1. travel

9th Annual Costa Rica Retreat with Judith & Heather
February 14 - 21, 2015
February 21 – 28, 2015
!
Please review carefully... important information within!
!
Payment Information
All payments to be made by direct deposit to TD Canada Trust account #7112881 branch 2369 (the
name on the account is Heather Meneses). For wires from the US please add $10 to your total to
cover the cost of the wire, you will need the following information to complete the wire: TD
Canada Trust~361 Mountainview Rd S, Georgetown, Ontario L7G 5X3~ABA #026009593~Swift Code
TDOMCATTTOR)
**Let Heather know as soon as your deposit has been made, otherwise she will not be able to deduct it
from your total**
!
Important note in the event of cancellation after payment has been made, your $500 deposit is nonrefundable. We recommend when booking your flight, you purchase cancellation insurance for the total cost
of your trip including your stay at Villa Cortes.
!
Important dates to remember
To take advantage of the special early bird rate, your non refundable deposit is due no later than
October 31, 2014. YOU MAY STILL REGISTER UP UNTIL TWO WEEKS
PRIOR TO THE RETREAT, however a $300 fee will be added to the retreat
rate.
Room Style
Rate (USD)
Super Deluxe
$1600
Deluxe
$1550
Standard
$1400
Essential
$1350
!
Check out Villa Cortes’ website www.nosararetreatcenter.com to
preview the property & room options.
January 15th, 2015 (or earlier):
Your balance is due!
January 15, 2015:
Please send us your complete travel itinerary for both arrival & departure. In the event of delays, we will be able
to track you down and help you out!
Please let us know if you need us to arrange ground transportation to & from the Liberia (LIR) airport in Costa
Rica, to Villa Cortes.
DON’T FORGET TO PURCHASE TRAVEL
INSURANCE
!
Travel Information
Nervous about flying alone? Let us know and we will
find you a travel buddy for the journey.
!
Flight options open considerably when you have some
flexibility within your travel. In past years many participants
have extended their week by a few days before and/or
after the retreat... if you have the time, Costa Rica is a
beautiful country to explore!
!
Margarita is our favorite host and lives only 5 minutes from the international airport in San Jose. She
charges $35/night and will feed you 3 UNBELIEVABLE meals/day! Make reservations with her at
margaritaw@costarricense.cr or call her at 506-2441-1464 or 506-2430-3074
!
**If you are arriving before February 14th/ 21st or are staying beyond the 21st/ 28th, you must make your own
arrangements. We have reserved Villa Cortes for our group during the weeks of February 14-21st &
February 21-28th only.
Getting to Villa Cortes:
You can fly into Liberia International Airport (LIR) or into the San Jose International airport (SJO). From LIR, it is
a 2.5 hour drive. From SJO it is a 5 hour drive or a domestic flight to the small airport in Nosara. Domestic
flights are about 45 minutes. The resort is less than a 30 minute drive from there!
!
There are two domestic flight options from San Jose to Liberia or Nosara:
Sansa Air (to Liberia): www.flysansa.com & Nature Air (to Nosara): www.natureair.com that fly out of San Jose.
*These are small planes that have weight restrictions for luggage... pack consciously!
Travel Arrangements: In case you require assistance in
booking your flights and extended travel plans, we can
recommend Cathy Wasserman of Vision 2000. Judith has
used her help for many years now and she is familiar with
our group needs and can help you book your flights from
home all the way to any one of the airports in Costa Rica.
She will provide all the options for you within your budget.
Please let her know you are part of our group (Judith &
Heather). Reach her at:
289-344-0089 or Cathy.Wassermann@visiontravel.ca
!
Our Costa Rican Travel Guru: Emilio Zuñiga has been a trusted tour operator and provider for us over
the years. He can help arrange domestic flights, ground transportation and accommodations for you
outside of our retreat dates. Contact him here:
emilio@ilviaggiocr.com ~ www.ilviaggiocr.com
** DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO COMPLETE YOUR PAYMENT
AND FORWARD YOUR TRAVEL ITINERARY TO US**
Important Passport information
The Costa Rican government requires that your passport be valid for a minimum of 90 days past your
day of arrival in Costa Rica... if your passport expires before June 1, 2015 (or 90 days past the day of
your departure from Canada), you will need to get a new passport before leaving Canada.
!
There is a $28 (USD) non-residency departure tax due when departing Costa Rica. The tax must be
paid before you check-in with your airline (on departure only). Cash is best to bring for this as the
debit machines do not always work.
!
What is included in your package:
Accommodation
2 vegetarian meals a day (lunch can be in town or from your house’s kitchen... stock it with all your local
favourites)
All Nia & Qigong classes (2 classes per day)
What is not included:
Flights & ground transportation
All the great things you stock your fridge with.
Spa services & gratuities
Outside excursions
General Staff Gratuities
($25 in cash recommended gratuities for
the week)
!
