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Environment
The leatherback turtle project site you will visit on this trip is one which we have been active in the management and fundraising for since 2000. Your visit not only gives the chance to see marine turtles and some excellent wildlife, but provides a behind the scenes view of a research and conservation project in action. It also enables us to make donations to the conservation of highly endangered turtles and expand the reserve to protect more of the world’s stressed habitats: litoral rainforest.
Nesting leatherback turtles are protected by law in Costa Rica and projects like these help to protect leatherback eggs from poachers and dogs. You will have the opportunity to play your part by joining these anti-poaching patrols. When you find a turtle laying her eggs, you will be asked to take great care in watching the process. Once a female has begun this process it is unlikely she will stop, but before she begins it is particularly is important to avoid upsetting her with noise, torches or camera flashes. Disturbance can cause a female turtle to return to the sea and either seek a new nesting point, or even jettison her eggs into the sea.
This wildlife, birdlife and marine life journey to Costa Rica visits some of the most important protected areas of the country, using accommodation which is part of an ‘ecotourism’ solution integral to the conservation of these areas. As a company we continually assess the accommodation we use to make sure it meets our high environmental standards. The elements we look for includes waste water treatment facilities, recycling of waste materials, benefits to local communities and support for local conservation efforts.
In the Tortuguero National Park, our lodge promotes sustainable practices such as the use of bio-digesters to recycle organic waste. Products include methane gas which is used as a cooking fuel, whilst solid waste is recycled into a organic food crop fertiliser. The lodge is also active with the local community through projects focused on developing local guides and better education to help deter the poaching of turtles for their meat and eggs. Community
When you visit the La Selva Research Station, you will be helping us to support one of the country’s foremost tropical rainforest research stations. Over 240 scientific research projects are untaken here each year, continually improving our knowledge and understanding of this precious natural resource. It is quite likely that when you visit the station with us it will be a resident scientist who shows you around, to provide you with an expert insight into the workings of the rainforest.
Unfortunately, like many places in the world child prostitution is a problem in Costa Rica. Our main partner hotel in San Jose is a member of a group of hotels who operate under a code of conduct which is part of a global initiative to tackle increasing exploitation.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
