I born in Costa Rica a country well-known by its nature and friendly people but also a country where tourism ranks as the third-largest source of income meaning that a lot of individuals, families, and communities have a direct impact from travelers who visit the country.

I studied tourism because I am passionate about cultures, nature, and community development.

Early in my career, I worked for big hotel chains and got disappointed that tourists usually repeated visiting the same big and touristy destinations without experiencing the local and also the majority of the profits of these companies will go outside the country.

Later I also worked as a volunteer coordinator for an international agency getting experience about voluntourism and witnessing how living with a local family, immersing the travelers into the culture, and sharing about our traditions will create life-changing experiences for travelers.

Together with my husband who is a tour guide and photographer, we created Explore Tikizia Blog where we write about Costa Rica and promoted local economies, tourism enterprises, appreciation of culture, communities, and natural resources.

We believe that the power of one traveler to change the way they invest their money and time and pour more into the local experiences will empower a sense of community that will create the energy to educate themselves and inspire others to enjoy more transformational travel in Costa Rica and worldwide.