nylalany

Neat to hear about your honeymoon there! Many of my wedding guests mentioned wanting to stay there if they go back to the area, after falling in love with Al Cielo at my wedding. Now I can share some more details with them if they ask .

Ask.CostaRica - thanks for the car service tip! Hopefully they'll take us even earlier if we want. I'll give them a call when I get to Costa Rica, if I can. I do speak Spanish, but not well, and my written Spanish is better - I hope they speak English too haha.

Thank you SO SO much again. So $20? I was going to go w/the $25 shuttles b/c it is new and taxis don't know where it is - I guess it is worth the extra $5 for that huh. Muse is the restaurant there, but if it isn't good, I'll go for your suggestions. Do they both offer fish? I don't eat meat. Someone on tripadvisor also mentioned Tablita Campesina in walking distance from Beacon. They said it was cheap and good - would you recommend it?

Ask.CostaRica - Sorry to ask so many questions but you've just been so helpful - and I'm leaving tomorrow! So you've really helped! Now Finca Rosa Blanca is $218 including taxes on Expedia for a Junior Suite (major savings compared to their website). FRB says they provide transportation $30 each way to airport, so total $268, and that it is 15-20 minutes from airport. Beacon Escazu (where I am booked) is $138 including taxes, and they provide transportation for $25 each way, so total $188, and you say it is also 20 minutes to airport from Escazu. Beacon Escazu Is Finca Blanca Rosa worth the extra $80? I like the idea of being in nature, but if we're only there for 2 hours of daylight, is it worth it? Maybe we should stick to the Beacon and the comforts of having tv, etc. haha...

Ugh everyone says something different, see? So Xandari is 35 minutes from airport? And Finca Rosa Blanca is actually closer? I looked at both and I heard the opposite ha! They both look very pretty - I wish I felt it was worth it - if I were leaving on a later flight, I would have totally booked one of them! I love the idea of waterfall trails at Xandari, although Finca Rosa Blanca's rooms look nicer.

We're arrive at 3:15 PM and departing the next morning at 7:15 AM - so we'd have to be at the airport by 5 AM I think. Normally, I'd just stay at the Hampton Inn, but we have many hours afternoon/evening on the last day, and it seems like it would be nice to stay somewhere slightly more interesting or at least w/a restaurant or restaurant near by. Indigo Hotel looks cool, but it is in Santa Ana? I looked into Beacon Escazu too - new and slightly cheaper, but I'm assuming either of these hotels will be a 1/2 hour taxi from the airport? Do you know? Would Doubletree Cariari Hilton be nicer experience than Hampton Inn? It is cheaper and supposedly 10 minutes from airport. I also looked at Casa Bella Rita (Santa Ana) but not sure how I feel about B&B, and it is just as far away, Xandari (Alajuela), but it is pricey, and Pura Vida (Alajuela) but it is rustic. I'll take a look at Martino, thanks. Any other suggestions are welcome.

Ask.CostaRica - Thanks for the suggestions. We're actually staying at Grano de Oro before and after our overnight rafting trip. We get in too late the first night for dinner (our flight arrives at 8:40 PM), but I do have dinner reservations for when we get back from rafting, so hopefully we'll enjoy the restaurant there. They only had standard and superior rooms available though, so we're not luxing it there. We have a flight the following morning around 10:30, so we won't have time to see any of the San Jose area. Even though I'm leaving on Friday, I'm still confused about where to stay on our last night (a week from Saturday). We arrive on a Sansa flight from Tambor into San Jose around 3:15 PM, but then we have a ridiculously early flight home at 7:15 the next morning. Have you heard of the new boutique hotel, Beacon Escazu? I booked that, but then read afterwards that Escazu is 30 minutes from the airport. If we have to be there 2 hours before, we'd have to leave between 4:30 and 4:45 in the morning to get there. So I'm not so sure. Now I'm thinking maybe the Hampton Inn even though it would be so depressing for our last night, or maybe the Doubletree Cariari Hilton, which works out to the same price w/shuttles as the Hampton Inn, and might be nicer. Do you have any other suggestions or comments on these? tripadvisor just confused me more b/c the San Jose area is so vast and the travelers to Costa Rica are very varied in expectations and desires. binzer - did you go to Mal Pais at all? We're spending 5 nights in that area. Btw, Rancho Pacifico looks great - I can't wait to hear about your wedding.

