Here's What A Truly All-Inclusive Vacation In Costa Rica Looks Like
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I've been to two all-inclusive resorts and they are not my cup of tea.
Paramount
I started to feel claustrophobic by day two and, unless it's something especially quirky like this Nickelodeon Resort, I'm desperate to leave the property and explore.
But here's the thing: Off-property excursions require additional planning (and cold hard cash) on my end. And what is worse than feeling claustrophobic after 3.5 seconds of pool time? Spending money that was not budgeted for my original plan.
I want to schedule excursions and leave the property but then I feel like that takes away the "do nothing but relax" aspect of vacation packages. Do you know what I mean? Please tell me you know what I mean.
TL;DR: My ears perked up at the mention of this new BeachBound vacation package, which includes flights, luxurious resorts, fancy spa services, all transportation, a romantic beachside dinner, and *drumroll please* off-site excursions.
The total cost for this four-night experience package is $4,650 for two people. It's a fantastic option if you want the convenience of booking an all-inclusive but also don't want to feel stuck at a resort.
Now the total cost for this four-night experience package is $4,650 for two people, so roughly $2,325 per person. Pricy upfront? Yes. But let me break down the price (and show off my wildlife photography, lol) below.
With this package, everything is included. Genuinely. It takes away the headache of planning, there are equal parts structure and relaxation to your day, plus you're getting top-tier access. The resort is four-star, has great reviews, and costs close to $600 per night on its own, plus the excursions were well-organized and offer cultural immersion as well as grand old margarita fun. And the spa visit? Another luxe experience accounted for in this package.
This experience has a limited travel window and is exclusive to Costa Rica at the moment, but Beachbound is planning to launch more of these packages in the near future.
In the name of scientific research, I tested it myself and flew from JFK to Liberia, Costa Rica. And step one of this vacation package: Flights were included.
I was booked at the four-star Dreams Las Mareas, an upscale all-inclusive resort known for spacious rooms and generous balconies (equipped with hot tubs). There are also capuchin monkeys running amok.
AnaMaria Glavan / BuzzFeed
I audibly gasped when I did a quick Google search of the property. I'm happy to confirm that it was just as lovely in-person as it was on the internet.
And back to the monkeys: There are truly dozens of them. Guests are encouraged to keep their balcony doors locked at all times because...get this... There have been near cases of monkey theft. I know that is somewhat sinister but I can't stop laughing.
There are also sun-bathing iguanas and exotic birds flying about.
Please enjoy a not aesthetic photo of this indeed-very-aesthetic deep tub, positioned on my balcony to overlook lush greenery.
Every single room has a large balcony outfitted with a comfy wicker couch and the jetted tub above.
Now back to the resort itself: There were multiple pools, cabanas, swim-up bars, access to El Jobo beach, restaurants, a cafe, *and* theme night parties, so I never felt bored. Not once! And I am a permanently bored person. It's my villain origin story.
The food was also really good!! All-inclusive resort food = usually somewhat terrible if I'm being honest, but I was genuinely impressed.
Highlights include Coco Cafe (fresh pastries and specialty coffee) and Himitsu (solid Asian fusion and a hibachi show).
Also, I'd like to dedicate a special moment of appreciation to this cabana. There are several scattered throughout the resort but let's all admire this beachfront one together:
Reading in the above cabana = the main character moment I never knew I needed.
A luxurious facial and tension relief massage were organized on my behalf, the latter of which was — in a word — wow. Goodbye to the permanent knot in my right shoulder. I am born anew.
I also had access to the spa facilities post-treatment which includes a steam room, a sauna, hydrotherapy circuits, a hot tub, and serene wicker chair-hut-hybrids ideal for an afternoon cat nap.
And now let's talk about the non-resort activities.
Excursion one = beach hopping. We boarded a catamaran at Playa Potrero and then proceeded to drink many margaritas, eat a delicious fresh lunch, swim, snorkel, paddle-board, and watch the below sunset.
AnaMaria Glavan / BuzzFeed
This was an all-day excursion that still gave me pool time in the morning, a lovely dinner at night, and the chance to explore spots in Costa Rica outside of the resort.
The second excursion was a ~sunset n' senses~ trip to Buena Vista. We traipsed through a jungle canopy and wobbled on hanging bridges...
We also rode a rickety tractor, soaked in hot springs, visited a cultural center (local snacks, delicious coffee, and raw sugar cubes were consumed), plus had snacks and coconut drinks while overlooking a sprawling sunset.
One more sunset picture and I promise I'll be done.
It was genuinely stunning and I can't help shoving the photos in your face. I'm sorry.
Oh, and an Uber app for all of the above = not necessary. All transportation (of the boat, bus, and tractor variety) was arranged with Amstar. This includes airport pick-up and drop-off.
AnaMaria Glavan / BuzzFeed
For reference, the drive to the catamaran was a little over three hours, the ride to Buena Vista was one and a half hours, and the ride from the airport to the resort was also one and a half hours. Costa Rica is very spread out ergo these drive costs would have really accumulated! Plus, actually scheduling them in advance? My head hurts at the thought.
The package also includes a private dinner on the beach for ~romance~. I had a work conflict* and couldn't make mine so please enjoy this poolside spread instead.
I have a newfound appreciation for chandeliers cc: the dinner setting above.
*The WiFi at the resort was strong so I was able to work remotely, call into meetings, etcetera without any issues. I also worked poolside quite a bit with no internet connectivity issues, either!
With the exception of gratuity, here's how much I spent on the ground: $0. Not a dime.
Prior to the pandemic, I had been trying to plan a trip to Costa Rica with my fiancé and gasped at the accumulating costs. Flights from JFK were exorbitant, nice resorts were hundreds (and some thousands!!!) of dollars a night, planning excursions was stressful because the region is so spread out, said excursions were expensive (we're talking at least $150 per piece, closer to $200 if I'm being completely transparent), even organizing transportation to/from the airport was pricy and complicated.
Yes, this trip was comped, but I definitely think it's worth the money and would have gladly booked this on my own. The cost feels reasonable when I contemplate everything that's included.
Do *you* feel cooped up during all-inclusive vacations and would prefer something like the above? Let us know in the comments below.
BuzzFeed was provided this trip free of charge; however, we were under no obligation to give a positive review.