Long Haul travel goes from fun to not very quickly Long Haul travel goes from fun to not very quickly. But there is nothing quite like the post flight shower. Would you agree? ✈️🛀🚿
🇬🇹Guatemala Places you need to visit in Gua 🇬🇹Guatemala

Places you need to visit in Guatemala: 

🧡Antigua
🧡Acatenango Volcano
🧡Lake Atitlan
🧡Semuc Champey
🧡El Paredon 

Is Guatemala on your bucket list?
Reintroducing myself 🙋🏽‍♀️🌴🐢🏝 Reintroducing myself 🙋🏽‍♀️🌴🐢🏝️

Had to repost this because my audio got removed on the original even though my voice is my voice and no one else’s so let’s hope it’s second time lucky 😅
2 week Costa Rica Itinerary 🍃✌🏽🦥🏄🏼

Day 1 – Landing in San Jose
Day 2-5 – Puerto Viejo
Day 5-7 – Tortuguero
Day 7-10 – La Fortuna
Day 10-12 – Manuel Antonio National Park
Day 12-14 – Dominical
9  things to NEED to do on your Barbados holiday🌴🇧🇧:

🐟 Oistins Fish Fry on a Friday Night
⚡️ Go for a drink and swim @thunder.bay.beach.bar 
🌅Watch the Sunrise
🐢Swim with Turtles
⛵️Boat cruise with @silvermoonbarbados 
🌮Sunset Dinner @seashed_barbados 
🐎Watch the racehorses at Pebbles Beach 
🌊 Walk along the Hastings Boardwalk 
🌅Watch the sunset
📸=🧡 📸=🧡
TRAVEL OFTEN AROUND YOUR 9-5⬇️ 🟠 Obvious c TRAVEL OFTEN AROUND YOUR 9-5⬇️

🟠 Obvious choice but make use of the weekends. Fly out on Friday night and home Sunday evening. Really good to squeeze in a mini city break. 

🟠 For longer holidays use the same method as above. Fly out on a Friday night and home the following Sunday. You can get almost 9 days away and only have to take 5 days off work.

🟠 Make use of your bank holidays. Tag on an extra day off around a bank holiday. For example around the Easter break. 

🟠If you are flying on weekdays fly out late evening and fly home early morning so you don’t have to take those flying days off work.

🟠 Work from your holiday. Commit to working one or two mornings whilst you are away. This can help in saving up a few half days when you get to the end of the year. However this is probably not worth it on shorter trips

🟠 If you are able to travel with work. Make a holiday out of that by tagging on a few days holiday after the work trip is over.

Do you have any other tips?
The cutest audio. I heard it on TikTok but I could The cutest audio. I heard it on TikTok but I couldn’t find it on here. It’s from @aftersunmovie ⭐️🎆🌞🌙☀️🌅

Not normally a quotes girly but I think this is so sweet 🥹
📍The SPACE - San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua 🇳🇮 @thespace.sjds 

This is the perfect hostel for travellers looking to unwind and relax (unless you are there on a Sunday when it’s part of the Sunday funday bar crawl 🙈)

🛌Dorm rooms start from £11 and Private from £50 🛌

🚖 It located a 6 minute drive and a 30 minute walk outside of the town. They do offer a free shuttle bus to town and from town everyday!
✌🏽This did well on TikTok so sharing it here ✌🏽This did well on TikTok so sharing it here 

🧡One thing I’m super grateful for is my supportive boyfriend no matter how ludacris my ideas.

✈️He loves to travel and explore new places but it’s definitely not on the same scale as me! 

💻 He also doesn’t have a job that gives him the same freedoms as mine does 

🌎I’ll be leaving him for a while  very shortly, and Ive talked about how I want to go away for a few months at some point in the future. 