To hijack this thread - any last minute recs for hotels near SJO? I've read tripadvisor but am still unsure of what best fits the bill for me for my last night.

For those of you who have been to Costa Rica already, do you have any suggestions for hotels near SJO? I've looked on tripadvisor and am just not firm on any of the choices.

Just looked at Royal Corin though - it does look pretty swanky! I'll keep it in mind for the next trip if we make it to Arenal.

We're going in 9 days - doing overnight river-rafting, staying at Pacuare Jungle Lodge, and then 5 nights at Florblanca Resort in Santa Teresa (Mal Pais area). We also looked into Lapa Rios, but didn't have enough time for everything. If anyone has any suggestions for where to stay in the San Jose region , as flight schedules are necessitating 3 (brief) nights there, please share!

You can find my review and photos on tripadvisor - I had to actually had to create the entry of the hotel on tripadvisor b/c it wasn't there, even though I first found out about the place via the forums there. But in short, I thought it was a great getaway for a short period - very very different than what we would experience elsewhere, and I wanted that. I really wanted an ocean view, and I really didn't want the huge highrise hotel room feel that you get in some of my favorite places, like Hawaii, and we didn't have time to go to French Polynesia or Costa Rica for those individual bungalow experiences, so this fit the bill. Ocean views, unique, and a 15 minute hike through the jungle to a good safe surfing spot in the town of Sayulita. We aren't yoga people, and I think if you were going as part of a yoga retreat, it would be a better experience, b/c you'd get to know the other guests (of which there are only maybe 20 while we were there) - and we're kinda social people, but they set a romantic table for 2 for us every night at dinner since we weren't part of the group. However, we were on our honeymoon, so that does make sense . They'll set the tables however you want, so even if you did go w/a group, you can still have a private table. Make sure to tell them it is your honeymoon and that you want one of the most private of the premium ocean view cabanas. The food is very healthy and vegetarian, and they'll modify it to your request at a next meal if you tell them things you can or can't eat. My husband is a carnivore though, so we ate lunch in Sayulita btwn surfing all day, which was fun too (cheap fish tacos). Some of the guests said they hiked over to Playa Escondida and had a good lunch there too - and that the place is really cute (if you want to check it out too). Different - more kitchy and Mexicana in feel. The beach is right there. My husband complained that the waves were too loud. You hike 10 minutes down the hill past the cabanas and yoga hut and massage hut to the beach, where there are chairs. It is a beautiful beach; however, to swim, I'd recommend climbing over the boulders to the beach next to it. It is a much bigger cove with less boulders in the water, and much safer for swimming. We swam there the first afternoon we arrived, and there was only one other couple on that beach. Reason - it is a 15 minute hike through the jungle from that beach to the town of Sayulita, so most people are hiking there only if they somehow hear about it (it is a little confusing, we got directions the other way from some people on the beach), and even then, they have to hike back before it gets dark. Unfortunately, some millionaire is building a house on the cliff above the beach, so I don't know how much progress has been made on that. Regardless, it felt super clean. There was a model shoot going on there on the the 3rd day we were there. AND, you can always hike through the jungle to town (or cab it), and rent surf boards, etc. I felt like the water was cleaner and safer (not motor boats and beginner surfers) at the beach next to the resort beach, but this one is lively and pretty authentic (Mexicans and tourists surfing together). Villa Amor is the nicest hotel in Sayulita - you can also check that out. Anyway, let me know what you decide. People drool when I show them my photos, but I think it caters to specific people. I was in love with the place, my husband wasn't. But he did talk about returning asap to Sayulita, so we both were happy with the trip. Let me know what you decide - and take a look at the tripadvisor review - I think I was more coherent there. We're going to Costa Rica in a few weeks - I'll report back on that too. And I'm still saving miles for somewhere further, such as FP (8hrs, a zillion miles for biz class) or Thailand (18 hrs, a zillion miles for biz class). Ah, travel dreaming!

