My first solo international trip took me across Costa Rica, from the rainforests and canals of Tortuguero to Arenal Volcano, the misty cloud forests of Monteverde, and the Pacific coast of Guanacaste.
Along the way, I saw sea turtles nesting under the moonlight, sloths, monkeys, frogs, and waterfalls, and I watched the sun set over the ocean in Tamarindo. But beyond the places and wildlife, the trip taught me to step outside my comfort zone, trust myself, and enjoy whatever each day brought. As one of my guides kept saying, nunca se sabe. You never know.
I arrived in Costa Rica as a solo traveler, but I never really felt alone. Between guides, drivers, and new friends, there was always someone to share the journey with.
After a long trip from the Philippines, I finally arrived in San José, Costa Rica. This was my first time traveling this far from home on my own, so arriving as a solo traveler in a country I had never visited before felt both exciting and a little surreal.
Photo by Luzze Valenzona
Around 7:30 PM, I met Alexandra from Costa Rica Reps and my local driver at the airport. Alexandra welcomed me with Costa Rican coffee and chocolates, a thoughtful greeting after such a long trip. From the airport, we headed to Delta Hotels by Marriott San José Aurola.
Meeting Alexandra from Costa Rica Reps (Luzze Valenzona)A welcome gift from Alexandra (Luzze Valenzona)Alexandra with airport pickup sign (Luzze Valenzona)
Luckily, I arrived on a holiday, so there was almost no traffic. We reached the hotel in less than 20 minutes, and along the way, my driver shared a little about Costa Rica and some of the places I would soon be visiting.
The hotel is in central San José, close to the Central Market and Avenida Central, a busy pedestrian street lined with shops, cafés, and restaurants. It’s a convenient base for anyone who wants to explore the city. My room was a Standard Room with two double beds, and one of my favorite things about it was looking out over San José’s central business district.
There wasn’t much time to explore San José that first evening, but that was okay. The real adventure was starting the next morning. After years of working on Costa Rica programs, it felt very different to be there in person.
Delta Hotels by Marriott San José Aurola - Standard Room (Luzze Valenzona)Delta Hotels by Marriott San José Aurola - Entrance (Luzze Valenzona)
I had come all the way from the Philippines, and my solo Costa Rica adventure with Adventure Life was officially beginning.
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Shannon K.
Costa Rica
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I have worked with Jess in the past and enjoyed working with her again on a fun adventure. We were able to create a custom itinerary that worked within our timeline and budget.
Suzy Horvath
3 months ago
Kassandra is so knowledgeable and makes appropriate recommendations for what is suitable to our needs.
customer
5 months ago
Erin is super at helping with travel, this is the second trip she has arranged for us.
BBachmayer
5 months ago
Karilyn was very helpful with suggestions and very easy to work with. She was able to combine two different trips in Costa Rica into one that seems to be just perfect for us. I recommend her highly and will hopefully do another trip she puts together for us!
David Strommen
6 months ago
It was easy and quick Love working with everyone here.
