Trip Review
Mindy’s family of 4 (with children ages 13 and 12) spent their spring break in Southern California taking in the sights of Los Angeles and the San Diego area. 
The family really enjoyed both of their hotel stays at the Inter-Continental in Century City, not far from Beverly Hills and at the Park Hyatt in Carlsbad, just north of San Diego. A highlight of the Los Angeles part of the trip was the Warner Brothers Back Lot tour and seeing the TV sets from their favorite shows and learning about how movies and TV shows are produced. They also window shopped on Rodeo Drive, checked out the DASH store in Calabasas, hung out in Venice Beach, Hollywood and the Santa Monica Pier, saw the houses of their favorite stars and visited the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades. The focus of this free museum is on education and is dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of Ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria. A variety of special events can enhance your visit. In the San Diego region, the Valenci’s hiked at Torrey Pines State Park, explored La Jolla, Carlsbad and San Diego, went to the San Diego Zoo and watched the Phillies beat the Padres at Petco Park in celebration of Jordan’s 14th birthday! Overall a great trip filled with a variety of activities and adventures. 
Travel Tip
Save it for a rainy day! Before you head off on your next trip, it’s wise to make a list of places to visit in case of inclement weather. While we hope the weather will be perfect when we travel, it is not always the case. Check with The Family Traveler, through guidebooks and on-line for ideas that work well indoors for your family. This can include museums, historical homes, libraries, cooking classes, films, indoor game centers and more. Be creative and whatever comes your way will be a great adventure. Don’t forget the umbrellas…
Trip Review
The Dean family from Cupertino made a return trip to Costa Rica this month. The trip was in part to see some of the Rotary sponsored water projects and also to explore some new areas of the country after their first experience in Arenal, Monteverde and Manual Antonio in 2009. 
After their San Jose Rotary experience, the Dean family of 4 (2 adults and 2 young adults) flew to Punta Islita for a stay at the beautiful Hotel Punta Islita on the Nicoya Peninsula in southern Guanacaste. The regional airport is only 10 minutes from the resort. The Dean’s reported that this property was heavenly. The family stayed in a spacious 2 bedroom/2 bath villa with gorgeous water views, plunge pool and full kitchen. With the accommodations built into the hillside, they had use of a golf cart to get around. Other property amenities include an infinity pool, several dining options, spa, gym as well as the beach club with pool and playground. In addition, the resort offers a unique variety of cultural experiences such as cooking lessons and art projects along with an endless array of outdoor adventures such as kayaking, fishing, surfing and sea turtle watching in season. The Deans’ took advantage of ATV rides, canopy zip line and horseback riding on the beach. The family headed up to Rincon de la Vieja, an active volcano in northern Guanacaste, with a stay at Borinquen Mountain Resort and Spa. While the service and food was less stellar than at Punta Islita, the Deans still enjoyed the beautiful landscaping, spa services and hot spring thermal pools. An arduous hike to the volcano to see the boiling mudpots and fumaroles proved to be a worthwhile effort! A flight out of Liberia airport ended another memorable Costa Rican vacation for this active family.
Travel Tip
VAT refunds in Europe are slowly getting easier to process. With tax rates as high as 23 percent, major purchases can fetch a decent rebate. Premier Tax Free, a rebate service, now offers same day payments in many downtown locations in London, Paris, Milan, Florence, Rome, Venice, Berlin, Munich and more. Some rebates are offered in the form of gift cards. In addition, several major department stores are also offering rebate desks including Harrods in London and Printemps and Galleries Lafayette in Paris. Check out www.premiertaxfree.com and www.global-blue.com for more details. 
Some destinations still require you to go to the airport and show your goods to an agent (which means hand carrying your purchases) which can be time consuming. Note that each country requires a different amount of euros to be spent before the rebate is given. This ranges from only 20 euros per purchase in Germany to 175 euros in France. Look for the Tax Free Shopping sticker to know if a shop participates in the program. Each year Americans leave an estimated 60 million euros in unclaimed value-added tax refunds…
Trip Review
The Zimmerman family spent their February break in Puerto Rico at the Wyndham Rio Mar located 30 minutes south of San Juan. 
This lovely beachfront hotel is an excellent value for families seeking a variety of recreation such as tennis, golf, water sports and kids club with easy access to activities and adventures off the resort. The Zimmerman conveniently rented a car from a rental office right at the hotel and explored the area with a privately guided tour of the El Yunque Rainforest, kayaked in the bioluminescent bay in Fajardo where the water is aglow at night and drove miniboats to snorkel spots off the coast. Rough seas made the miniboats a bit of a challenge, but all the excursions were enjoyed by the entire family and gave them a great perspective of Puerto Rico’s unique biodiversity. They also explored the historical sights in Old San Juan visiting the forts and walking around this charming city. Overall the week long trip was a nice mix of relaxation and active adventures.
Travel Tip
We continue to encourage you to book your vacations as early as possible to get the best availability for flights, hotels, cruise cabin locations, etc. Waiting will not provide the best deals and overall value especially during the busy school vacation weeks and summer time. We know your family is very busy and you don’t always know your vacation time in advance. We are here to help make your travel planning as easy and smooth as possible and to always find you the best values available. No need to take the leftovers and pay higher airfares when you plan in advance. Thanks!