!
!
!
!
!
Our program will be given to you upon arrival at Villa Cortes...
Check in is at 3pm on the 14th/21st, and check out is after breakfast on the 21st/28th. Bags can be safely
stored at the caretakers house while you await your room upon arrival or transportation to your next
destination following the week.
!
!
Daily classes (excluding Wednesday) will be before breakfast, as well as an afternoon session before
dinner.
Three evening programs will consist of meditation, belly dancing, and
general winding down after dinner.
Our week begins Saturday evening and concludes one week later on
Saturday morning (opening introductions will take place once the last
guests arrive. Our week will conclude as a group before the first are to
depart).
!
It’s your week to enjoy... class attendance is optional.
Come to one or all, as you wish!
Property Orientation
Upon arrival, Alex will give you your keys and walk you around the
property so that you will know where to find one another, and the
beach path!
The yoga pavilion and pool are open for us to use while rooms are
being prepared on the day of arrival/departure.
Excursion Menu
!
!
Wednesday is a full-excursion day and there will be no classes offered, as most guests will be on other
adventures. Excursions are optional, you may choose to enjoy a quiet day off at Villa Cortes, to have a
massage or walk the beach. Half-day excursions will not interfere with our class schedule & can be
arranged for any day you choose.
Some options are:
Miss Sky Canopy Tour
Surf Lessons
Stand-up paddleboard tours on the river
Quad tours
Fishing tours
Horseback riding on the beach
Yoga classes @ The Nosara Yoga Institute
!
!
!
Bring extra cash (USD) Our week at Villa Cortes is paid for, but you will need to have cash on hand to
leave staff gratuities at the end of the week ($25 recommended). This cannot be done through credit card.
There is a bank in town where your ATM card should work (no guarantees in Costa Rica!) In the case that
your bank card does not work, you may use a credit card in the machine or in the bank to obtain cash.
Most businesses accept credit card payments.
You may store all valuables in your house’s safe.
Environment
Nosara is located on the Pacific side in the Guanacaste region on the Nicoya Peninsula. It is situated at
the mouth of the Nosara and Montana rivers surrounded by 125 acres of the Nosara Biological Reserve
~ the area is rich in birds and wildlife. It is home to a very diverse international community.
!
Vaccinations are not required to visit Costa Rica. The ocean air is tropical with few mosquitoes.
Daytime temperatures are in the high 20’s and drop
quite a bit at night (around 2am!) for comfortable
sleeping. Each house has AC if need a quick cool
down... or jump in the pool.
The sun rises and sets each day between 5:30 and 6.
Most people wake with the sun and enjoy early nights.
Villa Cortes has a full time staff member, who lives and
works daily on the property.
!
Meals, Water and Bar
All meals are prepared daily from only the finest, freshest ingredients (mostly organic, local and vegetarian).
Special dietary menus are available upon request (please let us know upon booking so we can alert the
cook in advance). The water at Villa Cortes is safe to drink from any tap on the property.
There is no bar, but each house has a kitchen that you may stock up with snacks, coffee, beer or wine
from town.
!
Amenities
Well, let’s see... aside from the infinity pool, tropical gardens,
ocean & beach. When the hammock becomes a
bore (is that possible?), there are local shops and restaurants
within walking distance.
There is also the world-renowned Nosara Yoga Institute a
short walk away, where you can take very affordable
yoga classes.
!
!
!
*Each house at Villa Cortes has a safe to store your valuables.
Rent a surfboard or bike nearby.
The main house has a cabinet full of board games, puzzles, paints,
a wide selection of DVD’s, and a few drums.
!
Things to pack
**Flashlight
Bathing Suit
Suitable shoes for excursions
A sense of adventure
!
**extra batteries
Day Pack
Beach towel/sarong
!!!!!!Water Bottle
Sunscreen and hat
Walking/Hiking Shoes
Bug repellent (preferably chemical free)
Yoga mat (optional)
!
COMMUNICATIONS INFORMATION
**Your cell phone most likely will not work in Costa Rica unless you have an international plan & a sim
card. Call your provider before leaving home to avoid any surprises**
!
!
The number at Villa Cortes is for anyone from home to reach you in the case of an emergency. Please
note, these are not public phones for outgoing calls. 506-2-682-1070 or 506-8-769-1940.
International calls can be made from several locations within a 10 minute walk from Villa Cortes.
Free wifi is available throughout the property. Don’t feel like lugging along the electronics? There are two
internet cafes within walking distance from Villa Cortes, so you may pack lightly if you wish.
!
!
!
PLEASE CONTACT JUDITH OR HEATHER WITH ANY QUESTIONS THAT ARE NOT
ANSWERED HERE... WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT Villa Cortes!!!
!
!
Judith Thompson 905~873~8940
judith@studiosoleil.ca
Heather Meneses 647~891~1987 TCMgeorgetown@Yahoo.ca !
!
!
!