Hostal Palajunoj in Xetulul Guatemala

This is a beautiful hotel that is located in the Retalhuleu Department of Guatemala. It is part of a huge compound of 4 hotels a theme park (Xetulul) and a water park (Xocomil). This is one of the most family friendly places in all the country. Out of the four hotels Palajunoj is the newest one and for me, the best because it has a system that won’t let anyone hear what going on in your room and you won’t listen to anyone else in the hotel no mater how close rooms are.

Hostal Palajunoj is inspired in rain forests of all over the world that’s why it has 5 buildings each with a different theme, they are: Polynesian Indonesian, Thai, African and Mayan. It also has beautiful gardens with peacocks running around freely where you can go for a relaxing and scenic walk.

But my favorite part of this hotel was the restaurant it serves delicious Polynesian food in a beautiful and relaxed ambience.

Since the whole point in staying here is to visit the theme park and the water park there is even a cute, small train that transports the hotel guests to the entrance of the parks.

I highly recommend coming here. I bet you never thought Guatemala had such a place. it is simply amazing!

Contact me for great discounts for a spectacular stay in Hostal Palajunoj!

Check out more Spotlight Recommendations here!
Great Deals for Flights to Guatemala

Have a Great Road Trip # 9

Because traveling in Central America is very different than traveling in any other part of the world here is the eighth of a series of travel tips for those planning a road trip. Go here to see the first seven: Check the Engine, Take Some Food With You, Pack Some Garbage Bags, Stay Safe, Take Secondary Roads, Take Turns When Driving, Don’t Forget Your Sunscreen and Check Your Gas Tank.

This is an insider’s advice: Be patient, take unexpected stops into consideration and expect traffic jams. This is because some highways or roads in Central America only have one track on each way and way too many car trying to get through them. Plus they are constantly being fixed so even if the highway has more than one track on each way you will find traffic.

Next week is the last of this road trip series don’t you miss it!

Get more Weekly Travel Tips here for a safe trip!

Did you know? Costa Rica has 7 Tourism Regions

Costa Ricais home to 800 miles of gorgeous beaches, 110 volcanoes – five of them are active and love to show off by putting on amazing lava shows every day for its adoring public: There is also a crazy amount of wildlife that is just dying to say hello! But that’s just the ‘tip of the volcano’. Costa Rica is one of the most kid friendly countries I have ever been to, a place for adrenaline junkies to get their fix, nature lovers to come face to face with endangered and exotic wildlife, and for couples to experience a rare tropical romance!

Can’t Miss This!

…..* Enjoy naturally heated hot springs with Arenal Volcano’s lava show
…..* Fly over the rain forest in a canopy tour
…..* Surf some of the best breaks that Central America has to offer
…..* Hike to huge waterfalls in the middle of the forest
…..* Chill out in a hammock while enjoying the Caribbean vibe
…..* Walk through tropical rainforests where sloths, monkeys and birds will be …….waiting for you
…..* Contact me for you special trip here

South Caribbean Region

In case you were wondering: Reggae music, lapping surf and the rustling of palm trees is what you’ll surely hear when you arrive to the South Caribbean. This is a super laid back area and it is popular for it. In it you will find beautifully colored marine life lazily swimming around the coral reefs. So grab a coconut, find a hammock and relax!

San Jose (Central Valley)

The Central Valley and San Jose has become much more than a layover before moving on to the other great attractions. As a matter of fact, it has become one of the best places is you are looking for  fun day trips to some of the country’s most visited attractions: Poas and Irazu Volcanoes, coffee plantation tours, nature parks and a lot more.

Central Pacific Region

This is the most visited region in all of Costa Rica with good reason. Some of the things you can do here are: Enjoy beautiful coves and bays either from afar as you relax in your beautiful hotel or even better, take a sunset, snorkel cruise for a closer and more fun experience. Go for a relaxing hike along national parks full of macaws, monkeys, sloths and many more animals that are just waiting for you. I bet you’ve never come super close to an American Crocodile reaching lengths of 12 feet, here you will get the chance. This place will blow your mind! Also, Jaco and Manuel Antonio’s reputation for great food and fun nightlife is proven over and over again.

