Real Surf Trips blog Costa Rica

5 Travel Hacks for Surf Nomads

by Bulgarian Mermaid @bulgarianmermaid January 6, 2020

From my first solo travel by plane at the age of 3 to being dragged to the Sahara Desert of Africa by car by my crazy parents and thru the Gobi Desert of Mongolia on the TransSiberian Railway all before the age of 10, I can honestly say I started budget traveling young 🙂 With the last 15 years of adulthood spent studying, living, working and blogging around the world and the last 3 years as a location independent digital nomad in Europe, USA, Central America and Africa, I may know a thing or two about traveling by land, air and sea. And while Solo Female Travel Guide was mostly about road tripping, this blog is focused on air travel to exotic destinations, the diseases you may pick up there and the travel challenges you will definitely meet on the way 🙂

1st and foremost – Insurance

What insurance you should get depends on where you are going, what you are doing and what your existing health, car & home insurance policies already cover. Are you staying within “home continent” – North America / Europe or are you traveling overseas? Is travel insurance included in your health insurance? Some US companies do include it for international travel. Does your credit card cover rental car insurance abroad? Does your home insurance cover items lost or stolen during travel? Are you traveling for extended periods of time or are you planning on engaging in extreme sports? Most people don’t know their health / car insurance or credit card benefits. Don’t be like most people 🙂

My overall recommendation for insurance for digital nomads and travel bloggers alike would be SafetyWing as their policies are affordable and pretty comprehensive. Even if you are covered by US/European health insurance and traveling within “home continent” where you don’t need to worry about additional health coverage, you should consider purchasing travel insurance at least for the days of travel and see if that policy includes rental car insurance and covers deposit deductible.

Extreme sports – if I plan to practice extreme sports abroad or engage in any activities where I may get hurt (ATVing, snowboarding off piste, heli skiing, mountaineering) I buy enhanced insurance for that trip that covers extreme sports, any medical bills, theft or loss of gear. I’ve found the Premium Policy of World Nomads to be the best and easiest to use in terms of submitting claims and getting reimbursed. It is pricey but it works!

2. One-way travel (by air, land, or sea)

While you can fly one way within Europe and the US no questions asked, a lot of countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America require exit travel plans and proof of onward travel before they stamp your 30/60/90 day entry visa no matter if you are crossing the border by land, air, or sea. Since I never know when I am coming back and I don’t want to be bound by a return ticket with a 100EUR change fee, I “organize” an exit with Onward Ticket. Onward Ticket is a legit plane ticket that costs 15EUR and is valid for ONLY 24hrs. Your reservation is valid for 24hrs and can be confirmed in the system but you don’t actually have a seat on the plane so don’t try to fly with it. Strange I know, but totally legit, tried and tested and super useful when needed!

3. Short check-in

What is a “short check-in”? A short check-in is traveling to middle destination ONLY on a connecting flight. Why do it? Because sometimes the connecting ticket is WAY cheaper than the direct flight to middle destination. (Weird, I know, but airlines…) How to do it? Preferably with carry-on luggage ONLY. Check-in online for both flights, don’t say a word to anyone at airport, don’t ask stupid questions and just don’t board your second flight. No one will care (as long as you don’t do it with same airline every week!!!).

4. Delayed / Cancelled Flight

How to get compensated for sudden and undesired “change of plans” due to a massively delayed or cancelled flight? Shit…unfortunately happens 😦 Instead of freaking out at the airport and creating unnecessary drama, know your options and follow these steps:

Submit an online claim with airline FIRST (you may get compensated but I doubt it)
Submit a claim with your travel insurance
Submit a claim with AirHelp
Do it in this order and do it quick (in 3 consecutive days for example) so you can honestly say to all “agents” that you haven’t been compensated by the “previous”
If the first two options don’t work, you will for sure get compensated by AirHelp but it will take TIME, be ready to wait, sometimes 3-6 months. And don’t worry, you won’t have to do a thing after you submit all the initial paperwork, just wait!

Do all that within a week at most of the delay / cancellation!

5. Luggage

I prefer traveling with a carry-on ONLY, however it is not always possible for long periods of time, cooler destinations or winter travel when transporting skis / snowboards. Then my luggage pieces of choice are either a 45L backpack or 1 medium suitcase NOT tightly packed. Some low cost airlines have a weight limit of 20kg (instead of the traditional 23kg or even better 30kg) so pack light even when checking luggage.

