As a self-professed control freak, I usually have trips lined up a year in advance. Not surprisingly, life doesn’t always go according to the plan. Sometimes changes are of my own origination, and sometimes it’s about making your extended family happy.
Costa Rica, we meet at last?
If you’ve been following this blog for awhile, you’ve probably seen me mention Costa Rica a number of times. Somehow things just never lined up in order to make a trip there a reality. Until now. I’ve mentioned to my husband that I would like to go to Costa Rica next year, and he insisted that we do it in 2019. I think he felt bad about the whole Washington DC fiasco and wanted to make up for it. I didn’t feel it was necessary, but I’m not gonna turn down a trip!
I know what you are thinking: I’ve reserved a stay in Andaz Costa Rica Papagayo Peninsula due to the fact that it will soon become a Cat. 5. Nope. I was planning on going there, but something just felt off. While it’s a beautiful property, it’s nowhere near Arenal volcano. And that’s where I’ve always wanted to go when exploring this part of the world.
I was corresponding with my reader Seth (who is an expert on Costa Rica) and he said that while Andaz was the best property he stayed at, Papagayo peninsula, where the hotel is located, wasn’t his favorite. He much preferred Arenal and Manuel Antonio.
While I enjoy a fancy property as much as the next gal, ultimately, I don’t fly somewhere for the sake of staying in a hotel. It’s about destination first and foremost. In no way am I saying that Papagayo peninsula isn’t a worthy place to visit. I haven’t been there, and I still feel like Andaz is an incredibly nice property, at least judging by photos. It just didn’t seem like the perfect fit.
After looking through various reviews, I kept coming across folks raving about Nayara Resort, Spa and Gardens located near Arenal volcano. As soon as I saw the photos of the property, I knew it was the one. Except, I wouldn’t be able to use hotel points here. And I wasn’t prepared to drop the big bucks and end up having to eat cat food during retirement. Apparently, the resort won all kinds of awards and is considered to be one of the best properties in Central America. Translation: it ain’t cheap.
You can watch this short YouTube video with the overview of the hotel:
Fortunately, the price wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. In low/rainy season (fall months), the cheapest bungalow runs at $340 per night all-in, and the special website rate includes breakfast and dinner. Our casita comes with a private hot tub, outdoor shower and a hammock on the deck, surrounded by jungle. My husband, who usually doesn’t voice his opinion on hotels, was extremely impressed when I showed him the video.
Obviously, the resort is not dirt cheap, but neither is booking Andaz by transferring UR points to Hyatt on 1:1 basis. Let’s say I converted my Chase Freedom to Chase Sapphire Preferred and paid $95 annual fee. Since I value 45,000 UR points at around $563, it would be an equivalent of paying $658 for three nights. Plus, at Andaz we would have to cover breakfast and dinner.
It’s different, of course, if you are swimming in Hyatt points or plan to burn renewal certificates from Chase Hyatt credit card (my personal referral link, keep in mind that it is now subject to 5/24 rule). Also, if you only want to travel to Costa Rica during high/dry season, Andaz will be a much better deal on points.
This is one time I’m happy that I don’t have Hyatt Globalist status because it made the decision much easier.
The Nayara resort has two wings, and one allows children. Originally, we were planning on taking the kids, but my sister-in-law told me we should just go for an anniversary getaway, and she would watch them. Well, how can I refuse that offer, right?
So, I used 10,000 Southwest points on two one-way tickets from Fort Lauderdale to San Jose, and 20,000 Jet Blue points for our return flight. To my delight, I got $100 in taxes reimbursed via my Amex Gold Card calendar year airline incidentals benefit.
I still have to pay a bit over $1k for our three-night stay at Nayara, plus transfers to the resort. Still, as far as I’m concerned, this is an epic all-inclusive anniversary getaway even an average Jane like me can afford. And it’s relatively close to our home state of Florida.
I figure if we enjoy Costa Rica, we will bring our kids with us the next time. Perhaps we can even check out Andaz for a few nights, assuming I have some Hyatt points to spare.
Dumping North Carolina for Yellowstone + Glacier National Park
This June my sister-in-law booked us a cabin near Asheville, NC. For once, we were going to do what most normal Floridians do in the summer: escape from the heat to the Smoky mountains. However, the other day she called me and said that she cancelled the cabin because they apparently allow pets, a big no-no for her.
She couldn’t find anything else she liked in the area and suggested we go elsewhere. We started brainstorming ideas and came up with the trip to Yellowstone and Montana.
Yellowstone is another place that has been on my to-do list for a long time. As quintessential US natural wonders go, IMO there are three: Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Niagara Falls. They are as American as apple pie. I’ve already been to Niagara falls, so it’s time to knock the second wonder off my list.