You can find my review and photos on tripadvisor - I had to actually had to create the entry of the hotel on tripadvisor b/c it wasn't there, even though I first found out about the place via the forums there. But in short, I thought it was a great getaway for a short period - very very different than what we would experience elsewhere, and I wanted that. I really wanted an ocean view, and I really didn't want the huge highrise hotel room feel that you get in some of my favorite places, like Hawaii, and we didn't have time to go to French Polynesia or Costa Rica for those individual bungalow experiences, so this fit the bill. Ocean views, unique, and a 15 minute hike through the jungle to a good safe surfing spot in the town of Sayulita. We aren't yoga people, and I think if you were going as part of a yoga retreat, it would be a better experience, b/c you'd get to know the other guests (of which there are only maybe 20 while we were there) - and we're kinda social people, but they set a romantic table for 2 for us every night at dinner since we weren't part of the group. However, we were on our honeymoon, so that does make sense . They'll set the tables however you want, so even if you did go w/a group, you can still have a private table. Make sure to tell them it is your honeymoon and that you want one of the most private of the premium ocean view cabanas. The food is very healthy and vegetarian, and they'll modify it to your request at a next meal if you tell them things you can or can't eat. My husband is a carnivore though, so we ate lunch in Sayulita btwn surfing all day, which was fun too (cheap fish tacos). Some of the guests said they hiked over to Playa Escondida and had a good lunch there too - and that the place is really cute (if you want to check it out too). Different - more kitchy and Mexicana in feel. The beach is right there. My husband complained that the waves were too loud. You hike 10 minutes down the hill past the cabanas and yoga hut and massage hut to the beach, where there are chairs. It is a beautiful beach; however, to swim, I'd recommend climbing over the boulders to the beach next to it. It is a much bigger cove with less boulders in the water, and much safer for swimming. We swam there the first afternoon we arrived, and there was only one other couple on that beach. Reason - it is a 15 minute hike through the jungle from that beach to the town of Sayulita, so most people are hiking there only if they somehow hear about it (it is a little confusing, we got directions the other way from some people on the beach), and even then, they have to hike back before it gets dark. Unfortunately, some millionaire is building a house on the cliff above the beach, so I don't know how much progress has been made on that. Regardless, it felt super clean. There was a model shoot going on there on the the 3rd day we were there. AND, you can always hike through the jungle to town (or cab it), and rent surf boards, etc. I felt like the water was cleaner and safer (not motor boats and beginner surfers) at the beach next to the resort beach, but this one is lively and pretty authentic (Mexicans and tourists surfing together). Villa Amor is the nicest hotel in Sayulita - you can also check that out. Anyway, let me know what you decide. People drool when I show them my photos, but I think it caters to specific people. I was in love with the place, my husband wasn't. But he did talk about returning asap to Sayulita, so we both were happy with the trip. Let me know what you decide - and take a look at the tripadvisor review - I think I was more coherent there. We're going to Costa Rica in a few weeks - I'll report back on that too. And I'm still saving miles for somewhere further, such as FP (8hrs, a zillion miles for biz class) or Thailand (18 hrs, a zillion miles for biz class). Ah, travel dreaming!

Casa de Mita would be good I think. You can also look at what we did for our mini-3-day honeymoon (getaway until we take a real longer honeymoon HA) - very very different - Haramara Resort - but you have to be ok w/no electricity, and maybe doing some yoga (we didn't do yoga, but we enjoyed the ocean views from the cabanas). Meals included are vegetarian and fish. Beautiful location and accommodations are rustic chic.