❤️Despite the fact we miss each other he’ll always support my travels whether he can come with me or not.
BEST THINGS TO DO ON OMETEPE 🌋 📍Swim Ojo de BEST THINGS TO DO ON OMETEPE 🌋

📍Swim Ojo de Agua
📍Hike to San Ramon waterfall 
📍Sunset at Playa Mangos
📍Lunch at Santo Domingo
📍Hike Volcan Concecipon
📍Walk the sandbar at Punta Jesus
Have I sold you on Nicaragua yet? 🇳🇮🏄🏽 Have I sold you on Nicaragua yet? 🇳🇮🏄🏽‍♀️🌴😎
🇳🇮GUIDE TO LITTLE CORN ISLAND 🌽🏝️ G 🇳🇮GUIDE TO LITTLE CORN ISLAND 🌽🏝️

Getting There ➡️

✈️🛥️Plane and Boat - The best option for less time but a bigger budget and those who suffer from sea Sickness. 

🛩️Fly from Managua Airport to Big Corn Island (1.5 hours)
🚣🏼‍♀️Boat Taxi from Big Corn to Little Corn (30 minutes) 

💰Approximate total Cost for 1 way = £100-£110 

🚎⛵️Bus and Boat - The best option for more time but a smaller budget 

🚌Bus from Managua to Bluefields (7/8 hours) 
Ferry from Bluefields to Big Corn (6/7 hours) 
🚣🏼‍♀️Boat Taxi from Big Corn to Little Corn (30 minutes) 

💰Approximate total Cost for 1 way = £16-£20

🛌Where to stay 

😎Graces Cool Spot $
🤿Yemaya Reefs $$$

👙What to do 

🌴Walk around the whole Island 
😎Chill out on Otto Beach 
🤿Go Snorkelling 
🦈Go Scuba Diving 
🌮Have Tacos at Tranqillo Bar 
🍺Drink Victoria’s at Beach Bar 
🌅Watch the Sunset and Sun Rise 
💤RELAX 

Would you visit Little Corn?
10-Day Nicaragua Itinerary 🌴🌊🇳🇮 1 nig 10-Day Nicaragua Itinerary 🌴🌊🇳🇮

1 night - Leon 🌋
2 nights -San Juan Del Sur or Popoyo 🏄🏽‍♀️
2 nights - Ometepe 🌋
2 nights - Laguna de Apoyo/ Granada 🛶
3 nights - Little Corn Island 🌴🌽

📆For those of us who are limited to 25 days of holiday a year - 10 days in Nicaragua is TOTALLY doable. You’ll be on a tight schedule and will need to spend more on transport/taxis to get to places on time …. but it’s all worth it. ✈️

⏰If you have more time, I would say stretch to 14 days and up some of the stays to 3 nights. This will give you a chance to relax in each location. 💤

Full-time travel/time freedom is the goal but for now, I’m grateful that I get to experience snippets of these beautiful countries! 

Would you visit Nicaragua for 10 days?
My toxic trait is wanting to be everywhere doing e My toxic trait is wanting to be everywhere doing everything all at the same time ✈️🌍🌴🌅
Day 8&9 - Nicaragua 🇳🇮 Day 8 📆 🤿We p Day 8&9 - Nicaragua 🇳🇮

Day 8 📆

🤿We paid $20 each to go on a snorkelling tour with with our guesthouse (Graces Cool Spot) 

🦈It was a 2 hour trip and we got to see lots of nurse sharks, plus others saw turtles, stingrays and lobsters which I missed

🚤Later that afternoon we had to leave Little Corn 😫. We were planning to leave the next day but they weren’t going to be running the boats to Big Corn due to the wind….. so if we didn’t leave we would have missed our flight. 

⚓️Something to be aware of if you’re travelling to the corn island’s

Day 9 📆

✈️We flew from Big Corn Island back to the main land early in the morning. 

🚕We then got picked up from the airport and we decided to go back to Laguna de Apoyo and stay @paradisonicaragua 

🍺 We spent our last day drinking turbo shandy’s and swimming in the lake (which was a lot warmer than we expected)
🌎Favourite places in Central America 🧡I’ 🌎Favourite places in Central America 

🧡I’m totally in love with Central America and I haven’t even scratched the surface yet (more countries to visit and more places to visit where I’ve already been) 

🌎Whilst I find it difficult to say where my favourite place is because they are all so different, here are some of my favourite places in each country I’ve been to so far:

