Colonial town of Granada, Nicaragua

With Panama coming in at #1 on the New York Times’ list of 45 Places to Go in 2012 and a jump in press coverage featuring Nicaragua (including the recent FoxNews travel special Nicaragua: The Next Costa Rica?) it seems Costa Rica’s neighbors are vying for the tourism spotlight. However, they aren’t necessarily stealing the show. Many travel agencies who have caught on to this trend are offering trips to two or three countries at a time, using Costa Rica as the home base.

Part of the growing popularity of Nicaragua and Panama can be attributed to an increase in their tourism investment and promotion of public-private partnerships to create attractive offers for travelers. Panama’s tourism board IPAT sponsored a campaign with national airline COPA promoting several day layovers at no extra charge for passengers in transit. Nicaragua’s Tourism Institute (INTUR) recently signed a deal with Orbitz Worldwide to offer deals on flights to Nicaragua, as high flight prices have long served as an obstacle to attracting tourism to the country.

Thanks to these initiatives, Nicaragua saw $350 million in tourism dollars in 2011, and has already noticed a 12.8% increase in the first three months of 2012. According to the Panama Tourism Authority, 2 million tourists visited the country in 2011, and they expect 2.2 million for 2012, a 10% increase.

In terms of tourist attractions, both countries offer beautiful beaches for sun and surf tourism and various tropical ecosystems for wildlife watching and ecological tourism. However, Nicaragua has been working to improve transportation infrastructure to some of its more remote destinations like the Island of Ometepe, set inside one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world, and San Juan, a tiny beach town on the Caribbean. The tourism board promotes themed itineraries around the country like the “Coffee Route” and “Volcano Route”.

Starfish Beach, Bocas del Toro, Panama

In Panama, tourism investment continues to be focused around the metropolitan center of Panama City, which has long attracted visitors from all over Latin America for shopping. The country’s beach offerings are mainly within an hour from the city in the form of expansive all inclusive resorts. However, coastal communities in the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui and increasingly the Azuero Peninsula offer cozier accommodations in oceanfront boutique hotels. Panama’s biggest claim to fame, the canal, is undergoing a ginormous facelift, so now is your last chance to see it in its original splendor.

For those who like to be on the forefront of what’s trending in travel, Nicaragua and Panama are where it’s at. The best way to get your feet wet is planning your vacation to Costa Rica with a few days spent over the border. As any negative impressions you may have had crumble away, the next time you may just be ready to tackle La Ruta de los Volcanes or a week of island hopping in Bocas del Toro and San Blas.

Further reading:
Bocas del Toro: Past, Present and Future
Day Trips from Managua

Trip planning:
Costa Rica and Nicaragua Itinerary
3-night Itineraries in Panama and Nicaragua

March 11, 2011 was just another ordinary day at Bahía Ballena, located just south of Playa Uvita on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coast. This gorgeous and fairly isolated beach is best known for its beautiful sandbar, which during low tide looks like a giant whale’s tail.

Just one day after the devastating tsunami hit Japan on March 12, local residents were stunned and disappointed to find that their legendary sandbar was no longer visible. Secondary tsunami waves had caused water levels to rise all the way across the Pacific, submerging Costa Rica’s “Whale’s Tail” sandbar and also altering tide patterns and the behavior of local fish populations.

While this was truly small potatoes in comparison to the havoc the giant waves wreaked on Japan, it was a sad blow for long-time locals nonetheless – as the tail is the area’s most notable landmark.

Thankfully, there was a happy ending. The sandbar returned a short time later and the national treasure was safely restored – and remains to be one of the most iconic sights on Nature Air flights to Drake Bay and Puerto Jimenez.

Article by Genna Marie Robustelli was originally printed in Landings Magazine Vol. X No. 2

With savings of up to 50% off travel to Costa Rica, you will have plenty to celebrate this Earth Day! Nature Air has partnered with Wildland Adventures and Cayuga Hotels to create three incredible Costa Rica travel itineraries available for a limited time only. Choose between a family-friendly adventure or a romantic escape to some of the country’s most beautiful, boutique eco-friendly hotels with Nature Air flights included. The catch? To see the full details, you must sign up for the Wildland e-news list by Tuesday of next week (April 24) and be ready to book by Friday, April 27, 2012.

