Author Micki Kosman

Home
micki
Micki Kosman
Micki is the co-founder of The Barefoot Nomad travel blog. She's traveled around the world since 2003 with her husband Charles (the other founder of this blog) and now travels with her two kids.She loves helping people travel more, and follow their dreams. Micki spends a lot of time writing articles, helping readers, and doing the ten thousand jobs that keep this site going. Micki is a member of the Travel Media Association of Canada.
Auto Mercado Supermarket Tamarindo Costa Rica

Supermarkets in Tamarindo

Micki Kosman
Central America
5

Tamarindo's expensive, and the grocery stores are no exception. Once we got used to the sticker shock after coming from San Jose, we managed to find almost everything we needed at the local Tamarindo supermarkets.

Super 2001 - Our condo was about half a block away, so this was our default place to stock up on groceries. This is a very small supermarket (only about five isles, so about the size of a convenience store in Canada or the US).

The good. Considering the store is so small, they have a respectable selection of North American staples. There are some decent bakery items (including pizza) in the cases next to the cashiers. The wine selection was good.

The bad. Not cheap, but nothing is in Tamarindo. This is the smallest of the three main grocery stores in Tamarindo...

Mandarina Tropical Juice Bar

Searching For Cheap Restaurants In Tamarindo

Micki Kosman
Central America
7

Tamarindo has no shortage of great restaurants. It does, however, have a big shortage of cheap restaurants. With a month to spend in Tamarindo, and a family of four to feed, we didn't want to spend a fortune on eating out. These are the best cheap eats that we found in Tamarindo on a budget.

Pizzeria La Baula

This place has me so Pavlovian-conditioned that just saying Pizzaria La Buala makes my mouth water. Pizzeria La Baula is a home run: Amazing pizzas with high quality ingredients and a comfortable, casual, attractive place to hang out.

If you're craving anything other than pizza or salads...

Playa Tamarindo Cheap Things to Do Sunset

Amazing Cheap Things To Do In Tamarindo

Micki Kosman
Central America
9

Tamarindo is famous for its surf breaks, and almost equally famous for being a bit expensive and full of tourists. We spent a month in town enjoying the waves, and got a chance to track down some of the best cheap things to do in Tamarindo.

Boogie boarding on Playa Langosta. While Playa Tamarindo is the most famous beach in Guanacaste, Playa Langosta is just a short walk away. The waves at Playa Langosta are generally smaller, and better for families and newbie surfers. That said, we caught the waves at Langosta at high tide on a big swell day, and managed to smash a boogie board in two. Cost: One replacement cheap boogie board from Super Compro grocery, $10.

Zip lining at New Monkey Jungle Canopy Tours. Great from begining to end. New Monkey Jungle has seven zip lines and an awesome...

The Barefoot Nomad Children at Rushing River Kenora Ontario

Children And a Life of Travel

Micki Kosman
Travel Philosophy
4

Before our kids and even before he was my husband, Charles and I spent a year traveling in South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand. We dove the Great Barrier Reef, saw ancient Angkor temples in Cambodia, and watched wild orangutans playing in the Sumatran jungle.

We came out of that with a commitment: We weren't going to live a conventional life. It was travel for us; the open road and all that it offers. We were going to be digital nomads.

We made a plan: travel every winter, and come back to Canada in the summers to earn some money, enjoy the sun, and visit family.

And then we had children...

prepare your home for when you're away for a business trip

Long Term Travel Storage: What We Do With Our Stuff While We’re Gone

Micki Kosman
Information
61
As much as Charles and I would like to go whipping about the globe at a moment's notice, the reality of it is a bit different. Exactly two kids, a cat and a house full of stuff different.The kids? Easy. They come with us. The cat? A eight hour drive and he's rolling in catnip on Grandma's floor.But, our stuff is a bigger problem. What on earth do we do with all our stuff when we're on an extended trip? We've got some great tips for long term travel storage that have worked for us in the past.
In a Canoe on Lake Louise, Canada

Travel and Transformation: Same, Same, but Different

Micki Kosman
Travel Philosophy
2

I wrote this post a few years ago, after we came back from an extended trip across South East Asia, New Zealand and Australia.

Some things have changed. Today, I have two great kids, and I've moved to British Columbia, Canada, one of the most gorgeous areas I've seen in my travels, and where I can see the mountains everyday. But I still struggle with that surreal juxtaposition of our adventurous, nomadic travels, and returning to our so-called normal, everyday life in Canada. And Cosmo still cuddles us at night.

Circus Circus Las Vegas

Circus Circus Kids Activities, or How to Survive Vegas with Little Kids

Micki Kosman
Las Vegas
6
If you're in Las Vegas with little kids, Circus Circus is the place to be. Our little ones were completely transfixed by the idea that we were staying in a Circus hotel. They'd never heard of anything so cool.Personally, I love the hotel's tagline Act Your Age Somewhere Else. That's my philosophy pretty much anytime.We easily whiled a way a few days taking in the in-hotel entertainment. The circus acts were great, with a few shows a day. They featured David and Dania, the quick change artists from America's Got Talent, along with a pretty talented assortment of acrobats and clowns.
Hospital Room Trang Thailand

Canada Travel Insurance Review

Micki Kosman
Information
51

A lot of planning goes on behind the scenes to make our adventures possible. A lot. Travel insurance can kill a travel budget. Especially for us, since we're buying travel insurance for a family of four. For six months of travel, we got quotes ranging from $394.94 to $1725.00 for worldwide insurance, including the USA. For trips of 60 days or less, consider getting a ...