In the well over 80 comments we have had so far the question of whether to do your own travel planning and arranging or use professional help is one of the most frequent themes. This does not come as a surprise.  If the shared belief of the participants in this blog is that Vacation Time is [...]

In last weeks post I promised to tell you about one of Yolanda and my biking vacations to illustrate the role tolerance plays in vacation planning.  Ever since I’ve been nervous about boring you with a personal anecdote. Then I a saw Nicholas Kristorf’s column in the January 6 New York Times in which he tells [...]

In travel, as in life, tolerance for things going wrong or tolerance for worrying about things going wrong are closely connected with your goals. If things going wrong or things you are worrying about going wrong will sabotage you from achieving your high priority goals you are much more likely to let [...]

I have been thinking a lot about this trip, but beyond a reminder in my calendar to select the participants in June, I have been coming up with more questions than answers. For a start thanks and kudos to Jennifer Fletcher for coming up with a great name. Time of Your Life. On the other [...]

This is a continuation of the February 1 post. By the time the soaked clothes in our suitcases had been sent to the laundry to be dried, I was already thinking if I had handled the situation more cleverly my luggage would have been safely stored on the train in someplace other than my shower. [...]

We get a great many requests to arrange tours and activities from people who have already booked a week at the beach. Responding to these has been a challenge because the amount of work involved to learn enough about the guests to give them personalized advice is more than we can charge them for if all [...]

When this post is published,  I will be traveling with Richard Bangs and the crew from Adventures with Purpose http://www.smarttravels.tv/adventure.htm from highlands of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve to wetlands of Palo Verde National Park wearing my brand new Teva Sandals. Actually I’ll probably be wearing my 15-year-old Hi Tec boots, but I was so impressed [...]

When we left Patty she had just taken off into the sunset on her flight from New York to Costa Rica… We’re here!  Scrambling off the plane, I hook up with 2 fellow Trip of a Lifetime travelers and we head toward baggage comparing notes on how excited, nervous and completely unprepared we feel for what [...]

Dear Michael, I think this is a great idea and I do feel that the trip I took to Costa Rica was the best trip I've ever had. I'm still recommending it to people if they are looking for a honeymoon idea. Unfortunately, due to the economy my traveling has been very curtailed and Costa Rica is the last place I've gone to for fun that wasn't accessible by car. Even the travel funds for work are rare, so I feel like my advice would be too dated to help much with the blog. But I'm sure you'll get some good insights from lots of other people. I wish you the best, as I think you have a great company.

I think this is a great forward thinking idea to share yours and others traveling experiences. One of me best trips ever was to Costa Rica and have recommended it to many people. One of my most fond memories is the white water rafting on the Pacure River and the 2 nights at the Pacure Lodge. I am an avid armchair traveler and all the time wanna be real time traveler. I recently completed the Tour Du Mont Blanc, a 105 mile hut to hut hike around Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland. This was a trip of a life time and another one I would highly recommend to folks that love hiking and something different in spectacular surrounds. Again kudos on this new venture. I hope to learn more from this blog in the near furure.

We struggle to find quality active vacations similar to the one we took in Costa Rica yet we are always looking for similar experiences in mew countries. This summer we went to Turkey and worked with a local travel agent to create an active, customized itinerary which worked out very well but it would be great to have a source of ideas and this blog concept could be a good start.

Hi Michael, I'm a neophyte at blogs but I'm happy to support it and contribute what I have learned leading groups for Cincinnati Nature Center for 36 years. Our nature center has used your company every time we come to Costa Rica, and with supurb leaders like Charlie Gomez, and driver guides like Nino, we'll continue to use you guys. But we only come to Costa Rice every 5-10 years, after all there's a big world out there, so there are plenty of other destinations I can share my two cents. I'm looking forward to seeing (and learning) how this develops.

Hi Michael, This is a great idea, I rarely make a significant purchase without looking at customer reviews on line, the insight gained by reading about the experiences of others is extremely valuable in my decision making process. Our Costa Rica vacation was the most relaxing vacation my family of four has ever experienced. Costa Rica Expeditions took the stress we took the vacation. If you made a recommendation I would trust it with out a doubt. I look forward to reading the wealth of knowledge to come from your blog and will gladly spread the word to my friends.

Great idea, Michael! We can't wait to join in the discussion. We love to travel when we can afford it. My wife is a nurse and I am a teacher, not high paying professions, but we have traveled to many countries and seen many beautiful places, using companies like Costa Rica Expeditions.