Available for travel from May 1 – Dec. 14, 2012, booking instructions and complete details of all three travel deals will be sent to Wildland e-newsletter subscribers. “With these Earth Day adventures, there has never been a more affordable way to experience the best eco-lodges and boutique hotels in some of Costa Rica’s most stunning locales,” said Kurt Kutay, founder of Wildland Adventures. The tour operator was one of the first to offer trips to Costa Rica’s remote Osa Peninsula in the late 1980s. “We now offer more than 130 itineraries in 28 countries around the world,” Kutay said.

The three packages all include flights with Nature Air and hotel stays at some of Costa Rica’s most eco-conscious properties, including Arenas Del Mar in Manuel Antonio with a perfect score from the Certificate of Sustainable tourism; Lapa Rios in the Osa Peninsula, one of the first eco-lodges in Costa Rica; Hacienda Tayutic in the mountains of Turrialba; Latitude 10 on the idyllic Santa Teresa coast; and Harmony Hotel set in the tranquil surf town of Nosara.

Nature Air and the Costa Rican National Biodiversity Institute (INBio) have joined forces to offer travelers one-of-a-kind vacation itineraries that promote hands-on learning and rich natural experiences. By combining INBio’s vast knowledge of biodiversity and expert field guides with Nature Air’s reputation for sustainability and excellent customer service, the small-group packages will center on biological events, such as turtle nesting or avian migrations.

The initial product launch is a series of “eco-extensions”, which are two night itineraries centered on important biological events that can be added to any Costa Rica vacation itinerary during specific months of the year. From now through May, visitors can opt to seek out the resplendent quetzal, an elusive bird known for its iridescent bluish-green feathers and divine representation in indigenous folklore.  Both packages depart from San José, Costa Rica and include ground transfers, a two-night stay in a sustainable hotel and a guided quetzal tour.

Known by the ancient Mayans and Aztecs as a symbol for goodness, the quetzal measures about 15 inches in length with 26-inch-long green tail feathers. The bird can be spotted in the Costa Rican cloud forests of Monteverde, Cerro de la Muerte and five other national reserves during their nesting season.

Nature Air has been a longtime supporter of the Costa Rica Bird Observatories, a scientific program that studies birds and run by INBio, the US Forest Service and the Klamath Bird Observatory.

Example package:

Stay at the Villa Blanca Hotel in San Ramon 2 nights in double Superior Casita with breakfast included and round trip ground transfer from San Jose to hotel. Cloud forest nature walk and Quetzal tour. ($456 per person, double occupancy, through Nov. 30, 2012).

More vacation packages >>

Photo credit: Pablo Elizondo (INBio)

By Alex e. Khajavi, CEO & Founder, Nature Air

Start inside the Teatro Nacional in the center of San Jose, and stand witness to the grandeur of the era of the coffee barons. Wander outside to the plaza and hear the hawkers and the pigeons, families, kids with balloons; smell the simple greatness of walk-away foods.

Stroll on past statues of workers with their hands extended in front of the Central Bank, waiting to be paid for the lands of their fathers, now turned national parks. Cross in front of the Grand Old post office and political deal makers outside the Union Club and continue toward the Mercado Central through its busy, tight alleyways filled with the smell of spices from faraway places. Surrounded by exotic veggies and fruits rarely seen outside of tropical markets, sit at a food stall and order caldo de pollo or a plate of gallo pinto. Fill your mouth with the flavors of a Costa Rican grandma’s cooking. Two bites to go, and it’s time to keep walking.

Step out of your culinary spell to shop for iconic Costa Rican goods, bags, shoes, toys – then turn and head for Parque Morazán to see the Casa Amarilla, the State Department and the iconic metal school, a costly construction imported from Belgium under influence of the Steel Revolution in the 1890s.

Walk through Parque España and step inside the old state brewery, now a museum and cultural center. Pass by the old Atlantic Railroad Station. Now in ruins, it was once a grand route to Limon that facilitated the growth of the banana industry. The underground vibrations of a movement in art, music and theater are tangible in this neighborhood – it’s young, it’s hip, it’s happening.

Finally, find a coffee house to rest your feet and reminisce on the faces, the smells, the voices, and trees in floral dresses. For what reason, if not for these moments, do we travel?

Letter originally published in Nature Air’s Landings magazine Vol. IX No. 4

students returning from their first flight

“Flying into remote communities across Central America and helping to build a tourism economy is very important to us as a company, and we quickly discovered that one of the biggest needs within these communities was English speaking ability,” says Alex Khajavi, founder and president of Nature Air.

