Anita Rani: I pushed myself out of my holiday comfort zone – and I’ve never felt more free

The Celebrity Race Across the World contestant hired a car and set off on a nine-day driving trip around the northern inland regions

Some places whisper to you. Costa Rica positively shouts. I’d had a glimpse of this extraordinary country before, a flying visit under rather stressful circumstances, and it had left me with an itch I couldn’t scratch. The biodiversity, the renewable energy, the fact that five per cent of the world’s wildlife exists in this small strip of land between two oceans. I’d barely touched the surface, and I knew I had to return.

Six months later, I found myself on a plane descending into that same landscape, and something unexpected happened. That old anxiety came flooding back, the stress of that first visit clinging to me like humidity. But as I stepped out into the warm, dense air, I took a deep breath and made a conscious decision: this time would be different. This time, I would slow down. This time, I would really see Costa Rica.

Costa Rica changed not only how Rani saw travel, but also herself

And what I discovered was a country that doesn’t just invite adventure, it practically insists upon it.

A different kind of journey

I hired a car and set off on a nine-day driving trip around the northern inland regions, visiting rainforests and national parks, with nothing but time and curiosity as my companions. It was blissfully manageable, the kind of trip where you can lose yourself in the rhythm of the road and the ever-changing landscape. Be at one with the potholes!

The beauty of Costa Rica is that it refuses to let you stay comfortable. One moment you’re driving through pastoral farmland, the next you’re plunging into dense rainforest where the canopy is so thick it creates its own weather system. The country has this way of gently (and sometimes not so gently) pushing you toward experiences you might normally shy away from – like ziplining 200 metres above the rainforest canopy. Through a rain cloud. I didn’t even have time to think about my fear of heights.

Rani took to the tree tops on the Heliconias Rainforest Lodge suspension bridge

I’ll be honest, I was absolutely terrified. But here’s the thing: I was doing it alongside a group of American women in their seventies who called themselves “the Wild Women”. Seventy years old, and they were whooping and hollering their way across that canopy like they did this sort of thing every Tuesday. If that’s not inspiration, I don’t know what is.

That moment, suspended high above the forest floor, rain streaming down my face, was pure exhilaration mixed with absolute terror. It was also a reminder that it’s never too late. These women had grabbed this opportunity with both hands, and there I was, in my forties, thinking I was being adventurous. They showed me what adventure really looks like.

When nature surprises you

I returned to Lake Arenal, a place I’d briefly glimpsed on that first trip. It’s a man-made reservoir, a hydroelectric lake that sits beneath the Arenal Volcano, and it’s absolutely stunning. The sun was blazing as we set out in kayaks, perfect conditions for a peaceful paddle.

Staying dry for a brief moment during a kayaking trip around Lake Arenal

Five minutes later, the heavens opened. I’m not talking about a gentle drizzle: this was a full Costa Rican downpour, the kind that soaks you to the bone in seconds. And you know what? I’ve never felt more alive. There’s something utterly joyful about being completely drenched, paddling through rain so thick you can barely see the shore, and laughing at the absurdity of it all. Sometimes the best moments are the unplanned ones, the ones where you just surrender to whatever’s happening and find the joy in it.

Wildlife that makes you stop and stare

Costa Rica’s wildlife is the stuff of nature documentaries, except you’re living it. Night treks and night safaris revealed a world that only emerges after dark. I saw the biggest spider of my life; red-eyed tree frogs that looked like they’d been painted by an artist with a fantastical imagination; and a fer-de-lance viper, safely observed, that reminded me how wild this place truly is.

Night safaris are a good way to encounter Costa Rica’s nocturnal wildlife

But the moment that made me genuinely giddy? Seeing a tapir. They’re rare, shy creatures that look like nature couldn’t decide between several different animals and just combined them all (Google it now; I promise it’ll make you smile). That strange, wonderful creature represents everything that’s magical about Costa Rica.

I saw coatis, caiman sunning themselves by the water, iguanas draped in trees like living sculptures, and birds in colours I didn’t know existed outside of paintings. River cruises revealed layers of life along the waterways, every turn offering something new.

And yes, I saw sloths – including a baby, which to this day makes me giggle. There’s something profoundly peaceful about watching a creature that moves so slowly, so deliberately, in a world that usually moves far too fast.

Enjoying some much-needed shade on a Caño Negro wildlife cruise

What adventure means at 40-something

Here’s what I’ve realised about adventure as a woman in her forties: it “hits different”, as they say. When you’re younger, adventure is often about proving something, either to yourself or to others. Now, it’s about discovery, about seeing what you’re capable of when you stop putting limitations on yourself.

Change has been happening incrementally for me over the last 10 years, small shifts and large decisions that over time have added up to something substantial. I find myself at the end of 2025 genuinely surprised by who I’ve become. A woman who drives solo around foreign countries. Who ziplines through rainforest canopies. Who earlier this year did a polar plunge in the Arctic and snorkelled between tectonic plates in Iceland.

Who am I, doing these things? The answer is: I’m someone who stopped saying “someday” and started saying “now”. And the profound impact this has had on my psyche, on my sense of what I’m capable of, cannot be overstated. Stepping into my power, if you like.

These moments of doing extraordinary things while watching magnificent sunrises and sunsets, eating delicious food and talking to wonderful strangers – these are the experiences that inform your opinion of the planet. They remind you that humanity is good, that you can do amazing things, and that every single day is a new day. You can set yourself a new challenge. It genuinely doesn’t matter what happened yesterday; you can draw a line under it and start again.

Age is just a number

Speaking from experience, I have never felt more free, never felt more wild, never felt more ready to take on the world and everything it throws at me. And I say that with absolute joy in my heart.

Rani believes age doesn’t matter when it comes to solo travel

Don’t let anyone tell you that your forties are a time to settle, to play it safe, to accept limitations. It’s absolute rubbish. If anything, your forties are when you finally have the confidence to attempt things without the crippling self-doubt of your twenties or the overwhelming responsibility pressures of your thirties.

Costa Rica taught me something important: you don’t need to put too much pressure on yourself. Your efforts, your willingness to show up, to try, to say yes – that’s enough. Everything is okay. More than okay.

So what’s next?

I’m not entirely sure, and that’s the exciting part. What I do know is that I’m going to continue seeking out adventures, smiling at the sunshine, and taking as many people with me as possible.

Costa Rica didn’t just push me out of my comfort zone; it expanded what I thought that zone could be. It showed me that comfort and adventure aren’t opposites; they’re companions. You can seek thrills while also seeking peace. You can challenge yourself while also being kind to yourself.

As I look toward 2026, I feel ready. Ready for more countries that will surprise me, more wildlife that will make me gasp, and more moments suspended between fear and exhilaration. Ready to keep discovering not just new places, but new versions of myself.

Take it from a woman who knows: it’s never too late. Go and do something that makes you step out of your comfort zone. Book that trip. Say yes to that invitation. Be a “Wild Woman”, regardless of your age.

The world is waiting. Costa Rica taught me that. And I’m so very glad I listened.

Essentials

Anita Rani travelled as a guest of Discover the World, which offers an 11-night Costa Rica trip from £3,998pp, and of the Costa Rica Tourism Board. To read more about Anita’s trip, visit DTW’s website.

Recommended

How to experience the best of Costa Rica on a budget

Play The Telegraph’s brilliant range of Puzzles - and feel brighter every day. Train your brain and boost your mood with PlusWord, the Mini Crossword, the fearsome Killer Sudoku and even the classic Cryptic Crossword.