Cuba & Costa Rica Blog
About this blog
Written by Cuba and Costa Rica expert Christopher P. Baker, this blog will update readers on life in these two diverse and exciting countries.
Recent Posts
- Last blog post on Costa Rica and Cuba
- First-ever group motorcycle tours of Cuba successful
- Cuba’s Mariel port readying for Panama Canal expansion
- Musings on wildlife encounters on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula
- Cuba’s Steam Trains puffing their last gasp
- My top five thrilling activities in Costa Rica
- Cuba’s fun February festivals include Harleys, Books, Cigars
- Five top volcano viewing experiences in Costa Rica
- New road along Costa Rica / Nicaraguan border mired
- Cuba’s Hotel Campoamor at Cojímar to be restored?
- Cuban revolutionary Celia Sánchez honored in new book
- Christmas challenge for Costa Rica’s sexually abused girls
- Costa Rica opens Chinatown in downtown San José
- David Soul films Hemingway’s car restoration in Cuba
- National Geographic Expeditions receives license for Cuba tours
Guidebook author spends two months in Costa Rica
It’s time for my biennial update of my Moon Handbook Costa Rica, currently in its eighth edition (the first edition was published in 1994 and won the Benjamin Franklin Award for best travel guidebook of the year).
Hence, beginning August 26, 2012, I’ll be using my Grupo Taca mileage to fly to Costa Rica for two months. During that time, I’ll explore the entire country, from the Nicaraguan to the Panamanian borders and along the length of both Costa Rica’s Caribbean and Pacific coasts, plus everything in-between. more >>
Cuba’s hotel rates skyrocket; US companies shorten tours
Yesterday I learned that the Cuban government has raised its rates for hotels and other tourist services by about 25 percent for the coming winter season.
This is clearly in response to the massive demand during the past 12 months by U.S. tour companies licensed to operate “educational exchange” programs under the people-to-people license provision.
I first predicted that this would happen in two articles that I wrote for Caribbean Travel & Life. In the first, ”Cuba Then and Now”, published in 2007, I wrote: more >>
National Geographic Live! screens Christopher Baker’s Cuba talk
This past Tuesday, National Geographic posted a video of my recent presentation on ‘The Soul of Cuba’ at the society’s Grosvenor Auditorium as part of the National Geographic Live! series.
For further information about travel in Cuba, buy Moon Cuba
For further information on Havana, buy Moon Spotlight Havana.
Buy an autographed hardback copy of Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba direct from the author. more >>
Costa Rica’s new Cartago train service almost ready
On September 15, 2010, I posted (click here) about the Costa Rican government’s plans to introduce a new commuter train service between the capital, San José, and the nearby city of Cartago, the neophyte nation’s original capital city.
Less than two years later, the service is almost ready to launch as the latest effort in the government’s plans to establish a network linking major cities throughout the Central Highlands. more >>
Buy Moon Travel Guides
Search
Moon Travel Guides make independent travel and outdoor exploration fun and accessible. With expert and adventurous travel writers delivering a mix of honest insight, first-rate strategic travel advice, insider travel tips and an essential dose of humor, Moon Travel Guides ensure that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience. Each travel book is filled with unique trip ideas, easy-to-use maps, and detailed information on sights, restaurants, and accommodations. Moon Travel Guides not only point you in the right direction, they inspire new ideas and adventure. Whether you are seeking a relaxing beach trip to Hawaii, or an adventure travel trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica, Moon guidebooks—and Moon.com—are with you every step of the way. Founded in 1973, the Moon Travel Guides series includes Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, Moon Metro, Moon Living Abroad and Moon Spotlight travel books. Moon is based in Berkeley, California and is a proud member of the Perseus Books Group.