Luggage choices – these are my ALL TIME FAVS, tried and tested!

Osprey Kyte 46 – for backpacking trips (don’t overstuff the top for carry-on)

Osprey Porter 46 – for regular trips (both qualify as carry-on)

High Sierra Volusia 22 – if you need a wheeled/roller carry-on version

and small backpack – either day pack or laptop backpack.

Ski / snowboard bag choices – two options depending on your budget:

My current choice is a Douchebag Ski Bag roller and I can’t recommend it high enough! If you are looking for a more budget friendly version go for the High Sierra Snowboard Sleeve and Boot Bag pictured below. It served me well for 3 busy winters 🙂

air travel, carry on luggage, coliving, coworker, coworking, digital nomad, pack light, packing, packing list, plane, remote office, Travel, travel essentials, traveli light, traveling

Published by Bulgarian Mermaid

I am Maria, born and raised in Bulgaria, world traveler since the age of 3, outdoors aficionado since the age of 23 (better later then never), aspiring surfer and snowboarder, former exercise and fitness junkie, mindful yoga practitioner, amateur dancer, wellness and nutrition follower, strong believer that everything is possible, loving life and riding it gently on a natural high.

Ever considered a Surf/Reggae Trip To Jamaica?

Is Dominican Republic safe for a surf trip?

Absolutely! Our luxurious Cabarete location has 24/7 high security staff, private entrance and cameras.

In town and at the beach the presence of friendly and helpful tourist police is everywhere.

There was some unfounded bad press about the D.R. in the U.S. Media last spring based on 11 tourist deaths on the other side of the island.

This video statement by full time resident Austin sums up the situation perfectly. It is completely safe for tourists here in fact statistically far safer than popular tourist destinations like Costa Rica, Mexico or Spain.

We recommend travel insurance for all destinations.

What does Upe mean? A Simple Introduction

In Costa Rica, it is customary when arriving at a home to knock and say “upe” (pronounced oo-pay). What this announcement means is to politely ask for someone to come to the door or otherwise answer to your presence, though it doubles for some as there is an old story in Costa Rica culture that says it helps “purify” the house of anything evil.

But what, where and when did it come from? A lot of people are very unaware of the word’s history, and it’s an interesting one.

According to the historian Costantino Lacariz in his book “El Costarricense” the pronouncement comes from the Spanish Colonial period and has a religious background.

“Upe ” supposedly came from Nicoya, Guanacaste in the 1800s, where the locals would announce their presence by saying the words “Nuestra Señorita (Señora) la Virgen de Guadalupe.” This was of course shortened over time and eventually ended up with just the last part, “upe“. It was assumed that no evil person would say the supposed holy word before approaching someone’s home.

The greeting which is uttered at the doorstep of houses was very typical in Nicoya, who had dedicated it to the celebrations in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe, their Patron Saint.

During your Costa Rica surf trip, you may notice a lot of homes don’t even have doorbells! Don’t worry though, this is where this expression comes into much use and is a pure Costa Rican tradition. Street vendors would also even shout “Upe, upe!” if they didn’t know the name of the occupants.

It can still be seen as a way of “blessing” one’s home these days so it is best to remember it for when you visit someone’s residence or store, a little manners and knowledge of Costa Rica slang never hurt!

Real Surf Trips in Costa Rica provides its guests with first class accommodations, one-of-a-kind service and over 20 years of local surf knowledge, guaranteed to give you the Costa Rica Surf Camp you’ve been dreaming of!

So you’re in Costa Rica but your partner doesn’t surf?

You’re coming to Costa Rica for a surf camp but your partner doesn’t surf? Not to worry, we’ve got you both covered!

Non-surfers can still expect to have a great time by the water. If you prefer to just kickback and relax, there’s plenty of that going on, the beaches along our coastline are some of the most beautiful beaches in the entire country. Vast and almost always bathed in sunshine, the beaches offer an endless amount of coves and pristine shorelines that are only just a short drive away from each other. Some are just quaint small fishing villages and some are hopping with an abundance of stores and restaurants.

The climate along the coast has allowed for vast expanses of tropical dry forests full of mystery. These forests often line the beaches and are host to a whole range of animals including various exotic birds, iguanas and monkeys. Sometimes hundreds of leatherback turtles come ashore to lay their eggs, a sight surely not to be missed.

