For the past month, I was exploring and Instagramming my way through Costa Rica. My first ten days were spent with @Contiki where we travelled from San Jose to Tortuguero to Sarapiqui to Arenal to Monteverde and Manuel Antonio. We spent our nights tracking sea turtles and days hiking, zip-lining and swimming around the country. Next, I spent a week in the Osa Peninsula at @BlueOsa before living out my final two weeks in Jaco at @Room2Board.

It was incredible month and these Instagrams are some of my favourite ones yet. Take a look through my Costa Rica #contikistorytellers gallery, and don’t forget that you can enter to win the same trip for yourself at contiki.com/storytellers before May 31, 2014.

 Click here to find me on Instagram for my latest adventures.

Exploring the labyrinth that is Central Mercado in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Sloth spotting.

This is the beach that we will be tracking sea turtles on between 11:00pm-4:00am tonight. They will be tracked, tagged, measured and have their eggs counted to help preserve the local turtle population.

Sunset from Tortuguero. Long night of turtle tracking ahead for these four.

Exploring Tortuguero Village.

Photographing a Mama turtle that just finished laying her eggs on Tortuguero Beach.

Colourful doors in Tortuguero.

Dirt roads & sweet pups in Tortuguero.

If I were a horse, I too would hang out at a river in Costa Rica.

Lesson of the day: do not fill the #contikistorytellers with cacao and then send them across a bouncy cable bridge into the jungle.

Tonight, we camp.

This is an office space I could get used to…

My lungs hate me for hiking up & down 500+ steps in the humid jungle, but this view was kinda worth it.

Waiter, there’s a volcano in my beer.

Students at Sonafluca School performing the Punto Guanacasteco dance.

Cows, volcanoes & sunsets.

Crossing Lago Arenal by boat (and stealing @alexstrohl’s shot setups of @travellingduff)

Oh hey, cutie.

Suspension bridges + jungles + clouds = 😀

Today we went zip lining through Costa Rica’s cloud forest, and literally through the clouds. It included one crazy Tarzan swing (as awesome as it sounds) and a 1km (3,280 ft) long zip. Amazing.

Photographing the spine of the continental divide of the Pacific and Caribbean at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Someone please caption this magic for me, haha

Costa Rican raccoons are way cuter than Canadian raccoons

Climbing rocks at Manual Antonio National Park. Also, probably the only bikini photo I’ll ever post on Instagram, haha {thanks to @alexstrohl for snapping}

Sadly, my @contiki adventure comes to an end today and I will say goodbye to the other #contikistorytellers. But, good news–you could win this exact trip yourself ???? Visit contiki.com/storytellers to enter.

I just flew in this little guy from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez. @natureair is the world’s first certified carbon neutral airline, and helps support reforestation and conservation programs to help combat the deforestation in Costa Rica. My kind of airline.

I arrived at @blueosa just before sunset tonight, checked in to this beautiful little room with a personal hammock and then did yoga (for the first time, I might add) in the dark to the sound of the ocean. Who am I right now?

My morning at @blueosa

Exploring the deserted beach with one of the three resident @blueosa pups, at low tide. Pete pounced on invisible fish and I inspected small tidal pools for aquatic critters.

Headed to the beach with the @blueosa pups

Found a quiet little sun spot at @blueosa

Spot to nap, option A

@blueosa beach explorations

This has been my cozy little outdoor workspace for the past five days at @blueosa. Wifi+tea+ocean views

Last sunset at @blueosa

Sadly, I leave @blueosa today and continue my travels around Costa Rica. I will miss this pool, my hammock, the beach, the food and the people (& pups!) of Blue Osa

Coming in for a landing on @natureair; I got to watch the entire piloting process right from my seat

So that’s where I left my pile of crocodiles ???? Those cows were either very brave, or very stupid

<3

Beach party: here. Who’s in?

If fiery sunsets are your sort of thing…

I found the best bed in Jacó, complete with floor to ceiling wrap around windows with an ocean view. Would you believe it’s at a hostel? @Room2Board is possibly my new favourite hostel

Tonight’s sunset from the @room2board rooftop patio. The sky looked like several flavours of sorbet

Livin’ in a van down by the… beach

It’s Semana Santa (Holy Week), which means that basically the entire population of San José has descended upon Jacó. The beach is lined with tents, campers, hammocks and shirtless surfers. Not that I’m complaining. This is the view out front of @room2board.

I’m not sure how, but Costa Rican sunsets just get better each night, and the @room2board beach is the perfect theatre.

This hammock is confused. Happy Easter!

Another paint-worthy sunset from the @room2board beach

Finally, Semana Santa had come to an end and I get the beach all to myself at @room2board.

Getting a little Costa Rican souvenir. I’ve got plenty of ink, but wow–the rib cage is a tender spot. Thanks for the work @fitorocha

Sadly, tonight is my last night in Jacó, and at @room2board. It’s going to be tough to leave tomorrow, as I’ve become really comfortable here, but I’m heading back to San José. And since this will be my last beach sunset for a while, I might have more than one to share

So long Jacò, see you next time ??

Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures // @inkifi_instagram

1. Graffiti in San José is awesome 2. People in San José don’t like having their photo taken

Can’t get enough of this crazy graffiti

Truthfully, I knew nothing about Alajuela before arriving this morning. But, I like this city–it’s full of parks, friendly people and colourful buildings. Alajuela is the second largest city in Costa Rica, after San José.

Alajuela; party for none

I’m going to miss nomming out on all of this delicious, giant, cheap, fresh fruit every day. I’ve eaten more mangoes, bananas and pineapples during this past month than I probably had in my entire life. Tomorrow I say goodbye to Costa Rica

Hasta luego, Costa Rica ??

Thanks to @Contiki for the chance to come to Costa Rica; I did and saw so many amazing things during this past month and have really come to love this happy little country. I wish I could stay another month, but I will just have to come back ???? #contikistorytellers

This trip was made possible by Contiki. 
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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