Mexico 🇲🇽

🌮Valladolid 
🏝️Isla Holbox 

Guatemala 🇬🇹

🌋Antigua (+ Acatenango Volcano hike) 
🌊Lake Atitlan 

Costa Rica 🇨🇷

🦥Puerto Viejo
🏄🏽‍♀️Dominical 
🍃La fortuna purely for @arenal.lodge 

Nicaragua 🇳🇮

🌋Ometepe
🌽Little Corn Island

Still have so many places to visit in these countries but these are my fave so far 🧡
Day 7 - Nicaragua 🇳🇮🏝️ Today was a ver Day 7 - Nicaragua 🇳🇮🏝️

Today was a very chill day 😎

🍳We woke up for some brekfast and then headed off to explore the island. 

🚶🏽‍♀️We headed north of our hotel at Graces cool spot and walked as far around the island as we could, taking in all the beautiful views along the way. 

🌴The most popular beach on the island is Otto beach and we were going to stop here but the bar was shut and after all the walking we were super hungry. 

🍃We decided to walk through the island and into the main “town”. 

🎶We stopped off at a reggae bar  called “Beach Bar” for lunch and stayed there for ages drinking and catching some sun and going for dips to cool off. 

🌮We then headed back to get read for Tacos and Triva night at Tranquilo cafe. The tacos were AMAZING but our trivia was terrible. We came last 😅

One of my favourite days of the trip!
Day 6 - Nicaragua 🇳🇮 ✈️Today we had to Day 6 - Nicaragua 🇳🇮 

✈️Today we had to wake up super early to catch our flight to the Corn islands.

🚕We headed from Leon to Managua airport which was approx 2 hours drive (of course we used our fave driver David) 

🔖We checked in for our flight which was very easy  they give you a baggage receipt  which you must keep hold of as they check it the other end when collecting your luggage. 

🛩️💵The flights were roughly $111 one way with La Costena airlines (they are not on Skyscanner so we had to  book directly) 

💰We then had to pay a $2 tourist tax to board the flight 

🛫The flight was totally fine (I was a tad nervous but had no need to be. 

🚎The flight kind of works like a bus which was so new to me. There are no assigned seats so you just pick whatever is free. 

💙It first lands Bluefields airport where it lets passengers off and more people on. If you’re flying to Big Corn you just stay on the plane. 

⏰In total it was about 1.5 hours 

🚖Once we landed in Big Corn we had to catch a taxi to the ferry port. This cost us $1 per person 

💰Once we got there we then had to pay ANOTHER tourist tax for around $1 to enter the port. 

⛴️We then waited for our ferry to little corn. There are only 2 ferries a day to Little Corn 10am ($20) and 4:30pm ($10). Take a look at this last picture for more info on this. 

🏨Once we arrived we were greeted by someone from our guesthouse ( Graces Cool Spot) at the port and he walked us to the hotel. 

🍹Once we checked in we got showered up and had a little explore. We then spent the evening at at tranquilio cafe drinking cocktails with some lovely humans that we met at our guesthouse. 

Picture locations 📸
📸Big Corn Island Ferry Port
📸Big Corn Island Airport
📸Graces Cool Spot
📸Tranquilo Cafe
📸Little Corn
Graces Cool Spot- Little Corn Island 🇳🇮🌽🏝️

I did not want to leave. If you’re visiting Nicaragua, Little Corn is a MUST!
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Adventure around a 9-5

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Central America, Costa Rica, Hotel Reviews · January 27, 2023

Luxury Hotels In Costa Rica: Hotel Arenal Lodge

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Situated in the leafy green, tropical hills of La Fortuna, lies the stunning Hotel Arenal Lodge . Nestled amongst 2000 acres of lush forest land, Hotel Arenal Lodge provides a calming and picturesque escape from one of Costa Rica’s most popular tourist destinations. 

Hotel Arenal Lodge offers unparalleled views of the famous Arenal Volcano and lake, stunning walking trails and serene surroundings. Staying here is a truly remarkable experience. And as someone who spends their days looking for unique hotels and Air Bnb’s to stay in, I can say that Hotel Arenal Lodge ticks almost every box. 