Travel Tip
Sign up for our Facebook page and get frequent updates on newsworthy travel related information. We would love to open up the conversation about family travel with you; so feel free to comment on our items, begin topics of conversation, etc.
Trip Review
The Harkavy family traveled to Israel in December for 12 nights in honor of their daughter’s recent Bat Mitzvah. The Family Traveler created a custom and privately guided trip for this South Florida family of four (with two teenage girls ages 15 and 13) with an exciting variety o
f adventures, activities, sightseeing, history and culture included. The family began (and ended) their trip in Tel Aviv where they had a special tour of the nearby Weizmann Institute of Science with a private tour thanks to family connections with the research center. Visits to the Ayalon Institute, Palmach Museum and Diaspora Museum where they traced their family back 300 years were also highlights. The family then headed into the Galilee where they stayed in a kibbutz guest house and met with local kibbutzniks. They explored a wide variety of destinations in the region including the Golan Heights where they rode horses and got an expansive view of the landscape. In Jerusalem, the family experienced the Southern Wall excavations, explored the Old City in depth and planted trees along with visits to the Knesset, Holocaust Museum and more. Their adventure continued into the Negev Desert with a stay on the Dead Sea, climb up Masada and an exciting camel ride. Overall the family was very appreciative of their guide who proved to be a grandfatherly figure to the Harkavy teenage girls. The guide captured the girls’ attention and brought the country’s past, present and future alive to the entire family.
Travel Tip
Ski season is in full swing. Here are some tips for dealing with high altitude:
- Stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine in the first 24 hours, since they can also be dehydrating.
- Protect yourself from the sun with SPF 30 or higher. In higher elevations, there’s a thinner ozone layer and higher glare from winter’s snow and ice.
- Take a deep breath. The air is thinner, so be conscious of taking in generous amounts of oxygen.
- Avoid strenuous activities, such as hiking or skiing, in the first 24 hours.
- Pace your fitness workouts.
- Moisturize your skin.
- Get a good night’s sleep. Jet lag may also be a factor in how you’re feeling.
Trip Review
Mindy’s family of four (with children ages 13 and 12) just returned from Costa Rica. The entire family agrees that this was one of the best vacations they have ever taken! Despite travel problems early on and a forced overnight in San Jose, they started their trip in Arenal and stayed at a Arenal Nayara, a lovely hotel with gorgeous landscaping at the base of this active volcano. The weather was cloudy and wet (it is a rainforest!), so they were not sure if they would ever see the volcano. The family took a great hike and the enjoyed the popular Hanging Bridges tour with a private guide. They definitely learned a lot about the flora and fauna of the rainforest and the delicate balance of plants, animals, birds and insects. With the cold and wet weather, it was a pleasure to experience one of the area’s hot springs, which flow naturally from the volcano.
The next stop was Monteverde via a boat ride over Lake Arenal and bumpy gravel roads, but up and down beautiful rolling hills. They stayed at the Hidden Canopy Treehouses Boutique Hotel, their treehouse in the clouds. They spent two nights with families from all over the world and learned about the cloud forest by taking a night hike through the private Monteverde Biological Reserve. It was amazing to see the differences in the forests by day and by night. Despite continued rain and high winds, they still managed to complete the zip line canopy tour. The scariest part was climbing the platform towers in 70 mph wind, but once they were harnessed to the lines, they felt safe. It was truly a unique experience zip lining from cloud to cloud. In the region they also explored smaller towns and had a private tour of a local organic farm. Their guide, a naturist, reminisced about picking coffee beans since he was 8 years old. He spoke of sleeping in a one room shack with his family of 10, sleeping on wood benches and using the sacks for blankets. It was fascinating for the children to see and hear how others in the world live and how little people really need to be so content. The family also learned about the importance of coffee to the country, and the primitive processes that are used (by hand of course) to pick, roast, grind and package the coffee. The farm was self sustaining and also grew pineapples, tangerines, grapefruits, bananas and plantains. They even raised their own fish!
Gorgeous weather (mid 90’s and sunny) finally appeared when they traveled to the Pacific Ocean to the Guanacaste Region with a stay at The Hideaway Hotel on Playa Samara. The children took surfing lessons and continued to use the boards on their own during their entire stay. The family also fished by trolling for mackerel and tuna and ate their catch that evening at the hotel. They also snorkeled, rode horses, went white water rafting and took banana boat rides. The most surprising part of the trip was seeing so many horses, dogs and bikes on the beach!
Costa Rica is a must see for families with its array of outdoor adventures, biodiverse destinations and educational component. The Family Traveler customizes your trip based on the ages of children, budget, bedding needs and your family’s interest. Mindy felt fortunate to have planned such a trip for herself and to experience three distinct regions of this lovely country. The entire family found the local Ticos to be simple, friendly and honest. Their way of life is “Pura Vida”- the pure and simple life. A lesson for all of us as we make our way into another decade…
