Vacation Vibes
Choose a honeymoon that is your perfect match
April 30, 2021
You’ve spent months mired in dress fittings, seating-chart decisions and color palette debates, all with the goal of creating a wedding that reflects your unique relationship. To ensure that your celebratory sojourn is just as suited to the two of you, let your dispositions guide you to the ultimate destination. As travel restrictions are easing, it's time to start planning a well-deserved vacation.
Animal Lovers: Have more fur babies than friends? Always break for cat videos? Costa Rica is crawling with critters big and small, adorable and ferocious, all living the pura vida in the eco-friendly nation’s lush jungles.
PLAY: There are several regions in Costa Rica that lure tourists, but Guanacaste, the northern region of the Nicoya Peninsula is a stand out boasting thermal pools, volcanic waterfalls (Sensoria), surfing, beach towns like Tamarindo and off-roading in Tomcars with Viva La Costa. Play animal bingo while cruising on the Tempisque River in Palo Verde National Park. Even when you least expect to see beasts—for instance, when learning how rum is made at the Sabandi distillery—animal friends have a way of dropping in, whether it’s a frog springing from the thatched roof or migrating birds resting in the surrounding wetlands.
STAY: Tucked into a 2,300-acre nature reserve, the W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal is a wildlife paradise. Raccoons and coatis are frequent guests at the open-air restaurant. Join the iguanas basking in the sun by the pool and bar at Zona Azul Beach Club (the brand’s first beach club). The concept for the spa was inspired by Costa Rica’s 1,500 butterfly species, which can be seen fluttering throughout the resort’s landscaping. Enjoy the spa terrace’s plunge pool, with a flute of bubbly from the Champagne bar, while listening to the howler monkeys that live in the surrounding tree canopy. Play eye-spy on guided nature hikes or while snorkeling off the white sand beach.
Patrons of the Arts: Whether you create or appreciate, it’s easy to sketch an artful itinerary with a side of sunshine and sand on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao.
PLAY: This colorfully painted isle is home to an abundance of artists, many of whom invite visitors into their studios to create their own masterpieces. Paint like no one is watching with Serena Israel, the woman behind the iconic Chichi dolls; or with Omar Sling, an artist who works in several mediums and is well-known for his “KokoYoko” plaster rooster series. Once you finish your souvenir, take a street-art tour with muralist Garrick Marchena, who is credited with reviving the street-art scene, via tuk-tuk through downtown Willemstad, Otrobanda and Skálo. Andy Kirchner, aka “The Recycled Pirate,” is trying to save the environment one piece of found art at a time and he also offers classes.
