Eco-Chick Escapes · The modern girl's guide to green travel

Barbados’ SeaU Guesthouse: Get Away from it All (for Real)

Getting away—really getting away—is harder than it’s ever been. That’s why it’s so important to seek out those places that embody being a new place, that exemplify both their locale and that unique mental relaxing-letting go that makes a vacation so very special. The SeaU Guesthouse in Bathsheba, Barbados fulfills all those authentic getaway desires.

The hammocks that overlook the ocean below at SeaU Guesthouse in the Bahamas.

Run by a former travel writer, the Guesthouse is located at the top of a giant hill overlooking the sleepy town of Bathsheba (that happens to be an international serious surfing destination; apparently Kelly Slater is a fan of the perfect waves at the Soup Bowl and filmed a piece of a surf movie for Billabong there a couple years back). In town, you can find real (delicious!) Bajan food and plenty of (naturally!) rum.

I was in Barbados to really relax; though I travel often, it is usually not ‘time off’ but doing-seeing as much as possible so that I can write about it for magazines and websites. Not this time. At SeaU I napped, stared at the ocean, went for meandering walks, and spent bountiful amounts of time hammocking on my porch at SeaU or on the hammocks in the common areas.

A view of the (palm-forest-covered) town of Bathsheba below the Guesthouse.

SeaU was incredibly quiet, so much so that I was surprised to see other guests (from England and Brazil) when my boyfriend and I showed up at breakfast in the mornings. And let me just gush about that (complimentary!) breakfast for a minute: Off-the-tree fruit so ripe it practically melted in my mouth, fresh local eggs cooked up by the capable cooks, homemade sweet breads (so delicious!) and of course, tea and coffee.

I was so happy relaxing in our deck hammock!

The east coast of Barbados is tropical relaxing at its best; not overdeveloped, not touristy, and definitely off-the-beaten-path, which makes it ideal for a real getaway (more on Barbados here). While SeaU had free WiFi and I definitely checked my email when needed (and even watched a movie with my boyfriend from the Internet), I felt a zillion miles away from home. Which is exactly what I needed.
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Costa Rica’s Parador Resort and Spa in the Heart of Manuel Antonio

Nestled high above Costa Rica’s scenic Pacific coastline, on acres upon acres of teeming-with-wildlife rainforests and adjacent to stunning Manuel Antonio Park, sits Parador Resort and Spa in Punta Quepos. It’s a sustainable jewel of a resort you must visit.

I stayed at Parador for nearly four unforgettable days a few weeks ago. It far surpassed my every expectation with its impeccable service, commitment to sustainability, and raw beauty. The resort was honored as a worldwide leader in sustainable tourism by receiving the Platinum Level “Leader in Sustainable Tourism” Adrian Award from National Geographic traveler, as well as having been recognized by TripAdvisor as one of the “Top 25 Luxury Hotels in Central America” just this year.

It was a first-time trip for me to the beautiful country; sincere thanks to Costa Rica’s tourism board. I had heard so many wonderful things about Costa Rica, and I received more advice than I could take on where I should visit, things I should do, and what I should eat. But there’s nothing better than letting moments overcome you when traveling. Rather than carefully plotting out and orchestrating my every move in Costa Rica, I decided I’d go for the ride and experience the country and its people. I wanted this trip to be as authentic as possible.

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