vacation – Bucket List In A Bikini

Nicaragua: A Border Run Vacay.

Those that follow along with me on social media know that I am still settling into living in a new country, Costa Rica. Being that I am not a resident (yet), I am required to leave the country every 90 days. People (expats) like me do what is called a “border run”. For us, this means driving to the Nicaragua border, crossing from Costa Rica into Nicaragua, and circling around to come back to Costa Rica with a new visa stamp that is good for another 90 days. This entire process is quite quick. However, I decided to make a mini vacay out of my first border run, and explore the coast of Nicaragua for six days. This trip was a long time coming for me. My grandparents and mom migrated from Nicaragua, and I still have a lot of family members that live there. I have always had a huge desire to visit this country and see the roots of my heritage. I was blown away by the raw beauty of Nicaragua! Living in Costa Rica, I am used to areas being underdeveloped. However, Nicaragua is even less developed than Costa Rica. True raw beauty! I explored five beaches in six days, enjoyed the nightlife dancing until the early morning, and took a motorcycle through the jungle. Nicaragua is very reasonably priced, has nonstop perfecto waves for surfing, and the food was fresh and delicious. I highly recommend that the expats of Costa Rica spend at least a weekend in Nicaragua while completing a border run. It was only a three hour drive from my home in Costa Rica to my hotel in Nicaragua.

Bye bye Costa Rica. This is the very first trip I have packed in a backpack. I impressed myself.

GETTING TO THE BORDER

A lot of people hire a driver to take them to the border for border runs. This makes everything easy as they will help guide you through the process if you are a first timer. Once you have one border run under your belt, you will have it down and can easily drive yourself for the next run. If you choose to stay in Nicaragua, there is a family-owned parking lot that charges a small daily fee to watch over your car at the border. This is probably the cheapest option if you are going to spend some time in Nicaragua. Luckily for me, my parents were in Costa Rica and drove me to the Penas Blancas Nicaragua Border. Easy peasy. It took a minute to figure out the process, but if you just keep asking for direction, there are plenty of people who will help you to navigate. Side note….there will be miles of trucks lined up to cross the border. I was told they wait for days to weeks to cross. Once you see the trucks, keep driving past them all the way to the front of the line. This is the border crossing.

SAN JUAN DEL SUR

I paid my exit taxes in Costa Rica and my entrance fees to Nicaragua and crossed through. It is important to have small USA dollar bills on you for this process as they don’t give change. I also packed light. This was the very first trip I had ever packed solely in a backpack. I impressed myself. Ha ha. As you enter Nicaragua, it is very busy. Make sure to have phones, cash, and passports put away. I got a bit swarmed as we entered. Once through, I jumped in a taxi and headed to my first stop, San Juan Del Sur. SJDS is only a 25 minute drive from the border and a $25 cab ride. It’s a very popular spot to vacation. Everything in SJDS is walkable and there is no car needed for exploring this lively beach town. I chose to stay at the Hotel Alcazar. The location is perfectly set right in the middle of town with views of the ocean. I got the most expensive room at $80 per night. So nice to splurge for the best when the price is so reasonable! My room was on the top floor with a large private balcony overlooking the beach. There are so many dining options that are lined up beachfront, but my favorite place to eat was Dale Pues. I ate here 3 times and ordered the same thing every time… a schnitzel sandwich. So delicious!

Cheers to a successful border crossing on foot. Costa Rica to Nicaragua.

My balcony at Hotel Alcazar overlooking San Juan Del Sur Beach. Amazing! I slept in late this morning from all the late night dancing. So much fun!

My favorite restaurant in San Juan Del Sur. Dale Pues!

San Juan Del Sur is a party town! It had been a minute since I danced my butt off until the early morning hours. I certainly took advantage of the packed nightclubs on the beach bumping great music all night long. So fun! I felt completely safe in this area walking around at night. Of course, I always practice common sense while traveling. I found this area to feel very safe and non-threatening. The key for me is to blend in. I don’t wear jewelry, I don’t dress in any way to create attention, and I stay in areas that have a lot of people around. It also helps that my husband is a pretty built guy. We truly never have any trouble when we travel, and I’m sure his build has something to do with that. Regardless, I did walk around alone and felt very secure.