There are also hiking trails for those more willing to get into the forest areas, this will ensure you see some of the exotic wildlife if you hadn’t already. Expect to see a wide variety of monkeys, anteaters, maybe even some frogs! There are also zipline and horseback riding tours going through the rainforest for the more energized travelers.

With a reef also along our shore, it is the perfect spot to go snorkeling or scuba diving scuba diving tours. With plenty of exotic and colorful marine life to encounter, it goes without saying that Costa Rica offers some of the finest underwater exploring in the world.

Real Surf Trips offers guests a once-in-a-lifetime vacation to learn surfing from our experts on one of the best surfing beaches in Costa Rica, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Come enjoy our fantastic staff, beaches, and luxury accommodations!

The Significance of “Una Teja” in Costa Rica Slang

The slang of Costa Rica is as rich as the culture of the country itself. When you’re traveling in the pura vida country down south, you might run into the words una teja. The enterprising tourist may go scrambling for his or her Lonely Planet phrasebook only to encounter the following unhelpful definition: “a roof tile.” Surely these smooth-talking Ticos can’t all be roofers …

Though its origins remain obscure, the slang term una teja came to stand for 100 colones in Costa Rican currency, the same way a speaker from the United States might call a dollar a buck. Over time, una teja came to refer to 100 of anything. How many kilometers are we from San José? Una teja. And now, una teja has transcended currency and quantity altogether. Simply put, una teja means perfect, 100%, brilliant, fantastic. Though I’m certainly too old to get away with saying this myself, a millennial might phrase it thusly: keep it 100.

Along with pura vida, una teja is an oft-repeated Tico mantra that reflects both the style of life in Costa Rica, and the great pride that Costa Ricans take in their customs and culture. It’s one of those phrases that sticks in your head — una teja — and after enough time in Costa Rica, exploring its pristine beaches, its flourishing jungles and forests, its engaging capital city and the vibrant nightlife to be found therein, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better phrase to sum up your experience. There are places on earth that defy description. When it comes to natural beauty, cultural diversity and excellent surf, nowhere else compares to Costa Rica. If you find yourself at a loss for words, feel free to let Americanos and Ticos alike know that your time in Costa Rica was una teja.

Surf Costa Rica with Real Surf Trips and see why it’s called the ‘Rich Coast’. Real Surf Trips offers first class accommodation, experienced teachers, and superior service in one of the best surfing spots in Costa Rica!

Five Reasons for a Great Water Sport Vacation in the Dominican Republic

In Northwest Dominican Republic, between Caberete and Cofresi, the Amber Coast stretches along the shoreline. Temperatures here are mild due to the warm prevailing winds off the Atlantic Ocean.

Beyond the tranquil beaches, the same winds stir the ocean water, agitating the waves and dashing them against the coral reefs. This creates the ideal condition for a number of wind sports that have become popular here.

Nowhere is this more apparent than Caberete for water sport activity. Here are five reasons you should come check things out for yourself.

Besides offering a great place to practice watersports, Cabarete is one of the most beautiful places in the world, providing stunning vistas year-round. Cabarete has an exposed reef break for reliable surf. In the winter and spring, windswells and groundswells are balanced and consistent.
For Surfers, beach breaks near Cabarete provide plenty of peaks robust enough to ride to shore. The coral reef and wind allow just enough variability to make each ride unique. Our local team can help you get to know the area so that you learn the best spots for great surfing whether you’re a beginning, wanting to learn to surf or are more experienced on the waves.
Windsurfing on Cabarete Bay is an exhilarating way to practice or learn this sport. The wind is steady and just unpredictable enough for an exciting ride. Any time of the year works for a novice learning to windsurf for the first time. If you are at the intermediate or expert level, you will have the most fun in the summer, between June and August.
Kite surfing at Cabarete promises great conditions suitable for all skill levels. This is a great opportunity to come watch the experts or to share your skills with friends new to the sport. Depending on whether you want freestyle, flat water or wave riding styles, our team will help you decide on which area is best for you. The best times to learn kite surfing are June to August or January to March.
SUP is great here any time of year. For novices, a nearby beach provides ideal learning conditions with calm waters, while outer reefs provide a challenge for advanced standup paddleboarders.