The view from Arenal Nayara Hotel
Here’s a video I took at the Arenal Nayara Hotel in Costa Rica which is a magnificent spot overlooking the Arenal Volcano in the central north of Costa Rica.
Hopefully the video is self explanatory but this is a gorgeous spot for a romantic getaway. We also send families here and they love it too so that shows you how much I know.
All that I can say is that this is a place is gorgeous if you want a little treat in the middle of your holiday to Costa Rica. Picture sitting in the hot tub, listening to the rumbling volcano, sipping a cool drink.
Find out more about our Costa Rica holidays or go straight to our Costa Rica honeymoon which features the Arenal Nayara Hotel as standard. Or just call us on +44 (0)1273 676 712 and we can talk you through all the options.
The Wayra Lodge high in the Peruvian Andes above Machu Picchu
When someone decides to build a couple of lodges in the middle of remote, stunning mountain scenery near Machu Picchu then alarm bells will clearly ring for those of us who care about protecting these places.
Surely it would destroy the feeling of remoteness that makes the mountains so special. Then there are environmental considerations – the area has no electricity connection or running water. It does make you wonder what sacrifices have been made to create these lodges?
It is reassuring to know that the lodges are owned and operated by a team genuinely passionate about the environment and the communities they work in.
Mountain Lodges of Peru is a Peruvian family business. The driving force behind the project is to eliminate poverty in the Salkantay region within 20 years.
With this aim in mind they set about building four lodges along the remote Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu. It took ten long years of fighting Peruvian beuarocracy to get permission.
During that time the company was also the subject of a lot of local rumours – first that they were actually building a dam to create a water supply and then exploit the locals by selling it on at extortionate rates.
Then came the story that were in fact building a brothel.
And next, possibly the most pernicious rumour of all, was that the company was run by Chileans. Chile and Peru have a long history of mutual dislike. The Peruvian owner was out on his horse one afternoon when he came across some locals who called him ‘The Chilean’. He was so incensed by this he jumped down from his horse and got out all the ID he had on him to prove otherwise.
So with this as a back story it is a real testament to the owners that they battled on. The lodges are now a big part of the local community and fully accepted. The integration and social responsibility is probably the best I have seen anywhere in South America.
Read more about our lodge based hike to Machu Picchu.
The third pool at Xandari
Waking up in the Xandari Lodge looking out over Costa Rica’s central valley is never going to be a bad thing. After a particularly gruelling and long series of flights (36 hours or more, don’t ask), it was truly a wonderful place to wake up yesterday.
The dawn chorus was of a type and volume that I have never really heard before, wonderfully full and varied and mostly emanating from little brown jobs in the trees beneath my patio.
At 6am I set off for a walk in the grounds. I know this will conjure up images of manicured lawns and ‘taking a turn’ whilst wearing Edwardian clothing for most people. Xandari’s a bit different though.
Set high on a ridge, Xandari’s rooms and pools are all perched high on the ridge. The extensive grounds drop away very steeply down into basically cloudforest. Within minutes you are surrounded by dense vegetation and the sound of flowing water.
I spent half an hour exploring waterfalls, strange flowers and unexpected viewpoints, all in the company of a cacophony of chirruping birds and insects.
By the time I clambered back up to the ridge, it was 7am and baking hot. Time for a swim. Xandari’s 23 rooms share no fewer than three pools. This is the middle one, about 20m long so ideal for some refreshing pre-breakfast laps.
I find it hard to imagine a more varied or lovely introduction to Costa Rica.
Join us on a holiday to Costa Rica or to find out more about Costa Rica in general.