North Caribbean Region

Whoever said that Venice has the best canals hasn’t been to Costa Rica’s Northern Caribbean area. Here you will find an intricate canal and wetland system that is a must see! You’ll get the chance to see the magical event of  nesting sea turtles, an abundance of exotic wildlife, and even world-class fishing. Even though the village of Tortuguero is small, it’s rich with culture and life that will make you never want to leave.

Monteverde, Arenal and the Northern Region

Monteverde Cloud Forest sits high in the Tilaran Mountain Range and majestically overlooks the Gulf of Nicoya. This is one of the most unique places in all of Costa Rica for its history, heritage and pride in protecting their lands and forests through private endeavors. Plus when you get here the unique climate and vegetation make you feel like you were in a whole new world.

Arenal is a Can’t-Miss-This type of place! Where else can you lounge out in naturally heated hot springs while watching an active volcano put on a show for you? But that’s not all there is to do here. Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge is full of wildlife, while the Sarapiqui River is best known for its white water rafting.

The North Pacific Region

The Gold Coast, one of Costa Rica’s most famed and popular destinations, sits at the northern end of the Guanacaste province. It is called the gold coast because it’s home to some of Costa Rica’s most beautful beaches. A bit further and you’ll find yourself entering the Nicoya Peninsula with more wonderful, much less populated beaches surrounded by islands that are great for day trips and snorkel cruises.

South Pacific Region

More  national parks and other reserves is what you will find here. This area is better known as the Osa Peninsula. From pristine untouched beaches starting from Dominical to Carate, you’ll cross the highest mountain in Central America – Mount Chirripo (12,530 feet) and the largest national park – Corcovado – which by the way is also known as one of the most intense biological places on earth!
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For more options take a look at these packages.

Don’t forget to get a Travel Insurance for a safe trip!

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Photos By:
South Caribbean – alex-s; San jose (Central Valley) - Neil Barman; Central Pacific – Bogdan Migulski; North Caribbean – stevedepolo; Northern Region – inottawa; North Pacific – Rokkaz; South Pacific – Christian Haugen

Picnic with Family & Friends in One of Antigua Guatemala’s Monuments (Ruins)

As you guys know I’ve been living in Guatemala for the last year and one thing we love to do is to explore it. But this time we didn’t want to go too far so I called some of my Guatemalan friends and for some advice.

They suggested a nice picnic in the afternoon in one of Antigua Guatemala’s ruins and it sounded like a great idea so I ended up inviting them. Then there was the question, which ruins should we visit? (there are around 6) We ended up picking one called San Jeronimo.

These ruins belong to what used to be a catholic school in the early 1700’s and in the late 1700’s it was turned into the Real Aduana. Years later it was destroyed by earthquakes and was never restored. It was until 1990’s when the council for the protection of this colonial city started doing maintenance work to it.

But enough of story, this is how the day went: I packed up my picnic set and off we went. We got there in the afternoon shortly after lunch so we settled up in one of its beautiful gardens and explored the place. This is not a very big monument but it is beautiful. There are lots of gardens and in some places you can still see murals from when it was a school.

I had a great time just chilling under a tree’s shadow, enjoying the view of the gardens and listening to birds that were passing by. On the other hand my son had a blast exploring and climbing everything he saw. Plus he had a little adventure partner with him. This turned out to be a relaxing yet exciting family adventure not so far from home. Oh, and I almost forgot I heard that this place is also rented for weddings and special events, how cool is that?

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Don’t forget to check out more Photo Friday in Delicious Baby.
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Waterproof Dual Power LED Flashlight

If you follow my blog you know that my family and I were recently visiting the Lanquin caves in Guatemala. What you don’t know is that when we were getting ready I honestly thought we were going to need flashlights or lanterns for this new adventure. I was also concerned about the fact that the place we were visiting was surrounded by water and if there was no water there was a lot of humidity.

This meant I had a new mission: To find waterproof lanterns that were suitable for us adults and my son (he’s 6 years old). This time I found the perfect thing without having to try many. It is a small but powerful lantern that weights no more than 1 pound.

But it gets better, when I was reading the instructions looking for the kind of batteries it used I found out that it will save you a couple of bucks too because if you shake it for about half a minute it saves enough energy for 5 min. How cool is that? If your batteries run out of power just shake it and you have a few more minutes of light. Plus at very low levels it is eco friendly.

Since I am really curious and I wanted to test if all they claimed that the flashlight does I tested if it was really waterproof and floatable. And it is!