Great idea, I'm willing to help. Like many others on here I had a great experience with CRE a couple of years ago. I've travelled abroad a couple of times since and I'm always looking for information from people who really know the area. I always look for much more than what I can get from a guidebook and I've always found people who have gone through the experience already are usually the true experts.

Michael, I am pleased to participate. I have long believed that the Internet is the best way to share travel information--anytime, anywhere around the world. I also believe that travelers' most valuable information comes from frank, inside assessments from travelers just like themselves. I loved the trip we did with CRE last March. I have high standards, and, like most travelers, high expectations. I was delighted with the service we received through CRE. I will be planning expeditions in Africa, India, and Southeast Asia over the next few years for my family and would appreciate the "inside knowledge" this group can provide. In particular, I am looking for the travel expert on the ground in the countries that I will be visiting. Again, most of us can find the international travel brands; it is the local company, like yours, that can often provide the authentic experience at the reasonable price. Good luck. I look forward to participating in this venture.

This sounds like a good idea. We loved our CRE trips and even converted a friend who is a world traveler and always avoided "group tours" like the plague. He came to Costa Rica with us and we traveled with your fabulous company...he was floored by the experience. One of my interests is combining travel with language learning. We've done it in Costa Rica, Panama and Mexico. I'd like to get to some other Latin/South American countries as well. It might make a useful blog discussion!

Michael I think a blog is a great idea. I usually do extensive research before I travel and find that people who have been there have pearls of wisdom and insider knowledge that can't be found on websites or in travel guides. Reiterating what others have said, my experience with Costa Rica Expeditions was unsurpassed and I would be very grateful to find other organizations with a similar philosophy and equally high standards. Thanks!

AFRICA--Wow, I can see we are going to need to break down into smaller groups in order to stay on top of this! I like the idea of keywords identifying various areas of travel. I was thrilled to see that John mentioned Mark Nolting and The Africa Adventure Company. I have been to Africa 4 times and my most recent trip was with this company. I will use them for all future trips to "The Dark Continent". And, I definitely plan to return. The company lists suggested itineraries, but they will also customize a trip around the interests of the client. I started with one of their basic itineraries and tweaked it. This is similar to the philosophy of Costa Rica Expeditions and I think it's the perfect format. There is a basic structure in place to give you guidelines, but you are able to expand according to your special interests. I know one woman who traveled with them and spent a great deal of time studying native grasses as a medium for her artwork. She returned to the U.S. and had "canvases" made incorporating these grasses and as well as elephant dung (dried, of course) upon which she painted scenes of Africa. Another friend took a group of several couples and they reserved each of the bush camps for their private use. My trip was to S. Africa, Vic. Falls and Chobe in Botswana. We combined private tours (the wine country and a cheetah sanctuary) with group activities, such as sharing a jeep for game drives into the bush. One last note about Africa--if you are an "armchair" traveler, you might enjoy the book, "Tales of the African Frontier", by J.A. Hunter and Daniel P. Mannix. This is a collection of essays written by and about Africa's earliest explorers. It describes an Africa which is long gone, but makes for fascinating reading.

I think this is a great way for people who enjoy the CRE experience to share a variety of travel recommendations. I feel so overwhelmed by electronic communication, however, that I am not sure how active I can be. I always tell friends who ask about my adventures in Costa Rica and recommend CRE for a quality, no-hassle trip. Diane

