Costa Rica

For a first trip built around nature rather than museums, Costa Rica is hard to beat. Rainforest lodges, volcano hikes, zip lines and two coastlines are all set up for visitors, and the tourism industry is used to guiding first-timers with packaged transfers and tours. The money is easy too. The colón is the official currency, but US dollars are widely accepted, so you can skip the exchange counter for hotels and tours and keep a little local cash for small stops. Americans need no visa for a vacation, and the time difference from home is small, so you arrive ready to explore rather than wrecked. Spanish helps away from the main routes, and the rainy season reshapes roads and plans, so check the month before you book.