It’s now official that vacationing at one of Recreo, Costa Rica’s luxury villas may very well make you happier! Costa Ricans are consistently ranked as the happiest people on earth. Read more in the latest NY TImes article “The Happiest People” by Op-Ed Columnist Nicholas D Kristof below…..

“Hmmm. You think it’s a coincidence? Costa Rica is one of the very few countries to have abolished its army, and it’s also arguably the happiest nation on earth.

There are several ways of measuring happiness in countries, all inexact, but this pearl of Central America does stunningly well by whatever system is used. For example, the World Database of Happiness, compiled by a Dutch sociologist on the basis of answers to surveys by Gallup and others, lists Costa Rica in the top spot out of 148 nations.

That’s because Costa Ricans, asked to rate their own happiness on a 10-point scale, average 8.5. Denmark is next at 8.3, the United States ranks 20th at 7.4 and Togo and Tanzania bring up the caboose at 2.6.

Scholars also calculate happiness by determining “happy life years.” This figure results from merging average self-reported happiness, as above, with life expectancy. Using this system, Costa Rica again easily tops the list. The United States is 19th, and Zimbabwe comes in last.

A third approach is the “happy planet index,” devised by the New Economics Foundation, a liberal think tank. This combines happiness and longevity but adjusts for environmental impact — such as the carbon that countries spew.

Here again, Costa Rica wins the day, for achieving contentment and longevity in an environmentally sustainable way. The Dominican Republic ranks second, the United States 114th (because of its huge ecological footprint) and Zimbabwe is last.

Maybe Costa Rican contentment has something to do with the chance to explore dazzling beaches on both sides of the country, when one isn’t admiring the sloths in the jungle (sloths truly are slothful, I discovered; they are the tortoises of the trees). Costa Rica has done an unusually good job preserving nature, and it’s surely easier to be happy while basking in sunshine and greenery than while shivering up north and suffering “nature deficit disorder.”

After dragging my 12-year-old daughter through Honduran slums and Nicaraguan villages on this trip, she was delighted to see a Costa Rican beach and stroll through a national park. Among her favorite animals now: iguanas and sloths.

(Note to boss: Maybe we should have a columnist based in Costa Rica?)

What sets Costa Rica apart is its remarkable decision in 1949 to dissolve its armed forces and invest instead in education. Increased schooling created a more stable society, less prone to the conflicts that have raged elsewhere in Central America. Education also boosted the economy, enabling the country to become a major exporter of computer chips and improving English-language skills so as to attract American eco-tourists.

I’m not antimilitary. But the evidence is strong that education is often a far better investment than artillery.

In Costa Rica, rising education levels also fostered impressive gender equality so that it ranks higher than the United States in the World Economic Forum gender gap index. This allows Costa Rica to use its female population more productively than is true in most of the region. Likewise, education nurtured improvements in health care, with life expectancy now about the same as in the United States — a bit longer in some data sets, a bit shorter in others.

Rising education levels also led the country to preserve its lush environment as an economic asset. Costa Rica is an ecological pioneer, introducing a carbon tax in 1997. The Environmental Performance Index, a collaboration of Yale and Columbia Universities, ranks Costa Rica at No. 5 in the world, the best outside Europe.

This emphasis on the environment hasn’t sabotaged Costa Rica’s economy but has bolstered it. Indeed, Costa Rica is one of the few countries that is seeing migration from the United States: Yankees are moving here to enjoy a low-cost retirement. My hunch is that in 25 years, we’ll see large numbers of English-speaking retirement communities along the Costa Rican coast.

Latin countries generally do well in happiness surveys. Mexico and Colombia rank higher than the United States in self-reported contentment. Perhaps one reason is a cultural emphasis on family and friends, on social capital over financial capital — but then again, Mexicans sometimes slip into the United States, presumably in pursuit of both happiness and assets.

Cross-country comparisons of happiness are controversial and uncertain. But what does seem quite clear is that Costa Rica’s national decision to invest in education rather than arms has paid rich dividends. Maybe the lesson for the United States is that we should devote fewer resources to shoring up foreign armies and more to bolstering schools both at home and abroad.

In the meantime, I encourage you to conduct your own research in Costa Rica, exploring those magnificent beaches or admiring those slothful sloths. It’ll surely make you happy.”