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p style=”text-align: center;”>Kids, this is NOT a hot tub! (Photo by Aidan B on Unsplash)
I flew over Grand Canyon 15 years ago and had a clear view of it from the plane, so maybe that counts too?
Anyway, it goes without saying that we are not the only American family to think of visiting Yellowstone in the summer. My cousin-in-law is heading that way in June for the same reason I am. Due to crazy demand, I couldn’t find any decent award flights via traditional miles.
I turned to Jet Blue program and lo and behold, that airline flies non-stop from Orlando to Salt Lake City. It’s not the most convenient airport for visiting Yellowstone, but the drive of 4.5 hours isn’t too bad. Plus, we could hit Hill Aerospace museum on the way there.
I went ahead and emptied my remaining Jet Blue stash on seven one-way tickets to Salt Lake City, at 16,000 points per person. The kicker: I canceled my Jet Blue Plus credit card a few months ago. If I didn’t, it would give me a 10% rebate on my redemption, 5,000 renewal points, and free checked bags. Ugh. I wish my sister-in-law would notify me of her upcoming whims, so I could plan accordingly.
I used Southwest points on our return flight from Spokane, WA to Orlando (12,400 points per person). That way we wouldn’t have to backtrack to Utah from Montana, which is an 11-hour drive. Spokane is located 4.5 hours from Glacier National Park. Not that close, but almost nothing out West is, it seems.
Since I’m taking care of the flights, my sister-in-law will pay for AirBnB stays (my referral link that will give you $40 off) and one-way minivan rental. I was also finally able to utilize Radisson hotel points (that Nancy gifted me eons ago) on an overnight stay in Salt Lake City.
Bottom line
Neither trip was in my original plan, but sometimes plans change. I’ve wanted my kids to experience Yellowstone with their grandparents, and this is our chance. My in-laws’ health is declining rapidly, and who knows when we will be able to do this again. Carpe diem, I say.
I probably wouldn’t book Costa Rica had I known about this new development, but it’s expensive to cancel our Jet Blue flights now. Plus, I don’t want to! Once again, miles and points gave me the courage to take the leap, and I’m so very grateful.
P.S. For amazing photos of Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, as well as tips on visiting both parks, check out this post on Personal Finance Digest
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Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
When in Glacier you MUST see avalanche lake! the hike is 2 miles starting off thru a beautiful cedar tree forest, then you get to the most incredibly gorgeous place i’ve ever seen in my life and i spent my childhood in montana.
also i’m way jealous you getta see costa rica!
@Sarah Thank you! I think my SIL is planning on doing this hike. I may join her. We will probably leave the kids in the cabin with my husband. Not his cup of tea!
10,000 miles on SW for 2 tickets!? That’s awesome. I’ve never used Southwest miles, yet.
I once stayed in Tamarindo. It was nice. We liked it, but I agree with Seth, you are better off going to Arenal área. We most enjoyed our time there . The birds were amazing! And the hotel looks great!
@Talchinky I’m pretty excited! And yeah, Southwest can be great on certain routes. Award rates are tied to cash price. Since we are going during off season, we got a sweet deal on flights.
Leana – Nayara looks amazing and I’m so jealous. It should be an incredible anniversary trip. Enjoy and please let us know how it went.
I also tried coming up with a Yellowstone roadtrip which included Mount Rushmore, Black Hills and Badlands, but this year is just too busy. Let me know how it turns out.
I just tentatively priced out a week long trip to London for next summer, and it’s $9k (that’s without using any airfare points, VRBO, transportation, and attraction tickets). I’m not sure I can pull it off as I really want non-stop flights. We’ll see. I’m open to any suggestions.
@Stephanie Thanks! I hope that Florida hurricane doesn’t ruin my plans for Nayara. But as many things in life, this one is out of my control. 🙂
If you email me with your mileage and point balances, I can probably make some suggestions on London trip. I’m not an expert on the city since I’ve only been there once, but will try to help. As far as flights go, you want to stay away from using Avios due to fuel surcharges.
Have fun in the National Parks. We’re hittimg up Bryce and Zion for spring break.
@Natasha My in-laws went to both of those parks years ago and loved them. Enjoy!
You can hit Golden Spike on the way to Idaho from SLC if you want a little pit stop. It’s pretty interesting and doesn’t take that long. My husband’s ancestor is actually in the famous golden spike photo. Apparently he just happened to be there that day (didn’t work on the railroad or anything) and joined in on the photo. Pretty cool.
Costa Rica will be pretty wet, but it’s still awesome! You’ll love it.
Both sound like fun trips! Enjoy
@Tammie Thanks for the tip on Golden Spike, and what an interesting backstory! I’m not sure we’ll be able to stop there, but I’ll mention it to my SIL.