Well, in my experience (per my review), the AI is good for informal group events, but it was quite negative for the organized group event of the rehearsal dinner (the only way to have everyone together, and a lot of $$$ for little value), which made me so so happy I did not have my actual wedding at an AI. However, I had a group of 90 some people, and most people on this forum are dealing with more like 30 people, so they probably would have a different experience. But yes, after the wedding, everyone was talking about an "anniversary trip" . We'd definitely consider a smaller group trip to an AI b/c it makes things much easier when you aren't worrying about the bill at every meal, especially when some folks eat or drink a lot and others don't.

It doesn't matter how healthy you are and if you don't smoke, etc., you still have increased risk for random genetic related problems with the fetus as you age.

to be more specific: "Wedding Day Stuff" is kinda of my review/show of wedding related attire, then stuff I made for the wedding ceremony/reception "Al Cielo Wedding & Vendor Review" is my review of my actual wedding ceremony and reception at Al Cielo, and the vendors I used for that in addition to Al Cielo "Group Outing..." is a review of the outing we treated our guests to on the Monday following our Sunday wedding.

MarieSam - I'm sorry this might be too late of a reply, but I see you haven't gotten married yet, so here are the fans: 10" Natural Raffia Fan (12 ct) Luau Party Supplies, Decorations, Leis They are currently listed for $8.99 per dozen, I got them for $4.78 per dozen (and bought 9 dozen) - wow did they increase their prices! Maybe they'll go on sale?

Yes, the links to my other reviews are in my siggy - part 2 & 3

I'm pretty sure I read on an airline forum (flyertalk or something) that there is always only 1 seat in First Class and 1 seat in Business Class for AA miles on Air Tahiti Nui. Nothing to do about when you buy it or anything - that is it, just 1 in each. And you can't upgrade if you buy an economy with miles as far as I know (but maybe I'm wrong). It totally sucks. One person mentioned buying one in each and then trading down with someone so they were both in business, but that seems like a waste of miles.

One thing to think about is how old do you want to be when your children are having children. For example, my friend's mom and dad had her when they were 39 and 47 respectively, which means they are now 73 and 81, and she just started getting serious with a guy she met in the spring, so she unlikely to have kids any time soon. On the positive side, she will hopefully take after her mom, fertility wise. On the negative side, her father isn't doing so well. My cousin just had her first baby at age 42. She never married, but wanted a child, so she did invitro and had a healthy baby girl. Another cousin who married at 37 is now 39 may give up soon and adopt instead. You don't know about complications until you try I guess. However, no sense in having a baby when you don't want it yet, right?

When I site-visited, it was pretty small - but then again, it is a small hotel. I didn't go in the water though, so I can't comment on the water itself (rocks, etc.). But much of the hotel (restaurant/bar/pool) is overlooking the beach/ocean, so that makes up for it somewhat.

Simistar - even if you don't do it for the wedding - Picasa is worth downloading just to organize your regular photos. It finds all the photos on your computer and is an easy interface to organize them, edit them, email them, and post them on the web. Anyhow, I'll stop pushing Picasa now .

Personally, I don't think it is worth it for short flights. I've flown Delta and Mexicana to Mexico and the 1st class didn't look that great - even worse than some flights to NY from LA. I'd definitely look into reviews for first class for the planes you are taking and also maybe seatguru for the layout/type of seats. I would rather save the miles and use them towards a longer trip. We used miles to business class tickets to Lima, Peru - 60k each on American. We flew on LAN Peru and they didn't have a separate 1st class, so basically business class was 1st class, and the seats were the lay-flat sleeping type seats. For an 8+ hour flight, with great seats like that, it was much more worth the miles. Now I'm trying to save for SE Asia or somewhere like that - almost 2x the miles needed, but also 2x as long, so absolutely necessary for a 6'6" husband.

Oh, and for some reason, there are more printer company options in the actual software than in the web albums, so you personally, if you download the software, can order from more printers (including kodakgallery). Sorry if this is confusing. I swear if you see it it isn't. This is the software: Picasa 3: Free download from Google This is to get started w/the web albums: Picasa Web Albums Features