We were planning to go this fall, just after the rainy season. But. It has become hyper-popular with tourists and costs there have gone up exponentially. We would still like to go, but it would likely be a spur-of-the-moment trip with little/no planning.

My niece and her DH travel a LOT and they tend towards locations that are warm, beachy and jungley. Mexico has become a bit problematic lately even in heavy resort places and since their condo in Maui was destroyed in the fires, they have opted out of Hawaii as well. Both Belize and Costa Rica have been favored destinations for them and other family members they host. I haven't been personally but family members who have rave about both locations.

I should add that $$ is no obect for them when it comes to resorts and accommodations.

Was that a dig at me, @gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)? I could easily afford to go, but I don't want to spend the money on that type of vacation.

hobbitmom, I’ve been there a couple of times. Lovely place. We had a good time.

Definitely jungle-y. 🤠

I think it is a good choice. I hope you enjoy yourself.

No dig at anyone. Just an explanation that my niece and nephew are able to spend big bucks (and do so) anywhere they visit. So their experience may not be the same as more budget minded visitors.

I anticipate them buying property in Belize to add to their list of homes around the globe.

Belize is an interesting choice! We were a one-and-done there because we didn't get a good vibe from the place at all. :)

Very upscale resorts and hotels exist in close proximity to the living accommodations of the poor in Belize so a negative vibe may indeed be felt. My family tend to favor a resort on a caye offshore from a major city that appeals to US travelers with less of this concern.

We aren't resort people, to be honest. We did one resort (in Aruba) and I was bored out of my skull. Luckily we had a rental car so we could explore the entire island. :)

We backpacked around Belize, and it was beautiful, but it's not a place for us. :)

Some of Jurassic Park was filmed in Kaua'i, the Garden Island. They give tours of the filming locations, though I would avoid the helicopter portion of the tours. Too many crashes.

https://www.hawaiitours.com/kauai/jurassic-park-tours/

Costa Rica is a favorite. Years back my youngest did her semester abroad in Costa Rica and she encouraged us to go. We went yearly for many years.

DH has always hated cold weather and I thought Costa Rica would be a bit more interesting than Florida. You cannot beat the weather there in January.

I stumbled across a travel company called Anywhere Costa Rica. They currently do other locals so they dropped the Costa Rica and are now Anywhere.com.

They can do as much for you or as little as you want. I always get private drivers when moving from place to place. We always visit at least 3 places per vacation.

Check out their website they also go to Belize. . Many different ways to travel and things to do.

If you decide to use them, you can use my name!

We prefer the boutique hotels, being surrounded by nature and right on the beach. Whatever you prefer, Costa Rica will have it.

If you have specific questions, DM me.

Not sure of where you live, for us we get a direct flight for five hours.

My DH is half Costa Rican. He has a TON of family in Costa Rica. It is a pretty and safe tourist destination. Many of his relatives work in the tourism industry. I have only managed to visit once so far and we did a combo of an all inclusive resort on the west coast and we had a car so we also extended it to see many other sites and family.

The only thing that scared me a little was the pitch black roads with no guard rails and major curves. You can come around a curve and there are people and a cow in the road 🤷‍♀️. I personally would not be driving the mountain roads at night. The wild life was fun there. I would go back any time.

Joan, that is why we never rent a car. While the infrastructure has improved tremendously since we first started visiting, they are nowhere near where we would feel comfortable driving.

Offie Myfee, the different types of accommodations are endless. No need to in a large resort.

Costa Rica & the Panama Canal

We did a version of this decades ago and it was delish!!!

We went to Costa Rica 4 or 5 years ago. Loved it! We spent one week in an AIRBnb close to the ocean, and a second week at an AIRbnb in the jungle. Two different experiences, and we had a blast in both places. We flew into San Jose, rented cars, and had no issues driving (though we didn't drive after dark). We were a family group ranging in age from 5 to 55, and everyone had a good time.