Hi Michael ! We took a family trip to S africa in 2005 and booked our travel thru United travel group . Janet , the travel agent was very helpfful and helped us to plan the itinerary very well . Since we did nt have more time , we could only spend 12 days or so , and covered Cape town, Zambia and johannesburg . Cape town , of course was lovely , with its Table mountain and gardens , but we also saw the special museum , showing artifacts from Black history .. a very moving experience . We had a side tour to District 11 , where the blacks were moved to . The guide was very proud of teh new small aprtments and housing they are building to help teh blacks . Johannesburg was even more interesting , in a diffferent way . We visited R island and saw Mandela'a prison cell as well as Soweto and Mandela square .A guide from the hotel near Mandela square took us for this tour . One could see how proud the S Africans are of their freedom struggle . The guide was apologetic about the run down streets and buildings , but told us to return , in 5 yrs and find a new Johannesburg . We spent a few days at MANDIKWE LODGE , about 4 hours drive from Johannesburg ,a non malarial lodge and went on safaris ,both in the morning and evening with Colin, our knowledgeable warden , giving us a very fascinating tour as we saw lions and other animals in the wild . The staff was very courteous and considerate . They brought us hot water botttles to warm our feet at night , since the cabins could get cold sometimes ! Kenya is supposed to have a larger area for safaris , but we did not have the time . We also had a scary experience of lions scratching our cabin door at night ! Then we flew to Livingstone , to see the victoria falls . We were welcomed by African dancers in costume , singing and drumming , avery colorful sight . The food was fabulous and they took us to a fantastic african show , with authentic performances by dancers over a campfire . It was a sight .....when we saw a monkey come to one of the tables and collect all the sugar packets and leap away . One could be eating breakfast , while watching Zebras prancing away in the distance . We took a Zambesi sunset cruise , a very relaxing evening , watching teh glorious s unset over teh river , while Hippos raised their heads in the water below . The falls , of course are inccredibly lovely , with a rainbow stretched across , most of the time and it was hard to leave . From there we could see the bridge to Zimbabwe . Near they falls they have many stalls selling african handicrafts and one could spend hours shopping . It is interesting to note how carefully they use any paper , since it is so scarce . The tour was very well arranged and we had no problems getting our transport and transfers at different points .

Michael, Great idea! I love to travel, but since I have small children now and less money to spend on travel, I haven't had the chance to take a great trip in a long time! I've been to a lot of great places (Europe, Morocco, Israel, Jordan, Indonesia, The Philippines, and my favorite, Costa Rica). With each new adventure, I keep wanting to try new places, yet the one and only place I've felt the need to return to is Costa Rica. I've been there four times, although I haven't been since 2002:( I'm probably biased about Costa Rica since I lived there for a few months in 1992 and still have some friends I keep in touch with. I used your agency to go to Tortuguero in 2002. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend CRE to others. I don't usually travel with a tour company but I was very pleased with my experience with CRE. I don't know what else I might contribute to the blog since I haven't done much traveling since 2003. I'm new to blogging as well, but it should be a great new learning experience. If nothing else I'll be dripping with envy while reading everyone else's more recent travel experiences. Good luck with your blog!

East Africa is one of my favorite places and I am sure you will love it too. There are lots of groups that organize excellent tours (we worked with Mark Nolting, owner of the Africa Adventure Company, on a custom family tour and he did an amazing job). Lodging ranges from basic to over the top luxury depending on taste and budget. There are two things I would strongly recommend. First, if it is at all possible in your budget spend at least a couple of nights in a mobile tented camp. You get the feel of the classic British safari experience sharing a glass of wine around your own campfire (rustic luxury, with hot showers and all) and being out there on your own away from everyone else is amazing. Second, if you are in the region, I cannot recommend highly enough going to see the mountain gorillas- I rank it in the top 2 or 3 things I have ever done. It is expensive but worth every penny.

I love the questions Annie Ellicott raises - perhaps because most of the "traveling" I do now is what I imagine or what I remember from past trips. Reflecting on what "quality time" means or our "wildest dreams" may be as interesting, if not more, than nuts and bolts travel advice for those who have been grounded for a while. I would love to discuss how traveling brings out hidden, or new dimensions in people. When I went to China with my mother and got to see her in her home country and native language for the first time, it was like seeing her pop out in 3-D. Here she was, a funny, confident woman - not the shy immigrant I grew up with. For her, it was like everything she had read in history books - the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, becoming real under her feet. How do vacations liberate people? In what ways are we willing to try new things, take risks, when we are out of our element? This is of particular interest to me because my own blog is about how with my special needs kids I expect them to go out of their comfort zone all the time and yet as an adult I let myself chicken out of things with excuses "not enough time/money/childcare." My commitment this year is to learn the things I expect my kids to learn - diving, biking, boogie boarding, ice skating, handstands, etc. no matter how nervous or afraid of embarrassment I might feel. What is it about vacations that makes it so much easier to try sports/activities/food/customs that you ordinarily might shy away from? On the question of bringing spouses, I think any permutation could be valuable. My husband and I have traveled together since we were teenagers. We are an interracial marriage - Asian/German/Estonian/American between us - and have always viewed cross-cultural understanding as the great hope for world peace (what a huge statement! but true). We brought our daughter to Costa Rica with CRE when she was 6 years old - it was an unforgettable journey for all of us. Since then we have adopted a second daughter from China, and I am at home with them full time (while teaching yoga to children with special needs and doing some public relations consulting as well). Because of how intense it is at home, I think the idea of a solo trip as a way to rediscover the person inside the wife and mother could be the trip of a lifetime. Also, for those with children, it may be easier for one spouse to stay at home. But any opportunity to travel with this group would be "the time of our life"!