To see the article go to: www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/opinion/07kristof.html

Recreo Plant a Tree Volunteer Opportunity

Once almost completely forested, the country of Costa Rica saw vast clearings of land during the 1970s and 1980s to create cattle pastures for beef exports. With one of the worst rates of deforestation in Latin America, by 1990 only 21% of the country remained forested. However, with ambitious environmental policies and commitment, Costa Rica has become the only tropical country to radically reverse the effects of deforestation, doubling the amount of forest in just two decades! Reforestation in the tropics is a powerful means of carbon offset because the trees grow quickly, and carbon offset measures can have a relatively rapid effect. According to the Tropical Science Center and Programa Amigable con el Cambio Climatico, a single tree in tropical zones fixes an average of 1 to 2.2 tons of carbon during its 20 to 30 years growth. If two trees are planted, the fixation time for the same amount of carbon is cut in half. Unfortunately, travel-related activities often produce substantial greenhouse gases. According to a United Nations report on Climate Change and Tourism, “Carbon dioxide emissions from the [tourism] sector’s transport, accommodation and other tourism activities are estimated to account for between 4 and 6% of total emissions [worldwide].” For most travelers, air travel produces the vast amount of carbon emissions. Therefore, the largest component of a traveler’s carbon offset calculation is based on from where they are traveling. Suggested Number of Trees to Plant for Carbon Offset of Round Trip Flights:
Canada 2
United States 2
Mexico 2
Central America 1
South America 2
Europe 4
Japan 6
The Recreo Plant a Tree program is $25 per person for a native species of tree, laminated tree tag to commemorate the event and a certificate with a picture as a keepsake of your contribution. Trees will be planted within the Recreo estate at your choice of the many available locations. Thank you for helping Costa Rica re-forest!

For more information please go to www.recreocostarica.com

For more information please go to www.recreocostarica.com

If you want to hear what real guests are saying about Recreo, read reviews for yourself at the following link:

www.tripadvisor.com

Or you can access our tripadvisor page directly from the Recreo website at

www.recreocostarica.com

On April 14- 18, 2010 get Your ~ing on with Gabrielle Bernstein the author of the book “Add More ~ing to Your Life – A Hip Guide to Happiness”. Gabrielle will guide you on a journey inward to connect with your inner guide (aka ~ing), clear your negative thought patterns and celebrate yourself on this adventurous vacation. Guests can expect:

• A women’s retreat
• Complete mind/body cleanse
• Additional guidance with yoga/integrative nutrition expert Latham Thomas
• Daily activities include yoga, horseback riding, kayaking, mountain biking, ziplining, hiking, swimming and more
• Menu options include Latham’s culinary treats for marrying raw food to Costa Rican cuisine
• Lodging, meals, airport transportation

FIVE DAYS FOUR NIGHTS

Cost: $1750 plus tax for a private room.
Or the ~ing pair package: by bringing a friend and sharing a room the companion rate is $1550

For more information visit www.addmoreing.com
or www.recreocostarica.com

The Escuela Gil Tablada Corea Elementary School is located in El Jobo, the second poorest town in the province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica on the border of Nicaragua. The school has five classrooms for grades K-6. The children in each grade share classrooms and only attend school for 3 hours a day, four days a week. While the school has electricity and access to water, the students do not have access to computers or the internet and educational resources and materials are very limited. English is one of the subjects taught at the school. Even though lunch is provided to all of the students, attendance for many is generally sporadic. Many of the children do not continue their education beyond the 6th grade as both girls and boys are encouraged to work at an early age to help support their families.

In an effort to encourage attendance generally and to stimulate in the children an interest in attending school beyond the compulsory 6th grade level, Virtue Foundation has donated a library of educationally stimulating books, activity kits, CD players and other curriculum enriching materials and supplies in both English and Spanish that also can be utilized for after-school activities. Teachers’ manuals were provided to maximize the educational impact of the books and materials. The library was created with a view toward providing a variety of resources that would stimulate and enrich the curriculum and educational environment as well as provide the children with the necessary skills that would enable and encourage them to pursue their education beyond the primary school level.

www.bolanosbayfoundation.org

www.recreocostarica.com

www.recreocostarica.com

The Discover package Week One is $1,800 per person per week, plus applicable taxes and airport transfers. If the one additional person is a non-kiter, the cost is $1,275.

The Ocean Lake and River package Week Two is $2,200 per person per week, plus applicable taxes and airport transfers. If the one additional person is a non-kiter, the cost is $1,550.

For the two week experience per person is $3,500, plus applicable taxes and airport transfers.

Either Adventure Experience Package Price includes:
•Seven nights, eight days for your private room in one of our six villas on a 63-acre mountain and beach estate,
•Five days of instruction (three hrs per day),
•Three meals a day plus beverages
•Transfers.

For further information please log onto www.recreocostarica.com

We have just added some pictures of the brand new one bedroom bungalow at Recreo, Costa Rica. We think this is a perfect addition to the resort and is a great villa for couples on their honeymoon in Costa Rica. To check out the pics, go to:

www.recreocostarica.com

Experience the vacation or honeymoon of your dreams at Recreo Costa Rica, where guests enjoy the intimacy of a private luxury villa with amenities and services to rival the world’s finest resorts and hotels. An all-inclusive destination dedicated to providing our guests with an unforgettable experience in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, near Nicaragua’s border. Please check back often for news and information about your next vacation destination!

www.recreocostarica.com