Costa Rica adventure and wildlife vacation

Planet

Accommodation and Meals:
As one of the leading countries for sustainability ecotourism, eco-friendly accommodation options hold an integral approved by the Costa Rican Tourists Board with a Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST), a program that aims to certify tourism businesses according to the degree of which their operation approaches a sustainable model. One of those certified is the El Establo Hotel in Monteverde where more than 80% of its area is covered with plants and forest. They also have three water treatment plant as well as an efficient computerized system that manages all energy resources. Los Lagos Hotel, Spa and Resort is another property that has most of the area comprised of rainforest to retain the natural ecosystems. In general, the accommodations used on this trip employs local staff and uses local produce wherever possible which eventually benefits the local community.

Souvenirs:
Though our local guides will always advise clients not to purchase any items made from endangered species, there is a huge emphasis placed on preserving natural resources and wildlife, so we are very conscious of our effects on the environment and how we can reduce negative impact and aid conservation.

Activity:
As an adventure vacation, there are plenty of activities that highlight the natural treasures of Costa Rica. In Tortuguero, clients will visit the national park and have a boat tour experience through the waterways. We will also visit the Tortuguero village where there is a possibility of visiting the Sea Turtle Museum as the area is one of the most famous nesting sites for the endangered green turtle as well as the Hawksbill, Loggerhead and Giant Leatherback turtles. There are also some exciting activities on one of the evenings where we take a walk through Tirimbina Bilogical Reserve to explore the rainforest in the dark and spot nocturnal species. The entrance fees to all our visits to the national and private parks will directly contribute to conservation efforts of the area.

People

Meals:
When meals are not provided, our local guides will recommend and encourage clients to visit local restaurants and cafes to try local specialties. Costa Rican specialties include ‘Gallo Pinto’, a black bean and rice dish known as a staple part of the local diet. Soups, stews and fresh fish are also common.

Local craft and culture:
On this trip, we will discover and understand the role agriculture plays in Costa Rica’s economy. We visit a pineapple plantation to discover the organic philosophy of the farm and the concept of rural agri-tourism. Subsequently, clients will also visit an organic farm to get a farm to table culinary experience to learn how staples are grown. Clients can try some fresh fruits and have a go at harvesting some produce. These visits to the agricultural sites are a great introduction to Costa Rican heritage and clients can also use this opportunity to support local production.

Alternatively, our visits to Tortuguero, Arenal, Monteverde and Carrillo are great opportunities to support local craft.

A Fair Deal:
We work closely with our local operator and ensure that all of our guides are local and that in exchange for their expertise that they are paid and treated fairly. The leaders will give a briefing on Responsible Tourism issues to help clients understand how they can help reduce their impact and maximise the benefits to the local community from our visit.

Group Size:
This is a small group tour, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.

UK Office:
It all starts at home where we work towards reducing our carbon footprint in our offices through energy conservation measures, recycling policies and the promotion of cycling and walking as a means for our staff to commute. Our head office has become a plastic-free zone with the use of plastic bottles being banned in our head office and we distributed reusable water bottles and tote bags to every staff member. We also support a large number of community and environmental projects in different parts of the world and try to give something back to the places we visit.