Hi Michael - I think that the blog is a great idea and I'd be interested in participating. I travel fairly often and blogs are a great tool for researching and getting ideas. I don't have a set style, sometimes traveling with a group and sometimes traveling independently. I don't think that there is 1 perfect style. Alot depends on the location and the people that you are traveling with. I have found that traveling independently has made me open up even more and put myself out there and has led to some amazing experiences that I probably would not have experienced had I been traveling with a group. My last 2 independent trips were to the South Island of New Zealand and kayaking in Micronesia. I plan on trekking through Central Asia this year with a friend that I first traveled to Costa Rica with. It will be interesting to see how the experience compares.

Another travel blog posted an article a few weeks back about studies showing that folks who travel on their own and leave their loved ones at home are more likely to break up upon their return... i.e., "traveling solo ruins relationships." It was an interesting theory, which had some support from some travelers. However, I haven't found that to be the case for me (yet ;)). My wife and I travel quite well together, and have since we took off for Spain only a couple months into our relationship way back when. Unfortunately, her schedule doesn't allow for her to get as much time off as mine, so I find myself taking one or two trips a year on my own. My last trip to Costa Rica was a solo venture (the next one will be as well). Thus far, there haven't been any adverse effects from these "independent adventures." In your case, and for the purposes of your research, I assume you have to consider the needs and possible activities that would be dictated by solo vs. couples travel. The backgrounds and interests of your guests will most likely be the most important factors, but I'd assume that the needs, desires and logistical considerations multiply exponentially if you start inviting couples. Planning a separate couples trip seems to make sense from that standpoint at least.

Interesting, Max The relationship between travel alone or together and sustainable relationships is outside of my are of expertise, but I have never let that kind of thing stop me before. Of hand it seems to me that if one trip without a life partner is going to put the relationship in danger, your going to break-up sooner or later anyway. In that case sooner the better, so you can get another shot at a relationship that will last. One thing I have noticed is that travel heightens experience if your relationship is in trouble going on a trip together will heighten the trouble. If your good relationship is healthy going on a trip together will emphasize why you love each other. On a personel note since Max was generous enough to share, I never go on vacation without my wife of over 30 years, Yolanda. I also do me best to entice her to join me when I travel for work. That said if the decision for this first Superbloggers trip is no couples, it will apply to me as well. Since we are getting to know each other hers the link to Yolanda's bio on the Costa Rica Expeditions' web site:http://www.costaricaexpeditions.com/Aboutcre/staff/singelguide.php?id=171&ty=EMT

What could I add to such an illustrious group? I have extensive experience birding with professional guides in Central and South America and one of my favorite trips was less formal, arranged through CRE with the Monteverde Lodge as my before and after stay. I was privileged to see some very rare birds that happen to frequent private land nearby during the breeding season. Last June I saw a jaguar on a limb, less than 20 yards away. I was with a group staying at a lodge in Brazil. Seeing a jaguar has been on my "bucket list" for many years and they are difficult to see in CR, except mounted on the wall of someone who is tired of losing livestock. I have a passion for seeing wildlife, talking to the guides in Spanish, and learning when I travel. Diane

This is the first blogging I've ever done--so bear with me! My husband and I have done a lot of travelling, independently as a couple, solo and with groups. We loved the tiny glimpse we got of Costa Rica when you arranged a few days for us and hope to go back soon. We're both working but have flexible schedules and would love to see more of the country and meet with more of the welcoming and patient (with our Spanish) Costa Ricans! Since we both want to enjoy more of Costa Rica I think we'd like to go as a couple. We enjoy meeting people from all over the world and would be happy in a mixed group or just couples. I'm particularly excited about all the wildlife and would love to see some of the more remote and/or ecolodge settings.

