Happy Monday, Babes!
Since Hubby and I are headed out to our vacation next week, I felt it was best that I finally share my travel post about our recent trip to Guanacaste, Costa Rica! I got so many questions about our trip, so what better place to address them all here!
Where We Stayed: Riu Guanacaste
Chase and I are HUGE fans of all-inclusive resorts. All-inclusive means that everything is included in your stay, like your food and alcohol. We love this concept because we like to relax on our vacations and not have to plan out meals or carry around cash. You can just walk into almost any restaurant at the resort (except those that require reservations) and walk up to any bar an be served! It seriously takes all of the legwork of scheduling meals out! Most all-inclusive also include a limited amount of activities, such as snorkeling, paddle boarding, and assorted sports and fitness classes.
This was our first time staying at a Riu as we had heard many great things about their “Palace” level resorts. We didn’t stay at the Palace, we decided to stay at their other 5-star level resort, Riu Guanacaste. In a nutshell, I think there were some improvements that could have been made to this resort, but none that completely ruined our time. We went on our trip during low-season, which means there were more local families than true out of town guests. We had an issue with our A/C the first night and their lunch buffet selection was not the best. The pool was pretty crowded as this resort did not have the best swimmable beach, and there was a lot of kids around. When we did reach out about a few things that needed fixing or to try to get into a restaurant, I felt we were a bit brushed off. It made me wonder if their level of service had decreased because they were catering to more locals than travelers.
Other than a few minor hiccups here and there, I would have rated this resort a 4-star. The resort was just big enough for you to get a good walk in without wanting to put your feet up. There were a few themed restaurants to choose from, the Asian restaurant was our favorite! The rooms were huge and we never had a problem getting a chair on the beach.
Fun Things To Do In Costa Rica
Costa Rica is known for its lush rainforests and fishing, so these are two things we wanted to explore during our stay. Turns out our trip was also during dry-season which means the rainforest was not so lush, so we explored what we could on some rented ATVs. We had a guide who took us through the mountains until we came up to a black sand beach. It was fun to get off the resort and see different parts of the area. We also went off-shore fishing in hopes of catching a Marlin, needless to say, we did not catch said Marlin, BUT, Chase did catch a Mahi Mahi, which the resort Chef prepared for dinner for us and it was AMAZING!
My favorite excursion was our second day there when we went on a sunset snorkel booze cruise. We boarded our catamaran and sat down to some yummy, fresh pina coladas! Everything in Costa Rica was made from the freshest ingredients, it was so good! After sailing for a bit, we came up to the spot where we would begin our snorkel. There was some cool fish to see, including a few puffer fish, but then I got stung by a jellyfish, so I was done with the snorkeling part of our excursion! After boarding our boat again, we sailed back to the resort and drank the sunset away! The views were seriously gorgeous!
Overall, I can never complain about a vacation. I enjoy having my time to recoup and recenter, even if there are a few mishaps along the way. I’m a firm believer in making the best of all situations. When the air didn’t work, we explored a new part of the resort. When the lunch selection wasn’t that great, we snacked on the best queso and guac, when the pool was too rowdy, we relaxed on the beach. In any situation, you can make the best of it, I promise!
Chase and I’s next adventures are taking us to Akumal, Mexico in July where we’ll be staying at the Grand Palladium Kantenah Resort. We don’t usually spring for an upgraded room, but they had a room category here that we couldn’t resist! Stay tuned by following me on Instagram to see all of our adventures! And if you’re into affordable vacation wear (I’m talking pieces for less than $40!) be sure to follow me on the LIKEtoKNOW.it app!
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