In the post that follows I am asking for feedback. Here’s some background: Over the years many of our past guests have written me asking for advice about travel in general or travel to places other than Costa Rica. I have found it very satisfying to help with advice on anything from, “where should I go for [...]

I think the idea has potential, though it will be interesting to see what can make it unique compared to other interactive travel resources such as Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree Forum or Trip Advisor. Obviously based on the amount of feedback here already, there seems to be a nice starting base of participants. Since we're posting our "résumés" here ;), I'll go ahead and mention my own experiences and places I'm happy to provide information about. My photography has been a good excuse to travel internationally, and it's what led me to Costa Rica in the first place. I'll be returning to Costa Rica with CRE's help for the third time this February, heading back to Corcovado again (one of my favorite places on earth). I'll finally be trying something "new" as well by stopping at La Selva, but the big park keeps drawing me back. If I'm lucky, I'm hoping to meet up with some of the folks I befriended at Sirena last year. :) Other places I've visited and can provide insights on include Yellowstone National Park in the US, Canada's Great Bear Rainforest, New Zealand's South Island (been twice and was married there this past March), Tanzania, Rwanda, Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands, as well as several spots in Europe (Greece, the UK, Spain, Russia, Belgium, Holland, Sweden... and some decade-old memories of France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy). I also spent a week or so in China, but any advice I could dole out there would be limited. My next journey is a photo trip to Patagonia starting next week, so that's a new location to add soon. Anyway, I actively participate and enjoy providing feedback and advice in other travel-related forums, so I'd be happy to participate here if needed!

Yes Michael, My husband and I were traveling in New Zealand in 2008, North Island. We stayed at a lovely B&B called the Beachside, located in a coastal town by the name of Mt Maunganui. Jim and Lorranine were our wonderful hosts. Boy can they cook up a delicious breakfast. On our way out of town they recommended that in route to our next destination which was Gisborne that we stop at the Morere Hot Springs. What a treat. The Maori hosts gave us a towel and pointed to a trail that was a 10 minute bush walk to these beautiful natural hotspring pools. The hot springs pools are located in a dense rain forest, surrounded with native jungle trees and plantings. We were the only ones at the small natural pools that sunny morning. The green of the bush was so tropical, the hot springs were glorious and the sun was making a spiritual moment for us. What a treasure. Very minimal cost for such a life long memory.

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.