Hi Michael, Well, you roped me in. I do not blog but this in itself will be a new journey. Why do I travel? My life is spent dealing with the internal-being a professional pianist, and teacher. hours upon hours are spent at the piano. With every trip I take with music, I have a "companion" set of experiences that add to my musical images. These come from my travels. Can you picture the view from Manuel de Falla's home, looking down on the vibrant city of Granada? Last summer I was in that very room, playing Falla's piano. Now when I play "Evening In Granada" by Debussy , I can bring my self right back, as well as bring Granada to the music. On the same trip, after blasting through Tangier, and boarding 2 trains to Fez, I found myself in yet another world. After returning home to Montana, my husband and I cooked a Morrocan dinner, complete with outdoor patios, jalabas, fragrant gardens, and brought our experiences to our friends. Travelling is an expansion of the senses,reality...the whole "sheBANG". 30 years ago, my sis spent a year in Costa Rica as an exchange student. After her slide presentation, my fire was lit. It took 25 years to get to Costa Rica, and less than a year to return. All I have to do is make a cuppa C.R. Joe, and I am ready to pack. You know how unique Costa Rica,it's people, culture, and natural beauty are. I can show you through my eyes,ears,tastebuds,responses, just how I experience Costa Rica and what I think many travellers going via Costa Rica Expeditions are looking for. Consider my name in the hat. Thanks. P.S. Living in Montana is a huge travel adventure... it is so big, I will never see it all, even though I am out many weekends a year. But it brings back so much to my daily life, which in turn I pass on to others.

I have traveled with family, with friends, and solo. Without a doubt I connect with other travelers when traveling solo in a way I do not when with family or friends. Perhaps it's a different experience with a spouse or partner; it would be interesting to explore that. I don't think a mix of couples and solo travelers would be a bad thing, if everyone is open to the group and not self-isolating. For me, one of the goals when I travel is to meet and connect with interesting people, and by extension learn things I never otherwise would have had the opportunity to learn. All of the cultural contexts that contribute to who we are can also be limiting. I am on a constant quest to expose myself to new places and people to challenge and expand my view of the world. Inertia is a powerful force, and travel is its antithesis. My measure of a really successful trip is one that leaves me with a new way to think about things, not just pretty pictures. Or I should say in addition to pretty pictures, ‘cause who doesn’t love the pretty pictures?

My bride and I have been married for 36+ years, more than 30 of those years I was in the Army. I have traveled to enough exotic places without her, and would find traveling in a singles experience to be quite selfish and not nearly as enjoyable. In the years since I retired, we have traveled with several companies to great places and would be happy to share our comments with other like minded travelers. CRE was the first company we used and it set the standard for our expectations for what a company should provide and what experiences we should look for. Just coming out of 100% cloud cover in a small plane and looking down at the tire tracks that comprise Carate Airport was a great adventure! I'll be glad to add comments about our travel expeiences, but traveling without my wife? No, never again. jd

I travel for very different reasons, Birdwaching, work, visiting family members I have abroad, tourism... But what I always remember and makes me want to return to one place is sharing with the people in the place, getting to know why they do things the way they do, finding out about their local and personal history. For that to happen the traveler's attitude has to be right (that's on me) and some time available has to be there "free". If that is going to be, and you choose me, count me in. About the name, ¿How about lifeblogging trip to costa rica?

Vacation as a liberating experience? What a great question! Perhaps it has to do with removing ourselves from the environments that define us and shape our ideas about ourselves. Outside of that sphere, we have the opportunity to play with our own expectations, because there are none but our own to consider. We can also challenge ourselves more confidently, because if we fail, we can leave it behind. I am afraid of heights, and yet on vacations I have zip-lined, rappelled, and flown on a trapeze. I am not athletic, but on vacation I hike, kayak, even rock-climb (well, sort of - really really easy rock climbing. Did I mention I am not athletic?). I wonder if it works the other way as well. Are there people who are supremely confident in their own setting who become insecure and uncertain when they travel?

Hi Renee, your response made me smile - we are similarly earth-bound at home but allow ourselves a chance to fly while on vacation - although I am really impressed that you have rapelled and trapezed - I haven't worked up the nerve yet! I recently faced my fear of heights, going upside down, and drowning, when I learned to dive into a swimming pool - I did not do this on vacation, but I did book lessons at swimming pools where I wouldn't know anyone. There is something liberating about not caring what other people think! http://upside-down-patty.blogspot.com/2009/08/diving-with-z-act-ii-board.html