I might sound like a kid in Christmas that just opened a new toy but this flashlight really amazed me.

Oh, and in case you were wondering we ended up not needing the flashlights because the cave is very well illuminated in the inside.

Interested? Buy it Here!

Check Out More Travel Essentials Here!

Cost: average
Food Quality: decent
Decor: bar like with a New Orleans feel
Service: Decent
Cuisine Type: New Orleans – French Creole
Location: 7th Street #11 , Antigua Guatemala
Phone: 7882 – 4244
Website: JP’s BumBar

Some Facts for You

Rumbar is a bar that offers live music, jazz, blues, creole and cajun dishes. This place was made to have a New Orleans kind of ambience in one of Antigua Guatemala’s most transited streets. You will find this bar opened for lunch and dinner.

Personal Review

The Rum Bar is more for intimate parties than for dinners, because if you arrive early enough you can have some quality time, but at night it becomes a full on bar which makes it hard to really hear or do anything.

The food is only New Orleans styled food, so if you want other choices, this isn’t the best place to go.

Don’t forget to check out more fun foods and recipes at Wanderfood Wednesday.

Get Away Vacation in Costa Rica

Just wanted to give you an update on our trip! We had a great time! Everything was so smooth and super!

We picked up the car with no troubles and it was the perfect car. We loved Mountain Paradise Hotel. It was great!

Desafio tours were great for the canyoneering and horseback tour. They were very professional, yet fun. We also LOVED Pedro with Cano Negro- he was very informative and really knew the information he provided us. It was a great tour! Also, SkyTrek was great.

Sara
USA

Get more Testimonials Here!
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Win a 1 Night Stay in a Luxurious Hotel in London

Have you even wanted to stay in a riverside 5 star hotel in London? Well this is your chance!

I just found out that EasyToBook.com is currently offering a one night stay in the luxurious Plaza on the River B & B for two people. The free night is valid for one year after the winner is announced so you can take some time to plan it. How perfect is this for a romantic night away from the daily routine?

Tell me how to enter already!

All you have to do to win this prize is to follow @EasyToBook on twitter and send them a message of why you deserve to win a night in this luxurious B & B. But remember it has to be in less than 140 characters. Then you add in the hashtag: #etbprize and you are in!

You must do this before Friday 3rd of September and wait for your answer. The winner will be picked and announced via Twitter.

Need more information? Click Here!

Hostal Santa Cruz in Xetulul Guatemala

Xetulul is a beautiful, award winning theme park known as the best in Central America. It is located in the Retalhuleu Department of Guatemala. But it isn’t only a theme park. They also offer a great water park called Xocomil and four beautiful hotels. For me this is the idea of the perfect place for a family vacation. The first time I visited it I stayed in the one called Hostal Santa Cruz.

The hotel is a complex of 10 Mediterranean style buildings and is located right across the street from the Xetulul and Xocomil Parks. There is also an underground mini train that takes you from the hotel to any of the parks.

The beautiful and luxurious rooms also have a balcony. Plus the staff is great. They are very welcoming an always have a smile on their face.

Some of the services that are common to all the hotels are a play room with ping pong and some toys for the kids, a convenience store and a clinic for emergencies.

Oh, and the food how to forget about it! After a long day having fun in the rides it was the perfect way to end the day. We got a 5 star Italian dinner.

Hostal Santa Cruz is amazing, the grounds are beautiful, there are free peacocks running around and the parks are every kid’s and adult’s dream. It was the perfect weekend!

Contact me for great discounts for a spectacular stay in Hostal Santa Cruz!

Check out more Spotlight Recommendations here!
Great Deals for Flights to Costa Rica

Have a Great Road Trip # 8

Because traveling in Central America is very different than traveling in any other part of the world here is the eighth of a series of travel tips for those planning a road trip. Go here to see the first seven: Check the Engine, Take Some Food With You, Pack Some Garbage Bags, Stay Safe, Take Secondary Roads, Take Turns When Driving and Don’t Forget Your Sunscreen.

This is a pretty basic and obvious one that we seem to overlook most of the time: don’t wait until gas is on empty to start looking for a gas station! The reason for that is that in some Central American highways you might not find a gas station for long distances. I don’t think it’s a fun thing to run out of gas in the middle of an unknown country.

Get more Weekly Travel Tips here for a safe trip!