Costa Rica family activity vacation

COUNTRY:: Costa Rica
DEPARTURES:: 2012: 4 Aug
PRICE:: From £1995 (12 days) excluding flights
MORE INFO:: Price includes: 2 nights San Jose hotel, 2 nights lodge, 1 night rainforest lodge, 1 night rainforest camp, 3 nights five star hotel, 2 nights beach hotel; 11 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 6 evening meals; San Jose guided tour, coffee tour, all activities as per itinerary, volunteering and cultural day; airport and activity transfers; all equipment, tuition and supervision from qualified instructors. From £1295 per child (9-12) when sharing with 2 adults. Price includes accommodation, most meals, activities and guide. Minimum age 9 years
LATE AVAIL:: Late availabilty: We have late availability in May, June, July and August, please inquire.

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Costa Rica family activity vacation

How this vacation makes a difference

This family activity vacation is designed to showcase the best of Costa Rica’s activities and landscapes whilst positively benefiting the local communities which we visit. Our Costa Rican partner was the first tour operator in Costa Rica to win the Certificate of Sustainable Tourism. They put a great deal of emphasis on using hotels and suppliers with well implemented policies regarding sustainability and the environment.

Throughout this vacation we use smaller, family run accommodation and local activity providers. These establishments provide vital employment in rural areas of Costa Rica where young people may otherwise be forced into urban areas to find work. Throughout the trip we encourage our clients to eat in local restaurants and purchase goods from local suppliers thus stimulating the economy of the areas we visit. We also encourage the learning of some basic Spanish to allow for a better cultural exchange.

This vacation also incorporates a visit to the Caribbean Conservation Corporation where clients will learn about the plight of the endangered Sea Turtles that nest along the Caribbean coast.

We also include a day of volunteering at an Eco Centre in Arenal where guests will aid with the reforestation projects and interact with the local community.

We hope that families will return from this thrilling vacation with a true sense of having experienced the real Costa Rica.

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Story of the vacation provider

The founder of this company gave up his job as a stockbroker who made rich people richer, put a tent and sleeping bag on the back of his bicycle and went traveling. When he returned home he decided to do what he loved best and retrain so that he could set up an activity vacation company. He believes vacations spent lying on a beach gently grilling under a roasting sun are all very well but the memories from awesome experiences in stunning locations, such as white water rafting in the Pyrenees or dog sledding in Lapland, will last far longer than any sun tan.

Vacation provider no: 306

Costa Rica family activity vacation

Reviewed 02 Sep 2010 by Hilary Mackintosh

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?

The "adrenaline" activities - horse-riding, rafting, canyoning. Watching the children playing in the hotel pool at Arenal while the volcano puffed in the background, and feeling slightly uneasily like a citizen of Pompeii... Sitting one metre from an egg-laying turtle.

2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?

A really strong insect repellent - ours was sold in a metal canister as it dissolves plastic, and seemed to be more effective than other people's! Definitely do the optional kayaking at Tortugero - you get a much more intimate wildlife experience than from the boat-ride, though that was good too. Don't worry about any of the activities - my family are not all fit and sporty but we all did all of them and thoroughly enjoyed them.

3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

Costa Rica really impressed me as a beautiful country that seems completely unspoilt. It seems to have by-passed the industrial revolution and to have taken only the best of modern development - resulting in quality tourism infrastructure in a stunning landscape. I felt our visit supports this tourism model, encouraging the preservation of their wildlife habitats, and clearly all the local businesses we visited were individually benefiting from our patronage. I was particularly impressed with the way the turtle watching was organised - this seemed a good way of encouraging local people to protect this species, while giving tourists a good experience that interfered as little as possible with the turtle's natural behaviour.

4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?

Excellent - the country lived up to expectations, we had some terrific wildlife sightings, the organised activities were great fun - but what really made it special were the friendships we all - adults and children - made. The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is that we went on a boat trip in Canada last year through you, and that was even more amazing - it's going to be hard for any vacation to top that!

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