hello just received your email, however seeing as it is just a day before the christmas holiday season I would be happy to engage more in the New Year. blogging is not new to me, yet i rarely find the time to engage perhaps the topics have not been that interesting to me. however traveling is something that is very high on my list of priorities and I would welcome the time to engage in such a discussion I have no marketing experience, and I dont work in the travel industry in fact I rarely stay in 'lodges' of anysort, unless I think that it will enhance my experience in the country that I am in I brought my 70 year old mother to your resort, a few years back and it was one of most memorable experiences in the 2 months that we spent in Costa Rica, prior to that we were circumnavigating the country by public bus and staying in rooms along the way. I flew her down to meet me in Costa Rica, a break from the 16 months that I had spent traveling from Mexico to Punta Arenas in Chile, solo and only by land and sea. It was overall a great experience, one that I had always wanted to do but did not get the chance till my mid 30's. Look forward to engaging more if you feel the input of someone who usually travels independently would enhance the debate. HAPPY HOLIDAYS for those who are celebrating at this time of year.

Michael, My husband and I don't get to travel as much as some of your other friends so when we do go away, it's together. I can't imagine being at a beach, enjoying the sunset, or up in the clouds without him. A picture is good, but a picture together is the best!

I use Trip Advisor in conjunction with several other sources - Frommer, Fodor, Lonely Planet, Orbitz, etc. I try to find consistent recommendations , so I'm not relying on one potentially skewed source. My hope for this blog is that it will be an exchange of ideas as much as specific restaurant and hotel recommendations. I usually have to travel within pretty tight time and budget constraints ( I work in the non-profit theater industry - enough said). So, for example, if I'm looking at a destination, I like to know if there is a time of year when rates are lower. Or, when I was researching Kruger National Park in South Africa ( haven't gotten there yet), a friend told me that during national school holidays the park is packed with South African families. That's not necessarily a pro or con, but it is good to know! I also have a particular travel planning issue: I don't drive. So anywhere I go either has to be accessible via public transport or I need to make arrangements with someone like CRE (of course, driving wouldn't have helped in visiting Tortuguero - and I'm not a pilot or a river boat operator either). My tendency is to make my own general arrangements and supplement with local tour companies. I'm a big believer in exploring on foot, but sometimes it's not entirely possible to do it without a little expert help, or it's enhanced by an acclimating guided tour.

Finding the right balance between independent and "planned" or "guided" travel is always a struggle for me. I have a history of enjoying planning my own trips and winging it to an extent. However, the more trips I plan around my photography and the more remote my destinations get, the more I find myself relying on others (travel agents, companies and guides). This doesn´t always work well, but in many cases there is no other choice. My perspective has been skewed a bit by my background, which means that my travel goals are often centered on getting to remote areas to find wildlife, such as Corcovado´s Sirena Station. I have also learned the value over the years of hiring a good local guide to explore some of these areas. Not only is the knowledge and insight you get from these guides often unmatched by solo exploration or guided group tours, but there´s more freedom when you are able to work on your own with a guide. My first trip to Costa Rica was more on the independent side. We booked a stay at the Corcovado Tent Camp lodge with CRE´s help, but planned the rest of the trip on our own. When I decided to return to the Osa a few years later, I remembered the difficulty we had taking care of the park permits and Sirena booking on our own. That and the fact that I wanted to hire a guide for my stay led me to hand over all the planning to CRE. It was much easier getting the transport taken care of, the guide arranged and the Sirena stay booked. Overall, my interactions with CRE have been extremely positive, but I´ve found that this is not always the case when handing over planning and booking responsibilities to agents or other companies. My wife and I are already experiencing such issues during our current trip in Argentina. So what are the positives and negatives to using "professional help to plan and arrange vacations?" In my mind these are some of the things to consider: Positives: -Obviously it takes much less work for you to let someone else plan things ;) -They can arrange for guides or stays at locations that otherwise may not be accessible to you. -Hurdles that may be causes by language barriers, poor international communication, etc. are easier to hurdle with a local company´s help. Negatives: -By handing over planning responsibilities to someone else, you are ceding control of your trìp, which is often an uncomfortable prospect to independent travelers. You cannot be 100% sure of what´s going on beforehand, since you are not personally making arrangements. -Something may inevitably be lost in translation/communication. I don´t know how many times I was expecting an arranged tour to be one thing, and it turned out to be entirely different. -It´s often more expensive. Agents and travel companies have to make their money somehow, right? ;) I´m sure there are more... those are a few considerations off the top of my head. The choice between independent travel and enlisting help may ultimately come down to what you want to see and do, where in the world you´re going and your budget.