The children practiced their “lines” during their twice weekly English classes before filming the video at the landing strip in Drake Bay. The video is now being shown at the Nature Air terminal prior to when guests board their flight. And the reward for all the hard work? The group was given the chance to fly for the first time and see their home town, in the remote Osa Peninsula, from the skies above.

“Being able to communicate in English is an invaluable skill within Costa Rica, and we hope our safety video not only brings smiles to our customers’ faces but also serves as a lasting legacy for our Nature Kids to brag about with friends and family,” says Khajavi. “Over the years, these Nature Kids will become famous as they are watched by over 100,000 travelers who fly with us every year.”

Khajavi founded NatureKids as a Costa Rican foundation dedicated to working with low-income families. Through English language, computing and environmental education programs, NatureKids collaborates with these local families to bring viable and affordable education to remote communities.

the view from above

My favorite number is seven. I have been fascinated by it ever since I was a child. The number holds a great historical and symbolic significance as the base of various ancient numerical systems, and as the most frequent combination when rolling two dice, one of the oldest games ever played by man.

The Central American region consists of seven countries – an interesting coincidence for me. They all share pre-Colombian traditions from the great Mayan culture and wandering indigenous groups, and the same pains and joys of building independent nations after the Spanish conquest.

The combined population of these seven nations is about 43 million – equivalent to that of Colombia – with a Gross Domestic Product per Capita ranging from $3,000 to $12,000. The United States had a GDP/Capita around $11,000 in the mid-1960s when approximately 25% of the population flew domestically – the same numbers that are being repeated today in Colombia, with over 10 million residents flying within the country.

Despite its potential to mimic Colombia and the United States’ booming economic pattern of yesteryear, Central America generates much less of a market for air travel than it should due to difficult border crossings, visa requirements, entrance and exit taxes and other red tape. The region is a Mecca for cultural and eco-tourism and a grand stand of possibilities for economic cooperation and trade. However, trade, commerce and tourism require transportation – such as the age-old connection between China and Venice via the Silk Road. This region badly needs a responsibly priced, point-to-point, high frequency air transportation to make up for lack of adequate roads, railways and port facilities.

We at Nature Air hope to aid this endeavor by promoting a Central America “sin fronteras” that would benefit all people living in and visiting the region. With our aerial view from 15,000 feet, it’s easy to understand that borders are just imaginary lines on a map. We appreciate and choose the destinations we fly to based on their unique individual character rather than the colors of the flag flying above their government buildings. Landing strip by landing strip, we are paving the way to a Central America made up of seven sister countries “sin fronteras” – without borders.

Alex E Khajavi
CEO | Founder
Nature Air

Letter originally published in Nature Air’s Landings magazine Vol. XIII No. 3

Parents and students listen to a visiting story teller for NatureKids first ever parents meeting on March 5.

NatureKids, a Costa Rican NGO dedicated to working and bettering the futures of low-income families, has reached a milestone this month with a record number of students now enrolled at the Drake Bay school in the Osa Peninsula.

This month more than 60 students registered for a new year of classes, ranging from kindergarten to adults with varying language abilities, each level meeting twice a week for 1.5-hour sessions. With learning focused on English skills, environmental issues, computing and community development, students graduate from the school with the tools needed to integrate into Drake Bay’s ecotourism-centric workforce.

“With more and more outsiders discovering Drake Bay’s beautiful beaches and prime Osa Peninsula location, the local industry has shifted from traditional fishing and agricultural production to ecotourism,” said Claire Saylor, director of marketing for Nature Air, the airline company that founded and administrates NatureKids. “The objective behind the school is to empower locals to benefit from the changing economy – with a focus on educating the younger generations.”

Just this year, Nature Air sponsored the purchase of new English textbooks with an environmental message for all of the students. Bought by Nature Air at $10 each, the Discover English and Save Our Planet books were then resold to students for $4 each in the form of a donation back to the school to cover classroom supplies.

The NatureKids School in Drake Bay is located on the town’s main (and only) road, about 200 meters before (north of) Cabinas Manolo, an 18-room accommodation and restaurant. To visit the school, drop by between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday when classes are in session.

