Three new deluxe hotels up the ante in Costa Rica

I've been researching my Moon Costa Rica for two decades and have known the country since it was little more than a blip on the tourist map. The country's evolution has since been explosive. In terms of tourist infrastructure – hotels, tour operators, and the like – Costa Rica is now off the charts in both volume and quality. Keeping up with the trends and new arrivals is a constant challenge. That's one reason the Moon Costa Rica is now published afresh every two years.

Staying tuned in to new hotels (both recently opened and/or planned) always keeps me on my feet. During my recent nine-week research trip (October through December, 2008), I counted more than four dozen new hotels (not counting run-of-the-mill cabinas), of which at least half-a-dozen are world-class. more >>

Cuba on the Cusp

Travelers visiting Cuba today do so at a fascinating historical moment. The recent Democratic takeover of Congress has emboldened anti-embargo forces. In January 2007, a bipartisan bill was introduced to end existing travel restrictions to Cuba. While President Bush has promised to veto any such legislation, a Democratic victory in the 2008 presidential elections may virtually guarantee change. Senator Barack Obama has already promised to end some restrictions on travel to Cuba. And then there's Fidel. With Cuba's octogenarian leader incapacitated by a potentially fatal illness, his brother Raúl (Cuba's de facto new head of state) has already extended an olive branch to Uncle Sam. Possibility hangs in the air like intoxicating aromas of añejo rum. After more than a decade of traveling to – and reporting on – Cuba, I'm suddenly feeling quite giddy. more >>