If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of La Fortuna and watch the sunrise over Arenal Volcano whilst the birds are singing, with a hot cup of coffee in hand, then Hotel Arenal Lodge is for you.

Hotel Arenal Lodge, Costa Rica

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to make a verified purchase through the links in this post I will earn a small commission. This will be at no extra cost to you. Thank you 

Contents show
1 Where is Hotel Arenal Lodge Located?
2 What is the Accommodation like at Hotel Arenal Lodge?
2.1 Junior Suite
2.2 Family Suites
2.3 Panoramic Chalet
2.4 Honeymoon Suite
2.5 All rooms
3 What Facilities do they have at Hotel Arenal Lodge?
3.1 Swimming pool and Jacuzzi
3.2 Hummingbird Garden
3.3 Gym
3.4 Spa
3.5 Games Room & Children’s Playground
3.6 Laundry service
3.7 Walking trails
3.8 Tours and Activities
3.9 Restaurant/bar & Room Service
4 How much does it cost to stay at Hotel Arenal Lodge?
5 What are the pros and cons of staying at Hotel Arenal Lodge?
6 Would I stay here again?

Where is Hotel Arenal Lodge Located?

Hotel Arenal Lodge is located just 30 minutes from the main, and very famous town of La Fortuna. La Fortuna is best known for its waterfalls, hanging bridges, ziplining, views of Arenal Volcano and of course it’s hot springs. 

The town is approximately 3-4 hours from Costa Rica’s other popular tourist destinations such as Tortuguero, Monteverde and Manual Antonio National Park.

Getting to La Fortuna and  Hotel Arenal Lodge is extremely easy for those who have rented a car. There is private onsite parking at the hotel for all guests, complete with 24-hour security. If you are driving, please expect to drive a further 2km uphill once you have reached the entrance to the hotel. This road is single-track and extremely bumpy, so make sure to take extra care, especially if driving in the dark. 

Getting to Hotel Arenal Lodge via public transport is slightly trickier. You will first catch the bus to La Fortuna, followed by a taxi (or potentially an Uber) to the hotel. Once at the Hotel, you can ask reception to help organise any further taxi rides.

Hotel Arenal Lodge, Costa Rica

What is the Accommodation like at Hotel Arenal Lodge?

Hotel Arenal Lodge has a wide range of accommodations to suit all budgets and group sizes.

Junior Suite

This is the cheapest option at Arenal Hotel Lodge. These rooms can sleep up to 3-5 people and come complete with a balcony and incredible views of the Volcano and Rainforest. They are conveniently located close to the main building.

Hotel Arenal Lodge, Costa Rica
Hotel Arenal Lodge, Costa Rica

Family Suites

Family Suites sleep up to 4 people, unlike the Junior suites which have two separate bedrooms for extra privacy. Unfortunately, these rooms do not come with a volcano view. Some family suites also come with the added extra of a kitchen, for those who would prefer to cook.  

Panoramic Chalet

If you have a little extra cash to spend then the panoramic chalet is the one to book. These gorgeous glass rooms are located away from the main building, settled at the top of a hill. These rooms sleep up to 5 people and boast even better views of the Volcano and lake.

Honeymoon Suite

The honeymoon suite is very similar to the panoramic chalet, except it’s for 2 people (obviously) and has its own private jacuzzi and garden.

All rooms

All rooms come fully equipped with

  • Air conditioning
  • Mini fridge
  • Cable TV
  • Coffee 
  • A safe 
  • Wifi 
  • Telephone
Hotel Arenal Lodge, Costa Rica

What Facilities do they have at Hotel Arenal Lodge?

Hotel Arenal Lodge has all the facilities you need to ensure that you have a comfortable and enjoyable stay.

Swimming pool and Jacuzzi

The swimming pool is definitely the best part of this hotel. Why? Yep, you guessed it, the view. The feeling of swimming around the pool, whilst laying your eyes upon the volcano, with a cold beer in hand was like no other. It was truly one of those “I can’t believe I’m here” moments. 

Right next to the swimming pool, you will find 2 small jacuzzis that will need to be pre-booked should you want to go in!