Enjoy. I’ll admit I’m a little concerned about the weather when we go in July, which is (historically anyway) the least wet of the rain season. Typical weather is dry mornings, with a storm arriving sometime in the afternoon or evening. Sometimes one hour, sometimes 6 hours. And repeat the next day. I can deal with that, fingers crossed!
The plus to going in the rain season is the country is incredibly lush; it’s often referred to as the green season.
@Projectx I’ve read that July is a pretty decent month for Costa Rica weather-wise, so I imagine you’ll be fine. I hope that we will have clear weather at least some of the time, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy it regardless. As long as it doesn’t rain 24/7, it’s all good. I like the fact that the bungalow has a covered deck with a hot tub and hammock. My husband will be perfectly happy just relaxing and watching the rain. His job is super stressful, and he prefers taking it easy during vacations.
Not having kids with us (who get bored when not having something to do every minute of the day) certainly helps! I’m more concerned about a possibility of not being able to fly out from Florida due to hurricane. But once again, you can’t control the weather.
I hope you guys enjoy your trip!
You may already be aware, but if not, know that Fall is the rainiest of the rainiest season in much of Costa Rica, especially in La Fortuna. I mean, it’s a micro climate and is normally wet, but Sept/Oct is very wet: https://championtraveler.com/dates/best-time-to-visit-arenal-cr/
The Caribbean coast however, experiences a dry spell in Sept/Oct.
Also, have you considered renting a car? Attractions near the Arenal volcano are very spread out, and would likely be much more economical to rent.
@Projectx Yep, I know it’s the rainiest time to go. That’s why the rates at the resort are somewhat palatable for my budget. There is no way I would drop $700 per night in March and get NO dinner. 😉
We will probably hire a transfer service and not bother with a car rental. The goal is to just relax and chill in the hot tub on the deck. The resort has a sloth sanctuary on property and various walking trails, so I doubt I’ll get bored during my three nights there.
If you’re bringing the kids, go to Si Como No in Manuel Antonio. Great pool with waterslide/swim-up bar, really good included breakfast, and tons of food options a short walk away. Also there’s a free shuttle to the beach and M-A National Park.
@JJ Thanks! It’s funny, another reader has also recommended this resort to me. It sounds like Manuel Antonio is great for kids due to the abundance of wildlife as well as beautiful beaches. I hope we’ll someday get to properly explore Costa Rica. This trip is more of a sampler.
This is what I love this blog..new ideas for trips 🙂
I’m brainstorming for a trip to Yellowstone as well, but we will be travelling with my FIL who is 85 years old so I know we will pay $$$ for the closest location to fly/stay overnight and etc. Right now I’m going thru the list of hotels using Chase travel website and since we have CSR, the 1.5 redemption helps with the price sting a bit.
Even the Holiday Inn hotels are $$$. We are travelling in summer months.
@Lea Thanks! It’s certainly tough when you have an elderly person traveling with you. We wanted to reserve something in the park, but the price was astronomical once you factor in paying for three bedrooms. So we made a decision to trade proximity for $ savings. I can’t really make any recommendations on hotels as I’m not familiar with the area. I agree that Chase portal via CSR will probably be your best bet. If you have some hotel points, this may be a good chance to utilize them.
Yellowstone is amazing, albeit crowded, I hope you enjoy it! Make sure to plan some time for the Grand Tetons too–I actually enjoyed it a bit more there. It’s so bucolic and relaxing. Trip report in my link if you’re interested.
Also, there’s a 96 sale this week for lodging inside Grand Tetons (ends Friday, I think)–book now or forever hold your peace. It’s expensive and it fills up fast.
Nick, thanks for the tip on lodging! My sister-in-law already booked us a 3-bedroom place, but I decided to check on this sale just in case. Unfortunately, it looks like it’s not valid for our dates anyway.
We are actually planning to drive through Grand Tetons since our rental is close to the entrance. Basically, we will have to hit Grand Tetons as well as Yellowstone all in one day. I’m exhausted just thinking about it! My MIL wanted to spend more time in Glacier National Park in Montana, since she hasn’t been there. We will be “galloping” through the West, but what else is new?
Yes, I do remember that trip report and thought your photos looked amazing. I’ll go ahead and add a link to it at the end of this post.
Yikes! With all due respect, Tetons and Yellowstone in one day is insane, try to at least allow one day for each. They are special places. Doing both in one day is like doing the Grand Canyon in 15 minutes.
Also, if you like pictures, Something Fishy over at Dan’s Deals did a trip report and is a great photographer:
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=3076.msg595061#msg595061
I hear you, though unfortunately this one is out of my hands! My in-laws made a decision to add Glacier National Park, which left us with only two nights in Yellowstone area. I would love to take my time exploring the area, but it won’t be possible.