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From Discovery and CruisingTo Advanced Mountaineering Expedition
Get ready for a week in Costa Rica full of activities! We leave the city of San José behind the day after arrival to get as much time as possible in the lush and green environment. Costa Rica is famous for its coffee and to get an understanding of this important export product we visit a coffee plantation to learn about sustainable coffee production. We then head up the mountains to give a helping hand in a local community for a couple of days of service work. At the same time as we accomplish our tasks, we will get to know the local people and learn about their culture. A trip to Costa Rica must, of course, include some white water rafting on the famous Pacuare river. There is no better way to explore the unique and pristine rainforest with it's wildlife than in a river rafting boat. This is an adventure you don't want miss!
Countries:
Start and Finishing Point:
San Jose
Activities:
Grading:Introductory to Moderate
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Day 1
Arrival San José
Bienvenidos a Costa Rica! Upon arrival at the San José International Airport a tour representative will welcome you. We will be transferred to our accommodations in San José and once everyone has checked in we will have a trip and safety orientation. We then head out for our first local dinner. Overnight hotel San José.
Meals: D
Day 2
Transfer to Turrialba, Aquiares Coffee Tour
This morning after a local Costa Rican breakfast, we leave the capital behind and drive east towards the town of Turrialba. We will stop in Aquiares, one of Costa Rica’s most important regions for coffee. On arrival, we will have an in-depth tour and lecture to learn about the community, the coffee plantation, the processing, and have a coffee tasting. We will also discuss the importance of sustainability and what it is like to run a coffee business in Costa Rica. After a waterfall visit and lunch, we are transported to our accommodation. When we all are checked in, we gather for dinner and get ready for the next day's activities. Overnight guest house Turrialba
Meals: B,L,D
Day 3
Hike to Mollejones
After breakfast, we are transported to the starting point of today's hike. We will hike in the valley next to the Pacuare River and explore its flora and fauna. The rainforests that surround the river are home to exotic animal species such as monkeys, jaguars, ocelots, and a large number of birds. We make a stop for lunch and, when we are coming to an impassable river crossing, we leave the valley behind and head uphill into the mountains. We will hike through dense vegetation and hilly ridges until we reach the town of Mollejones, where we will spend the coming nights. We set camp and prepare the dinner together. Overnight camping Mollejones
Day 4
Community Project and Cultural Immersion in Mollejones
After breakfast, it's time for our community service project! We will be divided into small groups and are assigned a family in need of a helping hand. It can be a single-parent family or a household of elderly people. The work could include structural work like cement or wood walls, replacing doors and windows, plumbing or drainage work, building furniture, tile work, general painting, landscaping, or planting a garden. This is an incredible opportunity to develop cross-cultural relationships with the localsand the exchange knowledge and language skills. We take a break for lunch and continue working for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Then we head back to the campsite to freshen up before it's time for dinner. Overnight camping Mollejones
Day 5
Today we have breakfast early. We have more work to do and we will continue where we left off yesterday. We take breaks for lunch and snacks. In the late afternoon, we arrive back to camp to freshen up and have a well-deserved rest before it's time for dinner. In the evening, we gather and discuss what we have accomplished. We share what we have learned during the project work and our reflections. Overnight camping Mollejones
Day 6
Hike to Pacuare River. Rafting to El Nido
Today we have breakfast early. We begin the day with a hike back to the Pacuare River. We will enjoy a packed sack lunch and then it's time for white water rafting! We are equipped with helmets and life jackets and have a safety orientation before jumping into the boats and begin paddling through the pristine rainforest. After a couple of hours, we will reach our destination, the riverside camp of El Nido del Tigre. The campsite has spacious tents on fixed platforms with water and sanitary facilities. The name of the camp, El Nido del Tigre, comes from the giant plant leaves looking like the shape of a tiger paw. We prepare dinner together and gather around the campfire before it's time for bed. Overnight El Nido del Tigre Campsite
Day 7
Rafting to Siquirres
After a good night's sleep in the tents, we get ready for rafting again. There is so much nature and wildlife to explore along the river! The Pacuare takes us through virgin rainforests, cascading waterfalls, and river-carved canyons. We will safely maneuver through the exhilarating class III and IV rapids but most of the time just float through calmer stretches and enjoy the near-vertical green walls on the shoreline. En route, we make stops for lunch and short hikes to some waterfalls. In the afternoon, minivans will pick us up and transport us back to San José. Tonight we have a farewell dinner and recap all we have learned and experience during the trip. Overnight hotel San José
Day 8
Departure San José, Transfer to Airport
After breakfast, we are transported to the airport.
Meals: B
World Expeditions Schools journeys are designed to encourage positive personal development and the learning of life skills, while leaving the communities and environments we travel to, in a better condition than when we arrived.The programs are designed to:• Build strong friendships and bonds with their peers, their teachers, and the local people they meet. • Increase the confidence to engage with new people, and collaboratively make informed decisions.• Discover the benefits of working cooperatively together as a cohesive team, to achieve a common objective.• Increase the ability to face, and cope with, mental and physical challenges and therefore increase resilience.• Give students a chance to appreciate and care for the natural world. The environments we travel through are beautiful and often pristine, invariably the students will gain a deeper appreciation and understanding about how their individual actions impact on the environment.• Learn personal skills i.e., time management, personal hygiene, responsibility for personal gear, patience, tolerance, and public speaking.We help encourage students to learn what it means to be a true global citizen.
What's included
What's not included
Per Person, Twin Share
We can fully customise a School Travel Program to suit your students' learning objectives and budget. Whether you require a Service Learning program, physical challenge, cultural immersion or certain curriculum targets - talk to one of our educational travel experts about the elements you need in your itinerary. We pride ourselves on developing unique itineraries to meet the learning requirements for schools.
World Expeditions Schools is a division of one of the world's leading adventure travel companies, World Expeditions. We can develop itineraries in any destination that is offered by World Expeditions, which is to every continent on earth.
Use our simple Expedition Design Form to contact us with your requirements and an educational travel expert will be in touch to assist.
Since the 1980's, we have helped students from around the globe to experience the world's most exciting destinations, allowing them to travel, give, grow.
Together with students, we have completed over 400 Service Learning programs in developing countries. We will always continue to support causes including social justice, animal welfare, the environment and more.
Want to include service learning, your school curriculum and a physical challenge, or any of the above? Contact us and we can design a program fully catered for your students and budget.
Every school receives a detailed risk management plan that is guided by government advisories and the local partners we work with. We never compromise on the safety of your students to reduce the price of the program.
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Our educational travel experts are ready to help you tailor an itinerary or service learning project to suit your school’s needs and budget. Contact us today to receive a free consultation.