Accommodation and Meals:
We will spend 8 nights in a variety of, small, family run and locally staffed hotels- from a rustic wooden lodge set in tropical gardens to a hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Our accommodation in Monteverde has a tight environmental regime which helps us reduce our impact on the stunning natural surroundings and wildlife in Costa Rica. This involves a water treatment plant, solar heating water panels, proper solid waste disposal and recycling, gardens with native plants and a vegetable garden which supplies the restaurant. Hotel breakfasts include a variety of delicious fresh fruit, eggs cooked to order and locally sourced cereals, toast and hot drinks. For lunch and dinner, we aim to support local communities by using smaller, more authentic restaurants and pit stop cafes.

Activity:
This trip offers an exciting and environmentally friendly range of activities including swimming and white water rafting down the Sarapiqui River, zip lining at Arena Volcano National Park, horse riding to La Fortuna Waterfall, mountain biking, snorkelling and visiting geothermal springs. Not only does each of these trips really connect our clients with nature, but our guides are careful to impart our ‘leave no trace’ policy. By stopping at National Parks, our entrance fees are contributing directly to conservation and maintenance there; whilst by using local guides for natural tours, we are supporting the local economy.

Charity:
Last January we contributed school supplies though the Costa Rican Association of Tour Operators (ACOT). We organised the donation of school packages to children and teenagers in indigenous communities (Dueri, Cerro Alto, Tolok Saku, Jamaikiri, Tsinikicha, Mata de Limón, San Miguel, Gandoca and Yorkin). In terms of environmental charity, we give a monetary donation on a monthly basis to the Organisation for Tropical Studies.

Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, 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 so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.