After hopping around and exploring all nooks and crannies of SJDS, we decided to rent a motorcycle to start exploring different beaches in the area. My husband is pretty much the only person I would trust to drive me on dirt roads through the jungle of Nicaragua. LOL. He is very good at driving a bike. However, if you aren’t experienced in this area, you can rent a car in the town of San Juan Del Sur to explore the surrounding areas.

Exploring by dirt bike on dirt roads through the jungle and to the beaches of Nicaragua.

We hopped from beach to beach. My favorite beach (by far) was Playa Maderas, which was about a 25 minute drive north of San Juan Del Sur. We took the bike there and stayed all day watching the surfers ride nonstop perfecto waves while sipping margaritas and eating fresh seafood. It’s a smaller beach but absolutely paradise. After spending the day there, I knew I wanted to spend a few nights. This area is much different than SJDS. There is no nightlife whatsoever to speak of. People come here to surf, enjoy the beach, practice yoga, and disconnect.

Another great beach that I loved was Playa El Coco. I would have loved to stay a few nights here as well. However, the ecolodge is only open on the weekends and the timing didn’t work out for me. If you aren’t able to stay here, this is definitely worth driving to spend the day here. I had the best seafood soup since moving to Central America at Playa El Coco. This is a huge beach with great waves. What I loved most about it was the ecolodge. There are cabanas and hammocks all along the beach to relax the day away in a breathtaking setting.

After four days of exploring the coast and four nights of late night dancing, we moved hotels and headed to Hush Maderas to relax. This adult only slice of heaven sits in the treetops with the howler monkeys and overlooks beautiful Playa Maderas. I stayed in the penthouse suite, which was the entire top floor of the hotel. It was floor to ceiling windows, a wraparound balcony, a gym, and a living room in the suite. This is hands down the largest hotel room I have ever stayed in, and came with a price tag of $120 per night. I told you Nicaragua was affordable! Hush Maderas offers many other rooms to fit any budget, including dormitory rooms. Everything about this hotel is top notch. The food was so fresh, healthy, and delicious. The drinks were all fresh squeezed. I sat poolside at the infinity pool with the most incredible views of the ocean. I felt so spoiled. They offer yoga lessons at the hotel and in room massages. We got one of the best couples’ massages of our lives in our hotel room for $30 each. Winning!

This was my stunning view from the balcony of the penthouse suite. $120 per night is a steal!

Wraparound balcony of the penthouse suite.

Pool overlooking the ocean and Playa Maderas. Heaven!

Fresh squeezed margaritas and healthy fresh food. Happy girl!

Power bowl and veggie burrito. The food was ridiculously fresh and healthy.

After six days of exploring Nicaragua, I really didn’t want to go home. I felt as though I had just scratched the surface of this country. There is so much to see! I headed back to the border and crossed with a new visa stamp to stay in Costa Rica for another 90 days. Border run turned vacay was a total success!

First border run a success. I love my forever travel partner!

Amazing trip to see where my family migrated from. Until next time Nicaragua!

For my unedited photos/videos of this trip, you can head over to my Instagram account @bucketlistinabikini and watch my “Stories” of Nicaragua.

Much love,

Jessica

UPDATE TO NICARAGUA BLOG 08/01/2022

TreeCasa Resort. San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua.

I have just arrived home from another “border run vacay”, except this time we made it a family vacation and brought along the kiddos for their first trip to Nicaragua. As you read above, the last time we stayed at an adult-only hotel. For this trip, I wanted to find a very family-friendly hotel that the kids would love. We chose TreeCasa Resort which sits high up the mountain in the treetops above the beach of San Juan Del Sur. This resort features treehouse family accommodations with a stunning pool that includes a waterslide and rock waterfall to jump off of. My husband and I lazed the day away as the kids enjoyed all the fun the grounds had to offer. A true playground for adults and kids!! There are so many activities to choose from including hiking, biking, horseback riding, private beach, spa, and a complimentary shuttle down the hill to the town of San Juan Del Sur.

Treehouse family accommodations at TreeCasa Resort.

TreeCasa Resort is a true playground for adults and kids!

Living our best life at TreeCasa Resort.

Waterslides are always a hit on vacay with the kids.

Jump 11,873 off of the rock waterfall. Ha ha.

