Monkeys and More in Costa Rica

This past April, my family of five (myself, my husband and our three kids), along with two of my sisters, my brother and their families, rented a five-story house with a private pool and ocean view in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. The views from the house — and of the native howler monkeys — were amazing. The only complaint we had was the heat. The temperature in April would get into the 90s, with 100 percent humidity!

Nicole Comeaux (right) with her family // © 2010 Nicole Comeaux

Visiting Manuel Antonio National Park was one of the highlights of the trip. There were all sorts of amazing critters there, including various types of lizards and, of course, more monkeys. The kids thought it was fascinating to watch the Jesus lizard walk on water. We also visited a butterfly sanctuary and an alligator house. The kids enjoyed ziplining, snorkeling and hanging out at the beach.

To me, another highlight was the cuisine. A typical breakfast consisted of fresh fruit, gallo pinto (beans and rice) and some yogurt with granola. It was all so amazingly fresh and delicio