I've been following all the comments and replies. No one has articulated a description of what type of travelers we are. I think defining that is key to establishing a focus. So here goes on what kind of traveler I am. I avoid tourist traps and most of the places where everyone else goes. I like to delve into the hidden gems and off the beaten track places that usually reveal more of the real character of the place and its people. I like to eat, shop and stay local/native. I don't like chains, fast food, or Americanized places in other countries. My preference is for nature oriented and/or cultural experiences while on vacation. Crowds of tourists give me heebee geebees. I like to get the most out of wherever I am, not just skim the surface. I read and do a lot of research before traveling. I prefer rural to urban, god's creations to man's, active to sedentary and outdoors to indoors. I usually travel independently because I find that most tours try to do too much in too little time and meet the needs of the group rather than the individual. Invariably their itinerary includes places that I don't care about. Costa Rica Expeditions was actually my first experience with a tour operator and I think I'm spoiled for life! I loved that I could determine my own itinerary with guidance from people who really know the country to help me determine how long to stay in each place and what locations were unique in respect to one another. Once there, I could do what I wanted. Everything was of high quality and so hassle free. That is worth its weight in gold to me. Are the other companies in other countries that can match CRE? My travel experiences outside the US have been limited in the past 15 years because of family obligations - Israel, Canada, St John and Costa Rica - but I am looking forward to traveling more as my kids get older. I've traveled a lot in the US. What kind of travelers are the rest of you? Happy New Year. May it bring lots of travel adventures! Cheryl ps I have no problem traveling alone, especially when it means meeting people who I have an electronic relationship with!

What a delightful read, Michael! Your story was very entertaining (and Yolanda sounds like a gem!) but the question you pose is a good one: Is it better to pay more to travel with a tried-and-true operator as opposed to a smaller less well-known one? I have to wonder how many times your tour guide/owner had taken this particular trip? It sounds to me like this was the first one and he was panicked about disaster lurking around every corner. Perhaps the problem might be avoided by ascertaining before signing up whether or not a particular itinerary has been done before by a company. If it's something they have done successfully a number of times than I think the risk might be worth it, especially if you are somewhat flexible in your attitude. However, whether a company is small and unknown or large and well-known I don't think I'd want to be paying full price to act as a guinea-pig when a company tries something new.

I love the breakdown of time, trust and tolerance when deciding on how best to plan a vacation! Because each adventure is different and the goals may be different, asking these 3 questions at the beginning of planning seems like an excellent way to go. May I also add that safety might be an issue depending on who is traveling and where. As a woman I find that I am treated very differently when I travel with my husband than when I travel with my girlfriend or another female. A woman alone may be perceived as "fair game" in certain situations. I will never forget the horror and embarrassment I experienced in Egypt once when an Egyptian man thought I was a prostitute at a touristy nightclub show (booked by our travel agent)because I was with my high school age daughter and we were not accompanied by a man. In retrospect, had we asked our guide to come with us, there would not have been a problem. The cultural conventions and mores, as well as the dangers of launching out on one's own should be taken into account when deciding whether to travel alone, plan on one's own, or travel with a guide.

My husband and I always planned our own trips, drawing on the advice of friends' past experiences and more recently, websites like Trip Advisor. We like seeing things from either a native's point of view (whenever we get an offer to visit someone who lives in another country we try to plan our trips around it), or by going a little off the beaten track and seeing what unexpected things we might happen across - little cafes, interesting views. But that has changed a bit now that we have children. Now, it's more important that we don't get lost, that we're near medical facilities if necessary, that we don't let language barriers keep us from finding a child-friendly place to stay. So we used CRE for a trip to Costa Rica with our 5 year old, and it was the best of both worlds, because it was so well planned and executed, we didn't have to worry about anything but enjoying ourselves, yet at the same time it was an authentic experience of Costa Rica, off the beaten track, and led by guides who made us feel like we were there visiting friends the whole time. I would be happy to use similar travel companies for future trips - as soon as our youngest is old enough to walk longer than 3 blocks without complaining!

Amazing race is my favorite show on tv. I am a traveler and like to see the places they go to. It is a competition that sometimes gets silly but as far as the other junk on tv, I think this one is good. I would love to become a contestant on the show and am waiting for the next time they have applicants. My only problem is I have a fear of heights and they make you do some scary stuff. I was a whimp in costa rica who would not go on the zipline! Costa Rica is still one of my favorite places.