Although this is a family-friendly resort, my husband and I did get to sneak away for some adult time on the grounds. These grounds are huge, safe, and secure. After dinner, we tucked the kiddos back in the room with a movie and headed out to get some cocktails at the bar. It was so nice to have no worries at all and know the kiddos were happy as could be back in the spacious room. We also snuck in a morning couples massage at the spa while the kids went to breakfast. It was amazing!! Lastly, we took a guided hike one morning while the kids slept in. We hiked to the highest platform on the property. The views looking down on San Juan Del Sur were incredible.

Couples massage time while the kids are at breakfast. Yes, please!

Guided hike up to the highest point on the property. These views were incredible!

If you read along with me you know I am quite the foodie. I basically spend my life dieting saving up to go crazy eating while on vacation. Hashtag TRUTH. The food at TreeCasa is over the top delicious, healthy, and filling! You will not go hungry at this resort. I indulged in the enormous lobster tails two of the nights. Just wow! My other favorite dish was a 2 pound fried whole red snapper. I ate the entire thing. LOL. I will start the diet when the trip is over. Ha ha.

Me enjoying another night of lobster tail dinner paired with bacon wrapped asparagus, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and a little bubbly.

Nicaragua continues to be our go-to for our border run fun. It is just such an easy hop from our home in Costa Rica. If the kiddos are with us, TreeCasa will continue to be our resort of choice. TreeCasa makes a great vacation just staying on the grounds of the property. However, the location of this resort is so central that you can also explore surrounding areas very easily. You can take the shuttle down the hill to explore the town of San Juan Del Sur or hop over to Playa Maderas for some epic surfing. It really is a perfect home base. So close to everything but also tucked away in the serenity of the treetops with the birds and monkeys.

I spent so much time relaxing in this hammock on my balcony listening to birds and howler monkeys.

A family vacation we will cherish forever at TreeCasa Resort. San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua.

I have already booked our next trip to Nicaragua and this time my parents will be joining us as we explore the cities of Nicaragua. Stay tuned!

All of my unedited moments from TreeCasa Resort can be found on my Instagram Stories “TreeCasa”.

Thanks for reading!

Jessica

Karen Blixen Camp: A Magical Safari Adventure In Kenya.

“Africa changes you forever, like nowhere on earth. Once you have been there, you will never be the same.” – Brian Jackman

Going on safari has always ranked very high on my bucket list! They say that trips to Africa are life changing journeys. Many trips I have taken have given me a feeling where I feel changed as a person. So needless to say I was very curious to find out what inspires people to say Africa is so life changing. I can confirm that after a little over two weeks there, it has changed my life. Never have I ever been on a trip where I had tears come to my eyes so many times. I felt as though every step I took was filled with emotions. The continent of Africa is so vast that it would be difficult to see it all in one lifetime. However I am not done with this part of the world, and as I sit here putting my pen to paper, all I can think about is when I will be able to go back.

There are so many options to choose from when you decide to plan a safari adventure. I chose the Masai Mara (also spelled Maasai Mara) North area of Kenya. The Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the finest wildlife experiences in all of Africa to track the Big Five and discover rich culture. In this area, one can have a front row seat to the Great Migration which is often dubbed “The Greatest Show On Earth”. The Great Migration sees more than 2 million animals travel from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. This reserve in Kenya shares an ecosystem with the neighboring Serengeti of Tanzania, so it is easy to combine these two countries for an extended safari. I decided to couple my safari with some beach time in Zanzibar, which is an island and also part of Tanzania. What an epic trip to combine a safari with tropical beach time!

Karen Blixen Camp

It was very important to me to stay in a place that was not over commercialized. I did not want to feel as though I was in a chain hotel for this trip. I decided on Karen Blixen Camp. Have any of my readers seen the movie “Out of Africa” starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford? Meryl Streep plays Karen Blixen in this true story that highlights the impact that Mrs. Blixen had on Kenya. When I came across the Karen Blixen Camp in my planning, I immediately knew this was where I wanted to stay. It is an eco friendly luxury camp offering a “yesteryear” experience. All 22 tents sit right on the Mara River. Throughout the day giraffes, elephants, zebras, crocodiles, baboons, and many more come to drink from the river while a large hippo pod lazes the day away. The river brings in many visitors, however the hippos are residents. My alarm clock every morning was hippos snorting in the river. Ha ha! What a way to wake up! This was the main reason I chose this camp. To be so immersed in wildlife and view game right from your tent was just a dream. Que the tears of gratitude!