“I’d like to extend a special invitation to tourists traveling in the Drake Bay area to pop by school – it’s a great incentive for our students to practice their speaking abilities,” said Pamela Nave, the school administrator and professor.

Pamela, a Texas native who has spent half her life in Drake Bay ever since she was stationed there with the Peace Corps, explains that many of her students aspire to be tour guides while others are currently employed in local hotels. “If there is anything I’d like to achieve, it is to open the students’ curiosity to the infinite possibilities that exist in Drake Bay and beyond.”

In October 2011, a research boat owned by the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST) set sail from their newest location in Playa Blanca on the Osa Peninsula – a site that also includes a newly constructed sea turtle hospital. The team of researchers was off to capture the perfect Pacific Green Sea Turtle specimen to be fitted with a satellite transmitter. Although there were already three possible prospects for the transmitter back at the hospital, the turtle caught that day was selected as the recipient.

According to Director of WIDECAST Didiher Chacon, and a press release by the National Aquarium in Baltimore, who are working together on this specific project, the turtle was selected not only because of her extremely healthy condition, but because the same turtle was observed with a tag from Galapagos by WIDECAST in the same feeding area during the same time in 2010.

The following day, the sea turtle WIDECAST named Amistad (“friendship” in English), was fitted with the transmitter by Chacon and his crew of volunteers and fellow researchers. Many locals, donors and turtle enthusiasts came to watch when Amistad was released on the beach of Playa Blanca to make her way back to the Golfo Dulce and commence her satellite telecast journey with the world watching.

WIDECAST researchers hope to prove that Pacific Green Sea Turtles nest in the Galapagos Islands before making the 700-some nautical mile journey to the Golfo Dulce to re-nourish in her rich feeding areas. Their theory is that Amistad is part of this group and the multi-national project will be able to track her back to her nesting area in the Galapagos in November of 2012, thus proving the importance of the Golfo Dulce as a feeding ground for the Pacific populations of Green Sea Turtles.

Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network

WIDECAST is an international scientific network that was founded in 1981 and currently works in more than 40 countries. Their goal is to pursue innovative research, training and livelihood initiatives; all centered on the recovery and sustainable management of depleted sea turtle populations. Their Latin American office is located in Tibas, San Jose. www.latinamericanseaturtles.org

Conservation as art

In 2006 WIDECAST started a project to prevent plastic bag contamination in the coastal areas called “Weaving for Nature.” They taught local women to convert plastic supermarket bags into woven purses to help improve their economic condition while promoting the creation of environmentally friendly products.

Article by Jani Schulz was originally published in Nature Air’s Landings magazine Vol. X No.1

I have always had a soft spot for the Osa Peninsula. My romantic connection with this region began when I was a young man on my first journey to the wild south – which was then still peppered with gold miners, guerillas with criss-crossed bandoleers and a thrilling sense of getting closer to the edge of the unknown – or disappearing into the blue yonder of the Pacific.

I remember the surprises I faced at every turn: trees I’d never seen before the size of skyscrapers, butterflies, tracks of cats – big cats – and the the never ending flight of the scarlet macaw.

Thundering, foaming beaches. Rivers with unknown beginnings. Sitting on a quiet beach at sunrise detecting some movement to my right 50 meters away. Seeing three small cats playing with a dead fish and feeling the rise of the hair on my body as the mom cat walks in. That first meeting with an ocelot will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I remember the path from the village of Drake Bay hugging the coast passing by more than 30 inlets to San Josecito and beyond to San Pedrito. Crossing the Rio Claro up to my neck I will never forget the image of crocodiles sunning on the opposite bank.

This place, where I’m sure God lives, has been protected from the encroachment of so-called civilization by many dreamers, such as Alvaro Ugalde, Mario Boza, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Costa Rican government and a few philanthropists that fell in love with its wildness just as I have.

Some places in this world should be kept as they are. This is one of the pillars of wisdom we must abide by – wisdom that will give us the edge to know what was and what can be. The Osa is the defining definition of pure wilderness.

This peninsula should be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It should be least touched. We at Nature Air have committed to this philosophy and are involved through our conservation programs in connecting the corridors of biodiversity that protect the boundaries of the Corcovado National Park and the intricate web of wildlife preserves spread like a protective blanket across the peninsula and across the Golfo Dulce.

Alex E Khajavi
CEO | Founder
Nature Air

Letter originally published in Nature Air’s Landings magazine Vol. XIII No. 6