Booking.com

Hummingbird Garden

Located close to the pool you will find the beautiful Hummingbird Garden. If you don’t spot one of these stunning birds, you’ll be sure to find fluorescent flowers and graceful butterflies.  

Gym

If you like to keep fit whilst travelling, then Hotel Arenal Lodge has you covered. This gym is basic but it does the job. There are also lots of hills around if you fancy doing any sprints 😉.

Spa

If you want the extra bit of relaxation you can book in a massage at the onsite spa. Massages start at around £30 ($40).

Games Room & Children’s Playground

Travelling with kids? There should *hopefully* be enough to keep them entertained with the onsite playground and indoor games room

Laundry service

Don’t worry if you’ve got your clothes muddy on a hike, or if you’ve run out of underwear. The laundry service at Hotel Arenal Lodge can solve those problems.

Walking trails

There are over 600 acres of trails and rainforests to explore around Hotel Arenal Lodge. Make sure to ask reception for their advice on the best walks to go on and how to get there.

Tours and Activities

If you want to explore more of the grounds, but don’t fancy doing another hike then Hotel Arenal Lodge also offers incredible horseback riding tours, which you can book at reception. The team can also help to arrange any other tours that you might want to do in La Fortuna such as Zip Lining and ATV tours. 

Restaurant/bar & Room Service

Hotel Arenal Lodge has an onsite bar and restaurant. They also offer free breakfast in the morning but you can keep a tab open for any additional extras (like poolside beers 😉).

In total honesty, I found the restaurant to be a tad disappointing and it is probably the only thing that lets this place down. Unless you get takeout before heading back to the hotel, you really have no other option but to eat here, due to the distance from town. I thought for that reason the food might be a little better, but the menu is quite basic and the prices a little inflated. 

As you can probably tell I feel quite bad for feeling this way because everything else is pretty much perfect.

Hotel Arenal Lodge, Costa Rica

How much does it cost to stay at Hotel Arenal Lodge?

Prices will vary depending on the seasons, however, you can expect prices to start from upwards of £90 ($108). For 3 nights in April, my boyfriend and I paid £263 plus £34 in taxes and charges.

What are the pros and cons of staying at Hotel Arenal Lodge?

There are 100% more pros than cons to staying at this beautiful hotel, but let’s go through them so you can have a complete overview:

Pros 

  • The View 
  • The swimming pool
  • The jacuzzis 
  • Large room size 
  • Wheelchair Access 
  • Value for money 

Cons 

  • Lack of options at the restaurant 
  • Distance to town

Would I stay here again?

1000% YES. My issues with the food aside, this is one of the best hotels i’ve ever stayed in. When you factor in the incredible views, the size of the rooms and the sheer amount of facilities and services provided, the value for money is insanely good.

Start saving your ideas

For more Costa Rica Hotel inspiration, check out my guide to Tribe Boutique Hotel in Dominical.

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I'm Christina a part-time traveller who is exploring the world around my 9-5. From canyons to coasts, I love all kinds of adventures. I've created this space to provide you with all the travel inspiration and my top tips for seeing more of the world in less time.

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christina.inthe.clouds

Long Haul travel goes from fun to not very quickly Long Haul travel goes from fun to not very quickly. But there is nothing quite like the post flight shower. Would you agree? ✈️🛀🚿
🇬🇹Guatemala Places you need to visit in Gua 🇬🇹Guatemala

Places you need to visit in Guatemala: 

🧡Antigua
🧡Acatenango Volcano
🧡Lake Atitlan
🧡Semuc Champey
🧡El Paredon 

Is Guatemala on your bucket list?
Reintroducing myself 🙋🏽‍♀️🌴🐢🏝 Reintroducing myself 🙋🏽‍♀️🌴🐢🏝️

Had to repost this because my audio got removed on the original even though my voice is my voice and no one else’s so let’s hope it’s second time lucky 😅
2 week Costa Rica Itinerary 🍃✌🏽🦥🏄🏼

Day 1 – Landing in San Jose
Day 2-5 – Puerto Viejo
Day 5-7 – Tortuguero
Day 7-10 – La Fortuna
Day 10-12 – Manuel Antonio National Park
Day 12-14 – Dominical
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