Watching the wildlife and enjoying some wine right from our deck.

With so many animals around, the camp takes zero chances with safety. At night and early morning, guests are escorted from their tents to the main camp. When I wanted to leave the tent I would just ring the bell, and security came to escort me which made me feel very at ease.

Although the accommodations are truly tents, they certainly do not feel like it. They have beautiful wooden decks attached with luxurious patio furniture to enjoy your morning coffee or afternoon wine while staring at wildlife on the river. The tents themselves are very large with with a plush comfy bed, bathroom, and outdoor heated shower.

Hot outdoor shower is heaven after long days on game drives.

Yes, this is technically a tent, but it sure doesn’t feel like it.

Waking up listening to hippos snorting right outside of my tent.

The camp has a restaurant, bar, fire pit for late night parties, pool, spa, and gift shop. Although the camp only has 22 tents, the property is huge. It also houses a cooking school where students learn to become master chefs in Kenya and even graduate to cook at the camp. This brings me to the food….WOW! You will not go hungry at Karen Blixen Camp so bring your animal appetite. The food is phenomenal. Every meal I ate was superb. They serve everything from traditional Kenyan dishes to Mexican pizzas, so there is something for everyone. They also serve excellent wine and offer a full bar. The camp arranges every detail of your safari adventure for you. From flights to meals to adventuring, they tailor your safari based on your likes, and you don’t have to plan a thing.

Pool time. I love all of the amenities at Karen Blixen Camp.

Game Driving

One other huge reason I chose Karen Blixen Camp is that in this area of the Mara, the vehicles are permitted to go off-roading. In other areas available for safari, the vehicles are required to stay on the designated roads and view game from there. We were able to explore off the beaten path and pull right up next to the animals. This made this entire experience so much more exciting. Our open air vehicle was very comfortable for long days of game driving. I loved the wind in my face while out adventuring.

We were assigned Simon as our safari guide for the week. All of the staff at the camp treated us like family, and I know you can not go wrong with any guide from the Karen Blixen Camp. However, Simon holds a very special place in our hearts. He took us on early morning, afternoon, and evening rides. Each day and each time of the day was a new experience with something new to see. Simon is so knowledgeable and friendly. I feel like I learned so much about the animals, the people, and Kenya in general from him. He was so good at spotting and would drive our vehicle right up to the animals for us to view.

My guide Simon and I. He was always teaching us about the animals as we drove up to them.

On one drive we came across an elephant that had just passed away either to old age, disease, or injury. This part of Kenya takes poaching very seriously and they have great efforts in place to protect their animals. This gentle giant had become an easy meal to a huge group of hyenas that could not control their laughter and excitement. Hyenas get so excited and create so much noise when they find food that they alert other animals in the area that something appetizing is going on. Later on into the night, we decided to visit the elephant again and check the scene. A male lion was now guarding the elephant and had claimed it as his meal. No more hyenas as the lion is king. We turned off the car in the pitch black and observed the male lion up close. My heart was pounding out of my chest! It was so exciting being in the dark with the lion king. We saw many other lions on our drives throughout our safari, however this encounter was quite exhilarating. Que the tears of adrenaline!

A night ride where we sat right next to the lion king guarding his meal.

Beautiful lioness relaxing right next to our car.

I love the kitties and we were lucky enough to have a leopard walk right in front of our car one day. Leopards are one of the most elusive mammals on the planet and this beautiful creature just strolled right by us. So incredible!

The elusive leopard casually strolling by.

This part of the Mara is filled with animals. I can’t even count the number of elephants, zebras, baboons, and giraffes we saw. It seemed endless. At one point we were right in the middle of all of these animals having a true lion king moment.

On one of my favorite game drives we encountered a herd of elephants. The smallest of the bunch charged our car with his ears out. It simply doesn’t get cuter than baby elephants! Mama and siblings wanted nothing to do with us, but the baby was handling business. Ha ha! Each ride showed us something different from the circle of life. It was truly powerful and emotional to see these animals in the wild so up close.

That little baby elephant charged our car. Ha ha…so cute!

We saw so many elephants. Observing these gentle giants just never gets old.

