A collection of hotel reviews, destination guides, tips on points & miles, and general thoughts on travel.

Since 2005, we’ve been curating travel itineraries by reading other blogs – This is our contribution to fellow travelers trying to maximize their time and money to explore off the tourist trap path. Our reviews are honest, detailed, and cover topics that we find are often missing. If you like our content, don’t forget to subscribe at the bottom of the page.

Review: Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen – Your Tranquil Tropical Airport Retreat

The Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen near San Jose Airport in Costa Rica offers the convenience of an airport hotel, in a resort like setting. It is also a decent option for those wanting to spend a couple nights in San Jose to visit the city. The hotel is set on a former hacienda that has been…
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10 Tips: Planning a Trip to Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast

Our third journey to Costa Rica led us to the underrated Caribbean coast and its hidden gems, Puerto Viejo, Punta Uva, and Manzanillo. Here, we share tips for visiting the area as a solo adventure or integrated into your itinerary.
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3 Days in Rio de Janeiro Brazil

The third and final stop of our trip to Brazil was Rio de Janeiro. We spent 3 days in Rio de Janeiro in October 2023 and share some tips to help you plan your trip.
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4 Days in Trancoso Brazil

After our short layover in Sao Paulo, it was time for us to fly about 1.5 hours to Porto Seguro Airport, to relax in Trancoso, a small beach town in Bahia. We spent 4 days in Trancoso and share some tips to help you plan your trip.
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Tips: A short layover in Sao Paolo Brazil

After our 10 hours red-eye flight from Toronto, we woke up in Sao Paolo Brazil, with one day to see and do as much as possible! In this post, we share some tips and recommendations for a layover in Brazil’s largest city, Sao Paolo!
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Planning a Trip to Brazil: 10 Tips

For our 3rd trip to South America, we decided to visit Brazil, a country we have always been intrigued about. In this post, we share tips about planning a trip to Brazil based on our recent visit in September 2023.
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