Latest from Elizabeth Lavis
13 Articles
Traveling Across the U.S.: 5 Bucket-List Destinations You Can’t Miss
From sea to shining sea, the United States is full of surprises, delightful destinations, and astounding natural wonders that you’ll remember for the rest of yo
Find Your Pura Vida on These 8 Best Costa Rican Beaches
Costa Rica’s 802 miles of coastline have some of the finest beaches on the planet, from snowy shell shores to jungle-backed white sand beaches perfect for baski
Why Manuel Antonio National Park Is Costa Rica's Premier Destination: 6 Reasons to Visit
I visited Manuel Antonio National Park almost accidentally. I was en route from Jaco to Dominical and decided to take a last-minute detour through Quepos, which
8 Costa Rican National Parks and Refuges Worth the Plane Ticket
Costa Rica’s 500,000 different species, epic jungle-backed beaches, and misty volcanic highlands make it a wise choice for nature buffs and wannabe wildlife spo
5 Top Costa Rican Surf Towns to Party Til Dawn
Costa Rica is well-known for its stunning nature, abundance of animal life (500,000-plus species), and epic waves that cater to surfers of all levels, from novi
I Almost Skipped It: Why You Should Visit the Ultra-Colorful Colombian Town of Guatapé
During my four months in Medellín, I had many places to tick off. I explored the city on foot, took the Metrocable to Parque Arví, and traveled to Jardín, Salen
I Thought Machu Picchu Would Be Expensive—Here’s How I Did It on the Cheap
Talk to most people about their bucket-list Peru vacation, and they’ll almost always mention Machu Picchu. This so-called “Lost City of the Incas” dates back to
7 Things I Wish I Knew Before My Costa Rica Trip (What Most Americans Don’t Expect)
Nosara, Costa Rica: Image Credit: Elizabeth Lavis I fell in love with Costa Rica the first time I crossed the Sixola River from Panama en route to Puerto Viejo.
Why Surfers in the Know Flock to the Nicoya Peninsula
Visit Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, and you’ll find countless beaches, each one more impressive than the previous. From snowy white coral shell shores to almon
Visiting Lake Titicaca’s Logic-Defying Floating Islands
On my first visit to Peru, there was only one destination on my mind: Cusco and the high-altitude, intense Inca Trail trek that would lead me from the capital o
I Live in Tbilisi, Georgia, and These Are the Top Must-Do Experiences
The minute I landed in Tbilisi, in the Eastern European country of Georgia, I knew that it was a special place. From the Old Town district with its whimsical ba
I Didn’t Expect This: Why Bolivia’s Optical-Illusion Salt Flats of Uyuni Are a Must-Visit
I went to Bolivia to trek the Isla del Sol and Huayna Potosí, but once I arrived in La Paz, all I heard was talk of the famous snowy Salar de Uyuni. Bolivia’s m
It Felt Untouched by Time: This Mythical Lake on the Peru–Bolivia Border Is a Living Time Capsule
Lake Titicaca sits on the border between Peru and Bolivia and is easily one of the most enchanting parts of the country. It stands at an impressive 3,812 meters