Hot Air Balloon Ride

Seeing the Mara Conservancy from above was a true bucket list experience. This was my first time in a hot air balloon ride. I’m a bit fearful of heights so I was nervous. The Karen Blixen Camp arranged for a sunrise balloon ride with Sky Ship Company. Ali was our pilot, and my nerves were gone as soon as we took off. The ride was so smooth. I just can’t put into words the magic I saw as I flew over the Mara animals with the sun rising to a new golden morning. The tears keep coming! The balloon noise makes the animals run so it was a different experience to see them being so active as we flew right above. The ride lasted about an hour with a very exciting landing on our side dragging and bouncing. I wasn’t expecting that but it’s normal due to winds in this area. Our ride was followed up with a champagne breakfast in the bush. Someone pinch me!

Flying over the Masai Mara at sunrise in a hot air balloon.

So incredibly grateful for this trip of a lifetime.

Visit To The Local School

OMG!! I will treasure this day forever. We visited a local school of the Masai. The kids were so welcoming and sweet. They sang us songs, gave us big hugs, and wanted to take photos. We even got to have some one on one Q & A with the older students who were perfecting their English. This visit was so special, and I had tears coming down my cheeks every step of the tour from feeling so humbled and welcomed with such innocent love.

Visit To The Local Village

The visit to a local village of the Masai tribe was a true cultural experience. It was so interesting to see how the tribe lives off of the land and amongst the animals. The men in the tribe can have up to ten wives and 100 children. My husband sat down with a man of the tribe explaining that 1 wife was enough headache for him. Ha ha! He laughed at my husband and continued to show us his home that housed 7 people. I bought a beautiful necklace from one of the women who was so kind and grateful for my purchase. They live very differently than people in the USA and are content, happy, and welcoming.

Having a chat with a man of the Masai tribe who had seven wives. Tim was explaining that one wife is enough headache for him. Ha ha!

Sundowners And Meals In The Bush

Sun~down~er: An alcoholic drink taken at sunset. Picture being on game drives most of the day and pulling your vehicle up to a postcard perfect set up in the bush that includes chairs around a campfire, a full bar, and appetizers…all while out in the open with the wildlife as the sun is setting. I think I could have sundowners in the bush every night on safari!

Sundowners in the bush. Appetizers and full bar provided by the camp!

We also enjoyed a surprise breakfast in the bush by the Karen Blixen Camp. This was on our first morning and we were still taking in the fact that we were here on safari. What a special surprise to kick off this adventure.

Surprise breakfast in the bush from the camp on our first day.

On our last evening in Kenya, we booked a private dinner in the bush. This is an absolute “not to be missed” meal with the camp. We had a buffet spread for two with flowing wine, lit only by candlelight and campfire. The staff of the camp were all around us keeping an eye. I think this could have been the most romantic meal I have ever had in my life. After the time we had spent on safari, I felt so at ease and one with my surroundings. Of course I got emotional! It hit me hard on this meal that we were leaving this magical place. The tears and wine were flowing as we cheers to everything that we had seen, learned, and experienced.

Our final meal was a private candlelight dinner in the bush. Cheer to all the tears of joy!

My trip to Africa lived up to the life changing reputation. It is simply impossible to compare a trip like this to other vacations. I think the more that I travel, the more that I crave a deeper kind of travel. Don’t get me wrong, I do love sipping margaritas and relaxing poolside. However, trips like this one are so unique and bring my spirit to life. In the words of Karen Blixen, “You know you are truly alive when you’re living among lions”.

In lion country. I saw so many lions on this game drive.

“You know you are truly alive when you’re living among lions.” – Karen Blixen

A Few Tips To Prepare For This Trip

I flew from the USA to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. This is a long flight and a big time difference, so I opted to spend three nights in Nairobi to rest up for all the action coming up on safari.

I visited a travel health consultant at Passport Health five weeks prior to taking this trip. I learned everything I needed to know to keep me healthy on my African adventure. These travel consultants will discuss and inject recommended and required vaccinations, prescribe medications such as malaria, and advise you on mosquito repellants. True fact…I get eaten alive everywhere I travel. I followed the guidance of my health consultant and did not get one bite on my two week trip. This a game changer for future trips!

In order to enter the country of Kenya at the time of my travels, one was required to obtain a Visa, a negative PCR Covid Test (regardless of vaccination), and complete an online Health Surveillance Form. This info seems to be consistently changing, so it is best to check the embassy website for what is required prior to entry/exit.

Thank you to to the staff at the Karen Blixen Camp for some of the best travel memories of my life!!