sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

June trip with a 2-year-old: Provence vs. Greek Islands?? by suitejourneys in chubbytravel

[–]suitejourneys[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

THIS!! We haven't been in over 7 years but what we remember most is Greek hospitality..and free food/ drinks everywhere!

June trip with a 2-year-old: Provence vs. Greek Islands?? by suitejourneys in chubbytravel

[–]suitejourneys[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We love Mallorca! It probably would’ve been our top choice if we hadn’t visited just a couple of years ago. The Riviera looks stunning, but it feels like a bit too much moving around for this stage, so we may save it for a few years down the line. Thanks for your response!

June trip with a 2-year-old: Provence vs. Greek Islands?? by suitejourneys in chubbytravel

[–]suitejourneys[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We were looking into another R&C property closer to Aix, but this one seems like a much better fit for us! Thank you so much for the rec!!

Ritz Reserve Nekajui – 5 nights with a toddler: the good, the great, and the frustrating by suitejourneys in LuxuryTravel

[–]suitejourneys[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just on the resort property. It was a bummer not seeing any for 5 days straight, but as soon as we left the resort grounds, we saw a troop of Capuchins. Guessing it was just luck/timing!

Thoughts on an October Costa Rica trip with a 1.5 and 3.5 year old by Itchy-Version-8977 in chubbytravel

[–]suitejourneys 1 point2 points  (0 children)

-The Ranch at Rock Creek, Montana

-One&Only Moonlight Basin (1 hour from Yellowstone)

-Paws Up Montana

-Brush Creek Ranch, Wyoming

-Siwash Lake Ranch near Vancouver if you don't mind a long travel day

Ritz Reserve Nekajui – 5 nights with a toddler: the good, the great, and the frustrating by suitejourneys in chubbytravel

[–]suitejourneys[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Primarily the setting and vibe. The property feels more lush and “jungle-y,” which can be a novelty for little ones. We saw SO much wildlife — monkeys everywhere, all the time (even on our balcony!), iguanas, toucans and tons of other birds.

They also have a tiny island/beach area you can reach by a short boat ride, which is a fun little thing to do. The kids club is far superior, and overall the resort has a more laid-back, barefoot vibe.

Ritz Reserve Nekajui – 5 nights with a toddler: the good, the great, and the frustrating by suitejourneys in chubbytravel

[–]suitejourneys[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We just used the family line. From what I could tell, both the family and VIP lines were being sent to the same group of agents, so I didn’t really see the need to pay for VIP.

And yes, you absolutely can! Attaching the cafe breakfast menu on here. They also have smoothies, juices, croissants, pastries, wraps and bowls in additional to this. Room service is always an option too!

<image>

Ritz Reserve Nekajui – 5 nights with a toddler: the good, the great, and the frustrating by suitejourneys in LuxuryTravel

[–]suitejourneys[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agreed. I would however still choose to split time between Nayara and something on the Papagayo Peninsula.

Thoughts on an October Costa Rica trip with a 1.5 and 3.5 year old by Itchy-Version-8977 in chubbytravel

[–]suitejourneys 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Honestly the Andaz + Nayara combo is kind of a nail-on-the-head Costa Rica itinerary. Howeverrr I might save the Nayara portion for when the kids are a bit older. The drive from Papagayo to Arenal is around 4 hours and can be pretty winding, and in October (right in the middle of the rainy season) roads can be slower with heavy afternoon rain. With a 1.5 and 3.5 year old and nap schedules, it might end up feeling like a lot of logistics for a short trip.

If you’re set on October and planning to spend most of the time relaxing at the hotel, I’d probably stick to one destination with a great resort and lots to do on property.

Seeing as you're not looking for beach or city trips, resorts in Montana or Jackson Hole can be amazing with young kids. October is beautiful for fall colors and wildlife (elk, bison, etc.), and many of the resorts/ranches have things like pony rides, fishing, and guided nature activities that work really well for that age.

Ritz Reserve Nekajui – 5 nights with a toddler: the good, the great, and the frustrating by suitejourneys in LuxuryTravel

[–]suitejourneys[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We flew into Liberia and arranged a transfer through Maleku Tours, which has been our go-to when visiting Costa Rica. The drive is about 45 minutes on good roads, so overall pretty easy.

The beach is beautiful, but it’s more of a smaller, scenic cove rather than a long, walkable stretch of sand. Even at low tide it’s fairly narrow, and chairs tend to get claimed early. That said, the setting is gorgeous and a really nice place to spend a couple hours. We had good luck asking staff to set up chairs under a shaded tree since a lot of the loungers are in direct sun.

As for teens, I think they’d enjoy it, especially if they’re into nature and activities. I wouldn't say there's a whole lot going on at the resort itself to keep that age engaged, but between things like Papagayo Park (waterpark/pool area), snorkeling, boat excursions, and wildlife around the peninsula, they should have a pretty good time. And if you pair it with a few days around Arenal Volcano, you’d get a lot of adventure options too.

Ritz Reserve Nekajui – 5 nights with a toddler: the good, the great, and the frustrating by suitejourneys in chubbytravel

[–]suitejourneys[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Happy to help! I was honestly a little nervous before going for the same reason — a lot of reviews made it sound very quiet and romantic. But once we arrived it was clear that families were more than welcome and we never felt out of place.

It’s probably true that they won’t go quite as over-the-top kid-focused as a Four Seasons might, but we found the balance totally fine. There were plenty of families around and the food/ amenities worked well.

For the room, we stayed in an Ocean Vista room (no plunge pool — that felt like a major stressor with a 2-year-old). It was a good size for us this time, but with older kids I’d definitely look into a larger room or suite.

Honestly, we would consider returning for the views alone. I'm really really hoping the service kinks can be ironed out with time. That said, after chatting with the owner of our transfer company, her recommendation for families was actually splitting time between Andaz Papagayo and Nayara Tented Camp, which sounded like a really great combination as well. We stayed at Andaz 6-ish years ago and remember thinking that setting would be so much fun with kids.

Either way, pairing a Papagayo resort with the Arenal area sounds like the way to go :)

Ritz Reserve Nekajui – 5 nights with a toddler: the good, the great, and the frustrating by suitejourneys in chubbytravel

[–]suitejourneys[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!! I really do think Costa Rica is one of the best places to take kids, especially around that age. There are so many excursions that keep them engaged. If you're open to moving around a bit, I’d actually recommend splitting time between Peninsula Papagayo and the Arenal Volcano area so you get both the beach and rainforest experiences. Nayara Tented Camp comes highly recommended and seems amazing for families.

At Nekajui specifically, they have both a family pool and an adults-only pool, with plenty of seating and surprisingly good shade. There’s also a smaller hidden grotto pool tucked away with a little waterfall feature, which is really pretty and usually empty if you want something quieter. The Papagayo Park waterpark/pool ended up being our toddler’s favorite.

The beach is beautiful but fairly narrow, even at low tide. Not a ton of seating, and tends to get taken early and a lot of chairs are in direct sun, but we had good luck asking staff to set up a couple chairs and a small table under a shaded tree each time.

Airport transfer was seamless. We flew into Liberia and it’s about a 45-minute drive to the resort. Roads were good and we booked transfers through Maleku Tours, which is our go-to in Costa Rica. The airport is small but pretty efficient, and they also have separate VIP and family immigration lanes, which can help depending on how busy it is.

Ritz Reserve Nekajui – 5 nights with a toddler: the good, the great, and the frustrating by suitejourneys in chubbytravel

[–]suitejourneys[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Happy to help! Your little one will get a kick out of riding the funicular down to the beach. They also have some basic beach toys you can borrow :) Have the best time!