trip, we stayed one night (August 1, 2014) at a beachfront hotel in Akumal’s south bay. We were reminded at check in that it was peak nesting season and that […]
Read PostPanama Canal Celebrates 100th Anniversary Today
The Panama Canal, a 48-mile shortcut between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, celebrates its 100th Anniversary today. In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers named the Canal as one of the “Seven Wonders of the Modern World” paying tribute to civil engineering achievements of the 20th Century. Partial (4-5 hours) and full transit (8-9 […]
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